MARCH 2010 –  A year ago at this time….  The upcoming Senior Showcase and NYC Reunion….  A reminder from the Friends of Musical Theatre….

Plus  News of labs and master classes….  RAGTIME….  Auditions (and more auditions)….  The Collage Concert….  ALL’S WELL THAT ENDS WELL….  The Freshmen Revue….  and more!

AN ANNIVERSARY OF AN ANNIVERSARY

As I write this column, I’m filled with warm thoughts of the graduates, for exactly one year ago we celebrated the 25^th Anniversary of our Department.   It was a weekend of memories that culminated with a 3-and-a-half hour concert filled with musical numbers and guest speakers, punctuated by almost non-stop applause, laughter and indeed, occasional tears.  Any program which ends Act I with “In My Own Lifetime,” Act II with “Make Our Garden Grow,” and jumps from LOVE LIFE to RENT to THE WIZ to SHE LOVES ME along the way, and then features Jerry DePuit accompanying “Time After Time…..”   Well, it’s simply destined to become legendary (if it hasn’t already!).   I hope that all of you have been able to get a copy of the picture-filled Anniversary souvenir book – a few copies are still available by contacting Rosalind Martin in the Department office, at rpmartin@umich.edu

A TOAST TO HIGH SCHOOL SENIORS

The Musical Theatre Department is finally winding down the auditions for the year.  A record number of high school seniors applied this year, much to our surprise.  We actually scheduled fewer audition days, thinking that the current economy would reduce the number of applicants.  Well, we missed the boat on that prediction, and on some days had over 70 people to see.  That’s a huge number when you consider that we’re determining whom to invite here for the next 4 years.  We’re now finalizing the list of admitted students, and scholarships will be determined at the end of the week.  Meanwhile, tuition creeps higher and higher, and surprisingly, the final amount isn’t announced until the summer, when everyone has already determined their plans and budgets.  All I can say is, be glad that you’re not a senior in high school.   OR, the parents of a high school senior!

WINTER TERM EVENTS:  AN OVERVIEW

The last few months have been a whirlwind.  Here are some of the highpoints:

Our annual lab with Martin Katz.  This year we gave Martin quite a gift:  Rodgers and Hammerstein, Lerner and Loewe, and Adam Guettel, along with 5 marvelous seniors.  He was in heaven ---- and so were we. 

The Collage Concert in Hill Auditorium.  This year’s MT entry was “And the Money Kept Rolling In (and Out)” from our fall production of EVITA.  Junior Carlos Valdes and the rest of the company made an enormous impact, enhanced by Linda Goodrich’s staging and the music direction of Catherine Adams.

A marvelous lab with casting director Jennifer Rudin, whose credits range from animated films like “The Princess and the Frog” to stage works like Disney’s THE LITTLE MERMAID. 

The annual Freshmen Revue with the Class of 2013 (I know, I know --- I can hear each of you saying, “I feel so old.”).  As befitting their year of graduation, they opened the show with a Michigan version of Jason Robert Brown’s title song from THIRTEEN.  Not only were all of the performances spectacular, but I challenge anyone anywhere to find a more receptive audience!  (I’m surprised we weren’t arrested for disturbing the peace!).

A return visit from casting director and teacher Dave Clemmons, who worked with sophomores, juniors and seniors on audition songs.

MUSKET’S winter term musical MAN OF LA MANCHA, which featured choreography by junior James Tolbert and performances by MT majors.

A master class in vocal coaching with former faculty member Grant Wenaus, who left Michigan 9 years ago for NYU, and we still miss him!

A lab with sound designer/engineer Scott Stauffer, who discussed working with various elements of miking, and the relationship between actors and sound designers.  Many of you may recall that Scott designed the sound for our Anniversary Concert last year.  Scott is the designer for the American Songbook Series at Lincoln Center this season.

LOST IN ANN ARBOR, our annual presentation by the seniors at the Kerrytown Concert House, featuring selections which were explored but ultimately deleted from our Senior Showcase repertoire (the title is taken from the LOST IN BOSTON albums, highlighting songs which were cut in their out-of-town tryouts).  

A lab with actor Tony Freeman, who, among his many credits, has totaled 6 years in THE LION KING, playing both Zazu and Scar.   Tony came from Boston on his day off to work with the seniors on cold readings.

A return visit from MT grad Todd Buonopane, who worked closely with the senior class, selecting repertoire for the Senior Showcase.

Shakespeare’s ALL’S WELL THAT ENDS WELL, Malcolm Tulip’s production of our studio play in the Arthur Miller Theatre.  A question:  How does Malcolm do it?  With barely a month of rehearsals (interrupted by a mass migration by the cast to the Pittsburgh Civic Light Opera auditions on tech weekend!), he annually leads the cast of these productions to imaginative, thought-provoking interpretations of plays that can challenge and confound actors twice the age of these undergraduates.  With no budget, Malcolm focuses on the play and on the performances, always with results that amaze and astonish.  Malcolm has inherited the Studio mantle from Philip Kerr, who guided these productions for years, again with challenging repertoire and memorable performances (and who remains on the faculty teaching and directing in other slots).

RAGTIME, our Power Center musical, opens on April 15^th, with Mark Madama and Cynthia Westphal at the helm.  Rehearsals on this gigantic undertaking only began in the second week of March, interrupted by another pilgrimage, this time to St. Louis for the MUNY auditions.  Speaking of RAGTIME, isn’t it time for some of you to visit Ann Arbor in the spring?  This promises to be a phenomenal event, and would be well worth the trip.  RAGTIME plays only 4 performances, from the 15^th to the 18^th, and very few tickets are still available.  If you’d like to come, let me know, and I can help with getting seats. 

As I review all of these activities, taking place in just a couple months, along with daily classes and homework, I’m proud of what we accomplish in the course of a day.  And I can’t help thinking, no wonder I’m always behind on my e-mail!

ALL THE NEWS THAT’S FIT TO PRINT…..

For news about the graduates, in addition to the postings on this website, visit on the web by clicking here.

If you have information that isn’t posted, contact Marisa Meyer or me.  Because this is a School of Music website, it’s not updated daily, but if you send us something, I guarantee that we’ll get it listed before long.

MAY 11^TH ----  SHOWCASE AND REUNION

It’s not too early to highlight your calendars with May 11^th, the date of our Senior Showcase in New York.   Performances are at 3:00 pm and 6:30 pm at the Alvin Ailey Theatre on West 55th, and we certainly want to encourage graduates to attend.  I’ll have detailed information available soon about making reservations.  Later that evening, we’ll have our annual New York MT Graduates Reunion at the Marriott-Marquis Hotel in Times Square.  It’s a Tuesday night, and things will get underway at about 8:15, so everyone will have plenty of time to catch up. 

NEW MEANING FOR THE WORD ‘FRIENDS’

At one time it was a monumentally successful television show, but long before that, it was (and continues to be) the name of our valuable donor group, The Friends of Musical Theatre.  What an impact this group has on the education of the students!  I should mention that our Department has no budget of its own.  We are given supplies for teaching, and a set amount for productions (controlled by University Productions), and that’s it.  All of the guests that were listed above, every performance of the Senior Showcase in New York, and scholarship support which is vital for us to attract the top applicants --- all of these are made possible by donors.  Interestingly, over 5000 people annually see our Power Center musicals, raving about these for months and sometimes years, but our Friends group has barely 200 members.  I’m not certain that people realize the importance of this group.  Musical Theatre programs are springing up around the country, often with a funding base that considerably surpasses our own.  This is not an especially lucrative time for arts support in Michigan.   If you’ve ever considered giving support to our Department, now is a great time.  I’ve always tried to stay out of the development component of our School because I don’t want to risk having this aspect seem to color my relationship with the graduates.  However, as I think about it, my goal here is simple:  Just to share information about the value of support.  If this is something which you’d like to pursue, here’s a link for more information.  Be sure to specify Friends of Musical Theatre in any correspondence or donations.

A REMINDER WHICH IS WORTH REPEATING ‘ONE MORE LAST TIME…’

As this column and this website gain momentum, it’s important to me to thank Marisa Meyer again.  She has diligently championed this marvelous site to fruition.  We’re striving to make this of value to all of the graduates.  (Is it working?)  If you have news or suggestions, don’t hesitate to contact either of us:    info@uofmmt.com

As we celebrate the arrival of spring and prepare for Year 27, I send best wishes to all of you ---