2013/2014 Audition day review

College Majors Musical Theater Major
361

<p>FSU</p>

<p>D went to FSU this morning. We registered at 8:30, then had Gail, Michelle and Cameron (dept. heads) talk for about a half hour. Then kids left for dance audition. Parents stayed in room for about another hour of Q&A. They only want a class of 8 students for MT. We learned that they had whittled the MT, Acting amd B Music kids down to a pool of 240. Parents were walked over to studio where dance was. Beautiful campus! D told me she danced with group then was asked to dance again with a few selected kids. We then got a ride back to first building by one of the current MT students who was helping to run the dance call. She knew my D had the second slot of the day so offered to drive us over. So sweet! D was able to change and then warm up in one of the rehearsal rooms in the building. All kids were told to do one monologue and two songs…they could choose the order. D did a comedic monologue then sang her songs. They then asked her if she had another monologue! She was surprised and said “yes” and did that one as well (serious monologue). They thanked her and said “thats what we needed to see from you.” D left feeling great about the entire experience. She loves the campus and the staff and all of the students she met. She said she could totally picture herself here. (Fist time i’ve heard her say that after about 15 auditions). Now we wait. They said we will find out in March. We did learn, that they offer a BA Theatre program (not as performance based as BFA) but should you not get into the BFA program and still want FSU, that is an option (along with many other non-theatre majors). Performance opportunities are open to all. </p>

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<p>BALL STATE UNIVERSITY</p>

<p>Hello all!
I am a current freshman Musical Theatre major at Ball State and like to keep up to date on CC. I wanted to post about my audition at Ball State over a year ago now and what it has been like on the other side volunteering with audition days.</p>

<p>I auditioned for Ball State University’s Musical Theatre program at Chicago Unifieds almost a year ago and I cannot speak any higher of the process.</p>

<p>The professionalism and kindness I experienced before, during, and after my audition stood out from every other school I auditioned for. The department didn’t treat me like a number, but like a young performing artist that they could possibly work with for the next four years. The faculty took the time to not only investigate my talent, but who I am as a person as well. I felt so comfortable in the audition setting and really felt like the faculty was invested in making the audition process as relaxed and enjoyable as it could be. </p>

<p>When the head of the department gave me a call letting me know I had been accepted, the warmth and enthusiasm made me feel at home. There was no pressure on the timeline of letting them know my discussion and were very understanding that I had to weigh my options. The department is also very good about providing scholarship money to enable all students and out-of-state students, like myself, to attend. </p>

<p>This year I have volunteered for all of our on-campus audition days. Auditioning on campus at Ball State is like being tossed into the Ball State family for a day. There are current students from every major in the department walking around and making sure that all the students, and their parents, feel at ease. It really is a great representation of the strong friendships all of the students and faculty share. </p>

<p>The day starts with 8:00AM-9:00AM check-in and warm-up by the comedy troupe. This warm-up is fun and really loosens up the nerves before the audition starts.
This is followed by a dance call for MT, audition for ACTING, and interview for DESIGN and THED. There is a parent meeting at this time with the chair of the department to answer all questions a parent might have.
The day continues on with song/monologue slots. The accompanist is one of the voice faculty on campus, and she is fabulous!
During this time, a student is performs their ONE 1-min monologue (with another one prepared) and TWO contrasting 16-bar cuts.
The faculty will work accordingly with the student on their pieces. They may give you a scene partner or work on a vocal exercise with you. (That was one of my favorite things during my audition)
The day ends around 3PM-5PM depending on the number of students and the time slot you are given.
There are current students and faculty and staff by your side the whole day to make the process as enjoyable as possible.</p>

<p>I hope that everyone has had as positive of an experience in their Ball State audition as I did.</p>

<p>Have fun during this crazy process! You will look back and realize that this time was one of the most special milestones in your life: the time you went out there and pursued your dreams.</p>

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<p>BALL STATE: Have to second the fine synopsis written by rdomann. My husband and D were so favorably impressed by the warm welcome at Ball State; and the heartfelt discussion and Q & A led by Bill Jenkins, Chairperson of the Department. Mr. Jenkins was energetic and honest in his exchange with the parents. Equally enlightening and welcoming were the additional faculty present and students. Prior to the Q & A, there was a gathering in the dance studio and a very talented senior female entertained everyone with a selection from “Memphis” (that she’s using for Senior Showcase.) Always nice to see the level of talent that a school helps to shape. Our D enjoyed the dance call (esp. the music from Drowsy Chaperone) and was pleased when she was asked to sing a number of vocal selections and perform a second monologue. She was grateful that the vocal coach took time to work with her on a particular piece and truly felt the improvement after she was able to incorporate some of the breathing techniques offered. Lastly, who would not be impressed by Sutton Foster’s involvement with the senior caberet class and it’s New York destination at Joe’s Cafe? All in all, Ball State has now moved toward the top of our D’s “wish list” schools. </p>

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<p>My D is also a freshman MT at Ball State (she was a welcomer last weekend), and I will tell all you parents out there the program is exceptional. Bill Jenkins is an absolutely wonderful chair, and he has put together a top notch faculty. we have seen several shows there and thelevel of talent is extraordinary. My D feels very nurtured and challenged at the same time, and the improvement in her abilities just one semester into her program is evident even to her non-trained dad. She is extremely busy with classes and rehearsals (right now for Music Man), and while I can’t begin to understand how the kids deal with their schedules (a lot of days it seems she’s going from 8 AM till after midnight), she is loving every second. </p>

<p>Let me share a personal story that I think shows how wonderful and caring they are at BSU. Right now our family is facing end of life issues for two of my D’s grandparents. We emailed the folks at BSU to let them know my D may have to miss some rehearsals or classes in the near future. Within minutes we got emails offering any help they could provide, and that they would be making sure my D was OK. I don’t know how many programs would do that, but I can tell you it touched me deeply. To know my D is in the hands of such caring folks is a blessing. </p>

<p>So parents and students, if you are looking for a program that will develop your individual talents that will prepare you to be a professional in the MT world, in an environment where the faculty care about you as an individual and are committed to you, look no further than BSU. It should be at the very top of your list.</p>

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<p>Bwaybabie: My D was at FSU on Feb. 8th. She also loved the audition and the campus. We went from 0 degrees from Chicago Unifieds to 66 degrees in Tallahassee! Loved the Florida weather too!</p>

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<p>WESTERN MICHIGAN UNIVERSITY</p>

<p>The day started at 8:00 a.m. with registration. Everyone was very welcoming and friendly. The students walked around answering any questions people had. I am guessing there were about 100 MT auditioning, but not sure how many Acting. My D auditioned for both. The parents and students were seated in a theatre that holds about 600.</p>

<p>From 8:30 to 9:00, they had an information session about the Theatre dept. and about the school. At 9:00, they called the Acting group for a warm-up. They also started calling the MT’s in groups of 10.</p>

<p>D did her 2 monologues for the Acting audition. After all the students who auditioned for Acting were done, they gave them a tour of the Theatre facilities. While they were touring, the adjudicators put together letters in envelopes which indicated whether one was called back for an interview or were not accepted into the program. Luckily, D received a call-back.</p>

<p>While this was going on, many groups of 10 MT’s were called. D was in the last group, as were any others that were auditioning for both. They auditioned with 2-16 bar songs and 1 monologue. After the audition, they were handed either a pink slip of paper (a voucher) calling them back to the dance portion, or an envelope letting them know they were not accepted into the program. Again, luckily D was invited to the dance call.</p>

<p>I do not know how many were called back for Acting, but I estimate about 40 were invited to the dance call.</p>

<p>This was D’s 12th audition, but the 1st one at a college. She did 11 auditions at Chicago Unifieds. She really liked the school and thought everyone was super nice.</p>

<p>It was a very long day for this mom; we didn’t leave until 4:30 p.m.!</p>

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<p>D auditioned at Muhlenberg on Monday. Her call time was 2:45 and we arrived at 2:30, meeting in the lobby of the theatre building. Charles Richter came out soon after we arrived and asked for everyone’s name and informed them of the things that they would be doing next. There was a mixture of students there - senior applicants auditioning for scholarships and juniors doing a tour.</p>

<p>D was told that she would visit an acting class first, along with another “MT” student. There was one Acting applicant who went to a different acting class. D enjoyed her class very much. While the students attended the classes, the parents were free to roam so I went over to the student center, bought snacks from the little convenience shop and settled into one of their lounges with a fireplace.</p>

<p>I returned to the theatre building about 15 minutes before their class was supposed to end, then they all came back. Mr. Richter took everyone on a tour of the building (there were about 30 of us - students and parents). He explained the program completely and answered questions along the way. If was a walking info session. Once we were finished, there were four people to audition (apparently some auditioned before their acting class). </p>

<p>D said that Mr. Richter had her sit down and he questioned her about things on her resume, asked her about her GPA, SATs and course schedule for this year. Then she auditioned with two monologues and one song (no accompanist, which was stated in the email. D brought her music on her iphone and plugged it into their system, although I don’t recall what type of system it was. May have been just speakers). All of that took about 10 minutes or less. Then we were free to go.</p>

<p>D enjoyed her time there. We have visited before and each time she finds something new to like. This time we found out that their study abroad goes not only to London, but also Accademia Dell’Arte, and since D has an interest in physical theatre, that was right up her alley.</p>

<p>The Allentown area got hit pretty badly from the snow and even though the streets were plowed, the lanes were very narrow and cars were parked in the streets because the snow mounds were so high along the sidewalks.</p>

<p>Well that’s all folks!</p>

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<p>I am a CC user, but just ran across this thread, and thoroughly enjoyed reading the many audition reports.
I especially want to comment on @FutureMillie6 's Jan 18 Catholic summary - which was an excellent summary of my experience - and my D’s. </p>

<p>"Then at 2:00 the MT group was taken up to the dance studio. There were 11 scheduled but only 8 were on time with 1 running into the room after the warmup ended. "</p>

<p>My daughter was the “1 running into the room after the warmup ended.” LOL
She was at Shenandoah earlier in the day, and I completely sympathize with the other 2 girls who came in much later. You make choices, and do the best you can. </p>

<p>In December, my daughter had to choose between auditioning at Shenandoah or Catholic on Jan. 18th.
We are from California, and we had one shot at on campus auditions in the DC/VA area.
We scheduled the Shenandoah audition - and planned for her to send in a video tape to Catholic, as we were under the impression that she could only audition at Shenandoah in person (no video submittals). And she had already passed her prescreen at Shenandoah. </p>

<p>When Shenandoah sent a detailed letter about the audition schedule for the day, it looked like auditions wrapped by 12:30pm ! At that point, I told her “you COULD potentially make it to Catholic - but it will be VERY CLOSE”.
I contacted Elise and arranged for her to have a late audition slot - but Elise said “the last dance call is at 2pm.”<br>
I explained we might be running a few minutes late. I felt that even if my D missed the dance portion, she would have the opportunity to do her song and monologues in person, and we could submit a video of her dancing later.<br>
We also let Shenandoah know that she would need to leave at lunchtime, but even with that, she was not done with her audition until about 12:45. </p>

<p>Long story short: we arrived at Catholic - found the auditions - she ran in and was able to dance - and sing and act! And Catholic ended up one of her favorite auditions. and 2 weeks later she was waitlisted at Shenandoah and offered a spot in the MT program at Catholic, so I guess it all worked out for the best. </p>

<p>While I feel for the other 2 students who ran super late - I think it is important to accept your limitations. I told my D that she might miss the dance call. BUT - we traveled 2,200 miles and spent a lot of money for east coast auditions, and it would certainly be worthwhile to “GO FOR IT!!!” </p>

<p>Thanks for listening to my long story :slight_smile: </p>

<p>Now - some added notes about the Jan 18 auditions</p>

<p>SHENANDOAH - we were very impressed with the people running the program - Jonathan Flom and team are offering their students cutting edge training - they stay on top of what is happening on Broadway and National Tours, and shared that they want their graduates to WORK! I loved that they will require each MT student to study either piano or guitar - because being a triple threat is not enough, if you want to be cast in shows like ONCE :slight_smile: </p>

<p>My D said the dance was difficult, but fun. It seemed to take about 90 minutes - We parents could hear them running the music over and over again in the adjacent theater - where we were hearing more about the school and financial aid, etc. </p>

<p>The audition was long - but organized. We noted that MT auditions ALWAYS take longer than everything else - Acting, Dancing, Musical Instruments. So - at Shenandoah - it is best to plan for “all day” for MT auditions - no matter what the general “day of” schedule says. </p>

<p>PROS of SHENANDOAH: small conservatory program - excellent training - my D was drawn to them because of their top-notch vocal training.<br>
CONS of SHENANDOAH: 1+ hours from Dulles airport; 2 hours from DC. Transportation options limited unless you have a car. </p>

<p>Catholic - Jan 18: As others have said here - the faculty and the current students were beyond helpful. My D loved talking with the staff during her individual audition. She really wished we could have had more time on audition day to take in more of the program and the campus. While she was dancing, I was able to talk to 3 current students - who were happy at the program - shared the MANY performing opportunities available to the students from day 1. One sophomore shared that she was one of a group of students to sing at the home of Vice President for his Christmas party. </p>

<p>For singing/monologues, they escorted students to a practice room, where they had extended time with their accompanist prior to the audition. From hearing the CUA student chat, it was a long day for all of them, but the auditions did not feel rushed for my daughter. </p>

369

<p>Elon - This was a reschedule date from the snow storm.</p>

<p>D’s arrival time was set for 8:45 and she arrived exactly then (due to extra primping and the fact that we had driven half the night to arrive at our hotel at 3:45am). I parked the car in the visitor’s parking and joined her halfway through the introduction session. D said that they told them what to expect throughout the day and then we were released from the room because the Acting appllicants were coming right behind us. They did say that things were more full because a lot of people had cancelled due to the storm. I was grateful that they fit us in.</p>

<p>First, D attended an Acting III class which she enjoyed. It was located down the street from the Arts building, next to the Barnes & Noble bookstore. That lasted about an hour and then she returned to the Arts center.</p>

<p>They were assigned specific times to rehearse with the accompanist and D enjoyed the time, which was about ten minutes. There were four different accompanists there for all of the applicants.</p>

<p>Then D had an almost two hour gap before she had her dance call so we picked up some food and went back to the hotel. Once she returned, there were an information session with the head of the MT department and a few students. One question that stood out was a parent asked “Can you do something about the audition process”, in a very exasperated manner. We were then told that next year would be pre-screens. I believe that the parent was a little upsset because we would be there all day long (8:45-6:30ish for my D). It was a long day, but we expected it. Then they had the dance call and were taught a fairly easy (according to my D) combination. D said that after they performed that in groups of threes, several kids were asked to show a double pirouette and then those that could tap were asked to do so. D did neither.</p>

<p>Two hours after the dance call, D had her song portion. They sang in the beautiful recital hall, which has excellent acoustics. You could hear many of them from the lobby. D said there were several faculty in the audience.</p>

<p>Then D had another almost two hour break, so we decided to grab dinner before her monologue call. We ate and dropped D back off to the Arts center around 6:20 for her 6:30 call and apparantly things were running ahead of schedule and they had been looking for D for quite some time. But it was no problem and she went in and did one monologue.</p>

<p>Most of the girls wore the regular musical theatre looking dress, most with nude pumps or character shoes and a few (including my D) with boots.Parents were seen hanging in the lobby, either on the benches or the floor. D said the talent was phenomenal, and from the singing that I heard, she is absolutely right.</p>

<p>This was our second time visiting the campus and we still love it. We got to see the new living village being built. When we were there last, there were only blueprints.</p>

<p>Well that’s all.</p>

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<p>Sydsim,
Thanks for the detailed review of your Elon day! We will be there this weekend. I have a question…did your D wear her audition clothing that morning and to the Acting class or something more casual and then change into her audition wear later. I can’t imagine my D wearing her audition dress to class. Thank you for the help:)</p>

371

<p>Wagner</p>

<p>A very long day…I was in the afternoon session, which ran from about 1-7. There were around 200-250 kids auditioning total during the different sessions - more than that applied to be a theatre major, but you had to pass the academic screening and be accepted to the college prior to being invited to the audition. We were split into three groups of about 30 each.
My group did the dance portion first, which was interesting and a lot of fun. The first part of it was like a “movement for the actor” class. After that, we did a warmup and then a combination to a song from Catch Me If You Can; I didn’t think it was too difficult and my dance experience is considered intermediate. After we were split into smaller groups to do the combination, we were asked to do pirouettes if we knew what they were, and if anyone had tap experience, there was a short tap combination taught that those with experience had to repeat. Most of my training is in tap and it’s my favorite style of dance, so I loved being given the chance to show that off. It was strange how many people said that they had tap experience but clearly didn’t, and didn’t know how to do a single step of the tap combination when asked to do it alone.
Next we did monologues, in the school’s theater where the set was in place for their production of The Drowsy Chaperone that night. None of my college auditions thus far had had us audition on an actual stage, so it was strange having to adjust to the space. All of the current students emphasized repeatedly that this was the most important part of the audition. It was like the Marymount audition where we did our pieces in front of the other auditioners.
Singing was last, and it was in a classroom this time, once again in front of the other people auditioning. I have a cold at the moment so my voice was only at like 60%, but I think I sounded mostly okay and I tried my best to act through it. It SHOCKED me how many people “didn’t know we were supposed to sing” and didn’t have sheet music - there was at least 4. Another interesting thing was a girl who was dressed in the jewel-tone dress and nude pumps ensemble was complimented by the audition panel, they said she looked very professional. She was also by far the most talented of everyone else auditioning - she sounded like Stephanie J. Block and just blew everyone away.
Overall the day was long and I was sick…but I thought it was fairly well organized and enjoyable, and I’m just glad that all of my auditions are over finally!</p>

372

<p>D wore her audition outfit all day. She had on a comfortable dress, tights and those army-style combat boots that are popular, so they were appropriate for everything. She did change into tights for the dance call. Other girls seemed to also wear the same thing all day, but I think they changed their shoes if they were wearing pumps. </p>

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<p>Thanks! That is very helpful!</p>

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<p>I also auditioned at Elon this past Friday. I started the day in casual clothes. There is lots of downtime in the day and plenty of time to change. Whatever she wants to do will work. </p>

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<p>Thank you!</p>

376

<p>I meant to say leotard (wow, what faux pas from a former dancer!)</p>

377

<p>Regarding the Elon day. My S also wore casual clothes for the meeting and acting class. It is a bit of a walk to the acting class so she will probably want to be comfortable for that. There is plenty of time to change. It’s a long day.</p>

378

<p>Oklahoma City University</p>

<p>This was my first trip with D to attend an on campus audition; my wife had been with her on the previous 5 trips. </p>

<p>D and I traveled Thursday 3/6 from Madison WI to OKC without a hitch. Checked in to the Hampton in the Bricktown section of downtown and drove off to find the school and some dinner. OCU is about 10 minutes from downtown and is located in an older residential neighborhood. The campus was well lit and quite pretty at night, and smaller than I had expected. You could drive the whole thing in 5 minutes.</p>

<p>We went back to Bricktown in search of food. Downtown OKC took me by surprise. The Bricktown section is a block away from the modern downtown area and the arena where the OKC Thunder play, but it looks to be 100 years in the past. Old industrial buildings have been turned into restaurants and nightclubs, with a river coursing through it. It was a tough choice, but we settled on Kevin Durant’s Southern Kitchen. It was a good choice - fried green tomatoes, fried chicken, mac-n-cheese, red beans & rice, and collard greens. All while watching the OKC Thunder beat Arizona on the big screen. The waitress said that the team comes to the restaurant after home games.</p>

<p>Audition day was well organized and moved smoothly thanks to the extremely helpful and friendly OCU students. The dean of the school of fine arts took us on a tour of the 225,000 sq ft music building, and it was amazing. Three theaters, multiple music libraries, dozens of sound-isolated practice rooms, a top-notch facility.</p>

<p>The day began with a presentation by the Director of Opera and Music Theater, Dr. David Herendeen. He’s a big burly guy with more energy that most of the kids. He spoke of the school’s approach to teaching theatre and preparing the kids for their professional careers. He also urged the kids to reflect on all of the people who had helped to get them to this point in their lives, and to express gratitude to those people. It was a good presentation.</p>

<p>The dance call from 10:00-11:30 was one of the most rigorous that D has had. Her monologue was at 12:30, and her vocal performance was at 1:30. D felt pretty good about her day and was done by 2:00. This made us both very happy, since many of the kids wouldn’t be done until 6:00.</p>

<p>Our outbound flight wasn’t until 6:38, so went went off in search of…anyone? anyone?..lunch. Where else but back to Bricktown? We found a place at the end of an alley called Chelino’s. D and I both love Mexican food, so we were in heaven. Fresh chips, salsa, guacamole - life doesn’t get much better. And boy, can that kid eat. Must be all the dancing.</p>

<p>Flights back to Madison went well. All in all it was a long 30 hours, but I really enjoyed spending time alone with D. She’s a confident, mature, polite, and level-headed young lady.</p>

<p>We both could see her attending OCU. The school has everything that she’s looking for. Besides, there are a lot more restaurants for us to try. </p>

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<p>Bumping for those of you who are trying to decide about on-campus vs. unified auditions.</p>

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<p>It would be interesting to hear from those who ended up attending a school that did not make a positive impression at the audition stage. Like…there’s a lot here about Emerson MT auditions that went bad. Did any of your kids end up there? Is it different from what the audition made you expect? I ask because the negative reactions are so negative and it’s hard not to feel ambivalent about putting it on the schedule.</p>