BFA at Molloy College/CAP 21

@daughtersdreams - re the railroad ticket…a monthly pass is one card, not a series of tickets. The current cost of a monthly pass from RVC to NY Penn Station is $297. The card is marked “male” or “female.” A freshman girl and a sophomore girl can share the price of the monthly pass and they will both save money … one girl needs it 2 days a week and the other needs it 3 days. They can split the weekends if they want to go into the city then (and they will!) Class One figured this little plan out in a hurry when they were sophomores.

So the two days a week for freshman are different days than the 3 days a week for sophomores? That would be helpful. And tickets are gender specific? That is ODD - it made me chuckle!

@daughtersdreams - any ticket that is valid for more than 2 trips is gender-specific. And yes, the freshmen and sophomores go on different days. So unless Molloy/CAP 21 changes the lineup, this plan will work.

Had a great experience visiting Molloy/CAP21 this week. D got all her questions answered and any doubts have been put to rest. Deposit paid and happy to move on to planning for the future!

Welcome to the family, @waitingforlife and D!!

@waitingforlife Good for her! Can’t wait to read your “story” on final decisions thread.

Would someone please post a link to that thread- I love those stories!

Hi everyone! I was just recently accepted to cap21/molloy and I’m super excited! I was wondering if any currents students or parents could tell me about the acting in the program. I’ve been accepted to a couple BFA acting programs and I don’t want to miss out on the classical training I would get in those programs.

@capricornactor Congratulations! There is a facebook group for prospective students and a lot of current students are in the group so you can ask them questions. It’s called: Perspective Cap 21 c/o 2021 (Yes, the name is “perspective” – but I think they meant ‘prospective’.) Best of Luck!

Today I had the privilege of seeing “The Road to Oz: Hollywood Hits from Harold Arlen,” starring three terrific Broadway veterans and 17 members of Class One and Class Two! The show was one of the ones I’ve mentioned before in this thread…at the Madison Theatre, and for pay. The kids blew me away with their professionalism and talent! I learned a lot about Harold Arlen, too…he wrote "Stormy Weather " and “Lydia the Tattooed Lady” and many blues standards in addition to the music from “The Wizard of Oz.” My D sang “I Wonder What Became of Me,” which showcased her range…D went to Molloy a low belter and now can also hit the high notes…thanks to her excellent training! Her growth as an artist has been remarkable. A truly great afternoon today, with great talent!

@capricornactor - my D visited last week and had similar concerns. After talking with James at the CAP21 studio and sitting in on one of the acting classes, she felt that she would be receiving great acting training. From the start, without even realizing that it was a concern of hers, James emphasized that everything starts with acting. He said even when you are taking the vocal technique class, you are learning acting. One antidote he used was by the time you get to the callback room, everyone in there can hit the high note or do the pirouette but the decision will come down to who is the best actor. Hope that helps.

Absolutely, @capricornactor! It’s drilled in their heads from Day 1 that acting is the core of everything.

Another Class One update: the mainstage show in the fall is…“Into the Woods”! Keeping my fingers crossed for D…auditions are May 10 and 12!!! BAL, BAL! In the meantime, she will be quite busy this summer as Amber Von Tussle in “Hairspray,” and as Cinderella in “Cinderella!” This weekend, she will be Elsa in the Madison Theatre’s Disney Princess concert. Let’s see, she has played Belle, Elsa and Cinderella … so far.

@EastchesterMom - Sounds like your talented daughter is a real “princess”! Congrats to her on landing those great roles and BAL for her up-coming auditions!

@daughtersdreams, and everybody else, too – you will find that many of the summer stock productions take tremendous advantage of the kids. Many pay next to nothing; some require the performer to pay for room and board; some require the performer to do menial tasks as well such as sweep out the theater after the shows. And yet the kids compete ruthlessly for a summer gig; it adds to the resume. Consider it the equivalent of an unpaid internship for a business major…it’s pretty much the same thing. D will earn peanuts, but she is much happier than the summer when she raked in the bucks as a camp counselor!

@EastchesterMom - question on orientation. Unfortunately living on the West Coast I will have to limit my trips to college for my D. Trying to decide whether to send her to orientation on her own or go with her. Does Molloy/CAP21 have a parents weekend like some colleges do? If so, would you recommend attending the orientation or the parent weekend. We were just there for her to make her decision and got to tour both Molloy and CAP21. We are now looking at whether to go back in June, then there is moving her there in September which maybe she could do on her own and if there is a parent weekend … I know there will be more information at orientation and it would be great to meet the other parents. Your input would be great. thanks

Had a fantastic visit last week! This is the one. Funny, we heard the same anecdote about the importance of acting (everyone in callbacks can hit the b flat or the triple pirouette). What it came down to for D was two things: the constant interaction and coaching from the faculty, and the location in NY. Having to build relationships in NY after studying in the midwest, vs. building relationships with people working in the industry for her 4 years of school, and graduating with contacts and friends in the city. The students we met were friendly and helpful, the faculty (heck, even the security guards) were warm and friendly! Going into this visit, this program seemed too good to be true. And now having been there, it seems even better! What floored me is the way they handle their senior showcase. All their performances are built into the curriculum, so a pop singing performance after a semester of pop songs, etc. But for the senior practicum and showcase, they don’t just invite agents, casting directors, etc to the show, they invite them multiple times throughout the semester to provide notes to the students. So they have one of the best attended showcases in front of industry contacts who have not only met, but worked with, the students and feel invested in their performances.

@EastchesterMom, wasn’t that a great show? Your D was fantastic! I am so glad my husband and I had the opportunity to fly in to finally see our daughter in a show! Had to choke back happy tears hearing my girl sing I’ve Got The World On A String. If that is the quality of shows common for The Madison, I will book more trips! So happy she has found this program!

@DramaMamaC - Now I know who your D is, and she is AMAZING!!! Yes, the Arlen show was a real standout! I love how our kids have these easy performance opportunities in addition to the curriculum Projects.

UPDATE on Class One (who are now all rising SENIORS!!): “Into the Woods” has been cast; D will play Rapunzel! Not the biggest role in the show, but she is very happy with it. If ever a show relied on the entire cast working together, this is it. Brilliant choice, and, I must say, having seen the Broadway show before, brilliant casting!

As for D, she has started rehearsals for “Hairspray.” Soon, she will also start rehearsals for “Cinderella.” How will she do this? – One show rehearses during the day, and the other at night. Yes, she will be spending A LOT of time at the rehearsal studios. But guess what – she is a working actress, and happy as all get-out!