<p>Perhaps before you disappear, I wanted to thank you for your comments, especially for your "real-world" view. It's not always easy to hear, but we all need to recognize, accept and on occasion, when THEY ASK for it, help our children deal with the realities of the profession to which they aspire. We also need to accept the fact that once they've have moved out, maybe it is time for us to stop trying to "cushion the blow." Developing a thicker skin is a real necessity in this business. Not that they need to become hardened, cynical adults, but they need to have a strong sense of self, a realistic view of their strengths and weakness, the ability to accept rejection without falling apart or taking it personally and the willingness to continue to work on their craft and expand their skillset. They need honesty from us as well as our unconditional love.</p>
<p>Lastly I want to thank you for your comments about the "It Factor." I raised this issue last year becasue I think it is a real one , albeit controversial, for this group. I believe that raw skills are, in the parlance of science and SAT's, necessary but not sufficient for a truly memorable performance. Without the true joy of being on stage and the ability to really understand and connect with your material and then in turn share that connection with an audience, a performer is just going through the motions. We go to any kind of performance in hopes of being touched in some way. That it what the true talents are able to do.</p>
<p>As a short brunette mezzo soprano character actor, I am thankful that uber talented 5'9" naturally blonde blue eyed lyric sopranos with perfectly symmetrical features who can act AND dance AND know how to work are much less than one in a million. ;) Also, if I were an auditor for a school in a major city I would have major questions about whether somebody like that would ever finish the program without leaving to work or get married or something.</p>
<p>On the height/looks thing....My lovely D is 5 feet tall and Asian. She's also, since the beginning of HS, had short hair because she just feels it's "her." So she definitely does NOT have the stereotypical ingenue look, though her "Disney princess" type of voice suits that kind of role. She's had plenty of instances where her looks haven't mattered, e.g., a production last summer of Sweeney Todd (not a lot of people who looked like her in 19th-century London....). But a few times we've thought her looks may indeed have "disqualified" her. For example, she recently had a callback for a youth production of Fantasticks and was very pleased with how she did. The other girls were white and long-haired. (Of course wigs are available, but I'm trying to make a point here!) The voice mail that my D got a couple of days later said she was amazing, she blew them away, etc., etc....but she didn't get the part. She was only briefly upset, because it freed her from the difficult decision of doing Fantasticks or doing her final HS musical (same dates). But if she'd brought the same talent and ability in a fair-skinned, long-haired package, would the result have been different? Who knows? Please don't misunderstand me. I'm not saying these people are racist. But I am saying I wish there were more open-mindedness in casting, particularly in youth productions. That said, my D is aiming herself toward this business with both a passionate heart and open eyes. She knows there are roles for which she'll never be considered, solely because of her type of look. But it'll work the other way, too. Looking for a Tuptim for your King & I, or a Kim for your Miss Saigon? Even the most uber-talented 5'9" blonde need not apply!</p>
<p>Merry Christmas to all who are celebrating, and a year full of good news to all!</p>
<p>I would like to assure you that blonde, blue-eyed lyric sopranos are just as likely to stick with a program as any other type of performer...and no more likely than anyone else to let getting "married or something" get in the way of their college education.</p>
<p>shauna -- oh really? Have you been approached by any heavyweight agents or asked to leave school to join a professional company or scouted by a major modeling agency or had any multimillionaires try to sweep you off your feet lately? The type of RARE BIRD that I am talking about would face that in a top program in a major city and, yes, whether or not she would stay should be a concern for an auditor. Not something I would ever have to worry about. haha</p>
<p>I hope that all of you have a lovely Christmas and a Happy New Year. I'm wishing good news for the class of 2005 and their families. To those of you who have received good news already, congratulations! I hope that the seniors and their families can forget about the stress of auditioning for a while and enjoy a peaceful holiday.</p>
<p>Here in my neck of the woods we received an early winter snowstorm on Wednesday. We have 10 inches of snow on the ground. That's rather unusual for my part of the country this early in the season. We're enjoying a pretty white Christmas. I'm thinking of all of my CC acquaintances as I look out on the sparkling winter scene today. All my best to each and every one of you.</p>