What To Do When You Are Applying For Musical Theatre Programs In College

One day, I was with my voice instructor, and he was helping me film my audition tape for one of the colleges I am applying to. We finish my two songs, one monologue, and in the middle of filming take 8 of my second monologue, my video camera dies. Did I do the smart thing and bring the charger? Nah.

Needless to say, I couldn't finish filming the second monologue or the dance portion.

So, my audition tape is due in 24 hours, and I have 1/2 of it done. That is not the point of this post.

Don't do my mistakes. Here are a few tips on how to not fall into the pit I or other hopefuls have and how to feel ready when you are filming:

1. MEMORIZE: Do not choose your songs/ monologues/ dance style the day before you film. You might be the most trained actor in the world and can memorize a play within an hour, and you would think that you can memorize a Shakespearean monologue like it is nobody's business. Please don't. You will mess up and be forced into improvising. They will know that you weren't ready. Don't do that.
2. BRING EXTRA BATTERIES/ CHARGER: As told in my story, another source of battery life will ensure that all portions of your video can be done in that day and not done at the last minute. College applicant's honor. 
3. SHEET PROTECTORS ARE AN ACTOR'S BEST FRIEND: The pianist cannot worry about flipping pages. Their priority is making sure YOU have a piano line being played. Sheet protectors allow for easy page turning. Non-glare will get you bonus points (maybe. That is not a guarantee, so do not take my word for it). Adding on, PLEASE make sure it is in the right key. Hasn't happened to me, but it has happened to people I know.
4. DON'T BE OVER CONFIDENT: If you are practicing your face when you get that letter saying "You've been accepted to the ___________ BA/ BFA Musical Theatre Program!", just stop. Musical Theatre is one of the most competitive majors out there. There is no guarantee that you will make it into the program. Ithaca College has one of the most intense programs (I think only 2% of all applicants to the musical theatre program make it). I have been practicing for months and I am still unsure if an audition will be extended to me from ANY school. Please, you may be great, but college is for growth. Don't think you're all that and an EGOT at 17 years old. You're not that good yet.
5. DON'T BE FAKE: I have been a director and I am also producing a show now. I HATE IT when people try to play a character they are not. The best monologues/ songs are when I see the truth of the performer. NEVER try to duplicate a professionals work (I swear, if I hear one more girl trying to be Barbara Streisand singing "Don't Rain On My Parade" I might lose it). How do you connect to it? How does Bob relate to this song? How does he sing it differently than Joe does? What is their message, instead of what the show is trying to say? I can tell you right now that I have sung songs and performed monologues without looking at the text prior to learning it. After I memorize and rehearse something, I look at other productions and see how they saw the piece. I never try to be someone else. I am the only me, and why should I be a copy when I might have a great idea of the piece?
6. LASTLY... DON'T COMPLAIN ON SOCIAL MEDIA: Oh god, PLEASE don't! I have been in shows, and people began to flip out because one of their friends didn't get cast as a lead and an underclassmen has. That's gonna be YOUR life! One day, you will be up against someone who is just as good as you, but can play it better than you can. It is the director's job to do what is best for the show. It is NOT his or her job to make you feel better about yourself by playing seniority. FUN FACT: I have not gotten one lead. I have been a major supporting character before, but never a lead. Freshmen and sophomores have gotten leads over me while I was in the ensemble. Have I complained? No. I was happy I was in the show! If you are doing theatre to get leads, then you aren't in it for the right reasons.
   
   Same thing goes for colleges. Don't complain that you didn't get into a program. Karma has a funny way of getting back at you. Maybe other colleges will see you ranting on your Facebook and decide that they do not want you at their school. Maybe a casting director background checks you and sees that you bad-mouthed a sophomore that worked her butt off to get a lead while you expected to get one just because (I was in a show once where that happened). I wouldn't want to hire that person.
   
   The internet is forever, you know.

So before you complain about how life isn't fair on Twitter or Facebook, think about all those people that have gotten cut from shows or thrown into the ensemble because they weren't lead material. It took those people YEARS to just make a Broadway musical. It isn't an overnight sensation gig.

Some magazines and websites offer tips on how to ace your audition or how to get over not getting cast. Backstage is both a Facebook page/ website/ magazine that offers tips/ hints/ audition info. Broadway.com and Playbill will also have similar information.

Break legs everyone!

-Nathan Clift, 17, Trumbull HS

President of the NPT Youth Board