<p>It’s not demeaning. just realistic. If these are what I’m thinking such as kid’s costume character shows and such plenty of the actors who book them laugh about it, too. I’ve heard, “Hey, it’s a job,” from cast-members on these things. Lighten up!</p>
<p>Cruises seem a great way to pay off student debt in addition to gaining experience and working in MT. I’d be very interested to hear candid experiences from the young actors who do this. It’s hard to find info. I do know someone who did a Disney cruise and loved it, but that was one person.</p>
<p>Just a comment about Theater for Young Audiences…my D’s first audition out of college and also booked it and literally got word of it the week of graduation…it was via her agent…was TheaterworksUSA, which is a major theater company that performs around the country for young audiences. She played Gertrude McFuzz in Seussical. It was directed by Marcia Milgrom Dodge (a Broadway director) and my D earned her Equity card and only had to commit for 2 months. There were other young graduates from many other BFA programs on her tour. She was happy with it. </p>
<p>monkey13…re: Boston…it so happens that a new graduate of the BFA program at Ithaca who is from my community here in VT, and who had been doing a job for me the past couple of months, just decided to move to Boston, though had originally considered NYC. You mention shows starting in Boston that have gone to NYC…Pippin and Hair, for example, started at A.R.T. Keep in mind that shows such as those are often cast out of NYC. I can’t get too specific here about my kid, but she was cast in NYC for a show that will be in Boston in the future. She is based in NYC. </p>
<p>austinmtmom, yeah, not all Off Broadway shows are created equal. As you know (off this forum), my D is appearing in an Off Broadway musical that is actually ON Broadway! But, it is not considered a Broadway show!</p>
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<p>I was just thinking about this. Our local market (Seattle) also sends a lot of shows to Broadway (Light in the Piazza, Next to Normal, Hairspray, Shrek, Young Frankenstein, Million Dollar Quartet, Memphis, Scandalous, First Date, Christmas Story, Aladdin, etc) via three local theatres, but I was just considering how many local actors have transferred to Broadway with the shows. Offhand I can think of at least a dozen, and though few of them were young actors several younger actors who did local out of town tryouts were later cast in other shows on Broadway (Spring Awakening, A Little Night Music, Wicked, Christmas Story, etc.) in part due to those connections.</p>
<p>I’m still not sure if that implies one would have better odds launching here versus NYC, though. Tough call, but in any case it will be D’s choice to make and not mine.</p>
<p>I think D will love TYA. She’s about to have her first experience with it on campus so we’ll see. Anything (legal and tasteful) that could open more avenues to work is my favorite thing. :)</p>
<p>That’s a great way to put it Momcares. “Anything legal and tasteful.” People often ask my D if she wants to work on stage or TV and I say “anything that will pay her!” I’m going to amend my typical answer to yours. :-)</p>
<p>Also, there is the consideration as to where one is at in their career. When my D did the TheaterworksUSA tour (TYA), she had just graduated college (was 20 years old)…it was a paying gig…she got her Equity card…she had a significant role in a well known musical…with a well known director, etc. It was really worth doing. It certainly is on her resume now and in fact, it is in her bio in the playbill for the Off Broadway show in which she is currently performing. </p>
<p>Would she do a TYA tour now? Highly doubtful. Her career has moved onto more significant things. And she already has her Equity card and so that is not a motivation either. But it was a great job at the start of her professional career, not to mention a great way to get her Equity card right out of college with only a two month commitment. There are a number of artists on Broadway, Off Broadway, regional theater, etc. who early in their careers did TYA type tours. </p>
<p>A paid working actor gig is a good thing.</p>
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<p>Soozie, one of my Ds (not E) saw the show and absolutely loved it. She couldn’t get over how creative and beautiful this show is, and with good food! 
Not sure I’ll be in town before the end of this run but if the rumors turn into reality, can’t wait to see it when it transfers.</p>
<p>^^I’ll second your daughter’s review alwaysamom. Saw the show tonight myself. It’s GREAT. Soozie’s daughter and the entire cast are spectacular as is the music, story and staging. A delight. Something that any CC mom should be proud of and the rest of us can be proud of by extension. Does that make me almost famous if I can say, “I sort of know a mom, who has a daughter, whom I don’t know, but is in a show, that I loved, that I saw”? </p>
<p>I’m going with a yes on that one. :)</p>
<p>Soozie - Please post the name of the show or PM me. I live in NY and would love to see it!</p>
<p>alwaysamom, thanks for the positive feedback. It is truly a unique show. I saw it twice when it was downtown, but not yet in the Theater District, but hope to. My other daughter and relatives saw it this week. I hope it does transfer to Broadway as being discussed, but if not, my D is cast in another show starting in February and so it is all good! The cast album is being released in about a week or so and therefore, you could hear it if you wish.</p>
<p>Halflokum, thanks for the sweet mention. I am glad your family enjoyed it so much and am appreciative of your supporting my D’s show. I agree that the cast is truly outstanding.</p>
<p>shaun, I’ll send you an email. Thanks!</p>
<p>Wish we could also see soozievt’s D’s show, as it looks wonderful!</p>
<p>I have another question for folks whose MT kids are out in the big world.</p>
<p>Top programs all make much of their alumni “mafia”, and I’m curious to hear how/if your school’s “mafia” has played a role in shaping your (child’s) career.</p>
<p>I’ll chime in here with what I know about my son’s experience. For him and his classmates, their “mafia” has been quite invaluable since they graduated two years ago. Right now his theater company is perfoming a several months long run in Chicago, which came about largely because the assistant director of the theater taught a class at their school when they were sophomores.
When they first moved to New York, they got a lot of valuable advice about the business of the business - how to find a good entertainment lawyer, publicist etc. without getting taken in by any scams. Other established alumni have helped them make even more connections. When they were still in school, they got opportunities to do summer retreats on Martha’s Vineyard to write and act their shows through the connections of a professor.
Other actors are of course able to make these kind of connections as well, but I imagine it might take more time and/or hustling. The theater world in New York is actually quite tight knit, and I believe talented actors eventually get noticed. In my son’s case, the school connections definitely smoothed the way.</p>
<p>I think networking is essential in this business…whether you are on the performance side or business/ production side of theatre. But networking goes far beyond what school you go to and whether or not the school has a “mafia.”. It is about always reaching out to people and in turn helping other’s out as well. There are people who graduated with my D from NYU who are totally out of the loop and other’s like my daughter who are very involved in building working relationships and friendships with others in the industry. This extends beyond who she met in college. She is still in touch with many of her high school and camp friends involved in theatre and film. And she meets up with people she interned with at several companies. She is in touch with directors she has worked with in both school-based and independent projects. She developed friendships that turned into working relationships with other NYU music majors outside of the vocal performance major. So I think that it is less the “mafia” connection and more about how well a particular person can network.</p>
<p>Networking has been a significant part of my D’s career so far. First, she went to a big BFA program: NYU/Tisch. Second, it was already in NYC (not essential, but just saying this was beneficial too in this regard). During her four years of college and the couple years right afterward, I think networking both through the faculty and her fellow students happened a lot. At her college, many of the faculty are working professionals in NYC in the first place. Some hired my D for professional work during and after college. My D’s peers are a very large group doing all sorts of work in the city in this field…including directing, playwrights, or singer/songwriters. She has gotten work with her peers and she has given work to many of her peers as well. I can think of many examples, but too many to mention. Like uskoolfish, my D is also still networked with peers from her theater camp too. </p>
<p>Anyway, while her NYU connections still play a part four years out of college, my D’s network now is FAR greater within the theater and music industry, including well known people. And I think this vast professional network she is part of now does play a part in her career, though not everything that has happened in her career is due to networking, some things are.</p>
<p>Soozievt…D mentioned to me that she saw your D’s play in the last week or so. Got tickets through work, I believe. At the time she had said it was excellent with a lot of talent and creativity. Obviously, she didn’t know your D through CC. But after I read this thread, I put it all together and told her your D’s role in the show. She actually had remembered your D from NYU, because she had seen her perform with her acapella group there. Thought she was great!</p>
<p>uskookfish…oh, that is neat. Thanks for telling me. I wonder if our girls know one another, but perhaps they do not. Yes, my D used to be in that a cappella group. Thanks for the positive feedback regarding the show she’s in and her part in it. D performed with bronchitis the past week or so. Glad to hear it still came off well enough. There are some other NYU/Tisch grads in the cast.</p>
<p>[Busting</a> The Myth That Fine-Arts Degrees Lead To The Poorhouse ? Consumerist](<a href=“http://consumerist.com/2013/11/13/busting-the-myth-that-fine-arts-degrees-lead-to-the-poorhouse/]Busting”>Busting The Myth That Fine-Arts Degrees Lead To The Poorhouse – Consumerist)</p>
<p>@Flossy - The article is very encouraging – thanks for sharing it!</p>
<p>I suppose this is what most of us are hoping our kids experience… “Artists can have good careers, earning a middle-class income,” says the Center’s director. “And, just as important and maybe more, artists tend to be happy with their choices and lives.”</p>
<p>I’ve also been hearing news about recent grads from D’s school which has been encouraging as well!</p>
<p>Just wanted to let everyone know that I saw SoozieVT’s daughter in the show she is in in NYC and she was phenomenal! (I have never met SoozieVT in person but we live in NY and I PM’d SoozieVT for the info). The show is so very worth seeing. Incredible talent and extremely unique. Experiential as a whole. If you will be in NYC by the end of the year go see it!!!</p>
<p>shaun, thank you so much for supporting my D’s show and for the complimentary feedback as well! I’m glad you enjoyed it! I’m seeing it tomorrow night, if I make it to NYC with the weather!</p>