<p>Just wanted to start a thread about summer stock auditions. If you get an appt. date/time for NETC/Strawhat/etc. maybe we can share and meet up! Don't know if my d applied in time, but if she gets the appts, it would be fun to meet those of you who are going!</p>
<p>Just heard from my son (a rarity these days -- busy, busy, busy). He has a Strawhat audition.</p>
<p>Coach C brought up these auditions yesterday on the thread about CC poster Samia's songs because Samia is now here in the US for her MT college program auditions and is staying with Coach C for a few days in Pittsburgh and was going to do these auditions. Here's a link to her post.</p>
<p>I wrote back that I was glad to know that she was going to be there, looking after her current and past students, including several who are current Michigan students, providing moral support, because my D was one of a horde of UM students who attended these auditions yesterday.</p>
<p>I will double post this on the UM subforum because I now just have to give a major "shout out" - in our children's parlance - to the 13 UM students (including my D!!) who have been called back for today's final auditions. Go Blue!!! As Coach C mentioned, PCLO (Pittsburgh Civic Light Opera) is an important Equity gig that allows both non-equity and equity performers to audition for their chorus. As a self acknowledged civic organization, it is their custom to hire as many Pittsburgh locals as they can and I know that last year several UM students were also called back but none were offered contracts so it is still a major long shot for most of these students. But it is really exciting just to be called back and I know my D and her friends are thrilled. I am so very proud of them all!</p>
<p>But I am also posting this as a form of cautionary tale. During my D's audition, between the singing of her two 16 bar cuts, one of the auditors talked to her and asked about the significant ballet training/performance on her resume. She was then asked if she was still dancing en pointe and when she said she is, she was asked to bring her pointe shoes to callbacks today. (NOTE: when you audition at PCLO you must choose to audition as a singer OR a dancer for the first round. My D auditioned as a singer in this case. If you are called back, you will be asked to demonstrate the skill opposite to the one you auditioned with as part of the callback audition. Their website states that "Please note that Chorus Members should be able to sing and dance. Most age-appropriate parts will be filled from the Chorus." ) So my daughter DID NOT bring her pointe shoes to Pittsburgh!! Tap, yes, jazz, yes, character, yes, ballet slippers, yes....... So the lesson here is BRING ANYTHING AND EVERYTHING you could possibly need and that demonstrates your skills to every audition you ever go to. Fortunately, other more experienced UM friends who weren't called back generously lent my daughter some pointe shoes that seem to fit. As anyone who dances en pointe knows, using someone else's shoes is far from ideal but should be okay for an audition like this. Phew!!! Lesson learned. I hope.</p>
<p>I hope Coach C will chime in with her impressions of the day and my fingers are crossed that Samia was called back as well.</p>
<p>Theatermom-
When I was at CLO auditions, I happened to run into a bunch of the kids I know from the Junior class at UM. We were so excited that the monitor had to keep shushing us in the waiting room! Its so interesting to see how many connections there are between the PSU and UM kids. I'm sure that some of the PSU kids that got called back will run into your D! Best of luck to her!</p>
<p>Hi PSUcat,</p>
<p>It's been awhile, but I remember how kind and helpful you were when my D was in the application/audition year (could it really be over two years ago????). I remember your personal UM connection and know that, as you write, there is a wonderful bond between so many kids in the two schools. I know from a mutual friend that there were also several PSU students called back today. No matter what the final results, I have no doubt that all of these students have done and will continue to do their respective programs proud. Thanks so much for your kind best wishes and break a leg to you in your upcoming production. I may actually come to State College to see a friend's child perform in the show. I hope I can make it.</p>
<p>Go Blue! So good to hear the kids did well at PCLO! Thanks for the update, theatermom.</p>
<p>Theatermom - Congrats! Break a leg! Please post and let us know what happens.</p>
<p>Hi Catsmom,</p>
<p>I think the experience exceeded anything my D had imagined. She was so happy to be asked to return for Sunday callbacks and I think that the process was very interesting. Those who had auditioned as dancers on Thursday or Saturday were called back on Sunday morning and were then asked to sing. They may have done some additional dancing but I don't have first hand info on that. Those, like my D, who auditioned as singers on Friday or Saturday were called back at 12:30 on Sunday and were asked to show their dance abilities. My D says they were first given the exact same tap combination from 42nd Street that the dancers were given on Saturday; but the choreographer reassured the group that he knew the majority of them were "singers first." He said that their job was to learn the combination and when performing it "DON'T make me notice you!" I thought that was pretty funny and I think it put people at ease. They then learned and danced a ballet combination. After that, they were each asked to sing one of their 16 bar cuts again. When my D was finished singing she was asked to wait outside for a bit. When everyone was done, one of the auditors came out and told anyone who was still there "don't panic - we are not making any more cuts today but there are a few people the directors would like to see to explore something a little further." Whereupon he called on my D and three other girls (one from UM and 2 others she didn't know) to come back in the room where they were asked to read some sides from Seven Brides For Seven Brothers. Quite an incredible experience all in all.</p>
<p>They were all told that they shouldn't expect to hear anything until the third week in March and they were also asked NOT to call the theater for any casting information. They will hear something only if they are being offered a contract.</p>
<p>So that's all the news we have at present. I think her overall impression was that these were exceedingly professional and well run auditions. The PCLO season looks like so much fun this summer - Beauty and the Beast, Grease, 42nd Street and Seven Brides for Seven Brothers. They will also import productions of Bombay Dreams and Spamalot at the end of the summer. Fingers crossed.... but again, knowing the preference for Pittsburgh performers, my D is not getting her hopes too high. And there were quite a lot of performers called back as well, over 50 singers (more female than male - surprise, surprise) but I don't know how many dancers.</p>
<p>I'd love to hear the experiences of anyone else who is auditioning for summerstock at any of the regional auditions, StrawHats or at specific theaters as they occur. I for one, know that my D was clueless about this stuff last year and it was only her more experienced classmates that directed her "adventures in audition land." All of you with kids applying to college this year - these will be your kids a year or two from now!</p>
<p>And Catsmom - email me and catch me up on your D's life at BOCO. Long time no hear!!</p>
<p>Hope this info is helpful.</p>
<p>Theatermom, congratulations to your daughter on a very positive audition experience! Thanks for sharing all about it, as well. Fingers crossed for her on either this theater or others for this summer. She's doing real well so far.
Susan</p>
<p>Thanks Susan! </p>
<p>What is your multi-talented daughter planning for this her first summer post SDM? I'm sure it will be something thrilling. Let us know when she decides what to do. Maybe we can have a CC "claque" that goes around the country to see CC kids performing!! What a hoot!</p>
<p>theatermom: It all sounds really promising! I won't be surprised if your D gets cast! I wish my D wasn't so swamped at school so that she could have gone, but you know how difficult those tough choices are. Whatever she does this summer, she has to make money! </p>
<p>Congrat's again, and here's hoping she'll be closer to home this time!</p>
<p>WOW!! That's fantastic news! If your d and only 3 others were asked to read, I'd assume they all got a part - I mean, why would they cast anyone for a part without having them read? Unless the others might be cast as ensemble. Congrats to your d and her friends!!!</p>
<p>Theatermom, to answer you question.....like all the typical musical theater college students, my daughter also is hoping to be cast in summer stock some place. </p>
<p>And yes, I think in the coming years, we will run into each others' kids on stage and these guys will surely be crossing paths in one way or another. Through friends at various programs, my D sort of "knows" the names of other kids at the programs. In fact, a very close friend of my D's is in Seussical with your D! The theater world is not THAT big! I hope my D will be as successful as yours was last summer in being cast in summer stock. It all remains to be seen. When and if it happens, I'll let ya know! :D Meanwhile, break a leg wishes to your D in her audition process. She's doing well. Perhaps she can return to the MUNY again if she desires, a great gig. She seems to be on her way. </p>
<p>Susan</p>
<p>Thanks everyone!</p>
<p>Gkoukla - As a double major in VP and MT at UM, I don't know how your D finds time to BREATHE much less go away for auditions! I'm hoping she has time to go to the MUNY auditions with many other UM MT's - it was such a wonderful experience and if you want her to make money, few summer stock gigs pay more than the MUNY.</p>
<p>Rossj - Oh, I can only hope you are right but you really can "assume" nothing. But she does learn something from every audition experience. Although they say they do cast some "age-appropriate parts" from the ensemble, PCLO is a full Equity theater and as such while they see both Equity and non-Equity performers for their chorus/ensemble auditions (if you are hired there and don't already have your Equity card, you MUST join Equity to work there), I am sure they hold Equity Principal Auditions (EPA'S)at some point as well, probably in New York, so there is an entirely separate pool of performers they have to choose from for parts. But a Mom can dream, can't she? A role in the ensemble at PCLO is something to dream about at my D's age (still 19).</p>
<p>Susan - I'll look forward to hearing what your D decides! And yes, My D will reaudition for the MUNY this summer and would love to go back there as well. They treated her incredibly well and she learned so much from those with whom she was privileged to work. I know your D's friend and although I haven't had the opportunity to see or hear him, he must be very talented to be cast as a freshman. Bravo to him! I'm looking forward to the show - it falls on my birthday weekend!</p>
<p>Thanks again all!</p>
<p>Theatermom, CLO does have an Equity Call in NYC, in addition to the auditions in Pittsburgh.</p>
<p>All us parents who stayed on from the BFA auditions in years past, can now post news in a couple months about the NEXT round....summer casting! It never ends!</p>
<p>It's not the course load that kept her away from Pittsburgh. She's been cast in the play "Friends" AND the Musket "Urinetown" show. The play goes up in about a week or so and rehearsals are going on for both right now. She simply couldn't leave ALL rehearsals all weekend. Oh well...she's thrilled to be in both shows. We bought the plane ticket for MUNY this weekend. Gosh, I hope she can get work there. It sounded so wonderful for your D last summer. We're keeping our fingers crossed. She'd be so thrilled.</p>
<p>Theatremom,</p>
<p>I am just now catching up on some of the threads. Great news regarding PCLO!! Looking forward to hearing how the summer works out. If MUNY works out...there is a chance my two may be in St. Louis this summer. We'll know more in a month!!</p>
<p>SUE aka 5pants</p>
<p>Gkoukla,</p>
<p>I knew about her "Friends" casting but did not know about Urinetown. How exciting!! My D would have LOVED to do Urinetown but Seussical rehearsals make it impossible to do anything in addition to that show this Spring. Darn! I LOVE that show. Why couldn't they have done it in the Fall when she wasn't cast? What part will she play? You are so fortunate to live close enough to just run down and see both shows. What fun for you!! Send her my congrats and break a leg! This has been a great semester for both of them. ;)</p>
<p>Sue</p>
<p>Saw the post earlier today about your boys in Playbill - as the kids would say, Woot woot!!! How thrilling is that? If it were my D, that web page would be printed out and in a frame before you could blink twice! And yes, of course, my D would love to go back for another summer in St Louis. We'll just have to see if she gets an offer. Keep us posted about the boys plans and maybe we'll be able to see each other's kids perform.</p>
<p>Oh, this casting stuff is getting so exciting! Congrats to all!</p>
<p>Theatermom - </p>
<p>Congrats to your D, with whom I unexpectedly had dinner on Saturday night at the home of one of my UM students! ;) (I will email you with details as soon as I get a minute to breathe this week - exams await!) As you may have heard by now, there were 4 UM dancers kept after the first cut at Sunday callbacks (2 girls and a boy), and ultimately, they kept one UM girl to the very end (of 6 girls and 4 boys total). </p>
<p>Next up for all our kids - MUNY's! :)</p>
<p>Thanks Coach! </p>
<p>I will certainly look forward to hearing the "details" as your schedule and time permit.</p>
<p>Sheesh! This MT world just gets smaller and smaller all the time!</p>
<p>Have fun at the parade and congrats on the great win for the Steelers! At least it was a Pennsylvania team that won......says the Philly girl, still sad about LAST YEAR's Super Bowl.......boo hoo.......</p>