Audition Season Becomes Evaluation Season For 2021 Muny Kids And Teens

In a typical season, hundreds of area students audition for a coveted spot in Muny productions and the Muny Kids or Muny Teens troupe. Instead of new auditions this year, all students cast in 2020 have a place at The Muny in 2021.

Immediately following The Muny 2020 Summer Variety Hour Live!, Muny Education Director Tali Allen and the Muny Kid and Teen creative teams made the decision to retain the more than 100 students cast for the 2020 season. For the past few months, these performers have gone through an extensive, online evaluation process—a first for The Muny’s flagship education programs.

The 2021 Muny Teens team during an evaluation conversation: Music Director Charlie Mueller (top left), Director of Education Tali Allen (top right), Choreographer Marjorie Failoni (bottom left) and Artistic Associate Michael Baxter.

“These young people worked so hard for their Muny audition last year,” Tali says. “They took countless voice and dance lessons and truly gave it their all. To not have an in-person season was heartbreaking, especially for our graduating seniors. Our thought process was ‘If we plan to keep the same shows, then we need to keep the same kids and teens. It wasn’t only fair, it was the right thing to do.’”  

Putting the Process Together 

In March of this year, students had two weeks to submit separately filmed song and dance pieces. Evaluation criteria included appropriateness, authenticity and memorization for song submissions and technique, flexibility, musicality and pathos for their dance.  

Each participant created, uploaded and submitted their pieces for review while overseeing their own lighting, filming and editing—even figuring out their own audition space.  

“We held information sessions via Zoom and sent how-to materials, but the rest was up to them and their creativity,” Tali says. “This unique first for our programs not only offered a safer option for auditioning but, as many auditions are moving online as well, this also gave our students incredible experience for possible college submissions and the evolving requirements in our industry.” 

No Nerves Necessary 

The beautiful part of this process? The nerves that can be associated with a typical audition were able to be set aside since everyone who submitted an evaluation already knew they were going to be cast.

This evaluation was merely for feedback and professional guidance—even our “super seniors” (the loving term for the graduating seniors) who had the chance to return. 

“Each kid and teen delivered a dynamic, professional performance,” Tali says. “They took this past year and turned it into personal motivation and a great training ground. Their passion for performing and talent are explosive—I hope the Muny audience is ready for them!”  

Next season, Tali and her team plan to return to in-person auditions.  Muny Kids and Teens are part of The Muny’s Crawford Taylor Education Initiative and are supported in 2021 by Albers/Kuhn Family Foundation, Caleres Cares and Centene Charitable Foundation. The Muny offers 10 educational programs that provide unprecedented experience and mentoring for more than 2,000 students as young as eight through college graduation. Your support of The Muny makes these programs possible!