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YAACompany

Grades 9-12

  • WHAT

    • Conservatory-quality, musical theatre training

    • Perform in large-scale musical theatre productions with full symphonic orchestra in major professional venues, such as our home stage at the Music Center at Strathmore

    • Be mentored by professional artists from Broadway and beyond

    • Award-winning program (Regional Emmy-Award Winning, Best of Bethesda, & Best of DC)

  • WHO

    • High School aged students (ages 14-19)

    • Singers, Actors, Dancers based in Maryland, Virginia, & DC

  • WHEN

    • Fall Semester (September - November)

    • Winter/Spring Semester (December - April)

  • HOW

    • Auditions required. Details below.

Overview

Program Details

  • Led by Producing Artistic Director, Rolando Sanz, YAACompany is a conservatory-quality musical theatre training program based in the Washington, DC area that gives high school singers, actors and dancers the rare opportunity to study, rehearse, and perform in large-scale works of music theatre in major venues with full symphonic orchestra. Auditions are required.

    YAACompany strives to strengthen students' skills in singing, acting and dancing through a fun yet rigorous rehearsal process, as they prepare for major productions of staged symphonic theatrical productions, traditionally performed in major venues around the Washington, DC area, including Strathmore, The Kennedy Center, Maryland Public Television, and The Clarice. Our primary focus is always on healthy, authentic, and communicative storytelling, singing, acting, and movement, working towards the goal of a professional caliber final production.

    Many of our alumni have gone on to study at prestigious universities including Carnegie Mellon, University of Michigan, Penn State, CCM (Cincinnati), NYU, Baldwin Wallace, Northwestern, Rice, Indiana, and UMD, and later to perform on professional stages across the country, including Broadway. These students and their families often credit Young Artists of America at Strathmore for preparing them for college and their musical careers beyond.

    YAA also provides additional Classes, Workshops, and Masterclasses for students to further advance and refine their skills.

  • YAACompany will meet in-person during the 2024-2025 season.

    Young Artists of America produces three mainstage productions per season featuring YAACompany, one in the Fall Semester (September-November), and two in the Winter/Spring Semester (December-April).

    Students are encouraged to enroll for the entire school year season, but may participate in the fall or winter/spring semester separately. A discount is offered for those students who enroll for the full school year up front.

    Scroll to the bottom of this page to see the Rehearsal Calendar.

  • YAACompany students are permitted TWO conflicts per production.

    Conflict requests must be submitted in advance for approval by staff before they are accepted. This is to ensure the full commitment of all participants and the efficiency of the rehearsal process.

    YAA staff works with seniors to coordinate college visits and auditions in the fall and spring.

  • Regular YAACompany rehearsals take place at the Academy of the Holy Cross in Kensington, MD.

    Alternate rehearsal venues include Saint Marks Presbyterian Church in North Bethesda, MD and Winston Churchill High School in Potomac, MD.

    Our performances take place at various professional venues in the Metro DC area

    Learn more about our rehearsal and performance venues here.

  • Visit our Current Season page for current productions.

  • All YAACompany students must audition to be accepted into the program.

    Preliminary auditions for the 2024-2025 YAACompany will be video auditions submitted via Acceptd.

    Callback and Dance auditions will then take place in-person in September for the Fall semester and in November/December for the Spring semester.

    If a student is accepted and enrolls for both semesters, they need only audition once in the fall to be a member of the ensemble, but may re-audition in November/December for solo opportunities.

    Learn more about how to audition below.

  • YAA students have the unique opportunity to work closely alongside leading professional mentors both in rehearsal and performance.

    Recent mentors have included: Alan Menken (Beauty & the Beast, Aladdin, The Little Mermaid), Stephen Schwartz (Wicked, Godspell, Pippin), Kristin Chenoweth (Wicked, On the Twentieth Century), Jason Robert Brown (Parade, Bridges of Madison County, Songs for a New World), Michael Feinstein (Curator of the Great American Songbook), Steven Lutvak (A Gentleman's Guide to Love and Murder), Jeanine Tesori (Fun Home, Violet, Shrek the Musical), Andrew Lippa (Big Fish, The Addams Family, The Wild Party), and many more.

    Learn more about recent Mentors and upcoming opportunities to work with Guest Mentors here.

  • Each season, our students are exposed to a vast repertoire, which can include classic and contemporary musical theatre, and more.

    Recent innovative programming has included staged theatrical concerts of large-scale musical theatre as well as unique productions that have been devised for and have received their world premiere with Young Artists of America.

    Our world premiere of Young Artists of America: The Songs of Tim Rice filmed for PBS (Maryland Public Television) was nominated for three regional EMMY® awards and won an EMMY® in 2018.

    YAACompany members are also often called upon to participate in exciting professional performances through our partnerships with various venues in the region. Recent and upcoming professional opportunities for students have included performing in:

    • Matthew Morrison & Shoshana Bean: Gala Performance (Strathmore)

    • World Premiere of Iron & Coal by Jeremy Schonfeld (Beth Morrison Projects/Strathmore)

    • Kristin Chenoweth: Coming Home Tour (Strathmore)

    • Michael Feinstein: Gala Performance (Strathmore)

    • Julie Andrews: Gala Performance (Strathmore)

    • Patina Miller: Gala Performance (Strathmore)

  • FULL SEASON (September-April) - $2,995
    - Includes Fall + Winter + Spring Productions

    Fall Semester Only (September - November) - $1,250
    - Includes Fall Production only

    Winter/Spring Semester Only (December - April) - $1,995
    - Includes Winter AND Spring Productions

    Learn more about available Scholarships and Awards here.

Audition Requirements

  • Auditions for YAACompany are open to all singers, actors, and dancers in Grades 9-12 located in Maryland, Virginia, and Washington, DC.

  • For Fall 2024, there are two rounds of auditions for YAACompany:

    • The FIRST ROUND of auditions will be ONLINE via VIDEO AUDITIONS submitted through our Acceptd platform.

      • Video auditions due by Tuesday, September 3, 2024.

      • Be sure to review the Best Practices for Video Auditions here.

    • The SECOND ROUND of auditions will take place IN-PERSON.

      • PART 1: Dance audition (in-person) for ALL applicants on Thursday, September 5, 2024.

      • PART 2: Vocal callback on Saturday, September 7, 2024 for anyone interested in a solo or understudy role in the production.

        • Students auditioning for only an Ensemble role do not need to sing in person, but DO need to attend the dance audition.

        • In-person singing callbacks slots will be scheduled at the time you submit your video auditions via Acceptd.

    —————————————

    For Winter/Spring 2025, there are three rounds of auditions for YAACompany:

    • The FIRST ROUND of auditions will be ONLINE via VIDEO AUDITIONS submitted through our Acceptd platform.

      • Video auditions due by Tuesday, November 19, 2024.

      • Be sure to review the Best Practices for Video Auditions here.

    • The SECOND ROUND of auditions will take place IN-PERSON.

      • PART 1: MANDATORY Audition Workshop (in-person) for ALL applicants on Thursday, November 21, 2024.

      • PART 2: MANDATORY Dance Audition (in-person) for ALL applicants on Saturday, November 23, 2024 from 11:00-5:00pm.

        • All students will be required for the entire day as they will dance for both shows.

      • PART 3: Vocal callback on Sunday November 24, 2024 for anyone interested in a solo or understudy role in the production.

        • Students auditioning for only an Ensemble role do not need to sing in person, but DO need to attend the dance audition.

        • In-person singing callbacks slots will be scheduled at the time you submit your video auditions via Acceptd.


  • Online audition registration and video submission must be completed by:

    • FALL: Tuesday, September 3, 2024 at 11:59pm EDT.

    • WINTER/SPRING: Tuesday, November 19, 2024 at 11:59pm

      There is a $35 application fee for all applicants. Please note that the fee is only required on your first application of the 2024-2025 season. Students applying for more than one program can enter the following coupon code in the payment section of the Acceptd application to waive the second application fee: 02YAA24

      Applicants can apply for a waiver to this application fee by submitting financial documentation to Acceptd. Please visit the Acceptd Support Deskfor more information.

  • All students applying for YAACompany will need to participate in a VOICE as well as a DANCE audition. See below for more on each type of audition.

  • A musical theatre or jazz standard selection of your choice that best shows off your voice and personality.

    • Ballad or uptempo are fine.

    • Complete song or 32-bar cut are both acceptable.

    • It’s best to present a song that you know well and can perform from memory, not one that was just learned a few days prior.

    Be sure to review the Best Practices for Video Auditions here.

    • ALL students will be required to attend an IN-PERSON info session AND dance audition on:

      • FALL:

        • Thursday, September 5, 2024 from 7:00-9:00pm (Dance Call)

      • WINTER/SPRING (all auditioning students are required to attend the FULL DURATION of BOTH sessions listed below):

        • Thursday, November 21, 2024 from 7:00-9:00pm (Info Session)

        • Saturday, November 23, 2024 from 11:00am-5:00pm (Dance Calls)

    • We will learn the choreography as a group, and then break into smaller groups for the dance auditions.

    • Please wear comfortable clothing that you can move in as well as jazz shoes if you own them.

    • Students who wish to be considered for a solo or understudy in the production, will be invited to an IN-PERSON vocal callback audition on:

      • FALL: Saturday, September 7, 2024

      • WINTER/SPRING: Sunday, November 24, 2024

    • Students who wish to only be considered for an ensemble role in the production do not need to do a vocal callback audition. However they must attend the dance audition.

    • Upon completion of your Acceptd application, students will be invited to select a 7-minute Vocal Callback audition slot.

    • For the vocal callback audition, students are asked to prepare 1-2 of the excerpts linked below from the production. (Click below for sheet music and audio of vocal lead tracks.)

      • WINTER/SPRING: SIX and THE HUNCHBACK OF NOTRE DAME

        • CLICK HERE to download audition materials, including sheet music and learning tracks.

  • We have laid out best practices for a successful video audition on this page. We recommend you visit it before completing your Vocal Audition.

  • FALL:

    You will be notified if you have been accepted into the YAACompany by e-mail by Sunday, September 8, 2024 at 10:00pm.

    Those who are accepted into the YAACompany will have to accept their position by paying their tuition no later than Tuesday, September 12, 2023 at 11:59pm.

    There will be a Mandatory Zoom Family Orientation on Tuesday, September 10, 2024 from 7:00-8:00pm for ALL families (new and returning.)

    The first rehearsal will take place on Thursday, September 12, 2024 from 7:00-9:30pm.

    ——————————————————

    WINTER/SPRING:

    You will be notified if you have been accepted into the YAACompany by e-mail by Monday, November 25, 2024 at 10:00pm.

    Those who are accepted into the YAACompany will have to accept their position by paying their tuition no later than Wednesday, November 27, 2024 at 11:59pm.

    There will be a Mandatory Zoom Family Orientation for new students on a TBA date.

    The first rehearsal will take place on Thursday, December 5, 2024 from 7:00-9:30pm.

What Our Students & Families Say

  • "YAA is the most amazing thing I have ever been a part of. Nothing has ever made me feel so at home then YAA does. Everyone here is my family."

    - YAA Student

  • “YAA has helped my shy child break out of her shell, find her people, and her voice. Thank you.”

    - YAA Parent

  • “YAA is an amazing community with an extremely high caliber of performances that you can’t find anywhere else.”

    - YAA Student

  • “I was very impressed with the quality of instruction. The focus was on learning and growing, as opposed to just ‘putting on a show.”

    - YAA Parent

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