StageDoorManor

College Majors Musical Theater Majors
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<p>Thank you, everyone, for your great suggestions! Of course you are right about the flowers… I was just sort of “thinking out loud” as I typed; I hadn’t really thought it through. The gift suggestions are right on target. I especially like to give frames (and then, the follow-up photo of daughter & friend to go in it) as a keepsake. </p>

<p>Angst, thank you for the recommendation for the throatcoat. I’m going to look into that.</p>

<p>So the show list is now on the message board (thank you, Konnie!). Thanks, Susan, about the info on casting. It will be interesting to learn which show(s) my D and her friend are in. They are different physical types… my D is an “All American” type (pretty, blue-eyed blond, long straight hair, about 5’); her friend is quite beautiful, more exotic-looking, with dark eyes and long black curly hair, about 5’2" or so (she is 13). Both very good dancers. Out in the “real world” – or rather, the surreal theater world – physical type often determines casting. Given that SDM has a finite group from which to choose, do they sometimes cast against type? (Does that make sense?) I mean, my daughter would not be believable as an island native (well, maybe LONG Island could work…) without a makeup and wig… sorry; stream-of-consciousness again.</p>

<p>Anyway, I actually am enjoying my temporary single status. I promise I am not as obsessed as these posts may suggest. It’s just so… intriguing to think about all of the possibilities! I know that all of you SDM moms (and campers) can relate!</p>

<p>Thanks again for your support and advice; I truly do appreciate the kind and thoughtful words.</p>

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<p>Mom4Life…type matters a bit at camp in casting but not LOOKS so much, if you get what I mean. At home, height or hair color would matter more than it does at camp. The girl who played Emma Carew in Jekyll and Hyde last session has dark hair but she had on a blond curly wig from that era and pulled it off great. So, the looks won’t matter as much there, no. As far as Once On This Island, they do not cast that one by ethnicity. My D did that show there when she was 11 and she played the lead, Ti Moune. It did not involve ethnicity but it involved social class. There is a girl part named Andrea who is more of the blond ingenue type in that show. But for instance, any look might play Audrey in Little Shop there and I have seen them put a blond wig on the kid who played it, for example. My D’s best friend played Dorothy in the Wiz there and it was not ethnic at all. But type as far as voice and if someone is more ingenue-ish or character actor or brassy, or comedic, would come into play. If someone is a dancer, that affects which show or role they might get. I think for your D it is wide open except the very oldest shows or more sophisticated roles in those shows…like Chicago is unlikely but you never know as she is a dancer and my D has done older shows there when 11, 12, 13 and so that is possible too. </p>

<p>Let us know when you hear from her. Enjoy the time to yourself for a change!</p>

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<p>I think the shows for this session are great!!! Hope all the kids are happy and enjoying themselves. It was only a month ago that my son was in this same position…now it seems like it was ages ago. But we get to relive it when the DVD comes-can’t wait to see and experience it all over again.
In regards to the flowers/gifts, although I am the mother of a boy, he still receives flowers from people on openning night. I realized flowers would have died and been unappreciated, so I bought a few bags of candy for him and his roommates. The kids seemed to enjoy it (they all thanked me independently) and they could take a quick thing when they wanted to and then they all enjoyed the rest of it after the performances were over and they had free time after the awards ceremony.</p>

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<p>Susan, I understand and appreciate your explanation of SDM’s casting process. Thank you for clarifying it for me. I hesitated to state that the girls are attractive, but I viewed that as part of their “type,” if you know what I mean. I suppose “ingenue” is the proper theater term for what I was trying to convey. My mother was an (amateur) actress; I, on the other hand, was a behind-the-scenes art major. Stage presence (and experience) in this case skipped a generation! Come to think of it, my mother was an ingenue (Emily in “Our Town,” Terry in “Stage Door…”) More plays than musicals.</p>

<p>I had to go to the library this evening, and I checked for the CD of “Once On This Island,” which our little village branch did not have. I have heard of the show but have never seen it. So I listened to snippets on CD Universe. Sounds like it would be a blast to do, musically. I obviously have no idea where my D and her friend will end up. </p>

<p>In all honesty, I never expected more than an ensemble role for her this first session, for all the reasons shared by me and several other posters. I am inclined to think that my daughter’s friend may have a chance at say, “Chicago,” as she is more mature and can definitely pull off “sultry.” My D is more of a sunny little mezzo belter. But as I have said before, they will both enjoy the experience to the hilt… they’ll bloom where they’re planted.</p>

<p>Thanks again for your help.</p>

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<p>Mom4Life…while kids care about casting initially and about which show they got into, it all turns out quite fun because they get very bonded with their cast and putting together a show in sixteen days on top of all their classes, etc. SDM really becomes an experience, beyond the show, etc. So many of the musicals this session are great fun ones. </p>

<p>I don’t know what your child got but since you are talking about Once on This Island, I really love this show. I had not heard of it until the first time my D did it which was when she was 10 years old and was asked to play Little TiMoune in a college production (everyone else were college theater students). She had the best time and we loved the music from then on. If you like Ahrens and Flaherty (Ragtime, Seussical), you will see that their music in this show is truly wonderful. So much of the musical is sung. There are many great parts, more than one or two leads. My D sounds similar to yours in that she is a mezzo belter too though mine is not blond! That is one reason my D fit the type to play Ti Moune, which she did at SDM at age eleven. But Once on This Island also has Andrea, the girl from an aristocrat family who is arranged to marry the male lead (who has fallen in love, however, with a girl, Ti Moune, a West Indian, quite forbidden). A tidbit on our end is that the love interest, Daniel, in my D’s show at SDM, was played by a boy who now is going to college with my D next fall and will be in her dorm. They’ve grown up a lot since then! Anyway, the story is similar in theme to Little Mermaid. Other big female roles are the Gods (there are four gods) and also the mother. Sometimes with a talented twelve year old like yours, it is possible to get a bigger part in a younger show or then a smaller part or ensemble in an older show. While both scenarios are quite fun and my own D definitely enjoyed playing leads in younger casts, at that age she preferred a smaller role in an older show, because of the level of the show. Your D being a dancer makes it possible that maybe that will happen too. If it does, the level of the production itself makes it a great experience. Like if she got ensemble in Little Shop, what a fun show and I love that director too. He is strong with dance in his shows as well. Anyway, she can’t go wrong. Great shows, great professional staff. When your D is cast, a nice gift can be to send her the CD of her show if she does not already own it, so she can listen to it in her room (if they brought a CD player). You can send it directly from Amazon, for instance. </p>

<p>Susan</p>

<p>PS, with a belt mezzo voice, and being a younger girl, who knows, but playing Dorothy in The Wiz might be possible. The last time it was done at SDM, the age range for that show was middle range…kinda middle school aged kids.</p>

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<p>I’m new posting to cc but I have lurked for a while . It is great to read all of this information. My son is attending Stage Door now for his third year. He is 16. Soozievt, thanks for all your info.</p>

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<p>Tenorsmom, welcome to College Confidential. I hope you start posting and not just lurking! I have merged your new thread on Stagedoor Manor with this existing thread on that same topic. We like to try to keep just one thread per topic so it is easier for people to navigate to find the information or discussions that they seek. So, welcome and join us!</p>

<p>I hope your son has a fruitful experience at his summer program.
CollegeMom</p>

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<p>Thanks CollegeMom. I didn’t know how to post on the old thread</p>

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<p>Hi Tenorsmom, glad to see you posting. To add a post to an existing discussion, just click the word “reply” inside the previous post you are responding to. </p>

<p>I hope your son is having a good time at camp. Is he at third session, I presume and does he go for just three weeks? If so, our kids’ paths likely have not crossed because the past three summers, my D no longer went third session. Let us know what show he is doing. Some great ones are on tap. Hope to see you joining the CC discussions since you have a theater kid too. Welcome.</p>

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<p>Thank you Soozie. My son only goes third session because he does other theater camps before. I am sure he will have a great time as he always does. I haven’t talked to him yet though.</p>

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<p>Susan,</p>

<p>Just to clarify… your D had played TiMoune before, and then SDM cast her in the same role at camp? That contradicts the “Annie” theory we discussed yesterday… Just wondering.</p>

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<p>Mom4Life,
Just to clarify for you…with regard to my daughter, when she was ten, she played LITTLE Ti Moune in a college production of Once on This Island. At age 11, at SDM, she played the lead TI MOUNE In Once on This Island, different role. </p>

<p>However, with regard to the point that I made that if you have already done a show and mark that on the audition form where they list the session’s productions, you will not do that show again (in order to have new experiences). BUT my D, if I recall, likely did NOT mark that she had once done this particular musical, because she loved it and would have died to be considered for the part of Ti Moune, the lead (she had only played the younger version of that character). So, you COULD do a musical you have done before but to avoid that, you would mark down that you had done that musical before and so that would be that. Another example, first session, this year, they did the musical Cabaret. My D was in Cabaret in seventh grade (in the high school production) as a Kit Kat Girl. She did not mark that she had done that musical before because she’d be happy to be considered for Sally Bowles as that would be an entirely new experience for her ( very different part ) at a very different age in her development (16 1/2 going off to college vs. age 12 in seventh grade). But for a kid who has done Annie twice (like both my girls have like yours), they clearly would have marked that one off so as to not be an orphan again as it would not be a new experience that much. </p>

<p>Hope that clears that up and I do understand your question.
Susan</p>

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<p>Hi, I checked out the SDM site after reading a bit of this thread. Anyone who’s been there or who has had a D or S attend: would you recommend it? I’m not sure what my summer plans are for next year. I am auditioning for some local professional theatre productions and possibly a local college camp, but would SDM be a good choice also? Please let me know!</p>

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<p>There are some other threads on this board you should read about SDM. I asked the same question as you in a thread called “Stagedoormanor is it worth the money?” so you may want to read that. </p>

<p>D. did Smile last year in HS. It would have been interesting to see SDM
's version, though she would not have wanted to be in it.</p>

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<p>BrdwyBound, </p>

<p>To your first question “would you recommend it?”, I’d answer yes, insofar as my own daughter has loved it immensely and the program has been a significant influence in her life as a theater person. That does not necessasrily mean it is the right program for YOU but simply saying I would recommend this program without reservation IF it was the kind of thing you were looking for. It is not for all people. </p>

<p>Your second question asks “would SDM be a good choice also?” (amongst the other options you are considering for next summer.) This is the important part. I cannot tell you if it is a good choice or not without knowing what you want as an experience. SDM would be an appropriate choice for someone who wanted to experience a combination of theater training classes in all aspects of theater combined with an opportunity to work on a high calibur youth production, amongst an environment chockful of other young people who share a similar passion in an intense immersion where you are going 24/7 with theater only, along with a professional staff. So, first, IF you were looking for THIS sort of thing, I’d say SDM is a good choice to consider but even then, I would look into other programs of this nature so that you are making an informed decision about which program is right for YOU. For instance, there are programs such as French Woods Festival, Long Lake Camp for the Arts, Walnut Hill Summer Program, Interlochen, Perry Mansfield, and many others along these lines. I would research them all and figure out which suited me the best and then ask for references of kids who went there and talk to them. </p>

<p>However, this does not mean you should pick one of the above programs, not at all. Those were ones you might look into as examples of training combined with production experience. But what do YOU want to do or what might best be suited to YOUR learning needs/interests or balance out with what is available to you during the school year? For instance, there are also pre college programs, all excellent but a different emphasis and learning environment…such as Carnegie Mellon Pre college, OCU, CAP21, Northwestern’s Cherubs and many others. Do you want to experience a college campus thing with classes or preparation for college auditions? Do you want to just be with kids that age or a mix of all ages? Do you want a supervised situation or to be more independent on your own? And so forth. Examine what you are looking for. </p>

<p>Then, you do not even HAVE to go to a program per se. For instance, I believe the idea is to keep up with your training and also to gain theater experience on stage. There are many ways to do that. You have summer professional theater near you and maybe that is what you wish to do. But do you want a day program, to live at home or to do an immersion program away from home? Do you want to be with youth or do professional work with adults? These ALL have value but are all different types of experiences. Or you could combine doing three weeks at a place like SDM and doing a professional show back home. This summer, my D’s summer is combining three things…one session at SDM which included classes/training, doing a musical and doing a cabaret…and then at home she is in a professional adult production of a musical…and she is also directing a musical theater program she created for kids around middle school age which includes her giving lessons in voice, acting and dance, and also she wrote a musical revue she is directing them in. So, her summer combines a variety of theater experiences. You might put together a combination yourself of things you wish to do in summer. </p>

<p>So, there is no right choice. Figure out what you want to do with regard to theater next summer…more training? More show experiences? live at home or do an immersion away from home? be on a college campus? take lessons nearby? and once you figure out what you are looking for and SHOULD It happen to be that you want a theater immersion program away from home, by all means, look into Stagedoor Manor Performing Arts Training Center. For what it aims to do, it does it very well. I highly recommend it for what it is. But first you must determine if you want what that is…a theater immersion that is intensive away from home with others who share this passion that offers a combination of training (you choose which courses to take) and high quality youth productions (and not the typical kiddie fare in terms of show selections either). If you want that, look into SDM but also look into a few others of that sort to make sure this place fits what you want.</p>

<p>Susan</p>

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<p>And you will want to make sure it fits your budget. My daughter really loved her experience there! It is a very special place.</p>

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<p>I will be excited to hear what show Defying Gravity got in! Does anyone know? Hopefully she will share with us when she gets back unless her mom shares before then.</p>

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<p>Hi Everyone! Just returned from out of town. Saw D in “Aida” (ensemble) last weekend at SDM. She had a wonderful time and experience (even won an “award” for “Aida” banner which she and 2 other kids worked very hard on. The show was fantastic. She is currently at session III. She was cast in “Godspell” (ensemble) which she is absolutely thrilled about. Godspell is one of her favorite musicals. (OK potential angry parents, LOL, I know this early how she was cast because Wed was my birthday and they let D call me to wish me a happy birthday. Now you wouldn’t expect her to keep this much anticipated information from me on my birthday would you?) </p>

<p>AudiB4, I am sorry we didn’t meet (I looked for the brown headband but the crowds were too large!) I did see your son in “How to Succeed” and he was WONDERFUL! As a matter of fact, I saw him outside before the start of “Aida” on Sat and told him how wonderful he was in his role. I just didn’t realize at the time that that was your son! You were probably just a couple of feet away at the time!</p>

<p>If any parents have kids currently in Session III, please post what shows your kids are in. I met a couple of parents in person last weekend that I had “met” on this forum! It makes performance weekend all that much more fun!!! Also, if anyone learns what show “Def Grav” is in, please post!</p>

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<p>Happy for your D, OntheRun! Sounds wonderful. Also, happy belated birthday to you!
Susan</p>

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<p>BTW ontherun…Did you know Aida won for best ensemble also.
Did you buy the DVD?</p>