The MT Family π Feature π΅
October 2024
Hi, MT Families!
Happy Friday, Happy October and Happy Fall to you all! The school year is in full swing and we're in the middle of several exciting projects in the Musical Theatre classroom. This newsletter is meant to keep you up to date on all things MT and provide ONE place for you to find all of the resources and tools you need to remain an important partner in your child's major at TU!
Your child may have mentioned that they didn't see much of me for awhile. Unfortunately, I had a medical issue that required emergency surgery on Sept 24th and had to recover at home for several days. I am happy to report that I am now feeling great and have been back in the classroom with my MT family this week!
TUHS Musical Theatre Highlights and Updates
β¨UPCOMING PRODUCTIONβ¨
The senior Musical Theatre majors will present their student-led Senior Showcase on Thursday, December 5th and Friday, December 6th at 3:30pm and 6:30pm each day in the J.R.E.C Auditorium. The purpose of this production is to allow students to demonstrate mastery of the skills they have acquired over the last four years AND to take ownership over ALL aspects of production. This ensures that they have an understanding of their craft - inside and out. Seniors will tackle writing, direction, choreography, stage management, marketing, publicity, costumes, props, set elements, lighting, sound and playbills. Come witness the magic that occurs when you allow students to lead the way!
RECENT HIGHLIGHTS
Ava Conklin Memorial Scholarship Presentation
On June 21st, two MT majors were awarded the first annual Ava Conklin Memorial Scholarships. Chelsea Dennis and Jeremiah Johnson were recognized for their impeccable and unwavering work ethic, positive attitude and leadership ability. These are the traits that we honor in memory of our beloved TUHS MT alumni and community member, Ava Conklin, who tragically passed away in June of 2023. Ava's family was in attendance for a ceremony to dedicate the Scholarship plaque in Room 441 and pictured is Ava's mom with our first two scholarship winners. We are comforted by this tribute to Ava's legacy and the fact that future MT students will be helped to achieve their goals through the scholarship. See below for how you can contribute to this important fund.
TU Students Perform at Science of Voice Teacher Conference
On June 30th, MT majors Lily Krebs and Ani Vasquez performed for a panel of voice teachers from across the country at the annual Singing Voice Science Conference at Teachers College at Columbia University. They each sang a solo and were then coached by the master teachers, who were wowed by our powerful vocalists.
TU Students Supporting TU Students
This past summer, we had multiple MT majors pursuing their craft outside of the requirements of their major and many of them performed in a production of Into the Woods (the very same show we presented as our mainstage musical last year). On July 23rd, the TU community showed up in mass and it was a beautiful night of solidarity and a testament to the supportive nature of the students at Talent Unlimited High School!
OCTOBER PARENT / GUARDIAN CHECK IN
π₯³ CELEBRATIONS π₯³
πΆ Happy Birthday to... πΆ
Julia Stemm - October 18
(Happy Belated Birthday to...)
Leah Barreto - September 6th
Beatrix Sudworth - September 10th
Cayce Davis - September 11th
Luella Ares - September 16th
Raquel Gamboa - September 18th
UPCOMING FOR SENIOR MT
First Senior Performance of the Year - OPEN HOUSE!
The seniors will have their first performances of the year on October 18th (6:30pm) and 19th (10:00am) at the TU Open House for prospective 9th graders and their families. They will present one piece from their upcoming Senior Showcase as an ensemble and all students are expected to perform in both shows. This year, they will perform "Magic to Do" from Pippin, which will be student directed and choreographed.
There will be a quick tech rehearsal immediately after school on Tuesday, October 15th. I do not anticipate this taking any longer than 45 minutes. We will also have a dress rehearsal (students should bring their costumes / shoes / accessories) on Thursday, October 17th during the school day and a Student Assembly Performance on Friday, October 18th during the school day.
Current Senior Curriculum
ACTING AND VOCAL: The seniors are heavily into rehearsals for the upcoming Senior Showcase. They have selected a creative theme, all of the ensemble numbers and the solos for each character. The student-elected writer, directors and choreographers are busy creating and teaching and the production teams are hard at work bringing every aspect of their show to life.
At home, you should expect to see your child rehearsing the ensemble numbers (choreography, notes, rhythms, lyrics) as well as their individual solos. Please encourage them to perform the solos for you, as it will help them to get used to an audience.
Many seniors have asked me to write college recommendation letters and I have a protocol that will ensure that nothing slips through the cracks. For a Recommendation Letter students should:
1) ask me - in person or over email
2) hand me a hard copy of their brag sheet
3) hand me a hard copy of their resume (especially those going on into performance, so I know where you have trained any any performances outside of TU)
4) MOST IMPORTANTLY, Enter their requests and deadlines HERE. This document shows me what they need in great detail, with deadlines and pre-screen requests (if applicable).
For a WEEKLY BREAKDOWN OF HOMEWORK AND ASSESSMENTS click HERE.
For a complete list of Senior Units of Study for Semester 1, click HERE.
UPCOMING FOR JUNIOR MT
Current Junior Curriculum
ACTING: The juniors began their first cycle of this year's Performance Assessments this week. They have selected contemporary solo pieces and are working to implement the new unit of study, Tactics, into this performance. This means that students must choose different ways of trying to get something they want from an imagined "other" in their song. I encourage you to ask your child to share their 2 tactics with you and then perform the piece for you so you can see if the tactics are clear.
The students are also researching the most important and influential productions in Musical Theatre history. Each student has been assigned a show and will present a slideshow of their findings for the class - culminating in a quiz on all of the productions and how they shaped MT as we now know it.
For a WEEKLY BREAKDOWN OF HOMEWORK AND ASSESSMENTS click HERE.
- For a complete list of Junior Units of Study for Semester 1, click HERE.
UPCOMING FOR SOPHOMORE MT
Current Sophomore Curriculum
ACTING AND VOCAL: The sophomores have begun their first round of solo performance assessments at TU! They have selected a traditional Musical Theatre piece by composers Rodgers & Hammerstein. The focus of this unit is the slate (introducing yourself and your piece to a room) and the focal point (the place your eyes will rest for your performance). The students have also been introduced to the 5 Questions, which involve selecting a real person from their lives to imagine singing their song to and creating a vivid scenario for the conversation.
Sophomores are also determining the most important and influential productions currently open (or soon-to open) on Broadway. The next step will be for each student to research an assigned show and then create a tri-fold poster containing their findings to be displayed in the MT classroom. This ensures that the students are knowledgeable about their craft and are able to speak about what is happening on Broadway right now.
For a WEEKLY BREAKDOWN OF HOMEWORK AND ASSESSMENTS click HERE.
For a complete list of Sophomore Units of Study for Semester 1, click HERE.
UPCOMING FOR FRESHMAN MT
Current Freshman Curriculum
ACTING: The freshmen are in the middle of their first unit in ensemble-building. We have spent time determining what is required to trust one another in the context of our classroom and a production. Many of our activities are designed to give students the opportunity to start to get to know each other to begin to build that trust.
VOCAL: Students have been practicing to develop a healthy and structured vocal warmup. We have also begun to explore what it means to sing as an ensemble and are using a round entitled, "Ah Poor Bird" to support that work.
Freshmen are also identifying qualities that they appreciate in the voices of others by choosing a Broadway star to research and presenting information about them, as well as an audio clip to the class.
For a WEEKLY BREAKDOWN OF HOMEWORK AND ASSESSMENTS click HERE.
For a complete list of Freshman Units of Study for Semester 1, click HERE.
FREE Musical Theatre Training Programs
Exploring the Arts Internships for Juniors
The Arts Internship Program (AIP) provides high school juniors from ETAβs partner school network with a valuable two-year, paid internship at a creative institution and programming from ETA designed to build essential skills, training, and experience necessary for achieving college and career goals. Accepted students will participate during the school year, starting in November 2024 through May 2026, and there will be a one month summer program.
For more information, click HERE.
To apply, click HERE.
APPLICATION DEADLINE IS OCTOBER 16th!
TUHS MT ALUMNI SHOUT OUTS
Andrew Elhamalawy - Class of 2017
Andrew Elhamalawy is currently performing in New York Theater Workshop's Off-Broadway production of We Live In Cairo, which opened on October 9th.
Maya Santiago - Class of 2018
Maya Santiago has been consistently performing professionally for the last year (including a Broadway national tour)! Her latest project is Anything Goes at Gulfshore Playhouse in the role of Erma.