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Well, just recently I decided that I would quit soccer and pursue my dreams of acting. The director of my play invited a NY director/producer who told me he thinks I could definitely hit Broadway with my talent. You see, my nickname in the drama world is Ethel Merman. I need to know what I should do to start preparing for college. I have had many people tell me to start looking at schools like Juilliard, NYU and Columbia, and I will be visiting those schools next month. What else do I need to do? How can I be preparing myself for auditions, and getting into college? My dream is to be accepted to Juilliard. I know I have a talent. How do I pursue it? Get me on Broadway!!!!!! Sincerely, (Name Withheld) Dear (NW): If you're determined to try to make it in show business, a good college is a terrific place to start. Most undergraduate drama degrees, however, offer little professional advantage to the would-be actor. Concentrating on (or at least taking advantage of) your musical theatre gifts can give you some more opportunities than most. The two best musical theatre programs in the country belong to the Cincinnati Conservatory of Music and the Boston Conservatory of Music. Each year, these schools' industry showcase attracts almost every agent and casting director in New York City. Their graduates probably have the highest employment percentage of ANY drama school, musical or otherwise, graduate or undergraduate. Although Juilliard (thanks Lana)is, of course, one of the best programs in the country, it doesn't t specialize in musicals. Nonetheless many Broadway stars have gotten their start there (Patti LuPone and Kevin Kline). A number of other schools offer good programs as well, although they lack the prestige of the above mentioned three. Take a look at Carnegie Mellon, Northwestern, and to a lesser extent Michigan and NYU.
Questions you need to ask of any program you attend are:
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