<p>I agree with mom4bwayboy on the phliosphy of skipping fall performances. The D and I had a few heated discussions about this (actually it seemed like November through May 1st was fraught with heated “discussions”). I felt that preparing for auditions took precedence and she wound up doing almost every show at her PA high school and drove me nuts! I am usually quite hakuna matata, but audition season definitely stressed me WAY out!</p>
<p>I didn’t want son to do the fall play, but he claimed peer pressure and the director made it impossible for him to refuse. I was like a wild woman trying to organize the schedule and update the spreadsheet and he was blissfully unaware, staying after school every day for rehearsals. As I look back, it probably was a good thing we weren’t around each other much for those first three months of school :)</p>
<p>In early September, my husband, S and I had a "talk"with choral teacher on why S did not want to go out for fall musical. When we explained his/our reasoning, she understood. Because S was a MT/Vocal student at his performing arts H.S., he was required to try out for the musical. He “chose” to not prepare for the audition and “flubbed” it, also made it clear on his “conflicts” sheet that he was not willing to miss voice lessons, dance classes or acting sessions for 2 1/2 months of after school musical rehearsals. This may have not been the “high road”, but the powers that be got the message. But I admit, S was actually the driver of this. S did ultimately participate in a musical at his non-school-related acting studio, but the rehearsal schedule was much more “conflict-friendly”, took place over a shorter time frame and was performed Thanksgiving weekend, so did not prevent fall auditions.</p>
<p>@GSOMTMom , “Hakuna Matata”? You crack me up! I’m gonna hafta use that one!</p>
<p>I am glad Fall Musical is not an issue at D’s school. College Auditions prep take precedence but it is SO hard to not let them audition if there is show in their “little pond” knowing/hoping that they will soon be minnows in a large aquarium…? D is in a regional show early in September, but after that, it is college prep only until her first round of auditions in late November. She’s been working on her song selections since January and has a preliminary list she’s been polishing, but she is still hoping to find a couple more songs that are perfect for “her” (voice,type,etc.) that are not so well known/obvious. Doing dance portion of the prescreen this summer before the madness of school & Sept. show take up all her time as that seems like its going to be the most time-consuming part of PS’s. Taping the songs & monos for PS’s should not take so much time as we are using piano tracks (so we can control the sound levels of the accompaniment & don’t have someone else’s schedule/availability to worry about). I am hoping she is “polished” for college auditions by the time her school’s spring musical auditions roll around in November. Luckily her Spring musical is scheduled for late February so that should not conflict with Chicago Unifieds. At least her voice should be rested by then… All the little things we have to worry about cuz of this major our kiddos have picked! </p>
<p>This year, our IB Theatre winter show (Twelfth Night - he was Feste) had to get pushed to the last weekend in January & first weekend in February from its original dates earlier in January. We had nearly a week of “snow days” right after the holiday break. I am worried about committing to the IB show next year because our weather is so iffy. If given a choice between a show and Unifieds, we have to go with Unifieds. This year’s musical (Bye Bye Birdie) was cast in March and performed in April. 6 weeks. Our director is crazy. </p>
<p>IB = International Baccalaureate. Our school’s only option for the advanced theatre class is the IB, which is more academic than performance based and the show always has to be a literature-inspired production, so as to tie in with the IB Lit curriculum. Last year ('12-13) it was Streetcar Named Desire/Glass Menagerie (in repertoire). We had no musical last year. It was supposed to be Joseph, but the (entitled/bratty) senior girls led a mutiny and no one signed up for auditions. It was cancelled. </p>
<p>Having a very hard time with the doing a show decision. The one that D wants to do will start rehearsals (if it is like last year) the day after we arrive home from Unifieds. She would miss some of the kick off events. Last year two of the boys in the cast (both leads) did the show and Unifieds successfully. I guess my feeling is that it should mostly be over but the waiting by then and why not have something wonderful to do while waiting? This show is always an amazing opportunity and is not something that comes along all the time. Last year, for example, they got to use the sets and costumes from the Broadway production. It is a hard opportunity to say no too if cast.</p>
<p>The scary part is…what if Unifieds are a disaster and we have to fly around auditioning after and she is already committed to the show? </p>
<p>@evilqueen, Unifieds will NOT be a disaster and I think it’s great for her to have something to do to keep her focus off the waiting. She should definitely do it!</p>
<p>Son’s HS musical started rehearsals first week of January and opened the last week of March. He had a very understanding director (he was the lead). He went to both NYC and Chicago Unifieds and managed to only miss two rehearsals because the Wednesday he flew home from Chicago became a “snow day”. It was wonderful for him to have a distraction during the waiting period of February and March. I think the decision is very individual, but it worked out well for him.</p>
<p>I so appreciate the encouragement @GSOMTMom and @entertainersmom! The auditions are this fall and I think she will go for it!! I think the theater would allow her a few days off if she needed them also. </p>
<p>My daughter also did a show in April with rehearsals starting in January. She played Golde in Fiddler. They were very understanding of her missing rehearsals when she went to Unifieds in February. </p>
<p>She also did a show with performances right after Christmas, but only took an ensemble role because audition prep was her focus.</p>
<p>@evilqueen my D also started rehearsals right after Unifieds. We still had 3 on campus auditions scheduled and everything worked out well. It was very nice to have the distraction of rehearsals and performances for my D. Although I would not have changed her doing the spring show the hardest thing to accommodate was campus visits. We lost most weekends in April due to performances so once again had to miss school and to visit the far away campus was a little tricky. </p>
<p>Luckily for D the show has a short (and intense) rehearsal process and limited performances so she would be done by mid-March. We should be fine for visits, here’s hoping we have the need for them :)</p>
<p>Deleted because the post I was responding to changed and my response makes no sense anymore. </p>
<p>IMHO- do the show…have something to do to keep your mind active until late March…that was the longest part of the year…</p>
<p>My daughter’s show is in the fall and she is skipping November audition dates so she can do the show. We are hoping to do three on campus auditions before Unifieds – Oct., Dec. and January – if she passes her prescreens. Then one more the weekend after Unifieds. Hoping this scheduling all works out!</p>
<p>Son received valuable instruction/adjustments from his auditions from Otterbein and Coastal Carolina, that I have wondered if he had done those auditions earlier in the audition season, would it have affected his outcome for acceptances? Luckily, he had the outcome he hoped for, but the lengthier and instructive audition session both schools offered helped him to refine his audition material. I would recommend that those preparing for the next audition season, consider scheduling the more “interactive” auditions early to reap the benefits.</p>