MidgetMom

I'm not going to start in all over again. This is ridiculous and the thread is entitled "Otterbein College". But, I will say one thing.......summer programs and training like Stagedoor Manor and/or private training doesn't GUARANTEE success in this field, of couse, but it doesn't hurt.

alwaysamom

midgetmom, I'm posting this with all due respect, which I try to extend to everyone on these boards. I really recommend that you try to focus now on the decision your D has to make for September and look forward, instead of focussing on what might have/could have/should have been. It doesn't matter now what's happened in the past, what type of school your D attended, what private lessons she did or did not have, whether she made a mistake in listening to people who told her she'd easily get into a particular program, whether she very certainly should have applied to more than one school. The fact is that she has a very nice result from her one application and she needs to make the decision for next year. She's, in many ways, in a fortunate situation at this point. To continue to detail what's happened up until this point is, in a word, pointless. Look ahead, be excited for her, help her get ready for college, and accept whatever her decision may be.

MidgetMom

It amazes me that no matter where I seem to go, no matter what I seem to say, people are defensive. This thread is entitled "Otterbein College" and was started by Doctorjohn who was kind enough to give all of us a lot of information. There's no reason to turn it into another argument. My response was to his post on Florida Thespians. How it ended up this way, I have NO idea.

Let's stay on topic, please.

st8gemom

doctorjohn:

I believe you are referring to the Florida Theatre Conference auditions in Lakeland.
http://www.miami.edu/florida-theatre-conference/

mrsark87

there are always exception to any rule. but, it doesn't take a rocket scientist to know that the more preparation you have, the more prepared you will be for success of any kind in any field. does that guarantee it? no. will there be those who have infinite training and preparation and still fail? yes. but, that doesn't change the basic premise. preparation and training are always a good thing and they always give a person a "leg up." and i'm not complaining. my daughter goes to a school with an excellent theatre department and she's had voice training for 6 years. and believe me, i know that that is a good thing. and was it costly, yes. j

soozievt

I am sorry to be discussing this on the Otterbein thread, I agree. I was responding to a post and like many discussions go, one thing then leads to another and the conversation often strays from the original topic and for that, I'm sorry. Perhaps I should have posted a response, but when I keep reading the "only if there was this school or this program, than that", wanted to point out the variations of backgrounds that exist with kids who go into this field and that no one thing led to the other. I agree with Mrs.Ark in that training like voice lessons, etc. is indeed helpful and in fact necessary to get into a college program. But I think every kid on this thread had that. I don't think you can pinpoint one program or opportunity as having been better than the next one, that's all.

I happen to believe that MidgetMom's daughter was VERY successful in her college bid because she applied to one competitive program and got into a related one in the same field at that college and on scholarship. That result in a selective admissions process is very very good. As I said, if my child had only applied to her first audition school, she only got into the college, not the BFA program there and then would have not had anything. She increased the odds by applying to several schools because the odds are so slim in this field. I feel confident had this other child done that, she might also be sitting with some acceptances and a choice. I feel for MidgetMom in the sense that she went with the advice from others that her daughter would definitely get in if she applied, because I have heard that kind of feedback from well meaning friends who would say, of course, she'll get in. But I always explained to them, from my own research into the programs and armed with knowledge from sites like this, that when we are talking 5% admit rates, we will never ever count on getting in and in fact, prayed she would get at least one acceptance of the 8 tries. We felt she was in the ballpark as much as anyone to try for this, but the odds are what they are and talented kids do not always get accepted. We know kids who got into the very top programs in the country this spring and rejected at other fine programs that are not as competitive. It is something you have to go into the process knowing and not expect to get in but increase the odds by applying to several places. Luckily for some, like in FL, NYC, Chicago, LA, there is an option of unifieds where one might accomplish this in one location. Not the case here in my neck of the woods.

I just think that there are a lot of assumptions floating around as to which "piece" one must have to get in, or how much money, or having a parent in the "know". There are parents like myself who just have learned about their kids' interests along the way but have no experience in the field of performing arts.

I don't think it is helpful to make comparisons and get into what ifs. I think, from reading of everyone's kids on here, that most of them sound like very talented kids with bright futures. There is more than one way to make it on stage. No one thing is the key. If it was, then you could say a BFA is the way into a role on Broadway and we all know that ain't so. A kid with no college, a kid in a BA program, can all have a shot at that stage and the kid with a BFA might never get there.

I would second what AlwaysAMom said in suggesting to rejoice at the good fortune of each of your kids and that they all seem to have something to go to next year that will fuel their passion and training in musical theater. Move forward. There will always be someone who got to do x, y, or z that you did not do but that person might not go any further than the next person. I know I certainly don't start thinking about what if my kid had the performing arts high school or the private school with drama classes or a parent in the field and so forth. It just is not productive. From what I can tell, every kid on here had some form of lessons/classes and theater experiences. They all varied but they all seem successful in one way or another. Lots to rejoice about!

Susan

doctorjohn

st8gemom:

You are right. I hadn't realized that the Florida Theatre Conference was different than Thespians. (I'm getting addled in my old age.) But in any case, it's been a very useful place for us to recruit good students. Thanks for posting the link.

Ericsmom

Soozievt - We all appreciate your infinite wisdom in this process and are feeling for you in your daughter's recovery. So happy that good things are coming her way. We are in a smaller state, like you, and probably don't have the state-wide theatre competitions / festivals similar to your situation. My son also has done almost all of his theatre, dance, and voice outside of school, although he is in a great choir at school. We are just appreciative of the opportunities he has had and are so hopeful to get into one of these very competitive college programs. Everyone who is in one should count all your blessings for whatever happened at that audition that caused them to take your child.

MidgetMom - I continue to hear good things about UCF and think you have much to be thankful for. I'd vote for that BM and scholarship for your daughter combined with the dance minor.

Doctorjohn - you continue to be our angel - thanks for everything and for allowing us the conversations on your Otterbein board!

Ericsmom

Soozievt - I forgot to tell you, I'm also like you in that I have no theatre experience except for a couple of high school plays. I play piano and was an oboe player in band, but I've only gotten interested and learned about all of this because of Eric's interest. I am also just as much the all-around sports mom with my older son (how different can 2 sons be?!). I feel inadequate sometimes sharing info. around all of you wonderfully talented moms who really know something about performing arts. I'm an accountant at work. The only encouragement I gave Eric was to get him interested in and playing piano at a very young age. His piano teacher took it from there and helped him with singing as he got older and is now his voice teacher. The other influence was a wonderful local children's theatre that the elementary schools go to on field trips. It sparked his theatre interest at a very young age. It is hard to predict what your kids will want to do! We've just tried to give them opportunities and let them gravitate to what they want to choose to do.

MidgetMom

I don't think it really matters where anybody's background comes from. Being a music teacher doesn't give me the kind of "inside" information I wish I had. If that were the case, I certainly wouldn't have allowed my dd to audition for only one school because I would have known the fierceness of the competition in these programs.

Don't underestimate yourself for being a mom who is learning through her son. Believe me, experience is the best education in some cases. I've learned a lot through this forum and will not make the same mistakes with my younger dd when it's her turn. In the meantime, my older dd is happy as a clam and will most probably take the BM and dance minor. She's learned a lot, too, and regrets only auditioning for one school. I will say, however, that in response to an e-mail she sent to one of the MT profs at UCF she received this answer: "Congratulations on your acceptance in the BM Music Performance and BA Theater programs. Clearly your talents and interests are going to ensure an artistic future". She felt a LOT better after that. She was called back, so they must have seen something. We can only assume that UCF felt the "fit" wasn't there for MT.

chrism

CNN today:

"The off-Broadway sleeper hit that made it to Broadway -- "The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee" -- vies with "Monty Python's Spamalot," "Dirty Rotten Scoundrels" and "The Light in The Piazza" as best musical."

doctorjohn

Thanks, chrism. We're pretty excited. Two weeks ago, "Spelling Bee" won the Lucille Lortel Award as Best Off-Broadway Musical of the season. Here's the link:

http://www.playbill.com/news/article/92714.html

Dan Knechtges was nominated for best choreography; he didn't win, but he was happy for the nomination. The show also got that rarest of all things, a nice review in The Times:

http://theater2.nytimes.com/mem/thea...C0A9639C8B6 3

We're just very, very happy for Dan.

doctorjohn

Good news: we're opening the almost-completely-renovated Cowan Hall, our proscenium theatre, with a production of JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR tonight. There's a nice article in the Columbus Dispatch, which gave us the cover of the Weekender. Unfortunately, they didn't put the cover picture of Jesus, Judas, and Mary Magdalene in the electronic edition. (But there is a picture of our VP for Development and me; I'm the short one on the right.) The story discusses the changes in the theatre, and also the production. Some nice quotes from Johnny Hawkins, our guest artist. Here's the link:

http://www.dispatch.com/weekender/we...00.html&chck=t

I'm hoping you don't have to jump through hoops to get to the story...

And some bittersweet news: LITTLE WOMEN is closing on Sunday. So if you're anywhere close to the city, and want to see Sutton Foster as Jo and our Amy McAlexander as Amy, call today!

soozievt

I could not get the article and I think one must pay a fee to use the online edition. In any case, I want to congratulate your program and say break a leg to the cast and faculty with this production. Hope it is a great run and that many deserving accolades follow for your program. I'd have thought that many colleges would be letting out by now and it seems late but maybe yours goes later. My college daughter is on her way home from college as I write. Bravo to the cast.
Susan

ABlestMom

I couldn't open the article either. Congrats to Otterbein on their opening weekend!!!

It's so sad about Little Women - I thought it was a WONDERFUL production - I'm so sorry it's closing so soon. I heard it's going to tour so maybe Sutton and Amy will continue with it.