<p>I’m curious. </p>
<p>I’ve seen some videos on YouTube for the Freshman Showcase performances. Are these showcases at the beginning or the end of the freshman year? And, what is the purpose of these showcases?</p>
<p>Thanks.</p>
<p>May 5th is the CCM Freshman Showcase.</p>
<p>[Showcases</a>, University of Cincinnati](<a href=“http://ccm.uc.edu/theatre/musical_theatre/overview/showcases.html]Showcases”>http://ccm.uc.edu/theatre/musical_theatre/overview/showcases.html)</p>
<p>Well, I don’t know why CCM does the freshmen showcase, but I think they are super! Some ideas I came up with why they are a good idea:
*Freshmen are often not cast very much (generally speaking, I have no idea really at CCM) and this gives them a chance to perform w/o competing with the upperclassmen.
*Moms and dads really like to see what their tuition dollars are accomplishing!
*Profs also get a chance to see what happens when the student goes live.
*Just as in any show, there’s probably a lot of bonding going on during rehearsals, which is a fab idea for the new students.
Not that many schools (as far as I know) do these showcases but I think they are great.</p>
<p>We were told when we visited last year that the freshman showcase is, in part, an opportunity for local industry professionals to take a look at the new class. They like to see “who can do what” because they regularly employ CCM students (if their schedules permit) within the Cincinnati artistic community. CCM’s theatre faculty encourages students in good standing to take advantage of those opportunities.</p>
<p>My son is in MT15 @CCM. We have talked about Freshman Showcase often. Here’s my take:</p>
<p>The class has to pick a theme, pick the songs, assign solos & groups, and choreograph the showcase (about an hour long performance.) They have to work on the flow and make it entertaining. It has to be like any other show in that it has to display them as a whole class or cast and not just a bunch of individual cabaret performers waiting for their solos. They take great pride in this and there is pressure from past showcases to be great. They talked about their showcase the very first day they arrived on campus.</p>
<p>It seems to be an exercise in the process of putting together a show. It causes students who have usually been, by far, the most talented person in their home town high school to suddenly work with 17 other people who are just as (if not far more) talented than they are. It is a gut-punch for some. This is a “safe” way to work through some of those issues.</p>
<p>It does showcase their 1st year’s growth especially when (so far) only about 6 of the 18 have been cast in a show (there is one more opportunity in the Spring.)</p>
<p>The Freshman Showcase counts as a class for credit and they work closely with the pianist and vocal-arranger. It gives him a chance to assess the students in a rehearsal situation without the risk of holding-up an actual show.</p>
<p>We have 4 theater kids in our family and my wife and I met doing shows together in college. As you know, theatre people can tend to be (for lack of a better term) “weird.” The Freshman Showcase gives them all a place to work on their interpersonal skills (or how to tolerate other’s lack of interpersonal skills.)</p>
<p>Thank you everyone for your insights. Great information.</p>
<p>Just an FYI - University of Michigan also has a Freshman MT Showcase.</p>
<p>MTMama, is the freshman showcase at Michigan also directed (for the most part) by the students?</p>
<p>Yes - UM’s Freshman Showcase is student run with some faculty supervision. It is put together in about a month or two and does not have the long rehearsal process (or class credit) that CCM’s has. I would guess that some other programs also have some kind of performance/showcase at the end of freshman year - ?</p>
<p>FWIW, Northwestern does a student selected, directed and produced Freshman musical each year. This year it’s “The Wedding Singer”. It isn’t for credit… just for fun, experience and exposure.</p>