<p>D is a sophomore and we still haven’t seen her in any performances (Texas to DC is just out of our budget). However, she did go on tour with a performance in St. Petersburg, Russia and her cousin who is on study abroad got to see her!! As long as someone in the family gets to see her! Next year we will be traveling quite a bit with her younger brother to audition for VP major - but we’re hoping to be able to see her perform in her senior year. Maybe by then, she’ll have a lead…</p>
<p>Ahh Yes MomCares - indeed it seems she does not require “showering accolades” from me!! SHE is quite happy with how everything is working out - and I am very happy for her - but I do miss her…</p>
<p>megpmom - how wonderful that she gets to perform in Russia!! That would definitely be a budget breaker!!</p>
<p>Once my girls started college, they never came home for a summer ever again! Get used to it! </p>
<p>We luckily did see all the college performances for our D. But now that she is working professionally, I cannot possibly see them all as she tends to perform two to three times per week but I catch the most significant shows and am getting to go later this month where I will see three different shows of hers in one trip.</p>
<p>I do have to draw the line at international performances. A couple summers ago when D performed in Germany, I surely did not go BUT my other D happened to be working for the summer in Zurich, Switzerland about an hour from the venue that other D performed at and so she saw it! Now my D is performing in Sydney Australia next month but none of us will see it but I saw that same show when she was in it in NYC, alas.</p>
<p>PS, D is in show tonight and wish I were there but I will see her shows soon, thankfully. But it is hard to get used to knowing they are on stage and I am not in the audience.</p>
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<p>While you’re at it, why don’t you give me a paper cut and pour lemon juice on it?!! ;-D</p>
<p>It is always fantastic to hear the amazing places performing is taking your talented D, Soozievt!</p>
<p>Heading out on Wednesday to see my son perform in his show… Chicago… I can’t wait! I did miss Freshmen Revue; but it seems all the freshmen who are in the spring musical didn’t have their parents there either; too close together. </p>
<p>I did not really think about this when he was choosing a school; not that me being able to see a show should figure into the equation! It feels like forever since I have seen him perform.</p>
<p>My D is also a sophomore and like megpmom California to NYC is just too far for me to see her perform. Since D will be home this summer she has a couple of performances lined up already so we will get to see her. Next school year since both D’s will be in college in NYC I hope to plan at least one trip back there that will coincide with D being in a show.</p>
<p>Both of my kids went to college in Florida, where we live, so we were able to see at least one performance of all their shows. My older son is in NY now and we have seen at least one of each of his shows as well. It may sound like a lot, but I am sure that when all is said and done I doubt I will regret not working more, or not saving more money, but I would regret not seeing their shows. For me , some things are more valuable than money, and seeing my kids perform is one of them.</p>
<p>I was reminded of this thread while talking to a friend last night. She and her H went to see Newsies on Broadway last week. She works for a casting agency in the city and was taking two guests who were visiting from L.A… The guests are in a similar position on the west coast. </p>
<p>As anxious as they all were to see the show, it turned into a nightmare, apparently caused by a large group of family members of one of the castmembers. This friend sees two or three shows per week and she said she’d never seen anything like it in the three decades of her career. Standing up and screaming his name when he came onstage, waving, lots of whooping and hollering through the entire show, talking during the show, appalling behavior. The House Manager should have handled the situation, and the many complaints at intermission. That didn’t happen. Such an unfortunate thing for everyone involved, the actors, the audience, and the castmember himself. </p>
<p>Moral of the story: be sure that you and your family are well-versed in theatre etiquette! :)</p>
<p>Oh, my goodness! What a horrible thing. I cannot imagine anyone whose family had grown up in theatre not knowing that that was inappropriate behavior!</p>
<p>We also went to see Newsies last week while we were visiting one of D’s prospective colleges. Fortunately it wasn’t that particular performance. But we did run into a bit of an issue after the show when the family of one of the cast members kept trying to push their way to the front of the crowd waiting for autographs, using the excuse that they were family, etc. It was very, very rude. </p>
<p>I’ve gotta say, I KNOW I’m going to have to figure out a way to add some $$ to the budget to go visit D and see her perform. Yes, coming from California to NYC is going to be a huge stretch, but I just can’t imagine not seeing her perform, especially in NYC!! Of course once we’re there, we’ll just HAVE to take advantage of the many other opportunities to see great shows… something tells me this is going to be a VERY expensive 4 years! I’d better go brush up my resume. I think I’m going to have to get a really good job to support this additional expense of traveling to watch shows!!</p>
<p>Oh my goodness! If we ever acted like that I think my D would yell from the stage for us to sit down and shut up! 
How embarrassing!</p>
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<p>My D and I once went to a show at a well known local pay-to-play theatre program for kids, and this story reminds me of the audience behavior by families during that performance. D and I left hoping the performance we saw was an anomaly, but the behaviors were happening everywhere in a large theatre AND in the lobby during intermission and after the performance so I’m guessing it was the norm. I shudder to think what all of those families are learning about proper theatre etiquette!</p>
<p>It’s true it costs money to go see your kid perform in college. But just wait…once they graduate, this continues! My D lives in NYC and I try to see as much as I can (though she performs so much now that I cannot see everything anymore), but it costs money to travel there and spend time in NYC. I’m going in two weeks to see my D in three different shows. Then, add in (though for us, this is surely not on every visit) tickets to Newsies too. I mean it is NYC. :D</p>
<p>PS, one caveat is that once your kid no longer lives in a dorm and then has their own apartment, money can be saved by staying with them, which is what I do. D has sleep sofa.</p>
<p>A little cautionary tale…</p>
<p>Last week we returned from seeing our D in her freshman musical. Yesterday I booked tickets to fly back to see her summer musical a month from now, and the ticket prices have DOUBLED.</p>
<p>Ouch!!</p>
<p>Yeah, airline tickets can be a killer. My H and I decided to try to go see our kids perform (finally) this summer. Classical singer Son is performing in LA (June) and NYC (July) and actress D is performing in DC (Sept). The plane tickets are the huge expenses - we’re staying with friends. </p>
<p>Earlier on this thread, I had mentioned that we’d never seen D perform since she left for college, but this opportunity sounds too interesting to miss. She is performing with the Synetic Theater (physical theatre) of DC in Neil Simon’s The Good Doctor, directed by 5 different Russian directors - with or without words at each director’s discretion - at the Library of Congress. Everything about this one sounds interesting. I just can’t imagine how this is going to turn out!</p>
<p>“I’m curious to hear how folks with MT’s in college have decided when/if to travel to watch your kids perform.” </p>
<p>Well, for one of my son’s recent shows, we decided when/if to travel to see him perform literally about 25 minutes before curtain! We traveled all over for auditions and/or school visits to Chicago, North Carolina, Boston, Ohio, New York, and here at home in Pittsburgh. After all that (which I would do again in a heartbeat) he ended up 4.5 miles from home at Point Park! We saw the recent production I think four times during a three week run. We are indeed fortunate, but would have been happy with his decision if he would have gone further away, and we would have definitely traveled to see performances, probably a long weekends worth or something. A side note: even at four miles away we never see him unless he is on break! Typical college kid! For us it is sort of the best of both worlds. We can see the shows, but he might as well be hundreds of miles away otherwise, which is good for growth.</p>
<p>So - we live in Hawaii and my D is in Colorado. I had not planned on traveling to see any of my daughter’s shows this year - did not know if she would be cast and figured that we could not afford it. Well - things changed. She was cast as a freshman in the fall show (with an actual part) - it was good timing to fly and see her as she was not going to be coming home for Thanksgiving and she had been gone for almost 3 months. I didn’t go to the spring show. In May, my husband and I traveled to see her in the Freshman showcase and combined it with a family trip home to Canada. Now she is in a summer stock production of Next to Normal (my…favorite…show…agggghhh). It opens in 2 days - and her birthday is tomorrow…guess who is going??? Me!!! Fortunately I am using airmiles as airfare is CRAZY right now!! I should also mention that my D will not be coming home this summer so the next time I see her will likely be at Christmas (for those of you who think I am crazy for doing so much traveling…). It has been worth every penny and I wouldn’t change a thing. So what if I have to get a second job to pay for all the airfare…</p>
<p>It’s so much fun to hear of all the amazing adventures everyone is having to see your kids in action… and yes I do envy those able to decide 25 minutes in advance whether to see a show! On one hand, I don’t want to miss a thing, but then again maybe we should be saving on the off chance D replicates some of Soozievt’s D’s international performances…</p>
<p>Any tips on best/worst ff options are welcome. Just needed to use over 50k miles on Alaska, while we got first class for 26k miles on United…</p>
<p>I literally just booked my flight to go see my D in Pennsylvania for her summer stock show! Southwest sent out a 30% off coupon so I got a nice deal. I know that the day will come when I won’t be able to get to one of her shows, but until then, I am enjoying every single show that I can.</p>
<p>I’d also add that there are a handful of local kids in the conservatory at Point Park, but the majority are from all over the country. I’ve noticed that most of their parents and various other family members will try to get here for a show or two to see their kid, and that takes effort, planning and $$$! Great to see their excited kids introducing all their classmates, friends, teachers etc. to their parents. The kids really appreciate it. It is really cool to see that. </p>
<p>Hey, I just saw Judith Light raise her Tony heavenward and dedicate it to her dad, and she is over 60 years young…I’m willing to bet her parents logged some miles to see her perform at CMU back in the day.</p>