Colleges for Musical Theater Major - Part 31

College Majors Musical Theater Major
1

<p>Sorry Soozievt!
Just learning the ins and outs of this new format......You should be able to get my email address now. My D is not in the cast of A Chorus Line. Freshman MT's are not allowed to audition for departmental productions until the Spring semester. All freshman are teching one of the two fall musicals. My D is part of the costume crew for ACL.</p>

<p>For anyone else who wants to make your email address available: you have to go in to the control panel and choose to edit your options.</p>

2

<p>janenw, if you click on the private messages phrase at the top of this page under your name when you're signed in, then on the page it takes you to click on edit options on the left side, then scroll down to private messaging and make sure the enable private messaging box is checked off. If someone hasn't done this, they will not receive PMs. You can also check off a box for receiving emails from other members. They will go to the email address that you gave when you registered.</p>

3

<p>Hey everyone,</p>

<p>Hope this "heads up" doesn't come too late!!</p>

<p>Starting tonight, Tues, 10/19 on PBS (9pm EST) there is a 3 part series on the American Musical. It is 2 hours each night. We have a friend who worked on this series so we actually got to watch the "rough" tape and comment on it during the summer of '03.</p>

<p>It is a treasure of information for anyone in love with Musical Theatre. Tape it and keep it for repeat viewing. There is SO MUCH information and lots of great and often rare footage from vintage MT performances. Your MT kid will thank you!</p>

<p>Watch and enjoy!!</p>

4

<p>theatermom, you beat me to it! :) Here's a link for anyone who may want to read the playbill article on the series.</p>

<p><a href="http://www.playbill.com/news/article/89067.html%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://www.playbill.com/news/article/89067.html&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p>

5

<p>newmtmom - We must be following the same path, as your questions seem to mirror my thoughts! At Muhlenberg you can double major in Acting and Dance or Vocal. OR you can Major and Minor, or Major in Acting and just load up all of your electives in either of the other 2 areas. My D considers it a safety school as auditions are solely for scholarship $. They do have strict academic standards for admission into the college. We visited and liked it. Feel free to e-mail me if you want additional info.</p>

6

<p>OK, another technical question - re auditions. </p>

<p>If one has to give 1 monologue, I imagine you would wear whatever the character in the monologue suggests. But if one has to give two contrasting monologues, you might dress slightly differently (tailored pants vs. slightly slinky skirt) for the two. The tailored pants outfit might be strange for the second (more frilly feminine part) monologue. And vice versa. </p>

<p>Am I just dreaming up more difficulties than needed because it's late at night? Or has anyone faced this dilemma of what to wear during two very different monologues? Thanks in advance -</p>

7

<p>You do not dress in "costume" for this kind of audition so no need to worry about dress for two different monologues. Comfortable, presentable and relatively neutral does the trick. You don't want the auditors to be distracted by your clothing. The folks at CMU told the kids last summer, however, that girls should "look like girls." Interpret that how you wish.</p>

8

<p>Chrism,</p>

<p>My D did have this situation - wanting different outfits to suggest different characters. In one of her pieces she was playing a depressed, suicidal individual. She wanted to sit in a slouched position with her legs wide apart for much of the piece. She felt that a dress would make that awkward, so she chose to wear a nice pants outfit. She was not dressed the way her character would have dressed; a suicidal woman would probably not care about her appearance. My D wanted to look nice. I remember that she tried on many outfits and rejected all of the suit type ensembles we had bought months earlier specifically for her college auditions. She declared them too stuffy for her character. The 2nd monologue she prepared for her 1st audition was a lighter, comedic piece. She was portraying a guardian angel. Again, she didn't try to dress as the character. Her pants outfit was the outfit that she thought was the best compromise for the two characters. To reiterate, D only tried to suggest her characters; she wasn't actually dressed the way the characters would have been dressed in a production.</p>

<p>After her 1st audition last year she dumped the pants outfit and decided to wear a black halter dress. She had used the dress for several other auditions before college and always felt good in it. She wore a wrap sweater over the dress in auditions where she did the suicidal character and took it off for her angel monologue and for her classical monologues. She managed to deal with the seated slouch without looking immodest in her dress.</p>

<p>I would suggest to your D that she try to find a comfortable compromise. If she feels that one character needs to be done in pants and the other suggest a very feminine girl, I would look for a dressy pair of pants and a feminine sweater or blouse to top them. Alternately, if one monologue suggests an older, sexier character and the other younger or more conservative character, your D could wear a fitted camisole or tank top with a pretty cardigan or wrap sweater on top. The sweater could easily be removed for the older, sexier character. Either pants or a skirt would work on the bottom.</p>

<p>I'm sure that you all realize that you cannot change outfits during your audition. At most you can remove a scarf or a sweater or take a rubber band or barrette out of your hair. Boys (and girls) could unbutton an extra button or two on their shirts or roll up their sleeves. Jackets could be taken off or put on. Hair could be mussed for a 2nd monologue. Consider that you will probably be doing songs and monologues back to back in the same room for the same auditors at many schools. Think about how you want to appear when you sing in addition to when you are acting.</p>

<p>Do suggest to your D that she start considering outfits well in advance of her auditions. If she can get that decision out of the way in the next few weeks, it's one less thing to stress about as the auditions draw near.</p>

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<p>On the issue of scholarships, you may want to check the free scholarship locator at <a href="http://fastweb.monster.com/%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://fastweb.monster.com/&lt;/a> After you register and plug in information pertinent to the student, Fastweb will email scholarship opportunities that match your student's interests and abilities. </p>

<p>Since my thespian child is only a high school freshman, I have no idea if it is a good source for theater scholarships, but it is worth the try, after all, it is free. I signed up when my son was a senior in high school. He is a junior in college and we are still receiving info on scholarship opportunities.</p>

10

<p>Re Audition Attire</p>

<p>One thing I forgot to mention in my post above is some audition attire advice given to my D over the past couple of years. Her vocal coach from CCM and a local actor/director both told her to wear some little something that is memorable. She first heard the advice at an audition she did for the director two years ago. She wore the above mentioned halter dress and a pair of open-toe, black and white pumps. The shoes were a feminine take-off on spectator pumps and even had tiny bows. My D loved the shoes at 1st sight. (I'm beaming as I write - I found the shoes for her.) The director complimented my D on her great shoes at the end of the audition. He told her she should always wear something like the shoes that would help people remember her. Her vocal coach told her the same thing at a lesson last summer. He asked her to try to think of some little item that could give her audition outfit a little spark. He said it could be a piece of jewelry, a scarf, a barrette, etc. She told him about her "audition shoes". She brought them in the next week and he declared them to be just the thing. D didn't wear the shoes to her first audition. They clashed with the top she was wearing. Instead, the top itself was the memorable item at that school. She wore a black lace with beige underlay top that was constructed as a sleeveless, halter vest. Several moms and students complimented her in the hallways between audition stops. A couple of people wanted to know where she bought it. </p>

<p>My D felt very comfortable in both of the outfits she used for her auditions last year. Neither outfit was making its first appearance at a college audition. She had worn both before at other auditions. I'm sure that helped her comfort level. The only thing regarding clothing that was a tiny hassle at auditions last year had to do with the weather. We trudged through a lot of snow during audition season. Open-toed shoes don't work well in snow. When D had snow to deal with she wore a pair of boots from the car to the audition site and carried her audition shoes in her dance bag. As deep as the snow was at times last year, I think she would have needed the boots even if her shoes had had closed toes!</p>

11

<p>Wow, there were so many posts today that I am catching up on and enjoying reading about. It is very late here and we leave later on tomorrow (which I guess at this point is today!), for Boston to visit Emerson (including overnight in dorms with friends in BFA program) and Boston Conservatory. From there we are heading for three days to Parent Weekend at my freshman daughter's school, Brown. We have not seen her since we took her to college, can't wait. Actually we will be attending two performances there. I will try to eventually post about those two school visits. </p>

<p>I am not going to attempt to respond to the plethora of great posts above (though love the clothes discussions) but will respond to one person (I can't recall who at this point!) who is a student (Dani I think?) whose schedule is packed with two shows, demanding classes and so forth, who wondered how my D fit in what she did, including dance classes and rep troupes, and instrument, voice and acting lessons as well. Dani, that is the story of my life, lol. Your life indeed sounds similar to my own girls' lives. Both were very involved in extracurricular endeavors, as well as rigorous curriculums. As well, given that we live in a rural area, many of their varied activities entail a GREAT deal of driving. HOWEVER, for SURE both ran into schedule conflicts OFTEN. And the coach, director, instructor of some activities would feel great ownership to that one activity (which of course kids do need to show commitment to) but some were very upset if the kid had something come up in another facet of their lives that conflicted and inevitably the kids were damned if they do and damned if they don't because one of these people was not going to be pleased. Sometimes it got unreasonable on their end (in my view) when the kid would legitimately have something like All State Music Festival (which was related to a taking either band or chorus as a school class, not EC), and it would conflict with a game or a dance class and someone would be up in arms but these are kids afterall and of course the kid should go to All States. Some were very accommodating and some were not in such situations. In fact, my older daughter switched her spring sport that she had done for about seven years to a different one as the coach of the other sport was more flexible in letting her do her yearly dance show and attend All States which she got into for music whereas the other coach would be no way. Believe me, having been a teacher myself, I very much am into the commitment that needs to be made but inevitably schedule conflicts arise in students' lives and I think when they are very valid ones, and it is not like the kid simply does not care to show up but more has something come up for another endeavor, like a school concert or some such, some of the adults involved could be a bit more understanding. Some actually are very supportive, just not all. </p>

<p>But back to the specific question you asked. The thing with our dance studio is that my D is there five times per week. OFTEN dance dovetails well with school musicals which rehearse in the afternoon and dance is later, afterwards. One major conflict in that regard is that her jazz dance rep troupe which is a selective performance group rehearses Friday afternoons and so my D has had to stipulate for each spring school musical that that is one committment she must keep and can't rehearse the school show on Fridays, whereas she may have to bend or work out other types of conflicts. She still has been cast in the school shows, even as leads so that one thing has worked out. But this semester, she is in an adult theater production about 50 miles from us and they rehearse at night and on weekends. In fact, unfortunately the rehearsals conflict with three dance classes. My D has had to take a leave from those three dance classes for two months (though is still in some others). What I have had to tell the dance studio when theater things conflict (normally not with this regularity), that it is not like a conflict with basketball practice. While my D is a very dedicated dancer and has been at that studio her whole life, her lifelong ambition is not solely to be a dancer and she is one of the only people there who is so involved in theater and in her case, she is even pursuing theater as a college major and career, not simply a hobby or EC activity. Therefore, she needs BOTH the training of staying in dance but she also must be involved in theater and productions, as she needs both. They have seemed to understand, not sure if they love it but they know about it and she will be rejoining those three classes in several weeks once again. That was a more major conflict this semester but other times, there are like one time conflicts with this or that, rather often but not with regularity with any one thing. Now, even college auditions themselves will be a conflict and again, I can't tell her activities she will miss her college auditions but it is not like she should not enroll in any dance classes or whatever for an entire semester because of a few dates she can't make it, as she needs the training to go into her field. </p>

<p>Our lives are crazy with all the schedules and while most of it works out, I would be remiss if I said they never have conflicts. The college visits themselves involve conflicts! For this visit this weekend, we had it on her audition sheet before she was cast in this musical so it was known when casting her. Meanwhile, my D is trying to fit in 40 hours of practice driving and we have to do that when she is going to her activities and such as there is no down time to work on that, not with college applications to boot. While it makes for a busy life, JUST LIKE YOU (I CAN TELL), my kids seem to thrive on and crave this level of involvement. I am not complaining (though could do with less driving) as it beats just hangin' out. Also for kids in a rural area, their activities are times when they are gathered with other kids as we don't exactly live in a neighborhood. </p>

<p>Be well everyone and I can't wait to read what all is happenin' when I get back, though it will take a long time to get caught up with how active this thread has been lately. It is an amazing thread. </p>

<p>Susan</p>

12

<p>I've had a difficult time getting restarted on this new thread. My d is a freshman at CAP 21. I agree that most important thing about dress at audition is something you feel comfortable in- I doubt her evaluators (whatever they are called) cared too much.<br>
My d is very happy at NYU- but she does report that there are already clearly some who are not. I won't be able to go to parent's weekend but my husband will be there- they'll attend Sweeny Todd Sat PM. Would love and appreciate any and all comments from other attendees.
I am happy to share any impressions I have about the audition process at NYU.</p>

13

<p>love mt....DO share, as I, for one, am really interested, given my daughter is applying there and it is one of her preferred programs. She knows many in the program and many are happy but she knows a few who are not (these are not freshmen). I'm only talking CAP (which is the only program she would accept) not the other studios where she knows numerous happy campers. She has a friend in Sweeney with whom she appeared in many shows together who is quite talented. She, by the way, is one of the happy ones in Cap. We can't see the production and in fact, will be at parent weekend at one of my kid's schools (seeing other shows there), but my D's best friend is going there to see it (is also an applicant). </p>

<p>Would love to hear your view of their audition process, the program itself, Sweeney or anything you wish to share. My D's summer program just did Sweeney and I am familiar with it. </p>

<p>Susan</p>

14

<p>Our solution to some conflicts was to give our D private or semi private dance lessons during musical rehearsal. We'd get not so great times, like Sunday mornings, or Friday nights, but we always had a teacher who would take the time, for pay of course, to keep our D caught up with dance class. THe HS show director would NOT work with out of school activities. Since our school had no dance, we had to make our own arrangements. It got expensive, but it was for a short time and our D made great progress with the private time.</p>

15

<p>lovemt--It would be useful to everyone to know why other students aren't happy at CAP21, if you have that information. It's a huge program. I can imagine that there could be a situation where students who are used to being the top in their schools are now relegated to a less than desirable position in the "hierarchy"--IF such a thing as this hierarchy exists at CAP21. Do the unhappy students crave more one-on-one classes--and if so would they have been happier with smaller programs (I realize the CAP classes aren't that huge, but the program itself is much larger than most)? Or do they have legitimate complaints about voice teachers, acting classes, dance levels, etc.? I'm actually not asking for my D's sake since she's not considering NYU at all. But I think it's more helpful to have facts, even small facts, than just hearing some people aren't happy. That's, of course, if you have the info. If not, you did your best by giving us what you have :).</p>

16

<p>mtmommy, I can't speak to the freshmen at CAP21 who are unhappy but I can say that my D had a couple of friends who were unhappy there last year. I'm not sure that there's a trend to the unhappiness in any studio at Tisch. The kids she knew who were unhappy were indeed the kids who were 'big fish', so to speak, in their high schools and were amazed at the number of kids who were just as talented (or more talented) than they were once they got into a college program. Another was stressed by the intensity of the acting training because she was basically a strong vocalist but not that experienced in acting.</p>

<p>I wouldn't call CAP21 huge. Their freshman class usually has in the range of 60 kids on average. They, like every studio at Tisch, then split the studio classes into small groups of 12-15, which isn't that much larger than classes in other MT programs. I'm not sure what you mean by 'one on one' classes? The only 'one on one' would be private voice which is a requirement of all CAP21 kids each of their years at the studio. I'm also curious to hear from lovemt as to the reasons for unhappiness if she's free to share them. As I related in an earlier post here, there are going to be kids who are unhappy with their college choices every year. Being at Tisch is especially challenging in this regard because not everyone is cut out to deal with the idiosyncracies of living in Manhattan. It's sad when a kid's dream doesn't work out the way they thought it would.</p>

17

<p>Susan and Gkoukla,
Thanks for the valuable information. It is always nice to hear about kids who have been in similar situations and have worked them out. I think one of the problems I have with a lot of this is that I, too, live in a suburban area, and all programs that are of quality are at least a 20 minute drive from where I live. Both of my parents work full time, and I don't drive- we do have a "nanny" of sorts who helps with driving, but she doesn't like driving at all and it is difficult to work it out so she doesnt feel taken advantage of. Obviously, she isn't committed to seeing that I get training, so she doesn't understand how important it is to make these drives... only that it is a 4 way trip for her, 20 minutes each way. I can understand how this could frustrate her. </p>

<p>Susan-I can totally relate to the issues your D has had with less-than-understanding adults in situations where scheduling conflicts arise. I've definitely had my share- and unfortunately, this has led my parents (who again, both work full time, so have made it clear that it is MY responsibility to stay on top of my schedule and committments) to believe that I am overcommitting myself when I take on shows, dance, voice, acting, EC's in school, social life, etc. They often feel overwhelmed by my schedule, feeling that I am putting too much stress on myself. This is not to say they don't support me, my mom drives me from a NY suburb to Brooklyn for a voice lesson, to Nyack for a Seussical rehearsal, to Scarsdale for a 4 1/2 hour SAT class every single Sunday. But conflicts have come up when they tell me I'm "overloading"... and I just feel that I'm doing what I love and doing a lot of it. The fact that there are others in a similar situation who have been able to stay on top of school and work out hectic schedules is very reassuring. Although this life is intense and very full- it's the only way we'd have it!</p>

<p>Thanks again for the response! And have a great time on your visit!!</p>

<p>-Dani</p>

18

<p>She auditioned last Nov 12th and received her acceptance 12/12. I highly rec. ED. We flew in and spent the night at Washington Square Hotel. One of my fondest memories is in the morning after breakfast the hotel opened the lounge for her to warm up in as they were afraid she'd disturb other guests if she did it in her room. When we arrived at the Tisch building they were ready for everyone with prepared name badges and a short questionnaire- we had to call back home to find name of song author (knew name of play only and composer wasn't on her xeroxed sheet music). No one commented on music being copied, by the way. </p>

<p>Dance audition was first which was good as she likes to dance and I could tell that she felt she did well and just moving relieved some tension. I am still unclear why there is a dance audition if "it doesn't count". During dance audition I walked around loving Greenwich Village and did not buy any NYU logo items for fear of jinxing audiiton. </p>

<p>The students then had a chance to change clothes. The range that day was between skirts and blouses and PJ Bottoms with T-Shirts. We then were told in some detail about the various Tisch Studios by the two men running the auditions. I was ready to enroll myself in any of them- but when asked later in interview about preferences my d said she'd only accept
CAP 21. I have not heard of anyone in CAP 21 who said they'd accept a different studio.</p>

<p>There was then time to warm up again around the building. My daughter was 2nd in for audition- it was nice to get it over with. The song and monologues went well-she felt less certain about interview- she was asked about her favorite subjects in HS and about her HS drama program. We had been told that they wouldn't give feed back- my daughter said her guy didn't even look at her as she was acting her heart out. It wasn't so much that he was cold, just rather "matter of fact". Not warm and fuzzy but also not intimidating.</p>

<p>My d did not expect to be accepted and had already started applicaiton process at BOCO and CCM- She had no further plans if none of these panned out. I think she is in right place for her- working hard but not overwhelmed. Wish tuition was less and that she was closer to home.</p>

19

<p>I am not clear about why some studenst are unhappy at CAP 21- will try to get more information-- my d's comment was that "you can already tell who won't be back next year". I want to know, also- maybe my d should be unhappy, too.</p>

20

<p>My son and I have been having lots of fun with worst case scenerio auditions. But now it's time to get serious.<br>
So your name is called you walk in the room and... do you immediately introduce yourself, your two monologues and then preform them one after another. Is there a standard? My s has auditioned at so many of the same school, regional, community theatres here that they greet him when he walks in the door. This will be the first time in a couple of years he hasn't walked in and known people so he is very interested in what typically happens.</p>

<p>I am so nervous about this I am almost wishing his senior year over which is really too bad. He just can't see himself doing anything else and quite frankly neither can I.</p>