Here are the dates and places for the 2017 Unified Auditions:
New York
January 21-22, 2017
Pearl Studios
500 8th Avenue, New York, NY 10018
Chicago
February 6-9, 2017 (note that we will be adding Thursday)
Palmer House Hilton
17 E. Monroe Street Chicago, Illinois
Los Angeles
February 11-12, 2017
Westin Los Angeles Airport Hotel
5400 W. Century Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90045
Ladies and gentlemen, you may start your planning. Best wishes to all!
Dr. John
If you call the Palmer House in Chicago directly, you will be told that there are no available rooms. That’s because they are being held for the Unifieds. These are the instructions I received from the Palmer House today:
Regarding reservations, guests can either use the link below or if guests prefer to arrange for accommodations over the phone they can do so by calling 877-865-5321 and requesting group code TTA. Depending on their arrival/departure dates we may have limited availability, I’ve asked reservations add a few more rooms on the shoulder nights.
https://resweb.passkey.com/go/TheatreAuditions2017
This should help.
It was reported to me that people were getting a “no availability” message when trying to make reservations. I called the Palmer House to check. Turns out they have another conference, the Model U.N., that has booked the hotel completely on Saturday, February 4. However, there is plenty of availability for those arriving on Sunday and checking out on Thursday.
FYI, you can get cheaper rates than offered on the Palmer site (about $10 less per room) through Hotwire and similar sites – and even cheaper ($5 less than Hotwire) through the Hilton.com website, for some reason. And if you join Hilton Honors you get free wi-fi in the room.
We have a Thespian Conference in GA during the latter part of the week of Chicago auditions. My daughter, who would be auditioning for Unifieds, has the lead in the State Show and has to be in Columbus, GA on the 8th. Does anyone know if the schools will work with the student to be able to see them only on the 6th and the 7th?
@KPIke320, I would just apply as early as possible to help secure the dates you want.
Or go to LA or NYC for Unifieds if that works better
Yes, definitely apply as early as possible so you can schedule what you want, IF you’re set on Chicago. That being said, that’s an awful lot of intense stuff in a three-day period. Could LA or NYC work for her?
I’m curious as to why Chicago has more days? Do they have more schools participating?
Yes more programs go - such as Michigan MT (they don’t go to other Unifieds). Juilliard is there too and not in LA (they go to San Francisco). However the majority of programs attend all three unified/regional weekends (even if not officially a unified school).
Chicago also gets bus loads of auditioners from performing arts schools including interlochen and other arts boarding schools (it is a field trip!).
@letterhead, I’m a little concerned about that as well, but the performing arts program she works with now goes there with their kids and supports them through it. I’ve also heard that more schools go to Chicago. I guess the protocol is that we apply and we wait to get invited - correct? Or do we have to make a decision on which one to go to now?
You apply to schools and then they give you directions on how to schedule
Unifieds. You can go to any of them and anyone that applies can audition unless they require a prescreen.
You won’t be “invited” unless it is a school that does prescreens. Then you will be invited and get directions on scheduling - but you can still schedule any audition date that is open.
@KPike320 Do you mean the school/studio accompanies the students to Unifieds? If so, that’s really cool! You can go to as many of the Unified sites as you want to. You make the appointments directly through each school. My daughter was scheduling portfolio reviews, but I think the process is similar for auditions. In my D’s case, she had to submit her application and sometimes upload a portfolio (like a prescreen), then she would receive the go-ahead to schedule a portfolio review. Some she scheduled for NY Unifieds and some on campus. Good luck!
Yes, the coaches… Vocal and college coach… Go with them to help them stay calm and stay warmed up. It’s a pretty big benefit.
But you can’t schedule a spot until you’ve applied correct?
Yes you have to apply to the school first in order to schedule audition
DePaul was the only school my D applied to where you could schedule an portfolio review before applying. Don’t know if they’re one you’re interested in, but they were the farthest from us and they were coming to NY Unifieds, so it was great to know that appointment was on the books.
@bfahopeful, I don’t see Juilliard on the Unifieds list
@remartin67- Julliard is not a “Unified” school, but they will be in having auditions at the same time as Unifieds in NY, as do many of the schools that are not Official “Unified” schools. Check their website. 
^^ as above.
My daughter did 7 auditions over Unifieds and only two were actually unified schools.