<p>Really? I thought she went to CAP21.. oh well. But the point is, look at her then, look at her now.</p>
<p>haha does it matter what IM went for...no...shes freakin amazing...and lets just say her full, amazing name...idina menzel...props to you idina, you are incredible</p>
<p>Actually, legally, its Idina Mentzel. She omitted the T in her stage name because people kept pronouning it wrong.</p>
<p>Id have to change my last name too. Go weird, hard to pronounce jewish last names. Mentzel and Menzel are pronounced pretty much the same, the tz prounounsed as an 'tss"</p>
<p>Yay for useless knowledge!</p>
<p>Anyone see Sweeny yet? I wanna get tickets, but I've heard its weird.</p>
<p>ha, i knew that...but for all the common folk here...(;) just kidding)...id have to change mine too...its not hard, not hard to pronounce...but people always change it, by adding rs or gs...</p>
<p>Thespian, you're correct about it being Mentzel with a <em>z</em> but she also changed the spelling of her first name. It is actually Adena. :)</p>
<p>5Pants, Yes, it is nice to still have this ongoing "chat" thread that is not so topic specific. Both kinds of threads are good for different reasons. The topic threads are particularly useful for those starting the process or going through it. For those already past the admissions phase, or even others, this "conversation" like we had on the old forum is fun to have. </p>
<p>Before I post more, a note to ThespianDreams who asked if anyone had seen the new revival of Sweeney Todd yet and yes, my daughter did three nights ago on her 17th birthday as we got her tickets because not only was it her birthday but it is one of her favorite musicals. I have not gotten to really talk to her yet but she has left a message saying the show was fantastic and that Patti Lupone was beyond amazing. I realize the concept in the revival is different (actors play the instruments) and she knows this musical, but all I know is she loved this production. While off topic, I must say that I'm proud of myself because I took a risk and baked her a cake and mailed it to her for her birthday which is nuts I realize. This was her first birthday away from home and she was just turning 17 and I have always made elaborate cakes on my kids' birthdays. She called when she got it and was very surprised and said she was thinking how this year she would be missing that. So, I know when she got back from Sweeney, friends were in her room with the cake and candles waiting. My years of sleepover parties here are over!</p>
<p>I never really wrote a post about how my D likes Tisch/CAP21 yet. She LOVES it so far. I would say she loves her program, her school, the kids, being in NYC, and being on her own, all of it! Every call is enthusiastic. </p>
<p>About CAP....she likes the teachers very much. The dance classes are by level. They hold placement auditions when you get there in ballet, jazz, and tap and there are four levels of each for freshmen. She got into the most advanced of those four levels for each and find the classes to be very good. I'm happy for her that she was still able to be placed appropriately given we had no idea how it would go for her given her severe injuries just six months ago and being out of dance for a while as well. But it seems like she is able to dance thankfully. As an aside, while she has recovered, she still does suffer pain and so with all the dancing and the TONS of walking she is doing in the city, it does affect her but she is coping with that and hopefully as time wears on, her body will recover even more. She also says she somehow is fitting in going to the gym for workouts. Freshmen take music theory but she placed out of that on a placement exam (both written and sight reading), and so gets a little break when the others take that. For the rest of the classes, they are divided into "sections" and keep the same section (just talking studio classes at CAP which are three days per week all day). One class is acting and she likes that teacher a lot and is happy with the feedback. Another class is speech and diction but she has not mentioned anything to me about that one. They also have vocal technique but are in an even smaller subsection for that (I think about nine kids). She likes the voice teacher and they are working on certain songs (and perform them individually in class) and eventually those selections will be more individualized. He tells her she is a soprano whether she believes it or not and she has become more confident on that part of her singing. She always had a wide range but never thought of herself being strong in soprano but realizes more and more she really can sing soprano, and it is good to work on the areas you are not as strong in or not as confident about. The last I heard was the song she had to prepare this past week which is a song she has sung for about 8 years now but this time in a much higher key but she said she felt good about being able to do so as she prepared for class. </p>
<p>Freshman take classes on the nonstudio days. These are not a choice for the first year. One is a two semester writing class....writing the essay but it is actually called (I think) Art and the World and the second semester is The World through Art. This is a small section twice per week and a lecture four or five times per semester. She likes that teacher a lot. She says she is not sure why others complain about taking this course because she likes it. However, I must say, writing is her strength and a passion of hers, plus the content of this course is also within her interest areas. The other course one semester is Intro. to Theater Production (some lecture, some small sections) and the other semester (she is taking second sem.) Intro. to Theater Studies. I am not sure just what she is doing in Theater Production but they are assigned crew jobs for that course. All in all, she is happy with classes, teachers, etc. </p>
<p>She is also a Tisch Scholar and they meet every other week. There are around 15-18 scholars who are freshmen but they also are with the scholars who are older students. These students span all areas of Tisch, not just theater. This is an honors and leadership program. It involves going beyond NYU and into NYC and the world beyond as future leaders in the arts. Students are selected and told in April around the time of admissions decisions. The selection is based on academic and artistic excellence, as well as a demonstrated record of community service and leadership potential. The group participates in discussions, speakers, and enrichment to events in NYC. Scholars take two paid trips that involve a cross-cultural experience. One is freshman year to Appalshop which is in Appalachia in Kentucky, where they engage with workshops and projects with this arts community. In soph or junior year, they go on an international trip to work with those in the arts in that specific country. This year's older Scholars are going to India, and next year's trip is to Brazil. Also, she has to do a community service internship each year in the arts in NYC and she is in the midst of lining hers up in her available "free time" which as you know is not much. I know which ones she is trying for but this is not yet lined up. She has commented that she found the level of intellectual stimulation in the discussions in this group to be very high and I think that is good for her and a nice change from high school. </p>
<p>She tried out for the Tisch coed a capella group called N'Harmonics, which sings contemporary music. She heard them sing at the opening reception at orientation and thought they were just amazing and she wanted very badly to be in that kind of a group. She loves musical arranging and harmonizing and the style of their music. The group has about 18 members and they audition once per year for any openings that they have. She said hundreds tried out. It involved singing a capella contemporary songs, not MT songs. But she did try out and was called back and actually got one of the handful of new spots and was thrilled. She absolutely loves this group. She has rehearsals two nights per week so that is a commitment too. She says the other kids are all so good. She has one solo. Her first performance with them is next weekend. Tonight she is at a "bonding" sleepover. And to think just a couple months ago, she was not allowed to go to coed sleepovers and now she can do as she pleases, lol. Which leads me to what else she loves so far....</p>
<p>She just loves being on her own and all that jazz. She already knew many kids at Tisch from her summer theater program, both freshmen and older kids. She has also made many new friends. Her roomie is someone she knew through theater here in VT and they are also in every class together and do lots together and with mutual friends. </p>
<p>She really loves being in NYC and has done lots of things in the short time she has been there. She has met various people in the industry already. She has even seen quite a number of shows. She has seen on Broadway: Doubt (loved the acting, Lennon (I posted a thread about how Terrance Mann treated her and her friends), Light in the Piazza (loved it), Sweeney Todd (REALLY loved), In My Life (this was free and she went knowing it was bad and she said it was terrible) and will see Spelling Bee with us next weekend. She saw off Broadway: Forbidden Broadway SUV (said it was hilarious) and at the NY MT Festival....Legend of Bonnie and Clyde (said it was TERRIBLY written but she went to see Devon May who she admires plus had a friend in it), saw an excerpt of Anthony Rapp's musical from the festival too, and saw Broadway on Broadway. </p>
<p>Her sister is visiting her right now and we are going to Parent weekend next weekend and her sister will eventually make it there to see her a capella group perform (after HER game at Yale). </p>
<p>Freshmen, by the way, cannot be in shows. </p>
<p>That's the basic scoop. If anyone has questions about this program, I can try to answer them if I know the answer. All in all, so far so good.</p>
<p>Susan...
It's good to hear your D is happy at CAP....not surprised! Sounds like her days are packed full. Forgive me if I"m missing something...and as long as I have read and reread and participated on these boards, I don't remember this, but as freshmen they don't have an individualized Voice lesson at CAP? You dont mention it, so I"m assuming not. When do they add that? Guess since my D was not interested in NYU we didn't commit to memory as much info about that program as all the others! Thanks for taking the time for so much info on your D's schedule. I am sure it will help others looking at CAP/NYU!</p>
<p>Musicalthrmom, at CAP, the student gets private voice every semester starting SECOND semester freshman year. So, first semester, she is in a vocal technique class with nine kids. They do work on songs (right now, they are assigned songs) and sing them individually. Eventually, they will choose/individualize the songs. So, she does not have private voice until next semester. She happens to really like this voice teacher. Even her voice teacher at home preferred to teach in small groups and then have each kid work on their own pieces in the group situation. Those lessons here were 90 min. weekly. She went to one on one lessons on a regular basis her last year of high school (for her that was junior year). That is just how he worked. If she had an audition coming up, she may have a private but otherwise, he worked on technique in small groups and then individualized song help in the small group setting. So, she is rather used to this though was solely in privates last year prepping for college auditions, etc. So, we did know that there were no privates first semester of freshman year at CAP but it seems OK to my D as she is learning in a small group but also is working individually on songs and doing them in class. After this, she'll be in privates for the rest of her time at CAP. I realize some other schools have privates starting the first semester. She is not in any choral classes like some programs have (she observed one at Syracuse for example) but her class is technique and is rather small, and sounds similar to the small group voice lessons she had with her voice teacher at home up until last year. There is individual help on songs and then, like I said, individual choice of songs as the course continues. She mentioned two songs she has been assigned to prepare and sing in class individually. Then, she said she gets to pick the songs at some point. So, that's the situation with that!</p>
<p>rossji, et. al.,
If you'll permit me to dip back to rossji's kind comments yesterday afternoon. One thing I love about the MT threads is that someone understands the small victories of ours s's and d's. Where else could someone appreciate the value of an MT callback. Also, rossji & Soozievt, I really enjoyed hearing your ds' experiences in CAP. That was my S's 1st choice, followed closely by Playwrights. He may as yet audition to switch over after his 2nd year. One reason I thought I'd post re: his experiences is to remind others who love MT but get placed in another studio that it's possible to keep your MT options open. My S took private voice both semesters 1st year and was encouraged to take a vocal performance workshop this year. It's audition only, 2 credits, and is ensemble work incorporating vocals and choreography.
Regarding your questions about s's schedule minor, etc. In the 2nd year of Playwrights, students choose a track (Directing, Acting, or Design). Students unwilling to choose can take additional courses and combine tracks (Directing/Acting, Directing /Design, Design/Acting, etc.). My s (loving all three) is taking a Directing/Acting track but is also taking all the Design electives. (I can't wait to lay eyes on him to count his gray hairs and measure the dark circles). He has declared a minor in the College of Arts and Sciences in Art History. So... this year, he has studio 3 days per week. On the other two days he has History of Modern Drama (part of the Tisch Core) for which we ordered 17? books, mostly plays, Art History (also lots of reading), and the music/vocal performance workshop. As I mentioned before, he's also stagemanaging a show. The education he's getting is just incredible. Unfortunately, I don't think he's seeing as many NYC productions as he'd like. But fortunately, he's with a group of friends who love joining him to see productions whenever there's time for fun.
By accident, I will actually be at NYU this weekend. Not for parent's day, but just because schedules allowed us to visit. I've asked my S to get us tickets to the show he's stagemanaging so we can at least see him occasionally from afar and maybe take him out to lunch. If you see a stanger waving at you, just assume its a CC parent!</p>
<p>I have just a few moments to chime in but think this thread is a great idea - nothing specific just a variety of people posting, kind of like group conversation in person! My daughter is getting ready for her first audition at Point Park in a week and a half. Our household is inundated with germs (her sister has a sinus/bronchial thing, I have a cold, her entire choir is hacking/sneezing, yuk) I have her on all the common preventatives, Vitamin C, Emergen-Cee (recommended by her doc), she had her flu shot and is washing her hands like crazy. Does anyone have any other suggestions to stay healthy that have worked for you or your son/daughter? I'm having nightmares about her coming down with something right before the big day!</p>
<p>Thanks for all the updates on the college froshies. It's wonderful to see the many different roads taken.</p>
<p>Jasmom, I really enjoy reading your posts given that you have a child at Tisch. I meant to also add congrats to your son for that callback for that musical at Tisch which I have heard about. It is a tough one with only 8 parts! My D has two older friends called back for it and I never heard from her what happened. My D had Playwrights as her second choice studio as well and knows a boy who is in it (he is either a junior or senior now and I believe right now he is directing Hair) and he also has a musical background. I think my D really would love Playwrights as she is very into those aspects of theater too but her first love is MT and so was opting for that. But you are right that kids in other studios can audition for and be in the musicals at Tisch, just not the CAP specific productions. </p>
<p>As I said, I will be in NYC next weekend too because of Parent Day. It also is Parent Weekend at my other daughter's school, Brown, but we decided to do NYU as we did Brown's last year and this is our D's first year and her older sister will join us. Our weekend plans have morphed a few times. Originally older D would be with us all weekend. Now she is in a soccer tournament at Yale that Saturday but will continue on to NYC in time for younger D's N'Harmonics concert. Originally we all were going to see a Broadway show that Sat. night but just as I was ordering tix, my younger D found out she made N'Harmonics and that they were performing that Sat. night so we got matinee tix to Spelling Bee (though my older D has to miss that). I figured we'd go to the parent events for Tisch and then for Drama all morning and then the show. Then, just two weeks prior to the Parent Day, we get a note that there is a session for freshmen parents at CAP21 at 2 PM. I am quite bummed out about that because I have been dying to hear anything presented by CAP because this is the one school that did not have an info. session specific to the MT program (just Tisch itself) on prior visits. The only information we had for Parent Day until now was of the Tisch presentations that then break into sections for departments (hers being Drama) and planned to attend these and still will. We had no idea about CAP's presentation being at 2 PM as it was not in any of the Tisch parent materials and just came from CAP now. I would not have gotten show tix for a matinee if I had known as now I can't go to the CAP portion for parents, just the Tisch and the Drama one. Given I have never heard any presentations yet from CAP, it is disappointing. I wish we had more notice. I thought the matinee tix were safe given the schedule of Tisch events we were given. Oh well, c'est la vie. If anyone here goes to the CAP session, fill me in!</p>
<p>Susan</p>
<p>Funny how many of us will be descending upon the city next weekend. I'm actually not arriving til Sunday and not going to Parents' Weekend events, seeing as D is a junior now. I'm going to be there for a short visit with her then meeting a friend who is also flying in for a few days of seeing shows, shopping, enjoying the city. I was also fortunate enough to be able to arrange to get together with three family friends who are performing on Broadway now. This is always so hard to fit in with everyone's crazy schedules but it seems to have worked this time, and they're in 3 different shows! :) Wouldn't it be funny if we were all staying in the same hotel?</p>
<p>Jordansmom--Here's what CoachC posted early in the summer:</p>
<p>The best thing to do for a shot voice is SLEEP AS MUCH AS YOU CAN to restore your overall body (which of course is usually impossible when you are in tech for a show) and also, use STEAM! Steam actually DOES get down to the level of your vocal folds, because anything your breathe in goes right between your vocal folds into your respiratory system (which is why smoking is so bad for singers - the heat "fries" the folds). As you know, I am still an SLP grad student, not a true "expert," yet, so I want to assure you I got this info about remedies from my fave PhD voice therapist (at yes, that wondeful place, the UPMC Voice Center - all singers should live in Pittsburgh so as to have access to this place!) The best kind of steam for reducing vocal-fold edema is concentrated toward the face (although a hot shower can achieve some of the same results). You can get a good personal steamer at any drugstore for about $35 - Vicks makes a nice one. This is basically a tiny heating element that with a water reservoir and face mask of top of it. A cool bit of trivia: European opera houses at one time had steam kettles to loan to fatigued singers!</p>
<p>My d was sick for several weeks at the end of the school year and leading up to heading off to OCU's summer program. She had been on antibiotics and all, but I was worried about an intense program on top of being sick. When she got to OCU she immediately got a bladder infection, which she had never had before and had more antibiotics! Once I heard just how intense the program was I was REALLY thinking, oh gosh, she's going to have a relapse of her original illness. The minute I read what CoachC posted (THANK YOU, COACHC!!!) I mailed my d a personal steamer. She used it every day at OCU and held up great. She said it really made her voice feel good. Plus it was great for the complexion LOL. We'll never know if the steamer kept her healthy, but it sure seemed to do so. I'll have to remind her to keep steaming now for the college auditions!!</p>
<p>jordansmom,</p>
<p>That is so tough isn't it? I remember those days well....I think it can almost drive one to be obssessive about germs. Sounds as though you are providing all the right things. I believe calcium helps the body absorb Vitamin C, so eating plenty of yogurt and foods such as that....of course why wouldn't a person from Wisconsin not promote their milk products!? ;) Also, make sure she is drinking lots of water...and stay rested!!</p>
<p>Hope your d breaks a leg!! We'll have our fingers crossed that she stays healthy....and is successful at auditions.</p>
<p>SUE aka 5pants</p>
<p>jordansmom Use disinfecting wipes on all shared surfaces. Especially telephones. I have really cut down on in the home transmission of illness. My husband who is in his 4th year teaching has been using them in the classroom and is not getting sick as often as he used to.</p>
<p>Sorry to butt in here lol but as I noticed amny fo you will be in NYC next weekend ( my hometown) if you have any questions or anything, you can ask.</p>
<p>jasmom, what show is your son stage managing? Is it on Sat. night, by any chance? We're trying to decide whether to see Forbidden NYU or the a capella group. If he's doing Forbidden NYU, and we decide to see it, I'd love to meet up with you! Also, if anyone from the CC forum is going to parent's weekend and would like to meet up for lunch or dinner (lunch would have to be around noon until 1:30, as there are studio tours at 2; dinner would be from around 5 or 5:30 until the night performance; not sure if it'll start at 8 or what. There is no time given for Forbidden NYU.) let me know! You all probably want to spend time with your kids, but I've seen mine - a lot - so I don't mind sharing time with everyone else, lol. SoozieVT, I'll take notes at the CAP studio session; don't worry! Did your d have to sing something from My Pal Joey and then Neverland? If so, they probably have the same voice teacher!</p>
<p>My daughter has Bill for a voice teacher and yes, those were the two initial songs that I have heard about thus far. The latter one she sang when she played Peter Pan but she said this was in a much higher key. I don't think the girls are in the same section/group though, are they? </p>
<p>You mentioned maybe going to the a capella and just to clarify, my D said that her group, N'Harmonics, is not during that concert listed on the parent day schedule that is at 8 PM. She says her group has their own concert at around 9 PM. That's all I know at the moment. Can't really join ya for lunch or dinner. Not sure how we are squeezing in lunch after the Drama presentation (might end at 1?) as we have Spelling Bee tix at 2 PM. Dinner could end up without either of my kids for all I know. Not really sure right now. My NYU kid mentioned having to be at pre-performance rehearsal around 6 (told me this a long time ago). Older D doesn't know what time she will get to NYC from Providence, via her soccer games in New Haven, as she is unsure the times her team plays and knows what time the last train is that she could take and still make the concert, so not clear if she'll be able to make dinner. Who knows. Hard to keep up with them. </p>
<p>Thank you for offering to fill me in on the CAP presentation that I now have to miss which I never would have planned this way had I known the time of that. I'm not sure why they waited this long to send that information out but what can you do.
Susan</p>
<p>rossji,
We may have to catch each other at another visit. He is stage managing for a 3rd year director's project. It took a bit of web reseach, but I think I finally found it. (You'd think it would be easier to ask my son, but catching him is never easy)
October 13-15
TBA, directed by Gloria Johnson
"One for the Road" by Harold Pinter, directed by Lorelei Ignas
"Eukiah" by Lanford Wilson, directed by Zelda Knapp
Performances are Thursday through Saturday at 8pm
with a 2pm matinee on Saturdays
All performances are at the Studio Theater, 3rd Floor, 721 Broadway.<br>
Tickets are $4 for the evening and for the matinee perfomances .
Tickets are only sold at the Studio Theater box office beginning one hour before showtime.
I'd like to see what comes from these young directors (and the price is right).<br>
I don't think I'll know our schedule for awhile, because, well... as I said before, catching my son is never easy.
Have fun.</p>
<p>Catching my kid is not easy either, so I sympathize. I just FINALLY got to speak to her. </p>
<p>Following up on the vocal technique class discussion, now each kid is assigned an individual song, not the same as one another. They did not choose but were each given one to work on. My D says this teacher is one of those types who has a VAST knowledge of the MT repertoire (she does too but naturally his is WAY "vaster", lol) and he gave her a song she had not heard of ever. She mentioned that this week they have individual conferences with their acting teacher. </p>
<p>RossJi, for the N'Harmonics concert, should you be interested Sat. night, the tickets are sold at the door. I think it is also at Skirball. I think it is at 9 PM. </p>
<p>Susan</p>