So I've REALLY heard mixed things about the summer program - someone who I'm not going to name in case she doesn't want it discussed on the board actually messaged me telling me that her daughter had basically had a HORRIBLE time at the program and that they had really endangered her vocal health, etc.
The thing is before that a lot of what I had heard from various people *was* positive, so I sent out facebook messages to people in the groups.
I'm just going to copy the replies I got over here...
1)
"hey. wow... i'd be interested to know who it is that you talked to that had an experience that horrible. basically, you can strengthen all three angles for being a triple threat, but ocu camp is best for singers because that is what they focus on the most and base their choices on for casting leads. if you are a dancer, you'll do a lot of dancing but probably be in the ensemble. if you are an actor and acting is WAY more important to you than the other two, i wouldn't choose ocu for a summer camp. i am a dancer, but acting is my main focus, but i had a blast because i made great friends and i got to become stronger in my singing.
there are great people here who know what they're doing. i'd definitely say your source must have either had a bad social experience or wasn't cast in the role he/she wanted. i didn't get a lead either year i went, but now the director (dr. herendeen- head of music theatre at ocu) knows me and recognizes me for being a leader of the group.
if you work hard, you'll be remembered and appreciated. the living spaces are fine, nothing fancy, but i never had any major problems. you are very rarely in your room. you do work hard with long hours, but you're always having fun and if you're responsible with the rest time you're given you'll have enough. i don't know where they got the no laundry idea, there's definitely a laundry service. and.. the food? i like the food, i'm not a picky eater.. don't really have any complaints there.
basically, i'd recommend it obviously because i ended up coming to school at ocu after two years of camp. and most of the best friends i have here i met at camp, and i still keep in close touch with people that ended up at other schools... i know now I'M ranting, but i really am glad i came here, it gave me great connections to other theatre people. so.. ultimately, i'd say go for it! hope this helps"
2) "hi! i'd be happy to tell you about my experience there. Overall, the only good thing for me was that I found out that I didn't want to go there for school. I also found out that I didn't want to go to a musical theatre school where the musical theatre major is under the school of music. i believe that acting is the number one thing in musical theatre and, at ocu i dont believe they put enough focus on it at all. and yes, MAJOR BIAS IN CASTING. Major. i was in Bye Bye birdie and, near the end of rehearsals we had an understudy rehearsal. Afterwards, everyone agreed that the understudies were all better than the ones who had gotten the roles. But, the ones who had gotten the roles had either a special connection with the director or had gone to the camp before. That was probably the most dissapointing thing about the camp to me- that it just wasn't cast honestly, and it showed. The food was bad, yes. The rooms were gross, yes. Overall, good for me only because i found out what kind of school I didn't want to go to."
3)
"hey girl!
Alright....let me just start by saying that dorms and laundry should be the LEAST of your concern...because where ever you go its going to be disgusting...cause its a dorm and a like 1000 people have lived there. And the food...again...every college will be the same...the food is gross and theres nothing you can do about it...(it wasn't THAT bad at OCU...i just always ate salad
But i really enjoyed OCU...Dr. Herendeen is really good and all of the vocal staff if fabulous! The days wern't THAT long...but come time of the show its nothing more than normal....i mean yeah sometimes we didn't get out until midnight...but thats musical theatre for ya...and i think the vocal rest is all up to you. I mean you can stay up late and scream and yell and never sleep and yeah your voice will probably be shot for the show....but its all about the decisions you make.
its long days...but not so long that you can't socialize and have fun...but you will learn ALOT
also they just built this AMAZING new music center that is absolutely BEAUTIFUL...we got to sing in it last year and it was amazing! like its literally the best music center in the country! its like every performers dream to practice in a place like that....cause anywhere else is going to be old buildings and ****ty practice rooms.
so yeah i really enjoyed it and i made some of my BEST friends there and we all still keep in touch!!
if you have any more questions or just wanna talk let me know!!!"
so yeah. right now it's pretty much 50/50 and i have no idea what to think.
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