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Extra-curricular activities

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Original poster

NYMT

514 replies

aplo · 11/01/2016 15:59

Hi, have just joined here so hope I am posting in the correct place. Just wondering if anyone here has a child auditioning for NYMT or similar groups this year.
My DD (age 11 ) is auditioning next sunday

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EvilTwins · 28/01/2017 15:16

I'm glad it's not just us with no recall material yet though I remember from last year that there wasn't much time to learn it, I get that it makes it fair.

Last year, he was recalled for Spring Awakening and the recall was at the end of half term so we worked on it during half term week. This year he'll have three to prepare for and it looks like the same timescale! It's our school show the week before half term and he's one of the leads (and that sucks up all my time) so it looks like it'll be half term again. He needs to do it with me as well - no piano/music reader at home!

Biscuitsneeded · 28/01/2017 09:08

Off-topic slightly, but do you get the (rather cheesy and dreadful) BBC/Gary Barlow show Let it Shine in Ireland? Two NYMT alumni in it tonight, I believe! My whole family except DS all have a stinking cold. He's either had a miraculous escape, or it's brewing just in time to render him unable to sing at next weekend's audition... Hope it's the former!
Aplo, I'm sure adrenaline and excitement will carry your DD through the school musical and recall week. At least she can relax afterwards!

Original poster
aplo · 25/01/2017 23:01

Half term is the week later here. The only advantage of having her school show on will be that there will be no homework that week but there are two evening performances.

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Original poster
aplo · 25/01/2017 23:00

Not at all presumptuous! Dd was listening to the honk soundtrack on the flight over to the last audition and we had looked up the storyline etc. They might use script at the audition so knowing the story at least will help. (They didn't at Dd's audition but they did improv around animals)

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Biscuitsneeded · 25/01/2017 18:28

Hastily adding, not presumptuous of your daughter who knows she has a recall. Just for my DS!

Biscuitsneeded · 25/01/2017 18:27

Thank you! Guess that week before the recall weekend isn't half term in Ireland then?
That's a good idea to look up the Honk songs. It's not a musical I know. Seems a bit presumptuous at this stage though!

Original poster
aplo · 25/01/2017 17:53

Biscuits, all I can tell you is that my students mum feels the same way tool!
We haven't heard yet what day she is recalled and haven't any material - she has been going through songs from Honk here and has just finished reading A Little princess as that is about all she can do for now. I presume she won't get the material until all first round auditions are finished so there is no advantage for those who auditioned earlier. Our only problem with that is she will most likely get the material the week before when she has her school musical (which in her school is a huge thing) all week and is playing one of the leads. We will just have to grab whatever time we can!
If it's any help Dd is rooting for your son (or as she says the son of the woman from your weird internet group!)

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Biscuitsneeded · 25/01/2017 15:44

Yes, the song is picked and he just has to decide where to cut it, to get it to approx 2 mins. Hoping we will have a bit of time to practise this weekend but as usual there's a lot going on! Sounds like your kids are equally busy, and the chances are that (hopefully!) at least part of your holiday may be spent travelling to watch performances of some kind... Is your DD recalled on the Sat or the Sunday? Has she been sent any recall material, or not yet? I have come down with a cold today and DS left for school saying his throat hurt, so I'm hoping he can shake off whatever it is before next weekend. Agree it's the knowing what they could have, plus the feeling of being in limbo in terms of being able to make any plans for Easter or summer, that's so unsettling. Thanks for replying and confirming that I am not obsessing to an unnatural degree (or if I am, that I am not alone)!

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aplo · 25/01/2017 15:12

Biscuits I can totally and utterly empathise, knowing exactly what they could have makes it harder than some audition that "might be fun"! I also feel like our summer plans are completely on hold here too. My DS has an audition for the Irish youth choir and also for the world youth choir in two weeks time also so we will be waiting on all audition results to see when to try and have a family holiday, which if both or either DS and Dd are successful will probably be the rest of us going to see one or other perform!
Has your DS picked his song?

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Biscuitsneeded · 25/01/2017 14:39

Aplo and EvilTwins, can I just say (because I'm sure you can empathise) that the waiting is killing me! DS doesn't even audition for another 10 days... I feel like some dreadful over-invested mother but the reality is that DS, while usually pretty good about rejections, is going to be really disappointed if he doesn't get a recall. Last year's NYMT was the best experience of his life. So I am feeling anxious for him and trying not to let him pick up on it! And on a practical note I really want to know what our summer will look like!!

smurfy2015 · 15/01/2017 18:05

Thank you so much Alpo, niece is now investigating groups and thank you for the info

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aplo · 14/01/2017 23:05

Smurphy I'm afraid I am completely the wrong end of the country for you, I am about as south as you could get! Maybe try the Association of Irish Musical Society's (Aims) for a local group and go from there.

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smurfy2015 · 13/01/2017 17:54

Thank you Alpo for your reply, sorry i wasnt clear she goes to a residential for a week in summer, not drip feeding just forgot to say residential, lives in the North east Cavan/ Monaghan / Louth / Meath area, sorry im being vague in this so as not to out me, thanks for your help TIA

Original poster
aplo · 12/01/2017 23:41

Smurphy I am not in Dublin so don't really know much about the scene there but the Gaiety school of acting has a great reputation and does a weekly musical theatre class and drama classes and any of the schools that have kids in Panto in the Olympia or the gaiety would be good starting points for a mixture of dance and musical theatre - off the top of my head I don't know what school's they are but I'm sure if you phoned the theatres they would help.

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Original poster
aplo · 12/01/2017 23:38

Biscuits I think one of the nicest things about NYMT is they way that all the age groups mix together. The gala ensemble all really bonded and while DD was especially close to girls her own age she loved being around the older kids too. Sharing the same interests really seems to bond them as a group.
Flights booked for February now, if she manages to go further with Honk we will have to be very clever with flights but so far they haven't been anymore than a train fare from Manchester would be, thankfully we mostly have somewhere to stay in London so it's not too bad.

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smurfy2015 · 12/01/2017 23:15

Alpo congrats to your DD, just wondering would you mind sharing details with me for Ireland as my niece is interested in musical theatre, she is 14 and goes to a week long stage school each summer in Dublin, also has RADA exams this year and a main role in a musical in May this year

Congrats to all the other DC and students who are the up and coming performers

Biscuitsneeded · 12/01/2017 22:24

They often need some older ones to play the adults even when the majority of the cast is younger. In Boat there were a LOT of mid teens ie 14 -16, and a couple of young ones like my DS, and then just a few 18+. I asked my DS if he thought the young adult ones minded being in the show with younger cast members instead of, say, Spring Awakening. He said far from it, they were just so thrilled to be chosen and thought the show was so fab it wasn't an issue in any way. And I have to say part of what made it so special for him was being with all the older ones, and how nice they all were to him.

EvilTwins · 12/01/2017 22:15

Fantastic news! Well done to your DD! So exciting!

My student told me that Honk is the only one this year that's exclusively for the younger age group - the others are either just older (Sunday I suspect) or a full mix. He's 18 and has been recalled for Imaginary as well as Sunday and A Little Princess.

Fingers crossed all round!

Biscuitsneeded · 12/01/2017 22:08

But it's fabulous news!

Biscuitsneeded · 12/01/2017 22:08

How would you make Honk work from where you are? Isn't that the touring one? You'd have to fly over every time, wouldn't you?

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aplo · 12/01/2017 21:58

Just looking online now for flights.
It looks like Honk and Imaginary are the younger kid productions this year and Billy is for the mid- teens.
I hadn't told Dd that people had heard so it was me doing all the imploding. My older son is 19 today and the email arrived just as we were cutting his cake (I opened my phone to take pictures) so there has been some teasing about upstaging her big brother going on here. I'm not sure she will sleep tonight!

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Biscuitsneeded · 12/01/2017 21:43

So have you booked your flights already?!

Biscuitsneeded · 12/01/2017 21:42

Amazing! That's brilliant - a huge well done to your DD and your student. DS would love Billy the Kid as it's the Battle of Boat director and he adored her (and of course she did amazing work), but I suspect it's for older kids. And he'd be delighted to have anything, really.
I was thinking about your DD and the lack of news all day - she must have been just about ready to implode!!

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aplo · 12/01/2017 21:30

Finally heard at about 8pm this evening. She has been recalled for three shows - Honk, Imaginary and A little princess and my student has been recalled for two Billy the Kid and A little princess so celebrations all round here tonight!

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Original poster
aplo · 11/01/2017 22:52

No news here and I am now going to stop checking my email for the night!
Biscuits DD was far more nervous about auditioning until she walked into the pret across the road and met some of the older auditionees (age 16-18) that she knew from last year who were equally if not more nervous and it strangely relaxed her about it all.
Evil it sounds like your student has a definite life plan - I'm sure he may come across one or two of my students along the way.
Will update here when we hear!!

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