musical theater college kids

[TexasProud]

Ok, so if your child is a musical theater person, what are you doing. Because of Covid, everything her freshman year was online, sort of concert style.  Her dance classes have been great, voice lessons have helped a lot. She has really improved in her skills.  However, she needs experience in actual musicals. They are going to do the same thing in the fall. In the spring, they are trying to do just one musical.  Before Covid, this university did 3 musicals and 1 opera  a year.  She is frustrated.   

What are your musical theater students doing? 

[Ethel Mertz]

Our kid will be a freshman in music and theater. I’m not sure yet what his fall semester will look like. His high school year they did a musical (Something’s Rotten) and filmed the scenes over a period of time. Then the whole musical was available for streaming  over a period of 3 days ($18 per device).

[maize]

Are there any community theater groups in-person this year?

[TexasProud]

13 minutes ago, maize said:

Are there any community theater groups in-person this year?

Yeah, they are going to look at that, but they are in a rural area.  A big city is an hour away, but she is taking 18 hours ( tons of one hour dance and music classes.  I think she has 10 classes this semester.) So not sure they could work around her schedule.

[AEC]

DS completed his freshman year last year as a MT student. loved it.

the shows had maybe a smaller cast and they staged everything to minimize physical contact. everyone wore masks. there was no audience. It was live streamed, and honestly the sound quality was fairly poor. Most performances were done in a gym, which didn't help.

He also joined the 'competitive choir' and that was great, too. They all had 'singing masks'. They stick way out from your face and make you look like a duck, but they did stay on while the kids were singing. Rehearsals and performances (no audience) were done with the kids spaced pretty far apart. IIRC, rehearsals were 30 minutes, then vacate the building for 20 while the ac cycles through, then back in. Some were held outside. The sports teams all had various quarantine problems and COVID cases, but as I understand it no transmission was linked to choir or theatre.  <shrug>

Current plan for next year is the normal set of performances - both 'main stage' and student run. The college is requiring everyone (students, faculty, staff) to be vaccinated.

Interestingly, I hear from DS that the voice instructors found it easier to teach students who were wearing masks. Something about feedback when learning 'where to place your voice'. Which sounds weird, but I know nothing about the mechanics of singing.

 

 

 

[catz]

My kid is not an MT student.  He is a vocal music student.  But not traditionally classically focused.  He is in a highly competitive auditioned touring group that is more MT/Pop/Jazz oriented on campus as a singer/dancer.  It's been great dance training, he even learned how to tap.  Anyway, they are trying to go back to business as usual this year.  Both that group and campus theater and music in general.  I am really crossing fingers.  

It is frustrating.  My kid is a double major and I think had he not had such a large music scholarship, he may have dropped the music degree.  I'm hoping this year is much more fun and gratifying!