<p>Has anyone done the USC summer (non audition) musical theatre program? I contacted them and everyone who applies gets in. It is EXPENSIVE- over $6,000 with room and board. My son loves USC (realizes that they do not have a musical theatre major) so would like to see what their program is like. But if I am going to spend that kind of money (hoping to qualify for financial aid!) I want to make sure it is good. Not sure a non-audition program is a good idea. Any one with experience there?</p>
<p>I go here and I had no idea that that even exists! The entire BA program here is non-audition, for what it’s worth to you. I am assuming that you’re talking about the University of Southern California, btw, I don’t know anything about South Carolina.</p>
<p>In general, USC is very expensive, but I love it here. 
This semester, there is one school-sponsored musical, Cabaret, and two ISPs (independent student productions), 25th Annual… and Tommy. I know next semester the school is doing On the Town and then A Little Night Music is an ISP. I’m auditioning for the musical theatre minor on Thursday, but I’m currently in a Broadway class that I absolutely love. From what I can tell so far, the emphasis in the School of Theatre is (understandably) more on acting than singing or dancing, but I’d say an advantage of the BA is the freedom to do what you want and take classes that you want to take. Plus, Thornton is fricking amazing! I think it’s pretty awesome that we can take advantage of that incredible school.</p>
<p>Haha sorry if this post is incomprehensible, let me know if there’s anything you want me to clear up.</p>
<p>Thanks for the reply. We saw “Into the Woods” last year and it was REALLY good. We plan to see “Too Clever By Half”. I think my son plans to eventually audition for the acting BFA (he is a sophomore) but his love is musical theatre. We are USC people so he loves that school. Tough game yesterday! The summer program is 3 weeks in July. Is there vocal training for musical theatre minors? What is you major? Can the public come to the student productions? Why are you auditioning? I thought it was non-audition. Thanks! I have a MILLION questions.</p>
<p>I don’t know much about the MT program, but my friends who did the summer programs at USC last summer and the year before LOVED the experience. They enjoyed dorm life and said it was well worth it!</p>
<p>MT was new last year, I believe.</p>
<p>Hi theatremomma - I have 2 kids at USC in the BFA acting program (junior daughter and freshman son). My daughter is in 2 Clever By 1/2. When are you going? I would be very happy to meet with you and discuss how much our family loves the program and the school and also a little about the summer program PM me if you are interested!</p>
<p>actingmom, I think I’m going to the open dress of that on Wednesday. I worked really hard on that set, so that makes me want to see the show even more!</p>
<p>I’m a BA theatre, currently minoring in Cinematic Arts, but I am auditioning for the musical theatre minor on Thursday. The minor is audition-only, after you arrive at SC, but as I understand it, you can audition multiple times. For theatre majors, MT minors are required to have a minimum of 4 units of private voice.</p>
<p>This page gives an idea of the classes MT minors take: <a href=“http://www.usc.edu/schools/music/private/docs/academic/minors/2010_Minors__Electives.pdf[/url]”>http://www.usc.edu/schools/music/private/docs/academic/minors/2010_Minors__Electives.pdf</a>
(the MT minor is on page 12)</p>
<p>I’m currently in MUSC 400, The Broadway Musical: Reflection
of American Diversity, Issues, and Experiences, and I love it! It’s a great way to learn about Broadway and its roots, and it also tackles the social issues present in the shows we study well.</p>
<p>Wisdomsomehow - I will look carefully at the set! My daughter plays Kleopatra Mameava (what a name!) She also took MUSC 400 first semester freshman year and loved it too!</p>
<p>I’m trying to get there on Sunday! Will look for your daughter and check out the sets!</p>
<p>haha I didn’t do too much, but it’s the one I worked the most on, like 9-12 hours, I think. I did a good chunk of the work on the platform that comes out to the middle of the stage, and then I also attached handles to the larger set pieces so that the crew can move them (easier said than done… by far). One of my friends is also dog wrangling for that show. :)</p>
<p>It’s so much fun to go to the shows and see what I’ve made or helped create! I love it. :)</p>
<p>double post… actingmom, your daughter was delightful! The whole show was really good, though quite long. She and the male lead were great, I loved them. I guess your daughter is also my friend’s mentor or something along those lines? </p>
<p>The set looks SO cool, I have to say. I love the way it all looks together. I figured out what I worked on, it’s the conservatory. It’s only in one scene, but I’m quite proud of it. :)</p>
<p>Thanks wisdomsomehow! I can wait to see it tomorrow night I will keep my eye out for the conservatory! The male lead is an immensely talented young man - My daughter’s mentee is the daughter of a poster on CC - also in my son’s BFA class - and now a friend of yours too? Hehe… the world keeps getting smaller!</p>
<p>oh, wow, that is funny! We’re from the same neck of the woods (literally about five miles apart), and we found out that we worked on the same movie this summer!</p>
<p>To get kind of ish back on topic, yeah, I love USC! It’s pretty great. :)</p>
<p>I am looking at USC as a potential college choice, and I am heavily involved in the theatre program at my school. Though I wouldn’t do MT as a major, I would very much like to do it as a minor. Is it common/possible for a math or science major to minor in MT? Those are the majors I am looking at, but I love musical theatre and would love to continue it in college.</p>
<p>Thanks</p>
<p>well, I’m now officially a MT minor!</p>
<p>Cool! What was the audition like?</p>
<p>haha I actually didn’t think it went well at all, but I have a friend in the vocal performance (opera) program who says that they’re really looking for potential, not someone who’s already perfect.</p>
<p>I wandered over to the music school a week and a half or so ago looking for information about the minor/how to apply, and found out the audition was this past Thursday, so I signed up and got/filled out all the necessary forms. They asked for two (I assumed full) contrasting songs, so I chose the two in my repertoire that best suit my out-of-shape voice, Somewhere That’s Green and Frank Mills (I know, they don’t really contrast that much). I went into the audition room and they said they actually only wanted a minute of each song. I happened to remember my cut for Somewhere, so I made that, and sang it. For some reason I messed up a bit and did something funky with the key, I don’t even know what it was, but whatever. I was about to start Frank Mills when they asked if I had something “more upbeat and character-driven” or something along those lines, and I said I had Much More from the Fantasticks, which I hadn’t worked on for a while (it suits my voice much better when I’m vocally in shape). They said that was fine, and I sang it and they stopped me after maybe a minute or a minute and a half.</p>
<p>I left thinking that the audition didn’t go well at all, but I got the email today saying I’d been accepted! I know three of the other girls (there was only one guy’s name on the audition list) who auditioned. I’ve only seen one of them since the email was sent out, but she was accepted as well.</p>
<p>Sorry if that’s overly long and detailed, but I figured better to err on the side of too much detail than too little!</p>