My D will be applying and auditioning starting in fall of this year. She has a resume will a lot of acting experience in dramas, comedies, improve, 4 choirs, winning in vocal and drama competitions. The problem we are having for the past three years is that she is not getting cast as leads in musical theatre. Her high school puts her in ensemble and local theatre companies she’s getting understudy. She has a college coach who is working with her for singing and acting and she will be attending a summer intensive in NYC this year as well. My question is, how important is it for her to have actually leads in MT prior to her auditions for college?
Not important at all…it’s all about the audition
What @bisouu said.
^^^^^^^^^^^ Double Ditto.
I am in the same boat. I have extensive experience, particularly in choir/vocal areas, however I have struggled to get large roles in high school ( I’ve had mainly feature’s and a few supporting). My college coach assured me that it didn’t matter at all!
You’ll find over and over in this journey all that really matters is the audition and if you are a good fit. My son is about to graduate and if I knew then what I knew now I’d have a million less grey hairs. Just makes sure its neat.
I can assure you it means nothing. MY D graduated with her BFA/MT this past May. She went to a large HS with a lot of competition and while she had a lead in a play she was never a lead in a musical in high school. In fact, she was just Grace in Annie, and that was the first time she was a lead or supporting lead in a musical since 8th grade! In college she was in a lot of musicals and was a lead in a play but not in a musical.
Your auditions what counts when applying to MT schools. My D even with her resume showing no MT leads in HS, was accepted to 3 of 10 schools. But the other thing you need to know is that programs are looking at other things outside of talent. My D’s school will tell you specifically they know they will get talented kids (they audition over a thousand kids every year for 40 MT and acting BFA slots), but what they want are good kids and smart kids. Especially good kids. There is no reason for them to bring in someone they think has an attitude or will be difficult to work with. They don’t want to put up with that for 4 years.
So make sure you thank people, that you’re nice to the people at the registration desk, to the student helpers, etc. Programs will scratch a kid off their list before they even audition if they think they’re going to be a problem.
Ditto. I am glad jeffandann brought up that last point.
Regarding “never getting a lead in high school,” it’s quite common - don’t forget that many schools give preference to seniors and the spring musicals haven’t been cast yet.
Our school only does a musical every other year, which really narrows your chances especially since there are 2,000 kids at the school. I think like others said what you bring to the room on audition day matters most