<p>I saw a photo montage of incoming UMich class....anybody else see it.... and notice Madonna's daughter (Lola Leon) in the group? Interesting world.....</p>
<p>There was just an article in our local paper about how she & Madonna had been to orientation & toured campus . The article simply said she was listed in the Music Theatre & Dance Dept. So, she’s MT? Interesting. Would have loved to have been a fly on the wall for her audition! </p>
<p>She is def MT. When I heard she was applying - I knew that UMich would be crazy not to admit her (I mean… I’m sure they saw the $$ signs) BUT I completely appreciated that they made her go through a regular audition day (I do not know if she had to prescreen) and they admitted 11 women instead of their usual 10. I hope she completes the program (her mom dropped out before she finished her time there - majored in Dance). It will be interesting to see how it goes… D has several friends attending UMich next year (not MT… well, she does have an acquaintance in the freshman MT class.).</p>
<p>I was surprised it took the local news so long to pick up on it considering they were all over the place during her audition. I saw the MT picture of the class in early May. </p>
<p>I feel sorry for her… everyone assuming she did not get in on her own merit. There are 12 MT girls and boys in the senior class so Michigan is not steadfast in their 10/10 class size. Madonna was not with her on audition day and it went unnoticed by the media… they were all over it when she toured the school in November.</p>
<p>As I understand it, she went to LaGuardia, a performing arts high school, where she also studied theatre. Although it is a PR coup for Michigan, I admire that they have not exploited the fact that she auditioned, was accepted and has chosen their program. I can only imagine with her upbringing that she is a skilled dancer, musician and actor. She has been around very accomplished people in those fields her entire life. I will look forward to seeing what happens! It’s a very demanding program.</p>
<p>I don’t know how I feel about this. Like @vvnstar said, she’s most likely been around the best professionals her whole life. But is it a whim? All I’ve ever heard about Lola is how into fashion she is - never performing. </p>
<p>And on the other end of the spectrum is Eminem’s daughter Hailey who graduated w/ a 3.9 and is going to Michigan State. </p>
<p>Well, it’s kind of a no-brainer. Madonna is an alumni. Lola was Rizzo in her school’s production of Grease and she’s certainly castable. And, Madonna in the 80’s was much more about brilliant marketing than talent, but there’s nothing wrong with that, either. Of course, if the competion is Madonna’s kid just tell us and we will probably choose to save the travel expenses. Thanks. LOL </p>
<p>I think U of M is playing it well- they didn’t make a (nationally) big deal of it (I don’t live far from Michigan and didn’t hear about it on news, though I must admit I don’t pay much attention to the “celebrity news” section, so it may well have been reported)… in the 1st version of the picture it is only photos (D has an FB acquaintance in class- so it was on her feed) then an updated one later (at least posted later by acquaintance) has names…that’s when I noticed it.</p>
<p>I just found the youtube of Lola playing Rizzo. </p>
<p>That’s all I’m saying about that. </p>
<p>I’d guess that most top Theatre programs have plenty celebrity parents (in the past few years Ds program has had Warren Beatty, Annette Bening, Mikhail Baryshnikov, Tom Hanks, Meryl Streep, Richard Maltby and probably others), since it makes perfect sense that their kids might chose to enter the family business. Top Med schools no doubt enroll the offspring of some top surgeons. </p>
<p>Between famous classmates, parents, professors and guest lecturers I’d guess our kids get immune to star power quickly, which is ideal given the world they hope to inhabit. </p>
<p>And if priority admission is given to some celebrity kids (not saying it was or wasn’t in this case), I suppose that’s yet another learning experience for our kids, as the same will certainly happen in the world of professional casting. Such is life. </p>
<p>Well, I doubt she will be competing for those jobs that require riding around on a tour bus for a year so that’s comforting. Interestingly, Madonna started singing in the 80’s because she realized that dancing was not going to make her a star anytime soon. She was a much better dancer than singer, though. And, really wanted to act. In the late 70’s she was checking coats at a NYC restaurant. Lola won’t be doing that, either.</p>
<p>@KaMaMom She sang back-up on Madonna’s last album and has helped design clothes for her fashion line. Some are pretty cute. </p>
<p>Hopefully the class will be able to gel and people will be able to see her as just another student. Im sure she will have her guard up, trying to figure out whose a friend because of who she is and not her famous mother. I think it will be a challenge at first but once the initial hoopla wears off I’m sure it will be fine-as long as the media leaves her alone</p>
<p>The media is really only interested in her mom. There were articles when they toured the campus together but on audition day Madonna stayed home and so did the press. As MomCares notes, celebrity kids are really not all that rare at some of these schools. </p>
<p>My theater kid could not pick out Lourdes if her life depended on it…not on her radar at all…</p>
<p>Yeah, I don’t think mine could either. She did say she thought it was silly for her to go to college at all. After all, Madonna dropped out and did just fine, somehow. lol.</p>
<p>I asked my daughter if she even knew who Madonna was and she said…"I get her and Lady Gaga mixed up."th Couldn’t pick her out either. I don’t think our kids are that impressed. (Did she change her name from Lourdes to Lola?)</p>
<p>Celebrity casting will be a part of our kids lives forever and so it begins. I listened to the youtube video. Can’t really assess her acting or dancing talent because there is no video. As a singer it is my personal opinion that she would not be competitive at UMich if she were not Lola. Her mother having attended would mean nothing if she weren’t Madonna. My H went to UMich and from what we have been told being a legacy means nothing for MT.</p>
<p>Madonna named her Lola, but Lourdes was the official name on the birth certificate. Lourdes Lola Maria Ciccone Leon, I think. But she is using Lola Leon. I always liked Lola better than Lourdes, too. And, yeah, I know a lot about Madonna. Even worked with someone who remembers her from high school.</p>