<p>Taxguy...
This is sooooooooooo not the case in competitive BFA programs in Musical Theater, that I can't begin to tell you. I would agree a bit generally if you were talking PRE going to a BFA school. Someone who repeatedly gets ensemble in all their school shows and other ones in their community and never gets a part, is likely a less strong candidate for a BFA program than a contender who has been cast well in the past. That is not even 100% accurate but is one indicator. HOWEVER, that is NOT true once IN a BFA in MT program. These programs (not MD.....that is a BA and isn't even MT...no comparison to the BFA in MT programs we are discussing) accept between 2-10% of applicants. These applicants across the board tend to be the standouts in their home communities...many leads, many achievements and what not. Then they are all gathered in one place. My kid goes to Tisch and there are hundreds like her there who garnered significant achievements in theater before college. Some won NFAA awards; some state awards; most had played leads before; some had worked professionally; and so on. They cannot all be leads at college! In fact, my D has friends who have gone to Tisch and never played a lead and then been cast on Broadway or a National Tour. The competition for a part in a BFA production is very difficult. The kids I have seen in ensemble in shows at my D's school have played leads many times over elsewhere. In fact, one thing that makes the shows so good is that even those in bit parts are lead quality actors. Some even are Equity! </p>
<p>My kid goes to a big BFA program. There are many productions at different levels at her school. Getting into them in the first place is an accomplishment. A part is even harder. We really didn't even know if she'd ever get a part in college despite having played numerous leads and having been in 50 shows before college, and having won state and national awards. Truly, we did wonder. Her school has productions that are student run, some are faculty directed at individual studios and only open to those studios, and the highest level are the mainstage productions that only actually put on ONE musical per year. Hundreds are eligible from Tisch to audition for a mainstage show. We were not sure our child would ever BE in a mainstage show, let alone get a lead! They are not even allowed to audition during freshmen year. So that is one musical per year at that level and then of course there are many other productions going on. If my kid never got a part in the mainstage show, I would not feel she would not make it because the numbers of students in all of Tisch are very high and many make it in this field who were not a lead in a mainstage show....they may be very talented and simply not fit the part (type). It is not just a talent contest to get the lead in a BFA program show. You have to have talent but some of it is luck as to the part and the fit. </p>
<p>That said, and I haven't posted this on the forums though I have known it for a while, but I guess I will given the topic.....my kid did try out for the one mainstage musical at Tisch along with a couple hundred others. While we believe she has a chance as much as anyone, we knew the odds were long and if she did not get in, it didn't mean she could not make it in MT. It so happens, she is cast as the lead this year in the Tisch mainstage musical and has to pinch herself to believe it given the odds. Further, the night of final callbacks, she was running literally between final callbacks for three shows in the same building, different material, even different outfits, in and out. She also landed the lead in a student directed musical at Tisch and so shockingly she has two leads now at Tisch beyond her wildest imagination and was up for the lead in the third show as well. She was unable to try out for the musical that is only open to third year students in her own studio (less are able to audition for that) as she has a conflict with one of their performances on the same night as a professional show in NYC for which she is the musical director. She is now involved in three shows. She is lucky. Yes, talent is involved, but she'd have been just as talented if she had not landed those roles. I have seen the talent in her class and soooo many of those kids are of lead quality. It just ain't so that if you don't get lead in a BFA MT production, that you ought to pack it in ....at all. And the converse is true.....my kid may be the lead in the highest level musical at Tisch and in another musical there this year, and that is NO guarantee that she will make it either. </p>
<p>For those of you contemplating BFA programs, please please please do not expect to get the lead in a BFA program show. My D never expected it. She'd still be confident of her talent. And when she graduates, she will not always get cast either. It goes with the territory. You win some, you lose some. You may have the talent and not be right for the part in looks/type. My D was up for a lead of a show this summer in NYC, but as much as the director said she had a great audition, he said she just looked too young to be this married woman. Now, she was cast as the lead in Only Children, the premiere at Tisch, but the lead role is a 12 year old girl character. She is also playing Audrey in Little Shop of Horrors at Playwrights Horizon studio. The third lead she was called back for that same night was a wife and she also felt she might not get it as she might not be believable as the wife. She is 18 and looks it. There are plenty of just as talented or even more talented kids at her school from which to pick and type does play a part in casting. It is not simply a talent contest. </p>
<p>I realize you are not familiar with BFA in MT programs but this is an inside look. I know your D is at U of Cinci for another field but I can tell you from friends who have gone to CCM....who are highly highly talented and been leads many times prior to attending CCM, they were not cast as leads while there, at least not in their early years. However, I venture to say that most who come out of CCM have a good chance at getting work in theater.</p>