@Twinsdad2021 - I would post this as a separate thread. I bet you’d get more input. Congrats to your daughter!
@Twinsdad2021, the great individual attention and care at UArts is one thing that I think sets it apart–no matter how many students might accept. (Two years ago, in my D’s class, about 54 MT students decided to attend, which was most of the people accepted. Last year, another large number attended, and they have a class of about 34. Before these, classes were around 24, which is what they aim for. It didn’t matter; individual attention is still a huge priority for them.) Honestly, UArts has set this bar so high that I’m really hoping and praying that my other kids will find a place that even comes close to doing as great a job of focusing on the individual and caring!
I’ll pm you details if you’d like to read more.
@Twinsdad2021~ If you attend an accepted students day at and of the schools your D is accepted, the vibe will be very different than at an audition (if that is how you are judging the warm and fuzzy.)
Congratulations @Twinsdad2021 on such great acceptances. All of these are programs where she can get good training. But here are a few thoughts about some of them:
Marymount Manhattan: My understanding is many of the classes are not on campus and students must travel across town. And that living and eating on campus can be an issue as well particularly if you are having to leave campus for classes. All that adds up to a lot of extra expense at an already expensive school. You might ask someone who actually goes there or who has visited how that all works, but I have heard that situation is not ideal.
Emerson: You might ask about their continuation policies for MT. We know someone who was “redirected” in her junior year. I know they used to have a reputation for being a “cut” program but I have not heard much talk of that recently. (ironically our friend ended up on a national tour a year or so ago and now lives in NYC where she is doing well with her caree). She is in her mid 20s now so policies may have changed.) Their “redirecting” of students may not be any different from other schools who have juries or other “progress” checks - but just something to inquire about.
Baldwin Wallace - I think the acting program is so young it is hard to make a judgement. But I would ask questions about what those acting majors can audition for and participate in, what classes they can take, etc… especially if musical theater is important to you. It would be hard to be at a school that didn’t allow you to study and perform in MT as an acting major if it was important to you.
Otterbein - my understanding of the Otterbein program was that there is a lot of crossover between acting and MT majors. And they accept so few in each that there shouldn’t be any issues with individual attention. And they give big scholarship $ for strong grades/test scores. It is near Columbus, OH which is a great city. But don’t know firsthand what campus life is like.
@Twinsdad2021, my D is a Design/tech BFA student at Otterbein and I have not noticed it being a commuter campus. This is especially true with the BFA kids who are from all over the country, and are also too busy to travel on weekends. It is a supportive, friendly, accepting and hard working group. To echo @vvnstar, there is a lot of cross over between MT and acting, and also with many of the BA theater kids. The program is small enough that there is a lot of individual attention. Otterbein is known for an atmosphere of kindness - a reputation which they definitely live up to.
@vvnstar At MMC Private voice and dance are at studios off campus, and all the other classes are at the main campus which has a dining hall and a cafe (Starbucks). The dorm has a convenience store and a couple of restaurants on the block take dining dollars. The dorms have kitchenettes so the kids can cook healthy meals which is great. There is a Whole Foods a block away and a subway stop right there. MMC is in a great neighborhood as well as the dorms and dance studios. It’s relatively safe as compared to other areas of the city. Yes the MT’s have to take a subway or bus to dance then to 71st St. everyday. They get used to it quickly. From what i hear, many of the kids enjoy the walk. I have a daughter at Tisch and it’s the same deal. Her studio was a 20 minute walk the the other NYU buildings where she took classes. Her dorm 15 minutes in the other direction. This is the way of life in NY so it’s good to get used to it if this is where they will live and work eventually.
@entertainersmom 's son was redirected to Otterbein BFA Acting after auditioning for MT. She can speak more to it, but it seems that MT and Acting take most of their classes together and they all audition for plays and musicals.
When we were at the BW MT audition, they were not very inclusive of their Acting program being part of the MT program. I mean he said they take similar classes but I got the impression from parent talk and questions someone asked about Acting that they were totally separate from MT without much cross over or interaction. I assume acting majors are able to audition for roles in he musicals though.
No expert on BW, but could this be b/c the MT program is a Bachelors of Music while Acting is ?
@theaterwork - I wouldn’t assume that until it happens
@Twinsdad2021 We got the same feeling about MMC.
Ok I looked up the BW Acting program page and it says there that you can audition for all BW main stage plays and musicals. It also says they have a "strong collaboration " with the "well renowned " mt program. (I did not get that impression myself when we were there…)
And yes the programs are housed in completely different areas.
Acting at BW is a BFA; MT is BM. so many of the requirements will be different. However, every year there is cross over casting (even with the BA) - the Acting majors will be free to audition for the BW offerings. There are frequently VP majors (and this year, composition majors) in the musicals. MTs in the operas and straight plays. I am not sure how they will share faculty; my S(Junior MT) has taken a number of classes from the BA acting instructors (now the BFA instructors).
@Twinsdad2021, I pm’d you.
I definitely encourage your daughter to visit Otterbein as an accepted student and perhaps do the sleepover option. Son could not be happier and has not looked back with regret that he did not choose one of the schools that had accepted him for BFA MT. He has been cast in 3 musicals, and will be in the Otterbein Summer Theatre production of My Fair Lady this summer. The MT and Acting BFAs have many classes together. Daily dance and private voice is pretty much the norm for BFA Acting students in son’s cohort. It is a wonderfully supportive environment, and my son has grown artistically and as a caring young adult. Let me know if you would like more information and I’ll pm you again.
@Twinsdad2021 My D is a MT kid who auditioned for the BFA Acting program at Otterbein. She sees it as the best of both worlds… she is going to get the more intense acting classes, yet still dance every day and get voice. We have seen several of their shows and there is always a combination of MT and Acting majors in both the straight shows and musicals. PM me if your D would like to connect with mine. I know she just started a closed FB group for accepted Otterbein BFA’s for 2021!
@dramamama603 and @Twinsdad2021 I heard about the auditions where they all walked around acting at once. I don’t think I would be happy with that process either. I’m not sure why my daughter’s audition was different, but she was with a group of kids where they all did their monologues and songs individually in front on the group and the auditors. From what I’ve been reading this doesn’t seem to be the norm for MMC. She also liked the dance call and said it was challenging. Since it is a BA with MT minor, the focus is strong on acting, which she wants, and she may even try for the BFA Acting later on. All of the productions are open to all BFA Acting, BA Performance and BA with MT minor students, but I’ve heard some complaints that many don’t get cast early on. MMC also has a Dance minor and their private voice teachers also teach at Tisch, Pace, AMDA etc. so they are the real deal. I realize this program isn’t for everyone, but my daughter is excited so I wanted to share her enthusiasm. Good luck to all and I am sure you will all land in the right place!
I can say something about the Baldwin Wallace acting BFA. My daughter went there with a terrible attitude, she wanted MT , why are we here, et. By the time we left that day we knew in our heart it was the perfect program for her, as she has been doing as many, or actually more “straight plays, Shakespeare et” as musicals. Apparently, they take at least one dance every semester , and can take more. They can join in for the ballet boot camp every morning at 7:30. They can take private voice, and music theory or whatever they want for the extra classes and they are encouraged to audition for everything, including musicals. They study classical acting, from Shakespeare to Checkoff , and also various acting techniques each year is a different technique (?) I think not sure, camera work, dialects, movement, history, styles et. One of the most exciting things about the program is they have a partnership with an equity company and will be given intern roles/ understudies and will come out with equity points and professional experience. One young man who was understudy was going on for the lead that night. He was super excited, as he should be!
My daughter is a fabulous singer. However, I don’t think we picked songs that came close to showing her voice. She can move well but really dance is her least favorite, and it she doesn’t pick it up very fast for an audition setting. She loves creating characters, accents, being a weird theater kid!! Lol!
She has been accepted to this program and I know it is perfect for her. Our audition season did not go anywhere near how we thought it would, as she was horribly sick in Unifieds and 8 auditions went very poorly as she couldn’t sing , and as she worded it “I was horrible and snot was flying when I danced”. I felt so bad ! She got over it much faster than me! The auditions she did well she did not have the academics, or they were the “lotto” schools. But really none of that matters, because I think except for the “lotto” schools she would have chosen this program over all others. She does not want to be in the city, she wants a campus. They have 17 kids.
I think this program paired with the MT program is going to make Baldwin Wallace a real powerhouse.
@musicmama123 ballet bootcamp is 7:00 am :-* She could also work out at 6 am with a trainer if she do desires! I assume they told your D there is a fairly open audition process (meaning she is free to audition for the musicals/operas, etc)?
Yes! I think it sounds like the perfect program for an actress/singer.
Awww Jackets! I’m excited to watch how the Acting BFA develops alongside the MT BM. Seems like they put some great things in place for the program already! Congrats!