Testimonials
"The
progress I made in merely five months with my coaches was
INCREDIBLE. Rhyn, Mark, Ellen, Natalie, and Gil completely
transformed me. Not only did I see changes in my voice and
my acting, but I developed a true sense of confidence going
into my auditions. I'm forever grateful to have met such
amazing people who I will never forget. The four hours I
spent on a Transbridge bus never could have been more worth
it :)"
- Ashley Coleman - Badwin-Wallace MT, Class of
2013
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"I
can’t even begin to describe my gratitude towards the whole
MTCA team. I came into the process of auditioning for
musical theatre programs with a goal to succeed, but with
very little confidence. After an initial meeting in NYC
with the remarkable Ellen and Mark, I was set up with two
coaches: Janet Brenner for Song Repertoire and Performance,
and Gil Brady (with the help of Rhyn McLemore) for
Monologues. Being that I was from South Carolina, I was
unable to be in New York for coaching and was skeptical
about receiving the majority of my coaching over video
chat, but after the first session online my doubts flew out
the window. Going into the process I was saturated with
self-doubt. I was far from the typical “Broadway Leading
Man” and never thought I could be what a program was
looking for. Both Janet and Gil encouraged me to embrace my
differences, and most of all, as cliché as it may sound, be
true to myself. It also did not hurt that they both picked
the absolute perfect songs and monologues to showcase my
strengths. I may have had the fundamentals that make a
performer to start with, but without the help of Janet and
Gil I would have never known how to put all the pieces
together. Possibly the most important thing they gave me
was CONFIDENCE - not an ego, but the confidence to walk
into an audition room and know who you are and be
comfortable with any obstacle that may entail. Out of all
of the many obstacles that were thrown at me during an
audition, in some form I had already prepared for them with
Janet and Gil. In addition to all of this incredible
training they also offered me support. After each audition
they always made the time for me to give them a post-mortem
on how it all went, the good and the bad. I owe these
magnificent coaches a great deal, as they have afforded me
the great honor of being accepted into the majority of
programs I applied to, including my #1 program!"
-
Harry Katzman - Michigan MT, Class of 2013
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"...
Celia came to your group totally fresh and naked (if you
will) and you guys really dressed her. She thought legit
music meant it was properly purchased. Without your
guidance the audition process could have been disastrous.
It was extremely stressful as it was and we couldn't
imagine going through it without Ellen, Natalie, Rhyn, Gil,
Chris, Mark and Cara (I'm sure Nora & Celia would point
out many I've forgotten).
This was a family adventure which was filled with
oscillating emotion and the team was there to soothe. In
the end I believe The Boston Conservatory will more than
adequately provide Celia with the necessary instruction, in
a phenomenal city. The ship couldn't have docked there
without you at the helm."
- Bill Hottenstein, father of
Celia
Hottenstein - Boston Conservatory MT, Class of
2013
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"I just wanted to let you know how grateful my daughter
Stephanie is for the outstanding monologue coaching
provided by Gil Brady. Gil was patient, encouraging and
possessed a unique ability to help develop artistic growth
and acting skill in a relatively short period of time. The
coaching enabled Stephanie to approach her acting and
musical auditions with insight into her characters,
knowledge about the audition process and confidence. The
coaching and preparation helped her secure admission to the
prestigious Cap 21 studio at Tisch School of the Arts, NYU
for fall 2009. We will be enthusiastically recommending
your services."
-
Ellen Israelson, mother of
Stephanie
Carol Israelson - NYU/Tisch CAP 21, Class of 2013
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"Last year
my parents decided to let me pursue Musical Theatre. We
went into all of this MT business without really knowing
what we were getting ourselves into. We figured I would
walk into every audition and they would be throwing money
at me. (Naïve, I know).
The results of 2008 for me were:
Carnegie Mellon – Rejected
CCM -
Rejected
Penn State
- Waitlist
I also got
accepted into one program, but I visited and it just wasn't
the school for me. So what was I supposed to do? Give up
and go do normal things? No, I said! I had to bite the
bullet and get back on the MT horse. My parents and I said
that we had to come at this beast a completely different
way - we just didn't know how. After a lot of prayer and
searching, we found MT College Auditions, and then from
that collegeauditioncoach.com.
MT College
Auditions, or MTCA, is a coaching service that is geared
towards helping students get ready for college auditions.
They really take so much care in pairing you with the right
coaches to get you to work at your best. These are people
who know both college auditioning and the professional
business inside and out and come together under one roof to
get you the best information that you will find out there.
This is the place that I met Ellen and Mark and Rhyn and
just so many other people whom I have grown to love and
care about.
collegeauditioncoach.com
is Mary
Anna Austin Dennard's website. She is the go-to woman if
you want any kind of anything! She has become like a second
mother to me! She also has a great CD out that really
outlines what you have to do get your stuff together for
auditions. It is packed full of so much information that
would have helped me so much if i had had it from the
start.
It is just amazing what can happen in one year. I just
can’t say enough great things about everyone at MCTA; they
are all amazing and talented people!
And this
year was an entirely different story.
Results
from this year's auditions:
NYU MT -
Accepted
Oklahoma MT - Accepted
Pace MT -
Accepted
Penn State
MT- Accepted
CARNEGIE
MELLON MT - ACCEPTED!!!!!!!!!
I couldn't have done it without them! Thank you
MTCA!!!"
-
Joe Maddox - Carnegie Mellon MT, Class of
2013
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"I just wanted to let you know that I won the Pittsburgh
Civic Light Opera's Constance T. Rockwell Scholarship this
year - out of the one hundred students that auditioned! I
auditioned with the Mourning Becomes Electra monologue
(THANK YOU MOO!!!!!!!!) and, halfway through my interview,
they asked what I think I am better at, singing or acting,
so I asked if they would like to decide... and sang my
college auditions songs a cappella! (THANK YOU ELLEN!!!) Ha
:)
Thank you both so much for all of your help... your
coaching group was...and still is...absolutely invaluable.
I learned so much from each individual session and the mock
audition was fantastic. You both put so much personal
effort and care into me and my audition that I reached my
absolute goal: NYU!! I could NOT have been MORE prepared
for my college auditions, and, because I learned exactly
how much time and preparation is necessary for each
audition in order to succeed in the MT world, I am
continuing to excel with my scholarship endeavors. I will
always recommend your coaching group to those wishing to
pursue their MT dreams. :)"
- Celine Held - NYU/Tisch Strasberg Acting, Class of
2013
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"Rhyn and Gil - What to say? You are simply amazing...your
coaching laid a foundation for how I will approach future
work and auditions. It gave me the preparation to do my
personal best, nurturing my growth as a person and artist.
Wherever I end up, I will feel secure in my ability and
potential in spite of setbacks or criticism. And, that is
invaluable. I am so happy to have met you."
"Dixie - Thank you so much for helping me with my
auditions! I am heading to UCLA this fall for MT, and it is
no doubt thanks to you. I have also been working on my rep
and incorporating a lot of the song suggestions you gave
me. Thanks again!"
- Alex Fiore - UCLA MT, Class of 2013
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"As
a coach, teacher, and friend, Ellen perpetually went above
and beyond what I expected. In fact, I think she has a rare
and almost psychic ability to hone in on exactly what her
students need; and whether that need is personal or
artistic, she invests herself completely in finding the
perfect solution."
- Madi Micucci - Michigan MT, Class of 2013
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"Working
with Ellen and Mark was magical! In addition to their great
devotion and attention, they were able to find me songs
that defined me in a nutshell. They custom tailored the
songs' technique to my style and voice range, while guiding
and coaching me along the way.
Coaching my monologues with Rhyn and Gil was incredible!
They are very talented and working with them was always
fun. The monologues they suggested for my auditions fit me
perfectly and I can't thank them enough for their expertise
and support!"
-
Eric Herbst - NYU/Tisch CAP 21, Class of
2013
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"When my daughter Lily first sat down with Ellen Lettrich,
she immediately was able to figure out what was going on
with her voice. Ellen hooked us up with a great doctor and
got Lily to rest her voice, do exercises, and a regimen
that allowed it to heal. That time, though, was not wasted.
Most importantly, Janet Brenner was able to break through
Lily's fear and indecision regarding her song choices and
execution. It was a long haul, but I truly believe that
because of Janet's true belief that Lily has something
special to offer and was not your typical MT student, she
worked hard to get Lily to embrace what was unique about
her voice and her presence. I also think it gave Lily the
confidence and the drive to get the lead in her high school
musical of HAIR in the role of Sheila, which was a first
for her at school and blew everyone away with her
performance. No one had a clue, as I was told by many of
her teachers and parents, who came up to me after the show.
I credit Lily with finding her voice at last and Janet for
doing the hard part, by always believing in her and getting
her to finally own her talents.
-
Ann LaGravenese, mother of
Lily LaGravenese - Emerson College MT, Class of 2013
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"Getting
into college has become quite a feat in today’s society.
Now let’s say you have a child that wants to major in
Musical Theatre or Acting…you then have to factor in a live
audition on top of the regular rigor of the college
application. And because those majors are extremely
competitive and universities accept only small handfuls of
applicants, what are you going to do to increase your odds
of admission?
Our family feels so grateful to have found Ellen, Moo &
the MTCA crew. Amazingly, through Skype or iChat & a
webcam, they can coach anybody, anywhere, anytime!! (i.e.
we live in California; they live in Pittsburgh, Dallas
& NYC!) The coaches take the time to know the student,
hone in on their strengths and find material that will
showcase them. As American Idol has become part of the
fabric of our culture, what do you always hear the judges
say, “You chose the right song" or "Dawg, you didn’t choose
the right song….” In a college audition, you have only
16-32 bars of a song to make the right impression, so
having “perfect” material and engaging performance
abilities are crucial. I swear, Ellen is a walking
encyclopedia of Broadway songs that are engaging, unique
& fitting! Moo is adept at finding fresh monologues
that help the student portray memorable characters (even
within a 60 second timeframe!) She is also a pro at
teaching mental management and determining a well rounded
list of colleges that fit your individual criteria.
The summer before my daughter’s senior year, MTCA had a
mock audition in NYC, where my daughter experienced an
authentic college dance call and worked on her material
with Broadway professionals!
Additionally Ellen & Moo attended the Chicago Unified
Auditions and provided support & last minute coaching
up to the very auditions themselves!!
The end result was that my daughter was confident going
into her auditions. She had appropriate material that
showed her range, ability and talent. She knew what to
wear, and how to present herself. She was offered admission
at many of the best musical theatre programs in the
country. We are indebted to the talented coaches of MT
College Auditions."
-
Michael Ann Nameroff, mother of
Micah Nameroff - Syracuse MT, Class of 2013
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"I would
have been lost without Ellen and Mark. Ellen picked perfect
material for both my voice and personality, and most
importantly found material that was not overdone AND
contrasting. Mark is just as incredible. In a matter of
minutes he figured the best keys for my songs and had
backing tracks made for me the same night. In addition to
their brilliant coaching, they become family. They are the
nicest, most professional people out there. You absolutely
must coach with them. They will make this entire process
WAY less stressful."
-
Brad Reinking - Boston Conservatory, Class of
2013
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"Ellen's
song choice was so specific to me, and she knows just how
to pick the perfect contrasting pair of songs. Mark always
gets right to the point and makes sure you have a detailed
backstory for every lyric in your songs, which really
helped my development as an actress in each individual
song."
-
Jennifer Brissman - Cincinnati CCM MT, Class of
2013
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"Ellen and
Mark and their team have the ability to find the most up to
date, unique material that brings out the best in their
performers. As our son grew, so did his repertoire and
talent thanks to this professional team of
coaches."
-
Jean and Bob Mientus, parents of
Andy Mientus - Michigan MT, Class of 2010 and
Hanschen in the First National Tour of SPRING
AWAKENING
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"As
an executive at a Hollywood studio, I have access to the
best acting and voice coaches in the business. But when it
came to engaging coaches for my daughter's college
auditions I went to Ellen and Mark for voice/song
repertoire coaching and to Mary Anna Dennard ("Moo") for
acting/monologue selection. College auditions a
different... don't let anyone suggest otherwise... only a
few people have the knowledge and expertise... and this
team is the best. My daughter will be going to NYU-Tisch in
the fall, her first choice school, thanks to the
collaborative coaching of this unique team."
-
Nancy Eagle, mother of
Ali Eagle - NYU/Tisch CAP 21, Class of
2012
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"I just
wanted to let you know how grateful we are for your love
and attention. Your guidance has produced a confidence in
our son that is backed up by talent, ability, and polish -
a wonderful combination that equals success. It has been
helpful to have someone who believed in him even more than
I did and allowed me to step completely out of the
preparation process."
-
Larry Baldwin, father of
Bryan Baldwin, Penn State MT, Class of 2012
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"Just
wanted to thank you for being such an amazing and terrific
coach for Olivia. Those two songs are just so perfect for
her and she loves singing them. After she heard them for
the first time she said 'That Ellen really knows her stuff,
doesn't she, Mom?' :) and you have the best team that
anyone could ever ask for. I hope you know how much we all
appreciate it."
-
Lisa DeNike, mother of
Olivia Ercolano - NYU/Tisch CAP 21, Class of 2012
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"Thank
you for all your help and networking for Alysha at the
Unifieds! Thank you for simply being there! I know it made
a big difference to Alysha and I'm sure for your other
students as well, knowing that you were there to seek
advice, encouragement, coaching and comfort from during
such an intense process!
Thank you and Mark for all your invaluable teaching,
coaching, and musical preparations! You both have made this
whole process fun and successful for Alysha. She has
learned a lot and benefited a great deal thanks to your
dynamic teamwork!
We are very grateful."
-
Pam Deslorieux, mother of
Alysha Deslorieux - Cincinnati CCM MT, Class of 2012 and
NFAA Arts Award finalist in Musical
Theatre
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"Ellen, I
can't even begin to put in words our thanks for helping to
get Dominique ready for her college auditions. We all know
how incredibly competitive this process is, and your and
Mark's support and expertise made her feel well prepared.
Her material fit her personality perfectly and showcased
her different vocal ranges. It can't be a coincidence that
she was accepted at 3 out of the 4 schools she auditioned
for in the fall and that she will be heading to her dream
school, NYU/Tisch CAP 21!
-
Linda Bonino, mother of
Dominique Bonino - NYU/Tisch CAP 21, Class of 2012