#98: Dear Julie… acting major?
Wednesday 11/13/24
DEAR JULIE: I auditioned for musical theatre at my dream school, but they passed me for acting for a live audition and not musical theatre. I really love singing and the music is my bigger passion. What should I do?
Ah yes. This is a great question and I see it happen all the time. I’ll make a few points but ultimately the decision is yours. For everyone reading, this happens quite a bit when applying to school for musical theatre. Schools will also consider you for acting based on your prescreens. If they pass you for a live audition for acting, instead of MT, this is called a “redirect”. You applied for MT but were redirected for acting. This is NOT a slight - it means the school sees that your ability is a great fit for acting. This is a big deal! Be excited!
#1 You have to still get in. I think giving yourself another opportunity for a YES is a good idea. Schedule the audition and do it with full enthusiasm. If they sense you are not really “into” it, you won’t get in anyway. Give it your all.
#2 College isn’t jail. While it’s not ideal, you can decide to go there, and if you hate it you can transfer.
#3 It depends on the school - but most acting and MT programs allow students in both majors to participate in the plays and musicals regardless of major. You may also be able to take musical theatre, voice, or dance based on how the school allows it. In some schools, the programs are completely different and separate but if they are auto considering you for acting when you audition for MT thats usually a good sign they allow overlap.
#4 Sometimes a school knows where you will get the most out of their program. They see something in your audition that says “ok not MT for our needs, but there is something excellent happening in the acting here - let’s see them”.
#5 Remember, LOTS of amazing MT actors go to school for acting even though they are exceptional vocalists. A few that come to mind are Annaleigh Ashford - BFA Acting, Marymount Manhattan; Katrina Lenk - Northwestern; and don’t forget Patti LuPone and Phillippa Soo both went to the Acting school at Juilliard. Oh, and me! Haha
#6 The root of what we do as musical theatre performers IS acting. It is not singing or dancing. Those are vehicles of storytelling. We are all actors first. That IS the major. Make sure you really understand that.
I say to see it through. Sometimes you don't know what you want or need until you have your options. Don’t deprive yourself of the opportunity for another choice.
Dreams Don’t Die
Julie