mtmommy

Another way the faculty got to know the students was through the essay/letter they submitted with their audition date request. It was sent in with detailed form, resume, and headshot. That way the faculty seemed to know a lot about the individual students when they got there.

razorback1

my d auditioned at ou yesterday. It was a terrific experience. The people there are very warm and welcoming. The program head is a charming and humorous man who cares greatly about this program. They shared many interesting positives regarding the program and the potential for employment that they provide. They seem to be looking for true triple threats, or students that they can train into that. They look for at least one real strength and then potential for the others. My d is a tumbler and they asked her to do a tumbling pass for them. So, without any notice, she went flying across the floor with a series of flip-flops. That was fun for her to get to demonstrate a unique skill. The dance was divided into "movers" and "dancers." They made the decision based on your resume. She was in the dancers and said the routine was fairly advanced. The dance audition does count but, they really consider potential and not where you happen to be at this point. I really think it's a good thing that they pre-audition. You go into it knowing that they believe you have real potential for their program and that brings with it, some confidence. OU does have an old beautiful campus. Very strong college atmosphere, yet their theatre world is very self-contained. so you get both. We were extremely impressed with this school and program.

Mary Anna

I am continuing to be impressed with everything about this program

xxx,Mary Anna

me'smom

Re OU: They travel to screen students they would like to audition. We saw them at both the Georgia Thespian Convention and at the Unifieds. At both places, my D was invited to an on-campus audition. It is from the on-campus auditions that they make their final selections. We enjoyed everything about the visit to Norman, and my personal take is that they are doing everything right for a fairly new program. Rather than haul everybody to NY for a showcase, they invite a casting director to the campus for an in-depth look at the kids. Additionally, they hire a Broadway professional to direct a show each year. They are spending a lot of money and seemingly in the right places.
As it turns out, my D blew her audition there - I think the moon was in the wrong phase or something - and will be attending OCU, which has an exciting vocal program. Had she been offered a spot at OU, though, the decision would have been pretty hard to make.
Good luck!

mtmommy

I posted information about my daughter arriving this month at OU as a freshman @ Current Musical Theater College Students and Parents Share Experiences.

thebakerswife

I really like everything about this program... except for one thing, the videotape. I have 2 questions about that:

1) I know that a video is not necessary if they've seen you at unifieds/thespian convention, but does anyone know if the North Texas Drama Auditions are included in that? I'm not sure if they're the same thing.

2) Can anyone tell me the requirements for the video, or direct me to a site that can? I couldn't find them on the OU site, although I may not have looked thoroughly enough.

Of course I would prefer not to make a video since none of my other schools are requiring one, but this does look like a very worthwhile program.

mtmommy

Bakerswife,
For information on the videotape, I would definitely call Shanda Cloud and ask her what is required on the videotape. She is very sweet and helpful and will give you any information you need. I'm sure they aren't looking for a professional video, probably just a tape of one or two songs and a monologue, would be my guess. A friend or family member could tape you. Here's the contact info for the department:

musicaltheatre@ou.edu
(405) 325-0538 Tel
(405) 325-7663 Fax
Weitzenhoffer Department of Musical Theatre
Carpenter Hall
840 Asp Avenue, Room 203
Norman OK 73019-4091

My daughter didn't send a video as she had her pre-audition the previous year at the unifieds. We happen to live 2-3 hours from the LA unifieds. I think it is highly likely that they do pre-audition at the North Texas Drama Auditions, but Shanda can tell you that right away.

mtmommy

I just posted an update on my d's experience at OU at http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/...78#post3044978.

trill

I've been reading about OU and its wonderful vocal music program.

We visited and what a total disappointment. Rude teachers plus a head of the department that won't see potential students and families does not make for a good or even decent program. I don't need to go on.

But more important...I'd like to know. If OU has such a wonderful and amazing program, why are they hiring a student from Oklahoma City University to play the "Queen of the Night" in their production of "The Magic Flute"? They claim to have a nationally acclaimed program, but have to hire a student from another university to play a major role in their show? Where are their wonderful students?

That told me all I needed to know about OU.

soozievt

I can't speak to the casting as I know nothing about it.

However, the fact that the DIRECTOR of the program did not meet with prospective students and their parents who were visiting is not unusual at all and is understandable. I have visited about 18 colleges with my kids. It is not common to meet with the Dept. Head on a regular visit though one of my kids did 3 times (these were not BFA programs). If you think about it, hundreds of kids and parents come to visit and the director's schedule could easily be filled by these appointments. Instead, many departments or schools have a spokesperson who can meet with you for this purpose or you can line up a meeting in advance with a faculty member or observe a class, etc. We've done all those things many times. Usually in the case of a BFA program, the Dept. Head is someone who attens the audition dates and addresses prospective students and their parents or I imagine that also would happen at an open house event. But for regular visits, we lined up info. sessions, tours, meetings with someone in the department - often a faculty member, observed classes (always lined up in advance), met with students, and so on. I would not necessarily expect to meet one on one with the dept. head....maybe, but not always. I would expect or hope to meet that person on the audition day or at an official open house type event. Usually a department will have someone whose job it is to meet with prospective students who come to visit and ask questions. As well, a student, as is the case of my own kids, can write a professor in advance and ask if they can meet up to talk and/or observe their class. All these things, we lined up ahead of time and didn't just show up hoping this or that one would meet with us. My chlld wrote each person on her own well in advance.

mtmommy

trill,
Susan makes a great point about the availability of department heads to prospective students and their parents.

Where have you been reading about the wonderful vocal music department at OU? There isn't really a vocal music department, but there is a MUSIC department and a separate MUSICAL THEATRE department. I just wanted to make sure you're not talking about the praise for the department on the CC musical theatre threads as what has been written here by myself and others is about the MUSICAL THEATRE department, not the music department. These are totally separate departments. The musical theatre department and the dance department, then the drama department, are I believe the most well-known performing arts departments at OU. I don't know anything about the music department. My daughter's music classes are all with musical theatre faculty, whereas her acting and other drama classes are with drama department faculty (and she takes them with drama students) and her ballet class is with the dance department. Her jazz and tap classes will be with musical theatre faculty.

Since you're posting on the musical theatre threads, too bad you didn't visit the MT department and stick around to see "Once Upon a Mattress" which opens tonight. I heard it's going to be a great show. I am going to see it next week.

soozievt

Break a leg to MTMommy's D...cast as a freshman, woot woot!

rjintexas

We visited OU with our son a couple of weeks ago. It was our first school visit and it was very exciting for him and us. I don't claim to know much about the different programs available across the country but I would be very pleased if my son got into the program at OU.

I'm finding this whole application/audition experience frightening because most of the programs that my son is interested in seem to be so selective. I've been wondering if a school like OU would consider a transfer student in their MT department if my son decided to get a year of the basics done at a good but local school. This seems like a good option if he doesn't get in where he wants to. Any thoughts on this?

PJmom

My daughter met with the people from OU at the Thespian conference in Lincoln. She found them to be very informative and friendly. She also talked with some of the students who were very happy with the program at OU. She is looking forward to auditioning for them. She was so impressed with the people she met that she is considering a school that is pretty far from home.
This will be her first college audition. Does anyone have any advice?

mtmommy

Hi PJmom, my daughter is a freshman in OU's MT program. She auditioned for them last October. I can't believe it's been an entire year! I would be happy to give you information about it. Feel free to email me, and let me know what you would like to know. I will tell you what I know, although I did not personally attend the audition day. She loves the program and finds it very well balanced in all three areas. We are also a long way away as we are from California. I am going to visit her this week. I'll be attending the parents' dinner and seeing the musical twice !!

RJinTexas, I hope our PMing was helpful to you. If you think of more questions, please email me. I know how stressful this whole process is, trust me!