<p>well the academic classes are uber hard- all AP and honors level. i think it plays a pretty significant role in acceptance, also in financial aid. but if you’re amazingly super talented they won’t deny entrance if you have some D’s sprinkled throughout, because we do have some genius composition kids who are horrible at school.</p>
<p>Lol, thanks for the info.</p>
<p>Rumor has it that SDM is building a new theater this year. Has anyone heard the scoop? Does this mean they’ll be putting up even more shows per session?</p>
<p>I also think they are looking to build another theater. I don’t know anything about this pertaining to adding more shows and my assumption is that they would not be adding more shows since they put up 13 shows per session (not counting Our Time Cabaret or Actors Showcase)and manage to keep the cast sizes small. My assumption, purely speculation, is that the Cabaret Lobby is not an ideal theater space except for revue style shows and/or The Forum theater, which has been improved in past years with tents and seating, is a problem in foul weather on performance weekends. </p>
<p>The way I had heard of building the new/additional theater is that the heads of SDM put out feelers for architects on a SDM alumni list that I happen to receive (an email loop). That’s all I truly know.</p>
<p>D got together with a bunch of camp friends last night, and heard from a number of sources that they’re building another theater on the field by the Forum, to stage one musical and one straight play. I haven’t heard if this will be in addition to, or instead of, an existing theater. Certainly the Cabaret theater is less than ideal. The Forum does present challenges as well. My D’s shows for both 1st and 2nd session were staged there this past summer, and Mother Nature does try to interfere!</p>
<p>Will the new theater be ready for next summer’s sessions? It is wonderful to see the campus updated and maintained.</p>
<p>I have also heard this news through the same source as Susan. I think it will be great for them to add another theatre for replcaement purposes or addition purposes. The shows have been getting a little crowded for the past couple of years, so another show or two will help the numbers.</p>
<p>In regards to them being able to build it in time, once they have the plans, they should be able to put it together fairly quickly. After all, when they built the forum it was to replace the Barn, which had burned down and they did that in a couple of weeks.</p>
<p>Isaac, the Forum wasn’t to replace The Barn theater! The Elsie replaced the Barn theater and that took more than a couple of weeks to build! The Forum has been there a while but just kept getting enhanced. They added the big tent and they added seating and so forth. The Barn burnt down on the second day or so of camp and The Elsie was built in time for the following summer. I have fond memories of the Barn but The Elsie is way bigger and Air conditioned! </p>
<p>I have no idea the time frame for this new theater but depending when they break ground, it is conceivable to have it for the next summer season.</p>
<p>As I understood it, the forum was built as a temporary space after the barn burned down right after camp started in 2001 or 2002 (I forget which year). Then they built the forum in time for the first session performance weekend. And they proceeded to build the Elsie during the following year on the foundation where the barn once stood. But they decided to keep it and they started to upgrade it in 2003 after I injured myself on it during Pippin Yes the Elsie was the permanent replacement, but the forum was the stage they used that summer before they built the Elsie.</p>
<p>Isaac, I’m getting my years mixed up. It happens when you are my age! Yes, they may have “built up” the Forum once the Barn burnt down. However, I think the Forum was there before the Barn burnt down but not as it looks today. The tent over the seating and the actual seating itself are newer. But shows were put on where the Forum is now before they added all that. There was a stage and the stage may have been covered but the audience was not. The audience sat on the hill but there wasn’t the kind of seating like they have now. I recall my D being in shows in The Barn (obviously this would be before the Barn burnt down) around 1999 and 2000 and I recall at one show, that I could hear singing coming from the show in the Forum while we were in the Barn. I even recall certain kids who were in those shows…one was Jesus Christ Superstar and a girl who was in it is now a senior at UMich and so this was back when she would have been 15 or so and another show was Little Mary Sunshine and I recall a friend in that who is now a senior at Juilliard. So, there was a theater space there that did get enhanced in the past four years or so to what the Forum looks like now. You are right that they did enhance it after the fire. But there were shows there back when there was still a Barn Theater. The covered seating helps in bad weather but when the weather is really bad, they still can’t use the Forum which is problematic on performance weekend. Remember the year you and my D were in Pippin and how you had to do one performance in The Elsie? By the way, I was watching a little of Jekyl and Hyde the other night and saw you in it, of course.</p>
<p>I don’t know how long you went to SDM…four years? My D started in 1998 which I know is before your time there and so I don’t even know if you were ever there when there was The Barn theater. She did a few shows in it such as Tintypes and Oklahoma. The Barn theater had a long history at SDM but it sure is nice to have the Elsie now!</p>
<p>I guess year confusion is not isolated to any age. I thought someone had told me that the forum was created then. Of course they could have been wrong in the first place. Lol. Yea, the forum was pretty bare bones untilwe did Pippin. I fell off the stage and injured myself and then they put in ramps and seating… I was never around for the barn, but I wish I had been. i have heard some great stories from the barn theatre. The forum still gets rained out even with all the new stuff. I went to visit this summer and they were doing pippin again in the forum. And once again it was rainedout and had to be put in the Elsie!</p>
<p>I was only at stagedoor for 3 years, although i wish it could have been more. In fact, Pippin was my first show there.</p>
<p>I know this is last minute notice, but if any Stagedoorian readers are reading…
I realize many of you are newer campers in the past few years. However, a young man who my daughter was friends with and attended SDM with for many years and did shows with…Erich Bergen…is now playing Bob Gaudio on the National Tour of The Jersey Boys (right now in San Francisco for quite a while) and the tour/SF cast is appearing on Jay Leno’s Tonight Show tonight if you want to see a fellow Stagedoorian who has made it! My D’s very first camp show, the Boyfriend, was with Erich. Also, they were in Little Me (Erich was the lead) together and many casts of Our Time Cabaret (Erich eventually was The Actor).Check it out.</p>
<p>Soozie…
I’ve seen JB in SF and am going back this weekend. Erich Bergen is just terrific! Can’t wait to see it again. (and will watch The Tonight Show also)</p>
<p>Thanks for sharing. I am so happy for Erich. It has been really something to see SEVERAL fellow peers/campers/friends who are making it in this field. I mean it is one thing to know people MUCH older but when your camper friends are making it, it’s cool or let me say, weird for us parents. I’ve seen these kids grow up and on stage for years. Erich is not the only one but am just mentioning it as he is on TV tonight. Recently the cast of Spring Awakening was on Letterman and two people in that cast are fellow campers/castmates of my D’s. I have yet to see Jersey Boys. My D saw it twice on Bdway and loved it. I wish I could see Erich in it but at least we can see him on TV tonight. I remember the very first time (of many) I saw Erich in a show, my first performance at SDM. My D was the youngest in the cast (she was nine). I had never seen such talented youth before that. And looking back on that first show in '98, so many in that cast are now either on National Tours or in top BFA programs (a couple to CCM, one to Juilliard, a couple to Tisch/CAP, one at Fordham, one on Broadway, one on National Tour Jersey Boys, one on National Tour Spelling Bee, one on Broadway, can’t recall the others). Who knew? Erich was hilarious in Little Me, a role that involves taking on numerous characters. My D loved being in that with him. Enjoy the show this weekend…as Erich ain’t in a youth production any longer!</p>
<p>I know there are some parents or students who read this forum who attend Stagedoor Manor. </p>
<p>First session has begun as you know and Konnie has posted the shows for this first session. </p>
<p>You may recall that last year, in partnership with MTI, Stagedoor produced a development workshop of the HS version of RENT. They also staged the world premiere production of Disney’s High School Musical. THIS session, in partnership with MTI, they are putting on the PREMIERE workshop of Avenue Q !</p>
<p>Here is the list of shows, theaters, and directors for session one if you have not yet gotten the word…</p>
<p>Evita, Elsie Theater, dir. Jeff Murphy
Sweet Charity, Elsie Theater, dir. Jacob Brent
Footloose, Playhouse Theater, dir. David Moellenkamp
42nd Street, Playhouse Theater, dir. Stefanie Sertich
Little Shop of Horrors, Forum Theater, dir. Ray Zilberberg
Shakespeare Revue, Cabaret Theater, dir. Sally Rapier
Once on This Island, Cabaret Theater, dir. Jo Chatt
Madwoman of Chaillot, Carousel Theater, dir. Michael Raimondi
The Cell, Carousel Theater, dir. Elisabeth Page
Waiting in the Wings, Merman Theater, dir. Chris Tyer
Tartuffe, Garden Theater, dir. Ryan Lee
Avenue Q (premiere): Forum Theater (not sure the director)</p>
<p>Is Larry not at SDM this summer??</p>
<p>Audi…gosh, I didn’t think of that about Larry. I hope he is there. My D (and we) love him! But his name is not on that list…hmmm. However, I don’t know who is directing Avenue Q! We shall see. Come to think of it, I don’t see Chris Armbrister’s name on that list either. Maybe one of them is working on Avenue Q, but I have no idea. I’m sure I will learn of it at some point.</p>
<p>Larry is like an institution at SDM. My D’s first production there, The Boyfriend, in 1998, was with Larry and one of her last shows there was with him too, West Side Story in 2004. </p>
<p>I don’t think he is back this summer, unless coming to later sessions. I found this online just now and will post an excerpt but you can read the entire article at this link:</p>
<p><a href=“http://www.mlive.com/entertainment/grpress/index.ssf?/base/entertainment-2/118145793041650.xml&coll=6[/url]”>http://www.mlive.com/entertainment/grpress/index.ssf?/base/entertainment-2/118145793041650.xml&coll=6</a></p>
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<p>No, Larry’s not there this year. We had heard that news in advance.</p>
<p>Also, all that buzz about the new theater – it will be ready for next year, definitely not this summer.</p>
<p>hey… i have a question about SDM. I first heard of the camp after seeing the movie CAMP and was definitly intersted. Although I was not able to go this year because of college looking, traveling, and a job I’d love to go next year. I only have one slight delima. I see that it’s for ages…something to 18. I’m going to be a senior next year but I would be 19 that summer. The reason is because I was put into an extra grade after kindergarten (because if it was half day and not full day and everyone in half day was put in the extra grade) which makes me now just going to be a senior. would I be able to possibly go next summer?</p>