Hello All- My daughter has had leads in her school musicals- has a great voice and is a good actress, and funny (I know I’m her Dad but others we don’t know have said the same), but…she is very short- about 4 foot 10. She’s a HS junior now- will that hinder her from getting accepted into a good MT program? I know looks aren’t supposed to matter, but I haven’t noticed any truly short actresses in MT myself. Am I wrong? I hope so!
Kristen Chenoweth is only 4’11. ;))
Kristin Chenoweth is pretty tiny. I saw her in concert in January and I am pretty sure she said she is under 5 foot
We have seen shows at many of the colleges where my daughter is auditioning this year-plenty of amazing performers in the programs under 5 feet tall! Have a great year next year!
Kristin Chenoweth is 4’11", but it is not common to have MT actresses that height. Cleia Keenan-Bolger is only 5’ tall. There are several others who are around 5’2" or 5’3", but it is definitely not the norm. If she looks young, she could play younger (e.g., children/teens). Chances are, she will not be a chorus member in a show like Bullets Over Broadway or Catch Me if You Can. The bottom line is that looks/height/weight DO matter in MT. They probably matter more than they should. I know my D (who is 5’2") was not cast in a show once b/c she was told she was too short compared to the 6’3" leading man. Can she get into a good MT program? Sure, if she’s talented! Will her height affect casting in the real world? Undoubtedly it will have some impact. Which is not to say she can’t get cast…it will simply limit her roles.
Someone has to play opposite Daniel Radcliffe (and I would be willing!). 
@MomCares =))
I have a D in MT at Ball State, she is 5" and her roomie (also MT) is 4’11". Lots of potential for tiny girls! Especially since they can play younger for a long time.
In past years, S and I have seen multiple shows at CCM and one at UofM with a plethora of very short girls - under 5 feet (and a few guys) - in the casts. Not sure what that means for their post-college career trajectories, but an obvious choice would be that they can play children/young teens well into their twenties (and beyond??) We saw a local production of The Secret Garden (cast in NYC) with Mary VERY convincingly (and beautifully) played by an NYU Tisch student. And unlike boys who have to deal with voice changes, a girl can sing “young” for a very long time. I’m not sure those are the roles a teen-aged girl dreams of, but since casting directors would rather hire “old” to play “young”, it’s great work if you can get it.
I think @mom4bwayboy is right. It wouldn’t at all surprise me, in fact, if some schools are positively inclined to take short girls over taller women. I think schools like their success rates at placing grads with agents and first jobs on Broadway, national tours, etc. It’s an important way in which they attract new, high-caliber students each year. The grads most likely to get jobs are the tiny ones–boys and girls–who can play juveniles and those who can dance up a storm. If you’re tiny and can dance, those are great assets to bring to audition. Just a theory.
I agree with monkey13. Getting into a college program likely won’t be influenced to any great degree but short actors, both male and female, will definitely face challenges in the professional casting world.
My d who is post-college and a working/struggling actor/singer is 5"1 and blonde. Her roommate and some of her friends who are all struggling/actors/singers are also small and petite. The good thing is that sometimes you can be cast younger. The bad thing is that when you go for professional auditions and they announce they will only look at tall brunettes… you will not be seen no matter how early you get there, who submitted your name, etc.
She and her roommate have gone on auditions for TV commercials in which they are casting multi-ethnic groups tth come in together… so my daughter is the blonde, her roommate the brunette, luckily they have a friend who is African-American, another who is Asian and another who is red-headed… so if you can go as a group sometimes you have a better shot at being cast.
You have to work with who you are…
I don’t think schools are looking for short girls. My D, at 5’2" is (I think) the 2nd shortest girl in all 4 years at Ithaca. There is one girl who is 5’ or 5’1"…but they are, by far, the shortest. Look at some of the casting notices…ensembles in classic shows (the traditional dancers) are all tall (5’6" to 5’8" or 5’9"). Even Disney only allows Tinkerbell to be shorter than 5’4" - the other princesses have to be tall.
Schools are looking for talent. If you look unusual (very short, very tall. very fat, etc.), but very talented, most certainly you will get in somewhere. But, professionally, you will be typed out of more roles. And professionally, kids are cast by…well, kids. Look at Fun Home. Mary Poppins. Priscilla Queen of the Desert. Sound of Music. Billy Elliot. Matilda. The kids are kids. There are tons of good kids around.
So I REALLY do not think schools are actively looking for short applicants. I think they are looking for talent, and if you are super short, indeed it MAY hurt your chances at some schools, and it would certainly affect casting at the professional level.
P.S. I don’t like this answer, either, being the mother of a short girl. But I have seen my D be unable to apply for/audition for too many roles with height requirements to believe that it is a good thing to be short.
He shrank back to normal size again. it was only temporary. 
“And professionally, kids are cast by…well, kids. Look at Fun Home. Mary Poppins. Priscilla Queen of the Desert. Sound of Music. Billy Elliot. Matilda. The kids are kids.” – That’s really only true of characters age 12 and under (which are the shows you mentioned). For teenage/high school characters, they cast 18 and over to play younger. And even “Matilda” has a few adults playing the older schoolkids in the ensemble.
Also, Theatreworks is a company that does children’s theater (and is Equity), and they ALWAYS cast 18 and up for child roles (which tend to be things like Junie B. Jones etc.)
@actorparent you’re right about teen/high school characters. Also, Matilda’s ensemble are ‘kids’ in many numbers. I know the OP was talking about her daughter, but as the mom of not tall boys, I always keep Andrew Keenan-Bolger (currently playing teen Jesse Tuck in ‘Tuck Everlasting’) in mind!
If you google “10 Of The Shortest Actresses In Hollywood” you will find Kristin Chenowith is 4’11, Judy Garland was 4’11, and Lea Michele is 5’2 1/2 (same as my daughter!),
Will her height affect her chances at certain schools? Sure. But so could being very tall/average height, blond/brunette/red, soprano/mezzo/alto, not edgy enough/too edgy, too young looking (that one seriously happened to my D at one program), too much like someone else in the program or like someone that adjudicator doesn’t care for, etc… Those are all factors that can come into play in decisions, but they are out of our control! Other than trying to figure out which schools go for edgy or a mature look or embrace diversity in all areas, I’d not focus on it. Just go for it!
You are all scaring me … My D is barely 5’1".