<p>Not to hijack the thread, but I have an agent question…if you DON’T have the opportunity to do a showcase (or if the Showcase doesn’t produce the desired results) - how does one approach the prospect of trying to find an agent?</p>
<p>Sorry about the confusion. I meant that the students were contacted by agents and asked to come in for an audition/interview. I know of a few who have already signed with agents but I am not sure about who has signed/been offered a contract for all of the showcase.</p>
<p>Sorry about that!</p>
<p>typecastme, getting an interview with an agent is a great step forward, so that’s good news, too.</p>
<p>momfirst – many people I know met their agents by the agent seeing them in a NY production, doing a mailing to agents, being introduced to an agent by a friend, casting director, or director. There is a good book called the NY Agent Book by K. Callan… currently in it’s 8th edition, that is a good resource (she also has a LA version of the book). Acting as a Business by Brian O’Neil, How to be a Working Actor by Mari Lyn Henry, and Acting Professionally by Robert Cohen are all good books about the business of acting, and cover some information on agents, managers, and casting directors, etc…</p>
<p>momfirst…KatMT pretty much gave you the skinny on your question. A showcase is not they only way to be seen by an agent. But it is one nice advantage in that many agents (as well as casting agencies) attend and to be seen by many at once with the hopes that some will call you in to meet with you. But if you are in a show in NYC, an agent may attend or be invited to attend (this even happens at NYU productions). You could send a mailing to an agent, though that has low odds but sometimes an agent will call you in from a mailing. You also can be recommended to an agent (my D had a NYC agent as a child and met with several others and she had been recommended to them and that’s how that happened but I think that may be harder at age 22, than as a child but it can definitely happen). A senior showcase is not nearly the only way to be seen by agents. Also, even if you do get agent responses from a showcase, it is not like you can pick any agent you want from all the NYC agents, but must meet with the ones who have called you in and go from there.</p>
<p>Thanks again, for the supportive posts.</p>
<p>CCM just presented it’s 2009 Senior Showcase “an odyssey”. Outstanding results…all 15 Seniors received from 5-24 offers of representation from agents. Show was followed by “After Party” at Laurie Beachum theatre where alum and Seniors performed well into morning…impressive performances by all…</p>
<p>bardmuse, that’s great to hear about CCM’s seniors. For others who are reading, they should realize that the RESPONSE at the showcase by agents is NOT the same as “offers of representation.” If someone has 20 agents who contact them from the showcase, the agents call them in to meet with them. That doesn’t mean that every response will result in an offer of representation or a contract. So, often, one would say that a senior had X number of RESPONSES from agents. Then, the senior has to go and make rounds between agents’ offices for interviews, meetings, etc. and see what offers result from that stage of the process.</p>
<p>Bardmuse, we saw Senior Showcase in Cincinnati, and I can honestly say that—whatever we thought we were going to see—this show was bigger and better than anything we could have imagined.</p>
<p>Every single performer was on top of his form; they are just unbelievably professional and talented. We have been going to Broadway shows for decades, including the seven years we lived in Manhattan, and have have seen half a dozen shows in London, and it was a privilege to watch them! </p>
<p>Later we ran into a table of the seniors at a local restaurant and we congratulated them. They were such nice, well spoken and poised young men and women… whatever CCM does with those kids for four years certainly produced fantastic results. They were also very humble, and stated that they were nothing like as accomplished as freshmen and were very encouraging to my son. It was the highlight of our trip! </p>
<p>Congratulations to your son----I don’t know if he was one of the students we met, but every one of them in the show is outstanding!</p>
<p>And congratulations to everyone else’s son or daughter who has been in a similar show at the end of their senior year!</p>
<p>Soozievt is correct. The agent response after showcase is more of an expression of interest on the part of agency…Subsequent meetings and discussions will hopefully permit the agent and actor (student???) to make informed decision on the best “fit” for both…</p>
<p>Michigan’s showcase isn’t for another couple of weeks, but 5 current students (3 seniors and 2 juniors) were called into New York this week for final callbacks for MEMPHIS, a new show opening on Broadway this fall. Telsey and Co casting called them in after seeing them perform at the department’s 25th Anniversary Concert back in March, and one student (a senior guy graduating in a week and a half) so far has been cast!</p>
<p>actormcfamous, I am sure that I am not the only one who would love to hear about how your freshmen year has gone. Maybe you can take a moment and post. Are you loving Ann Arbor?</p>
<p>A senior girl from UC Irvine recently had her showcase in NYC a couple weeks ago, and although I’m not sure if this came out of the showcase, but she was just called back for both Kim and Ursula in the upcoming broadway revival of Bye Bye Birdie.</p>
<p>A quick update on BW. We had a great response to our showcase this year. Many of the seniors have already signed with agents and have been sent out on auditions including; Mary Poppins, Little House on the Prairie, Phantom 2, Mamma Mia! and Memphis. And just today Hillary Elk ('09) booked Memphis! Her first audition from showcase. I’ll update more as news comes in.</p>
<p>Theaterluver–I am confused, I thought that UC-Irvine only takes the MFA students to showcase in NYC…do they take undergrads also?</p>
<p>This year is the first year that UCI gave the undergrads a showcase in NY because this is the first year that UCI offered a BFA in musical theater (before they only offered a BA in drama with MT emphasis/honors. 2 girls and 4 boys were in this years BFA/honors class and they just had their showcase. :)</p>
<p>Wow that is great. How is the BFA program? You can’t audition in as a freshman right? Only after your first year at the school… Are you in the BFA program there?</p>
<p>More updates:</p>
<p>A graduating CMU senior MT was cast as CC in the upcoming national tour of Dreamgirls, and a graduating UMich senior will be the dance captain of this tour.</p>
<p>yeah you can’t audition as a freshman. i am a freshman this year. you can audition in sophomore year and then every fall and winter quarter until you graduate. so you can audition multiple times. as far as i can tell it is a great program. but if you don’t make it into the BFA you can still take most of the musical theater classes with the BA. You just don’t get the showcase, and some classes that are closed off to BFA students. the whole drama department at UCI is amazing. There are so many opportunities. I will audition for the BFA probably next year i think, so we’ll see what happens. :)</p>
<p>Good luck with your audition. ARe you male or female? Have you experienced any trouble getting into classes as a BA student? What about productions…do undergrads get good parts in shows or do those mostly go to grad students?</p>
<p>as far as MT classes go…it is very very hard to get into as a freshman because it is so impacted & there are A LOT of talented singers/actors. only a tiny amount of freshman have gotten into the 2nd level MT class (unfortunately i lost my voice right before the last audition- huge bummer). But they audition every quarter. The head of the MT department told me I had a great voice and it was just a matter of time because it’s so impacted. They have mostly been letting in sophomores and juniors who have been auditioning since there freshman year. but i’ve been keeping busy with dance, acting, and g.e. classes. and many undergrads have been in productions this year. Not that many freshman have been cast but there definitely have been some. The grads do get a lot of the leads but there are definitely exceptions and shows that are strictly for undergrads, so it works out and i’ve learned a lot from the grads.</p>