​Bristol Academy

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• This Musical Theatre Course will focus on cultivating foundational techniques in performing, singing, dancing and team-building. We will develop these skills while preparing for a performance of the Music Man.

 

• All High School students, as well as mature 8th grade students, are welcome. No musical, dance, or theatrical experience is required. The only requirement is a willingness to learn.  

 

• This Spring Semester we will be tackling a full length performance of the Music Man rather than a Junior version. Which means that  the rehearsals will be run at a little faster of a pace. So students are expected to come to rehearsals ready to work hard and focus for the entire class period. 

 

• In addition to regular class hours there will be a dress rehearsal and performance on Tuesday May 7th at Milligan University

 

• Check out your email from your teachers for more details on this performance!

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• The audition will be held on the first day of class (This will consist of some group warm-up activities/ ice breaker, a prepared song, and reading some scenes)

 

• FAQ About Auditions

 

• What Should I Sing? - This semester once a student has registered for the class we will send out a selection of songs and links to youtube recordings of the songs. There will be options for every vocal type. These will be excerpts from songs in the show, so the student will only be expected to prepare around a minute.

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• What if I Don’t Want to Sing by Myself (or At All)? That is completely fine.  Every student who registers will be cast in the musical. There are several parts in the show that are smaller spoken parts if a student doesn’t feel comfortable singing. The instructors are also happy to sing with the student if that will make them more comfortable. However, if a student does not sing  they will not be considered for any roles that have sung solos. But they will sing in the ensemble

 

• What are the Instructors Looking for in My Song? We are looking for students that are willing to try their best. This will look different for every student. For some students just getting up and singing in front of others is a big accomplishment and that will not go unpraised.  We are not requiring the song to be memorized. HOWEVER, For students hoping to be considered for leading roles, we expect that they will have their song excerpt memorized.  We also expect that  they will be able to not only mechanically sing the song correctly, but understand the thoughts and desires of the character. Being off book for your song will show the instructors that you are able to memorize and that you are prepared to handle a large role. 

 

• What does “Reading Some Scenes” Mean? Once you have registered for the class we will send out the sections of scenes that we will be reading at auditions (These are called audition sides). After the singing portion of the audition we will pair people together and choose what side we would like for the student to read. You may read one or two scenes depending on time. We may also ask you to read the scene again in a different way. This is NOT because you did the scene poorly or we didn’t like what you did the first time, but because we want to see if you can take direction and try things in different ways.  

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• How do I prepare to “Read Some Scenes”?  We recommend that you read through the sides so that you are comfortable getting up in front of the class and reading these with scene partners. These do not have to be memorized, but it will be much less stressful if you are familiar with the sides. I would also highly recommend watching the classic movie, listening to the music on spotify /youtube, or reading the plot synopsis. Any way for you to become familiar with the story. The scenes will make a lot more sense if you know what's happening in the story. 

 

• I Feel Scared, Unprepared or Anxious about the Audition. If you are feeling stuck with or unsure what to do, or have any questions in general. Please reach out to the instructors! We are here to help and have both been through auditions loads of times. So we definitely relate to the nerves. 

 

• When Will The Cast List Be Announced? We will do our best to post the cast list within 48 hours of the audition. We want to give students plenty of time to read through their part and listen to the show before our first rehearsal. We will also privately give a small amount of feedback on the audition when we send out the cast list. This is meant to be educational and we want everyone to understand how to improve and get better. 

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• The class will be capped at 25 students to provide every participant sufficient opportunity.

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• Students earn 1/2 credit for a High School elective course.  Parents are responsible for managing the transcript for their student. As a performance-based class, the instructors prefer to grade it as a pass/fail with recommendations for grading as needed.

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• If you have any other questions please reach out to Hannah Stam and Emily McCraw. 

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