Student Liaison Facebook Group College Scholarship

Vol. 3 Issue 2 November 2014 Overture Center’s Tommy Awards Newsletter Happy November!

Did you catch the broadcast of WPT’s 2014 Tommy Awards highlights program? We hope you enjoyed is as much as we did. November is the busiest month for Tommy productions so get out and enjoy some excellent high school musical theater! As always, if you have any ideas or suggestions for the newsletter, just send me an email! Have happy holidays - our next issue won’t be out until 2015!

Karra Beach | Programming & Community Engagement Coordinator | Overture Center for the Arts | [email protected] P.S. You can unsubscribe from Tommy Newsletter e-mails at any time by replying to this message with "unsubscribe" in the subject line. STUDENT LIAISON FACEBOOK GROUP COLLEGE SCHOLARSHIP APPLICATION The Tommy Awards has helped form friendships between While filling out your college applications keep in mind there is students from schools across the state. To foster these a scholarship available for students participating in the 2014/15 friendships we have started a Tommy Awards Student Tommy Awards program. Liaison Facebook group. This group will be a great resource CUNA Mutual Group is awarding a for those who want to $500 scholarship for a graduating attend other high school senior residing in Dane County who productions with a group has been accepted and is planning to of friends from different attend a Wisconsin-based college or university. In addition, the schools. We can create student must be planning on majoring in the performing arts or events, see who is going and those attending can even arts related field and have been an active participant in his/her coordinate dinner and carpooling plans. school's musical (on or backstage). The 2014-15 CUNA Mutual You can access the group here: Tommy Student Liaisons College Scholarship application is now available online. and you do not need to be the student liaison at your school The recipient will be chosen mid-May and notified by email. to join. Kolten Bell, a senior at Beloit Memorial High School, Applications for the scholarship are due by 5pm on Friday, May is working as the coordinator for this group this year. 8, 2015. ******************************************************************************************************************************************** JOSEPH & THE AMAZING TECHNICOLOR DREAMCOAT AT OVERTURE CENTER The national tour of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat starring former American Idol contestants Diana DeGarmo and Ace Young will be performing at Overture Center for the Arts Tuesday, November 25th through Sunday, November 30th. It will be a colorful and fun production so come on out! There is a student rush for this show. Tickets are just $25 and each student can receive 2 tickets per student ID. Tickets must be purchased at the ticket office window here at Overture. Students need to present their student ID and will need to pay in cash. Visit our website for the performance times and information. ******************************************************************************************************************************************** UPCOMING HIGH SCHOOL PERFORMANCES Support your fellow Tommy participants and see the fantastic work they are doing this season! Here are the upcoming productions in November and December. It is a BUSY but great month for High School Musical Theatre! Be sure to check our website for the most up to date information!

Grease Shrek the Musical Wauwatosa West High School Divine Savior Holy Angels High School NOV 14 & 15 | 7 PM NOV 13 – 15 | 7 PM NOV 9 | 2 PM NOV 9 | 2 PM

The Addams Family Crazy for You Fort Atkinson High School Sun Prairie High School

NOV 13 - 15 | 7:30 PM NOV 14 & 15 | 7 PM NOV 16 | 2 PM NOV 15 & 16 | 2 PM Aidan Gabriel in Tosa West’s 2014 production of Joseph and the Amazing Techincolor Dreamcoat. Cody Bye Bye Birdie Pritchard Fiddler on the Roof Clinton High School and Thomas McFarland High School NOV 14 – 16 | 7:30 PM McDonald in Fort NOV 13 - 15 | 7 PM NOV 17 | 2 PM Atkinson’s 2014 A Christmas Carol production The Wizard of Oz Arrowhead Union High School of Disney’s Hartford Union High School NOV 14 & 15, 20 & 22 | 7PM Beauty & NOV 14 & 15, 21 & 22 | 7:30 PM the Beast. NOV 16 & 23 | 1 PM NOV 16 | 2 PM

Nathan Shrek the Musical The Drowsy Chaperone Traynor, Darlington High School Whitewater High School* Micaela NOV 28 & 29 | 7:30 PM Van Kirk NOV 20 - 22 | 7:30 PM & Jacob NOV 30 | 1:30 PM Schmidt in Oklahoma How to Succeed in Business Parker’s New Berlin West High School River Valley High School 2014 DEC 5 & 6 | 7PM DEC 19 & 20 | 7:30 PM Shrek DEC 7 | 2 PM DEC 20 & 21 | 2:30PM

TOMMY AWARDS FACEBOOK PAGE Meghan If you can’t get enough of musicals - high school musicals in particular, you should Vieth as the “like” our Tommy Awards Facebook page. We post information about upcoming Fairy performances, photos from recent Tommy Awards productions as Godmother in Darlington’s well as information about workshops and discounted tickets for 2014 students to Broadway performances at Overture production of Center for the Arts. Check it out and get connected Cinderella. with the schools and students in southern Wisconsin participating in the Tommy Awards.

******************************************************************************************************************************************** COLLEGE AUDITION COMPONENTS College and university audition requirements can be confusing and sometimes intimidating. While you will need to look at each school’s requirements, most acting schools require two monologues, and most musical theatre schools require one or two monologues and two songs. Here’s a basic guideline to choosing monologues and songs for your college audition.

Monologues: Basic tips for song selection and vocal auditions: There are generally two types of monologues requested: • Even when not requested, have a song in your contemporary and classical. A contemporary monologue is repertoire that was written before 1960. one written from 1900 to present day. Though you have • Singing the song is only half of it - you need to quite a bit of writing to choose from for your contemporary understand the piece and act it as well. monologue, it is generally recommended to stick with one • Have your songs clearly cut, in the correct key, that was written in the last three to ten years. A classical copied double sided, and in a binder. monologue is one written before 1900. Generally colleges • Standard cuts are 16-bars or 32-bars. But… ask to hear you perform a classical monologue to see how • Be prepared to sing each song in its complete form. well you handle verse. • Have an extra one “up your sleeve.” Like the monologues, you may be asked to sing something Basic tips for monologue selection & auditions: else. • Avoid accents or dialects. The auditors want to hear • Your repertoire should include a variety of styles: your voice. Golden Age (1943-1960), Standard (pre-1943), pop, • Avoid extreme characters and choose for your Operatic, Sondheim, Contemporary, Disney/film “type.” tune, Post-millenium (since 2000). • Lesser-known works by well-known playwrights are a great resource. A few resources for finding Contemporary Repertoire: • Avoid the monologues written specifically for • Know your Broadway doppelganger: if they look and monologue books. sound like you, chances are good their songs/roles • Have an extra one “up your sleeve.” You never will fit you too! know if they will ask if you have something else to • Research Composers: When you find one song you show them. like, check out other works by that same composer. • Video/Audio Streaming sites: YouTube is great - A few resources for finding contemporary monologues: here are a few great channels to check • New Dramatists: This organization works with new out: FamousInNY, Cutting-Edge playwrights and will send copies of manuscripts for a Composers, ContemporaryClassics. nominal fee. • Visit “Uncle Internet’s” library: New Musical • Regional Theater web sites: Keep tabs on what is Theater, Contemporary Musical Theatre (there are currently playing. MANY more, but these two are a great place to • Go see shows: This truly is the best way to work on start). your art, feed your passion and expand your • Go see shows: This truly is the best way to work on knowledge. your art, feed your passion and expand your knowledge. Songs: • For most auditions you are asked to sing two songs - Be sure to talk with your directors, voice teachers, cast one up-tempo song and one ballad. Up-tempo is members, and especially the websites for each of the colleges exactly what it sounds like - an upbeat tune. A ballad you are interested in for more advice, requirements and tips. is slower and contains a legato line.