Does ball state share their showcases with other schools? Are they well attended?
I have been told they do a NY and an LA Showcase. Not everyone is admitted, you have to try out and be accepted which is sort of normal as far as I understand.
@mtmamma2020 , Yes they also do one in Chicago. I talked to admissions yesterday and they said their showcase is only them. Some schools share the showcase.
Hello @sondheim
Ball State has showcases in NYC, Chicago, and LA. Each showcase is cast, directed, and coordinated by prominent casting directors from their respective city. This is a huge advantage because each showcase audition not only provides the student with the opportunity to be showcased, but also to foster a connection with a casting director in the city. We consider it a student’s first post-collegiate stepping stone into a career in the theatrical field. Students from this year’s Chicago and New York showcases received callbacks from several Broadway shows and national tours, including Hamilton, Book of Mormon, Wicked, and the National Tour of Rent.
Can you please clarify how the audition process works for auditioning for the 3 showcases. My understanding is in order to make it fair, that Ball State faculty are not making the decisions on what students attend each of the 3 showcases. Is there a panel of independent broadway or broadway type directors that sit on a panel that audit the performances and offer a jury like evaluation that make the decision on what students are approved to audition at each of the 3 locations and are students eligible to try for all 3 showcases or does faculty choose which ones they can try out for to seek approval to attend the senior showcases? Thanks so much in advance for your assistance!
Hello,
My name is Brent and I am a current BFA Musical Theatre student here at Ball State. Each of the auditions are set up similarly, but with some small changes. Our Chicago Showcase, which is our first of the three, holds auditions in late September of what would be the student’s senior year. Bill Osetek, a leading director in Chicago, along with select acting and musical theatre faculty oversee the auditions. These auditions (like for every showcase) is open to any senior BFA Musical Theatre, Acting, or Dance students. Our New York showcase auditions are held in early November and are overseen by Telsey and Co. agent Rachel Hoffman. At the same time agency executive Billy Murphy and talent agent Eric Emery are auditioning students for our L.A. Experience. Unlike the showcases, our L.A. experience gives students the opportunity to film test pilots for film, familiarize themselves with the Hollywood auditioning process, and culminates with a trip to Los Angeles where students familiarize themselves with how to deal with agencies, auditioning for commercials, and the T.V. and Film industry as a whole.
Hope this helps, and feel free to message me with any other questions.
Brent