New Thread NYMT/BYMT 2023!

[Biscuitsneeded]

The thread was full so I've started a new one! Hope everyone will find their way here. Just wanted to say that we have bought tickets to come and watch When I grow Up in Kingston in July. Love Kingston and the Rose Theatre and we're just keen to come and support! Looking forward to seeing some of your talented DC on stage and playing in the band.

Good luck for both Merrily & GCSE results.

Break a leg Team Merrily. We're watching Saturday matinee if we can get there through the train strikes. Also break a leg to all collecting exam results today, although if anything like my DS who had GCSE and 6th form results during NYMT show week, they're far more interested in the show than the exam results!!

Hope the trains work out. Dd is having to drive ds down for concert as he can't get there on the train now.

@wonderfullife123 I think it must be your DDs' BYMT show this weekend, so break a leg to them both! Hope they've had a brilliant time and that you love the show.

What a great season both BYMT and NYMT are having this year; seen some lovely reviews for Merrily today. So proud to be a part of it. Our children are superstars, all of them!

Ah thank you @Biscuitsneeded - yes, it's this weekend. Saw the show this evening and it was fab. Most of all though DDs seem to have really grown in so many ways in last 2 weeks. Such a great experience.

Hope the Merrily crew enjoy the rest of their run! Fingers crossed your travel goes smoothly tomorrow @Biscuitsneeded

Loved Merrily yesterday. Congratulations to all involved. I hope the showcase crew had a wonderful final show today. And that's it! NYMT is done for another year, bar the Christmas concert!

My son is on his way back. He said it went well. A few arrived late due to train/tube delays & it was a bit hairy as one vital band member was stuck on a delayed flight but managed to get there.

Does anyone know when the dates for the next year’s shows are usually released?

Hi @yodaforpresident . I think NYMT will probably announce next year's shows and open audition bookings around November time. That said, they may not at that stage be able to say which show will happen when, or where. And with new leadership I guess things might change. If you're looking at booking a holiday, in the past it has always been safe to go away in the last week of July when school breaks up, as NYMT never got going until August. For BYMT I think they open their auditions well before they publicise what the shows are, but they have more shows that could be at any point over the summer - but I suspect it's easier to persuade them to switch your DC to a different show if the dates don't work, whereas you can't really do that with NYMT as they cast for a specific role/show. I've lost track, sorry. Did your DD end up doing both BYMT and NYMT this summer?

Thank you @Biscuitsneeded - yes holiday planning is very difficult. It’s the Easter weeks that are more tricky - is the rehearsal week at Easter generally the first week of the school holidays? My DD was incredibly lucky to be a part of both last year - she knows this and that she may well not get either this year. Still can’t wait to audition though!

@yodaforpresident Easter sometimes depends on where Easter itself falls in the holiday, as they don't tend to have residentials between Good Friday and Easter Monday. Sometimes that means two separate residential weeks for different casts with Easter in the middle, and sometimes it's easier to have all the casts there at once, with some overspill to Tonbridge. It also depends on boarding capacity at the schools. I don't think you'll know for sure until after auditions, but you could email and ask if any provisional dates have been agreed...

That also depends on your Easter holidays.

In 2022 my son had to get permission to have a week off college because the Easter residential fell during what was still his term time!

Sure, they tend to go with school holidays, which again can vary by area, but they'll never be able to fir in with everyone!

Just popping back on to ask @nearlyhomealone and also @Triflefan whether you saw the Holocaust Educational Trust's twitter yesterday? The video of our boys performing for them with NYMT is there.

Thank you for sharing @Biscuitsneeded, I hadn’t seen it. A real privilege to perform at such a moving event.

I'm sure it said somewhere (maybe in the email about Christmas?) that the shows were being announced end of October... Fingers crossed!

We often have the Easter issue too.

Are NYMT folk doing the concert? We didn’t realise it would mean 2 trips to London so might not be possible.

@Mcmumager my DS really wants to do the concert. We may have a problem with the trains for the rehearsal as they don’t seem to run early enough on a Sunday, so he might have to be late! Funds probably won’t run to a hotel for both rehearsal and concert days.

Thanks @Biscuitsneeded and @allhailthebrain - we can wait until the middle of November, so fingers crossed. DD is excited about the concert and I’m looking forward to seeing some of the other shows.

@Mcmumager and @Operasingerkath I would suggest your DS both put a message on the KMK Facebook or snap group asking if anyone can offer a bed the night before the rehearsal. I'm sure friends in the cast will want to help them be there! But also I don't think NYMT would rule them out for needing to be a bit late if early train was the only option.

@Operasingerkath I've known people go really late as they had an audition and even those who couldn't make the rehearsal day at all, but still did the carol concert. We aren't going this year as it's a huge amount of travelling and cost for the event it is - as lovely as it is. We're sadly just the wrong end of the country!

@allhailthebrain that’s good to know! It is very expensive for us too, as obviously we’re not too far from you, but since he wants to go and it’s his first opportunity (and I really want to go in the church 😂), we’ll make it work if we can. Will miss seeing you there!

Don't get me wrong, it was nice to do last year, but my understanding is it's the same every year so...
Enjoy, I know you will!

Well it's similar, but not the same! It's not the same songs and readings each time! I think there was mention of including some excerpts from the shows this time. New management may be making some changes. Personally I love the Christmas concert. I'm not religious at all, but hearing and singing a couple of familiar carols in the concert repertoire, in such a stunning setting, feels properly Christmassy. It's also lovely for the company members to see each other again. Of course not everyone can make it, but I'd say it's worth trying to do it if you can.