They are:
NYU
CCM
Univ. of Michigan
CMU
Juilliard
BOCO
AMDA
Fordham
Northwestern
Florida State
“Honorable Mentions”:
Yale
OCU
Ithaca
Baldwin-Wallace
Hartford/Hartt
Hate it when these articles come out cause my D sees them and gets right back to where she was about school choice and totally ignores the fact that most of these on the list are crazy talented anyway. Gotta wonder about that long list from NYU though…thinking there are some connections these people are making at that school . Ugh…so wish my D could go there!
@theaterwork - I certainly love seeing NYU’s name on the list, but you have to remember that NYU is unique. It’s not one BFA program, it’s 6+ (there are both primary and advanced studios). So while it’s a great school- it also has a lot more “chances”.
Right, toowonderful. Maybe you should look more at percentages than pure numbers. MomCares - care to do that?
Question: How did this get that little fire icon? I always wonder about those.
Sorry about starting an NYU thing again! Lol it must be that darn Adam Jacobs…
And you have to recognize some of those graduates on Broadway counted on those list might have graduates 10-30+ years ago when those schools had different faculty. It’s good to see, but better to know which schools are putting students on Broadway from recent classes now.
Looking at the list for Michigan at least seven have graduated in the last five years.
I also know that there are some kids on the list who did not graduate - there is a kid on the Ithaca list who went to my D’s HS - he dropped out after a year and a half or so. And bear in mind that it is a snapshot of a given time- 2 other kids from the local area(and went to CMU and Ithaca) have BEEN on bway in the last year (one is coming back in Audra McDonald’s new show soon) but are not represented right now…
NYU also includes Tisch and Steinhardt. Although D’s friend from Steinhardt just made his Bdway debut last week (Book of Mormon) and was not included. We saw him in the show on Saturday night and he was awesome!
Agreed that NYU is a big school and so there are more graduates and so the larger number is, in part, due to that.
In terms of how recently people graduated who are on the list, I know on the NYU list, there are many from my D’s own class on the list and several who were also at NYU at the same time period she was (recently) but not her actual class.
And yes, this is a list that is just who is currently on Broadway or about to be. I can think of several of D’s friends from college who were recently playing roles on Broadway but their shows have closed, for example.
For up and coming students, keep in mind that there are LOTS of other Fabulous programs out there whose students are working actors too. They are on National Tours, in Chicago, Boston, LA, DC, Las Vegas, The Muny, and other regional theatres throughout the country and abroad. As long as audiences keep coming, there will be acting jobs. Everyone can’t live in New York City ( although it seems that way during rush hour). Keep your options open!
Some food for thought. Sutton Foster is an adjunct faculty member at my D’s school. When my D was a freshman two years ago they met with Ms. Foster (she’s still hyperventilating over that, I think). She asked the kids what their career goals were. Several said (as you’d expect) Broadway. My D looked at her and said she just wants to make a living as an actress. And Ms. Foster said that was the best answer.
So make sure your kids keep a proper perspective on this crazy business.
Sometimes that skews toward dancers, though, who tend to peak younger than singers, and also toward ensemble versus leads. It also skews toward schools who admit based on commercial looks versus those who also admit future character actors.
Totally agree that success in this field shouldn’t be marked by who is on Broadway. In my view, a working actor is success! However, this article is just a collection of data of current Broadway shows, nothing more, nothing less.
@MomCares re: post #15, that can be true. However, it so happens that of all the NYU kids in my D’s class or in classes that were there when she was there that are on that list in the Playbill article…they have roles on Broadway and are not in the ensemble. Some are even leads.
Some of my D’s NYU cohorts on that list were also in her a cappella group. Also, my D’s MT class (Tisch '09) was particularly strong (many have said this and it is not my own opinion). If I were to add to that list currently on Broadway and look at who has been on Broadway, National Tours, Off Broadway, regional theaters of note, movies, and TV from her graduating class, a lot have been pretty successful.
The hottest show on Broadway is, of course, Hamilton. Hamilton College is experiencing some sort of resurgence along with its namesake Alexander Hamilton. But Hamilton the Musical really is a Wesleyan University production, where both the creators, including Lin-Manuel Miranda (playing the lead as well) are Wes alums. I understand that several members of the production also went to Wesleyan.
WHERE THE HAMILTON CAST AND CREATORS WENT TO COLLEGE…
The only people who went to Wesleyan are Lin-Manuel Miranda (book, music, lyrics, actor) and Thomas Kail (director).