Prof. Himmelheber

Well, we had our juries last weekend and Monday, and the result letters were out on Wed. The kids were all great, and the decisions were not easy by any means. The outcome is this:

UPPER DIVISION RETENTION:

Of the 26 juniors (9 musical theatre):

* 1 couldn't jury, due to an unsatisfactory grade

* all the junior BFA students were admitted to the senior year.

* of the 6 musical theatre junior BFAs auditioning for senior acting (not required in the BFA program, so an honor to be invited in), 1 man and 1 woman were admitted; and

* 9 acting women and 3 acting men were retained into the senior acting class (so 5 acting majors were either cut or dropped due to grades)

LOWER DIVISION ADVANCEMENT:

24 sophomores auditioned for Musical Theatre BFA program - 22 current students, and 2 transfer students (yes, far less than the past few years!). Of these, 12 were admitted to the Musical Theatre BFA program: 7 men and 5 women (we rarely admit more men than women, so this is truly a landmark year for the program!).

As for the total number of sophomores jurying (acting included), there were 70 students (68 in-house and the only transfers were the 2 musical theatre students) - all 70 auditioning are considered for the acting program (in the event musical theatre students pass acting jury, but perhaps not voice or dance).

The acting program admitted 14 students: 8 women, 6 men (2 of the women were musical theatre candidates).

The process was difficult, and the talent level high. What a draining, satisfying, pride-filled and heart-wrenching week to be in educational theatre!!

eve

soozievt

Eve,
I really appreciate your sharing this kind of information. Thanks.
Susan

Prof. Himmelheber

One of our current MT seniors was selected as a national finalist (one of 16) in the Irene Ryan Acting Scholarship Auditions, hosted by the Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival. We were DOUBLY proud, as he was not only a junior when he won (up against seniors and grad students from CA, UT, NV, AZ, HI, Guam and American Samoa), but he was a Musical Theatre student (this was an ACTING competition)!

He won the Williamstown Theatre Festival internship, and spent the summer working onstage, in classes, and other with professionals. He felt so well prepared for the experience there, thanks to the training he received. He did a cabaret with Sharon Lawrence, and her agent was so impressed with him that they wanted to sign him right away. He explained that he had one more year of school, and then would be right in to see them. They are NY based, but have an LA office, so are having their west coast reps come see everything this student does this year. So ALL our MT kids in his shows will be seen, too. What a great opportunity!

Also, another student, a sophomore who did not pass his juries, was working professionally in San Diego this summer and had to leave the engagment early when he landed the European tour of Grease! They cast him as Roger, and he said he didn't even need to dance for them - they knew he was perfect for the role (I must add, he can dance very well). So even the students who didn't make the program are prepared well enough to begin a professional career - another supporting position for jurying after two years of preparatory class work.

And one of our students, who never got to the jury because she was grabbed up as Peggy Saywer in the recent ntl tour of 42ND STREET, has just started the Broadway run of A CHORUS LINE, playing Maggie. Very exciting! We hope that she will consider returning to us, when/if her career slows down...but I'm not banking on this.

And several of our recent alums played leading roles in professional theatre companies this summer: a May '06 graduate is playing Little Sally in URINETOWN in San Diego; a May '05 graduate is featured ensemble and understudy for Milly in THOROUGHLY MODERN MILLIE in San Diego (one of our current juniors was in the ensemble of this show, too). Another May '06 graduate was in chorus of ANYTHING GOES in Long Beach/Cerritos (a reputable CLO company). We have a May '06 grad in MY ONE AND ONLY with the Reprise series in LA (getting her Equity card). Two May '05 grads are now in Tennessee working on a revue that will offer them a choice of run in TN, NYC or San Francisco when the show tours in January. And I'm sure I'm forgetting a ton - right now, my head is swimming with pride.

I'll keep you updated,

eve

Hollylove

I wanted to say thanks for sharing this information as well It definitely makes me think twice about applying to Fullerton.

Prof. Himmelheber

Update as of 5/7/07:

One '06 alum is on the national tour of Camelot (with Michael York, Rachel York and James Barbour).

And our alum in A CHORUS LINE is now taking over for Sutton Foster in THE DROWSY CHAPERONE (she would have been Class of '07, but got high profile work while in lower division and so took a hiatus).

Several other '06 grads are working in Equity venues all over the southland.

One of our '07 grads-to-be is currently in SEVEN BRIDES at Fullerton Civic Light Opera (Equity house), and has secured a 6 month cruise job on a Cozumel (spelling?) line.

Another two soon-to-be graduates are moving to NYC, and have agents waiting to send them out on calls. This is due to the showcase we just initiated this year.

Life is good,

eve