NYMT

Hi,
Hoping someone can help! DS has imaginary audition but now think I've told him the wrong options! Am so confused as he is 13-thought he could audition for Dr Google but in the audition breakdown it says optional for 15+. I emailed Jeremy but I think he misunderstood and just told me it was an adult role! (Meaning he's a grown up teacher...). Now worried he should have stuck with goole as Milo's song is far too high for him so he's doing it an octave lower which is prob all wrong. I feel like an awful inexperienced mother and ditto no teachers!

Thank you Jan. Son number 2 seems to have rallied. Am going to cross my fingers he fought off whatever it was without sharing. ..

Biscuits, what kind of ill is it looking to be? If its ENT related you could try prophylactic First Defence.....? Just a thought.....!

Great! I did a few hours with my student yesterday and will see him again tomorrow. It's a lovely thing for the school so they ought to take an interest!

Evil - actually yes! We just had an email from the music master saying he can come into school to help her on Saturday. Which is above and beyond and I love him. Main problem was contacting them over half term.....

We're on half term too. Will none of your DD's teachers help anyway? I'm helping my student!

Where's Aplo gone?

DS2, not the theatrical one, has just told me he feels ill. Felt his forehead and he's really hot. It's probably too late to impose any effective quarantine, isn't it? They've been lying in top of each other in brotherly horseplay all week... am trying not to c atastrophise...

Lol. We aren't on half term here so my daughter won't have a lot of time to look at her bits. Cramming on the train tomorrow night I reckon!

Evil - yes, I think she can do it intuitively............but she doesn't think so! Also in panic as teachers are all on half term, so only her hopeless mother to help. Its chaos I tell you! Will look for that Evans/Russell recording. Thanks!

There's only the one 4/4 6/4 4/4 change... I wouldn't stress about it too much - Sondheim is all about the acting...As long as she can count 1234 12345move after George has started "do" it'll be fine - they're not looking for perfection.

The CD I have (Daniel Evans & Jenna Russell) is accurate. Just wish I could actually play the accompaniment. 6 sharps and my fingers won't move fast enough!

Evil - the 4/4 to 6/4 and then back to 4/4 time signatures in "Move On" are pretty damned horrendous too. We are frantically counting beats in some kind of Sondheimesque nightmare. The youtube recordings are not true to the sheet music, which is deadly!

I've just spent a couple of hours going through the stuff for Sunday & Imaginary with my student. It's a fair amount to prepare but he's more laid back than last year - he got it all sorted last year and then didn't actually need it all in the recall. Having said that, we're still preparing everything... Looks like Sunday is going to be the show for the older group with Imaginary having a good mix of ages from the character breakdown. I love Sondheim but bloody hell it's difficult! If anyone else is preparing Finishing The Hat, I found a really good piano track for it on YouTube here Couldn't find one for Move On, though I do have the CD (which I've lent to him)

Yes.

So he was recalled for two but was cast in one of the two?

No, he was recalled for two and cast in the other one, which was a new commission and therefore we had some audio tracks to help with the preparation.

So was your son cast in a totally different show than he was recalled for biscuitsneeded?

Oh I didn't mean he was no good!! Poor DS. It's just that we had a load of sheet music (only) to prepare for one of the shows last year and with no piano players in the family we only had a couple of 30 minute sessions with a friend to help him learn the songs. I don't think he could have sung every single one faultlessly at the audition. Luckily he was cast anyway, in a different show. All I mean is that I am sure they will be forgiving of any mistakes, especially if there haven't been any audio tracks to work with. I remember DS and I got very alarmed by it all last year and I realised afterwards that it hadn't been necessary to worry quite as much as we did. Good Luck to all the DC at the weekend.

Biscuits! I'm sure that is NOT the case for your poor DS!!! We will just struggle on with the horror of 4/4 changing to 6/4 midstream then....

Don't panic Jan - each show has provided different stuff. The advantage of the new commissions is that they can get the creators to provide a recording of themselves singing the extracts - very necessary considering the kids can't hear it anywhere else. But for pre-existing shows I guess they know they can listen to cast recordings, youtube etc. Honk is proving a struggle because existing recordings don't reflect the sheet music we've been sent, you need someone who can play the piano in order to practise it. But they are super nice at the auditions and are very good at spotting potential in a less than perfect rendition - they must be or DS wouldn't have been picked last year!!

Not for Sunday (typically, given how difficult the piano music is!) I guess because Imaginary is brand new, they've sent recordings - no point looking on YouTube!

Guide? Backing tracks? Eeek! Where have those come from? Is it odd that we don't have these for Sunday in the Park.....? Only sheet music...

Very thought so biscuits!

He's downloaded all of it - we're spending some time on it this afternoon so will make sure he learns the right words!

There's a lot to get through - last year it was just Spring Awakening!