NYMT/BYMT 2024!

[Biscuitsneeded]

Seeing as NYMT have announced their shows, it feels like a good time to start a thread for anyone with DC planning on auditioning for 2024 for either NYMT or BYMT - as performers or musicians, or as assistant creatives. Please come and say hi and tell us a bit about your DC. There are lots of experienced parents of DC who have been part of both organisations, and these threads are always genuinely supportive and helpful.
I'll invite some previous thread participants below - please come and say hi!

Thank you @Biscuitsneeded what an amazingly helpful response! Really appreciate all your information and advice. There’s not much out there and it’s completely new to us as neither my husband or I have any musical/drama/dancing experience, but luckily DD had fun last weekend and is taking it in her stride.
@LibbyRuncie DD has also been called for Catastrophe Bay so hopefully the girls will each have a familiar face from Birmingham. 😀
Have been counting down the hours until the final traitors episode tonight, what a fantastic programme! x

Lovely to hear of the successes! Congratulations to them all.

We’ve been down to London today for an open day and 2 students there who were fellow cast members from Kiss Me Kate, and now friends of my DS, met up with us beforehand and had lunch with us. It was so lovely to see them and they were super helpful. My DS has only done one year with NYMT so far (hopefully more to come!) but he has found it really rewarding and has made tons of friends. We went into it with the same attitude as you, @LibbyRuncie and he was lucky enough to be cast last year. He said just the audition experience is worth doing, whether or not he is lucky enough to get in this year. I also feel lucky to have found this forum-so helpful when you don’t have a clue!

Thank you @Mumofamusician, she did consider that. She is at the suggested standard on cello and clarinet but I think she is a bit worried because the musicians she met last year were quite a lot older than her - she is 12. She has her BYMT audition this weekend and another one in the next couple of weeks for an opera, so I think she’s going to see how they go before making a decision.

Am I correct in thinking your Dd did concert last year? My Ds has played for concert the past two years and they choose very particular musicians for that because for concert the musicians don't get the longer residential rehearsal period. And because the arrangements are bespoke they can get the music late.

There are younger musicians in the actual shows.

@yodaforpresident The point made by @Comefromaway is a good one. DS has met musicians as young as 11 on the summer shows, and they do about a week's residential before show week and have the music well in advance I think, which is different from the musicians they assembled for the showcase concerts who didn't get designated residential rehearsals for that.

Does anyone here have experience of MX Masterclass? My DD has an audition with them in a couple of weeks.

Break a leg to @Montimom and her gang for today. We are on way in to Manchester auditions now!!

Jumping in as mum to a DC who has been in NYMT as both musician and actor (once in the same season 😆).

DC was first in the band for hunchback at 12/13. She was one of the youngest for sure. But having worked with older teens and adults quite extensively before this it didn't bother her. They do sometimes offer musician to very accomplished younger ones, but may call for an 'honest chat' about whether you think they will cope socially. Hunchback was great as they needed a big band and were able to have a little group of younger ones. I suspect a big band will be needed for ITTW and so they might do similar there. One of my
favourite things about NYMT is that they genuinely are raising the next generation of MT professionals. So if they can take some younger musicians they will. At 16/17 DC is going into her 5th season (hopefully!!) so now has lots of
band experience despite still being on the younger side for musicians!

in short - put in a musician application!!

Also GOOD LUCK to all the auditionees this weekend!

Good luck @Alakazam8 and DC for today! Hope DC has a great time - looking forward to hearing about it.
And Break a leg also to @Montimom 's DC and @Mcmumager and @Operasingerkath 's DC who I think have their auditions tomorrow? Hope I haven't missed anyone!

Thank you ☺️, good luck everyone

I’ve heard really great things!

That was a response about MX Masterclass!

@yodaforpresident DD was offered musician for the first time when she was 13, that was a show with a very young cast but was cancelled due to Covid, but it would have worked out just fine even though the rest of the band were older. On another production she was the youngest musician at 15 and the only one under 16 so she room shared with a cast member and had a great time. Give it a go, nothing to lose!

@Biscuitsneeded thanks so much. Sorry if I missed other auditionees this weekend.
if it helps anyone dd’s song was still a little over but I spoke to someone as we signed in and it was fine. So if you are a little over it’s not a huge problem- having said that Manchester seemed quieter this year than last. Saw very familiar creatives though which was reassuring!!

Yes @Comefromaway, my DD was in the concert last year and a show with BYMT. That is interesting to hear about the children being younger in the show bands - thanks to @Mumofamusician and @Biscuitsneeded for the encouragement - I think she might give it a go. I have just done the drop off at Mountview and it was lovely as some of her friends from last year were there and ran over to give her a hug - a really great group. Good luck to everyone auditioning this weekend.

Also my son applied as a musician in 2021 (he was hoping for hunchback) but didn’t get a place. it was disappointing for him but we got a lovely email saying they thought he had talent but wasn’t quite ready but they would keep him on file.

Fast forward to 2022. He had decided not to apply as he was in the middle of uni/conservatoire applications and I got a phone call saying they needed someone with a particular skill for showcase that they knew he had from his previous years audition. and would he be interested. The answer of course was yes.
Then after that had happened a musician had to drop out of Chess and he was asked to fill in.

Great to see things moving again for the summer for the musical theatre kids! Does anyone know what % of first round auditionees get invited back to a workshop casting with NYMT? Also, i'm sure there is still a small chance you get through after the casting workshop? Also, is there a larger % of people get through with BYMT? BYMT seems to be much bigger year by year?

@Mumofamusician Oh, that’s good to hear, thank you!

Good luck to everyone auditioning this weekend! My DC is in Manchester for BYMT today. I think we are the odd ones out as most seem to be doing Manchester NYMT today! Its frustrating they are in the same city on the same day! Anyone else at BYMT this weekend?

@MxPickles We are at BYMT today, my DC’s first audition. But we’re in London, at Mountview. Hope your DC’s audition goes well. x

We are at BYMT today to, DD did BYMT last year and didn't want to apply for NYMT, she does have GCSE and sixth form auditions too though

Good luck everyone and thanks @Biscuitsneeded . Ds not really got any voice after being poorly the last couple of weeks so hoping for an overnight miracle!

@Shesings2023 I'm not sure it's possible to give a % of auditionees from first rounds who receive a recall to the casting weekend. It will vary from venue to venue. If they have a room brimming with talent they will offer more, but if not there may not be so many. I always think the nice thing is that you are not really competing with the other people in the room, as the team are looking for so many different roles with different shows, so it's fine not to be the very best singer or dancer there, as long as you are good enough for NYMT to put on a stage, and the team see something in you. They're also looking at how creative you are, how you interact with others, whether you listen to others and look like you'd be a good company member.

@Mcmumager Will hope for an overnight miracle on your DS' behalf! Break a leg to him.