<p>@soozievt - It sounds simple, and students from the past few years might be able to answer but I can’t offhand. I see there were 23 kids in this years’ NY Showcase, but I’m not sure which of them are MTs versus straight Acting, and of the MT subset I’m not sure which were Vocal Performance versus Theatre majors. I’m also not sure how many graduating seniors were in the MT program (I think some finished it as Juniors and others as Seniors), plus I know some chose to stay at NU for a 5th year and I know several who plan to stay in Chicago. So although my comments were not specific to MT, even in that smaller universe it’s a bit complicated from where I sit.</p>
<p>@soozievt - Just for fun I looked through resumes to try to see how many of the 23 are MTs, and even though I know quite a few of them it made my head spin a bit trying to sort it out, since not all MTs specifically list the MT Certificate on their resumes. I think 7 of the 23 might be straight actors, and maybe 2 of the 23 were VP majors versus Theatre. But of the 14 who I think were MT Theatre majors, several plan to pursue careers in film versus theatre, and I know one has already landed a straight acting Broadway contract, so it’s all surprisingly tricky to tease out. I actually think this speaks to the amazing ability to customize the programs at Northwestern… maybe similar to NYU?</p>
<p>UC Irvine is like this, too. The NYC showcase had a mix of BFA MT’s and MFA actors, many of whom are much better singers than some of the BFA MT’s, btw. </p>
<p>Triple-threat is a slightly weird concept imho, since most jobs simply don’t require proficiency in all three disciplines and most students really don’t have that whatever they study for 4 years, anyway.</p>
<p>No problem about the mix-up. I was trying to figure out if Columbia has a showcase and couldn’t tell from the website. I can’t imagine it’s everyone though. There are a lot of kids in that program. </p>
<p>Ball State has one in all three cities</p>
<h3>2014 SHOWCASES - NYC</h3>
<p>Baldwin-Wallace
Ball State
Cal State Fullerton
U of California, Irvine (BFA MT/ MFA acting)
CMU (MT/acting)
Coastal Carolina (MT/Acting)
FSU (MT)
Fordham
Hartt
Indiana U
Ithaca
Kent State
U of Miami
UMich
Missouri State
Muhlenberg
UNCSA
Northwestern University (MT/acting - by audition)
Oklahoma City University (Musical Theatre/Theatre - by audition)
Ohio Northern U
Otterbein (MT/acting)
Royal Conservatoire of Scotland
USC (BFA and MFA)
Webster</p>
<h3>2014 SHOWCASES - LA</h3>
<p>Baldwin-Wallace
Ball State
CCM (acting)
CMU
FSU
Indiana U
UC Irvine (BFA MT/ MFA acting)</p>
<h3>2014 SHOWCASES - CHICAGO</h3>
<p>Ball State
Northwestern University (MT/acting)
Chicago College of Performing Arts/ Roosevelt</p>
<h3>2014 SHOWCASES - Washington DC</h3>
<p>James Madison University</p>
<p>So how do we find out what happens after the showcases, who booked, where are they going etc?</p>
<p>That will vary from school to school from year to year. If you ask specific schools for a sampling of showcase results, I am sure they would be happy to share. :)</p>
<p>Thanks Kat! I was wondering about Otterbein, that’s where my son is going, I’ll email Dr John or Elizabeth Doyle because I’m nosy like that lol</p>
<p>haha! :)</p>
<p>Yeah, there is no place where you can get comprehensive data like that. But you could inquire at a school how it has gone for their students following showcase. </p>
<p>One thing I would caution, however, it to not put too much stock in what happens RIGHT AFTER showcase, how many signed with an agent, how many got cast in something. It is just one point in time. For many, it could take a couple of years before they sign with an agent or are cast in something of significance (and obviously for some, it may never happen). But it really isn’t all about what happens right when they graduate. It is not like do or die based on showcase. It is just one opportunity. And even if you do get an agent after showcase, you still may not book any work for a couple of years. So, I’d be more interested in what graduates are doing within about five years out of the program, more so than the results right after showcase. </p>
<p>By the way, I was sorta discussing this with my MT daughter the other day on a long car ride (see another post of mine in another thread today about her currently performing daily in a show in New England but having an audition in NYC and my driving her to NYC during the night after her performance to attend the audition the next morning and getting back in the car to be onstage again in New England that night) and I was saying something about some fairly new graduates who are leaving the field after not getting cast and giving up, etc. and she remarked how they need to give it several years and for most it takes more than just one year out of college to get some significant gigs such as being on a NY stage, etc. In other words, it takes time. What happens the first year out is not a good indicator in the overall scheme of one’s career in this field. </p>
<p>I agree with everything @soozievt says above. Also, as I understand it, not all agents or “agent meetings” are created equal, so even if you do get statistics about a particular school’s showcase results they may not be particularly predictive of long term success. Second, it seems that in some cases agent meetings and auditions resulting from a showcase can continue to trickle in long after the showcase is done. Third, we know some kids who have opted not to take an agent in a particular city because they decide to move elsewhere, which could change a schools’ reported showcase results. Also, some schools view showcase results as private information, tantamount to sharing salary information, while other seem to make it more public. In addition, some programs select very particular types of performers who may be well suited to a specific market, while others have grads with a broader spectrum of skills and interests who may attract a variety of interest including film and TV representation. Plus different schools have differing numbers of kids who had representation before starting college, which would also skew any data provided.</p>
<p>All of this is to say that making any apples-to-apples comparisons between showcases would be pretty tricky.</p>
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<p>@actingmt - I think the question of whether “triple threat” is still a meaningful concept is one that could consume an entire thread. I know there have been long discussions on cc about whether there is still a market for “singers who move” and also whether 4 years of dance training can turn non-dancers into professional dancers, but I think there is another angle on your statement that specifically relates to showcases.</p>
<p>No doubt more skills are better than fewer when it comes to finding work, but in MT these days I think there are certainly more than three disciplines that can lead to employability, and many of them aren’t showcased in showcases. For example, circus skills, improv skills, playing an instrument, doing impressions, ability to music direct or choreograph, etc. In many cases even dance is not adequately showcased, as many schools’ showcases are performed on very small stages.</p>
<p>Plus the idea of “triple threat” completely overlooks what are sometimes extremely important determinants of showcase results… things like appearance, type, connections, etc.</p>
<p>It’s no doubt a complex arena our kids are throwing their hats into.</p>
<p>I agree with everything stated above! Quite honestly, response from the showcase has more to do with the group showcasing that year in relation to the needs of the agents, casting directors, and companies attending. </p>
<p>In this day and age the idea of “triple threat” should probably be expanded to “diversity of skills.”</p>
<p>The most successful performing artists in the long term also have the abilities, and desire to use diverse skills in many kinds of projects and types or media. Playing instruments, writing text and music, directing, devising, creating/ producing projects, teaching, etc… are all creative outlets and build a life in the arts. </p>
<p>Most coming out of college at 21 or 22 will not have a quick rise to the top of the commercial market in a flash of glory, and those that do will still have fallow times ahead (as will those who never went to college, went to graduate school, etc…). there is no formula, and this is not a career that once you reach a pinnacle you stay there without a lot of tenacity and luck. </p>
<p>I graduated 20 years ago from one of the schools often discussed as a “top” program here, and 12 years ago from a graduate theatre program that is often discussed here for both undergrad and graduate school. I have friends and peers who graduated from other “top” programs. Some of my cohort are now names and faces that the general public might recognize, some are names and faces that theatre, tv, and film aficionados might recognize, some are artists and teachers that only would be recognized in their local and regional communities. Others are now doctors, teachers, lawyers, hedge fund managers, social workers, managers, retailers, etc… who are happily living their lives, supporting themselves and their families, and using their creative energies, minds, and education to make a difference and have an impact upon their communities and beyond. </p>
<p>Alums of the programs I have attended, where I have taught, and where I currently teach are successfully pursuing professional opportunities both inside and outside of the arts and entertainment industry.</p>
<p>All of the information about how alums of particular schools do in a given year, those who do not go to college, etc… IS super interesting. But, in the end, each individual will follow his or her own career/ life path based upon skill sets, passions, work ethic, luck, and ability to make and maintain connections and relationships. 
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<p>I know this is a bit off topic, but it came up in a few more recent posts…the topic of triple threats. Surely it is advantageous to be good at singing, dancing, and acting. </p>
<p>I was thinking about this recently in relation to my own daughter (now out of college). For years, I did think of her as a triple threat. She grew up taking a lot of dance and was a good dancer. She had more training in dance prior to college than in acting (virtually no acting training). She was in advanced levels of dance in her BFA program. However, now that she is out of college for 5 years, she hasn’t done that much dancing. Also, being 5’3", she doesn’t see herself as someone who will be in the chorus, particularly of a show with a lot of dance. She has had to use her singing and acting skills, far more than dance, since graduating. When I think of the most recent show she was in, her current show and her next show, none of them involved much dance, if at all, and even if a little bit, nothing really requiring any technique. One interesting thing, however, is that just looking at her most recent show, current show and next show (in terms of theater and not other performing things she does), all three shows have required her to play instruments, including an instrument she had to learn when taking the part. </p>
<p>I also agree with KatMT that these days, if you have a diversified skill set, beyond the triple threat we all know about, the more kinds of work you can get in the arts. </p>
<p>In regards to the list being complied- Syracuse has an NY showcase for acting and MT, though not all seniors are chosen to participate (there is also Tupper semester and Sorkin Week in LA)</p>
<p>Sorry it’s taken so long for me to get back to you we were out of town and unplugged for a while. MomCares - I said I neither agree nor disagree, I just didn’t know where your statement came from. I was never that involved with my daughter’s MT or Acting class so I have no idea what the numbers are. I also don’t put much weight on showcases so it was of little interest to me. My daughter was staying in Chicago as she was in the middle of a project so she didn’t bother with the NY showcase. She has now returned to NY and is very busy pursuing Improv and is creating quite a buzz. (I like to tell friends that she has found one of the few less profitable careers with less potential than acting!) Neither showcase (NY or Chicago) had anything real to offer her. </p>
<p>She does have close friends who were working with Agents, Managers, and CDs that they got from the showcase but with no real professional NY experience it is very hard. One of her roommates was down to the last two or three actors for every Broadway show he auditioned for but couldn’t book. (Did you know that for the last callback for Kinky Boots you either have to shave your lets or wear enough pantyhose that it looked like you shaved your legs?) Great potential and he has done regional theatre this year, all over the country. Suddenly he is dropped by his Agent because the Agent moved to a more powerful Agency and was only allowed to take x number of clients and this guy was not one of them. Again, since he had potential but no real profitable bookings no Agent in the Agency wanted him, they had their own like that. Now he’s out looking for an Agent again, one year later, he does have a better chance given his past years’ success but he’s in some part of the country for a few more weeks so he can’t meet with anyone right now. Some with special skills have booked Broadway (which agrees with KatMT and soozievt statement above) which is exciting, most first years who have booked Broadway shows that have been playing for a while.</p>
<p>I wouldn’t take a websites promotional material as proof of your statement, you may be right, but I’m more certain that it changes each year. It was just the certainty of your statement that struck me as odd.</p>
<p>amtc, while not totally on topic, I would love to follow your D’s career in improv. You are funny about the “less profitable/potential career choice!” Yet, there are a zillion actors out there and so this specialty might give her more opportunities! My D’s boyfriend, a graduate in Acting at Tisch, specializes in sketch comedy (I guess that is a relative of improv). He does a lot in that area and creates original shows and such. Still, he also is in commercials and recently booked a movie and has agents. But improv/sketch comedy are a neat niche. </p>
<p>And, perhaps more than a niche at this point. LA commercial actors are being encouraged to include improv in their training. D is in an improv class this summer and most of her classmates are in their 30’s and have been sent there by commercial agents. Singing improvisers are especially castable, apparently.</p>
<p>@amtc - Your D follows in a proud tradition of comedy alum at NU – Zach Braff, Megan Mullally, Stephen Colbert, Seth Meyers, Zooey Deschanel, David Schwimmer, Cloris Leachman, etc. I wonder how many of them participated in Showcases (obviously ZD didn’t but I have no idea about the others)? She is very fortunate to have the option of pursuing an initially underpaid career track in NYC… unfortunately our D will have to hit the ground self sufficient, which will no doubt be a challenge with or without strong representation. She is seeing some classmates enjoy terrific success shortly after graduation, though, which is of course encouraging. :)</p>