Musical Theater colleges

[bwaybabe87]

Posted: 2/16/05 at 12:01pm

I know this has been discussed a lot but can anyone give me their top number ONE choice for a musical theater college?

[erinrebecca]

Posted: 2/16/05 at 12:31pm

There is no top ONE choice. There are many good programs but you need to find the right one for you after researching lots of schools and determining what type of program you want. For people who want to get a good liberal arts education in addition to MT, then UM and Tisch are good choices. For someone who isn't a particularly good academic student and who prefers strictly a conservatory type program, then their choices would be different.

Generally speaking, these are what are considered the top schools for MT, and certainly the most difficult to get into:

UM, Tisch, CMU, OCU, CCM, Syracuse, Emerson, FSU, BoCo, Webster, Ithaca, Elon, Otterbein, Baldwin Wallace, Penn State, UArts, Point Park.

For the most comprehensive discussion and source of information on MT programs, check out this link:

http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/forumdisplay.php?f=501

[superwoman108]

Posted: 2/16/05 at 2:58pm

Carnegie Mellon....no contest

[jim coleman]

Posted: 2/16/05 at 3:06pm

A good idea would be to check out the faculty at the different schools. Lots of great people have come out of CCM: Marcia Lewis, Lee Roy Reams, Faith Prince, Jim Walton, and the list goes on and on. Carnegie Mellon is also first rate. But the faculty is the most important thing. Check them out. Good Lcuk to you.

[bjivie2]

Posted: 2/16/05 at 5:15pm

I think that Carnegie Mellon would be considered the number one school. CCM does churn out lots of Broadway performers, but most of them are just chorus girls/guys. The way they train their performers is not to really develop their individual talents, but to make them the most hireable for a Broadway show. I guess that's all some people want, but if I were training for musical theatre I would want to be able to stand out. That's why I think Carnegie Mellon is so good because they help you get whatever it is that you want out of your time there. CCM also weighs their students almost daily, which sounds creepy to me.

[jacobtsf]

Posted: 2/16/05 at 5:28pm

The problem with Carnegie Melon, and all other conservatories, is that they are conservatories. They will take you in and teach you their style and their style only. They will not give you anything besides your theatre classes.

I love Ithaca and Wagner because they will nurture THE STUDENT and strive to make sure the student gets the most out of their time there(including a few non MT classes).

[iflitifloat]

Posted: 2/16/05 at 5:51pm

The other thing to keep in mind before setting your heart on a particular school, is how many incoming freshmen are accepted into the musical theater major. The 2004 freshman class had a total of 13 students accepted. In 2003, there were only 9. And they recruit aggressively all over the country. My daughter auditioned last year, and a woman from the school told her that they audition somewhere aroune 900 students. In the end, she could have attended for drama, but did not make it into the 13 who were taken as MT majors. We inquired about the possibility of transferring from drama into MT, and were told that doesn't happen.

The CMU people were enthusiastic, warm and engaging. And the audition, itself, was a very positive experience.

All I'm saying is that have some perspective when you look at schools... there are way more than 13 extraordinarily talented people who audition. Luck, grades, and the kind of day the auditioners are having are all going to play a role, because in the end, there are just too many qualified candidates.

[superwoman108]

Posted: 2/16/05 at 6:29pm

The comment about CMU being only a conservatory is not entirely true. You will end up woth a BFA, but the School of Drama is part of the larger university, and its students are REQUIRED (much to many ppls. dismay) to take other classes that are not in the College of Fine Arts, and there are also a couple gen ed. requirements freshman year. I wasn't sure when i was applying to schools whether i really wanted a complete conservatory setting, but i knew i wanted a BFA in my concentration in theatre. Carnegie Mellon is the best of both worlds for Dramats.

[KJP]

Posted: 2/16/05 at 6:38pm

I had 2 children accepted at CMU one graduated and one didn't, but both got great training. Acting was something new in our family, and I was very please with the education both boys got while there. The faculty is great and I really liked the Leagues they did at the end of their senior year. Acting is a tough field and I think they do a great job preparing the students for that world.

[bobbysworld]

Posted: 2/16/05 at 6:46pm

I go to CCM and have never been weighed...

I think the program is great...It has its pros and cons, just like any program that you choose. I think this prepares us to be ready to work right after graduation---and most jobs that 22-24 year olds can get are chorus jobs. Shoshana Bean isn't chorus, neither is Angela Gaylor or say...Sarah Gettelfinger.

I dont think there is a TOP musical theatre school, nor should there be. Every school offers something different and it really comes down to where you, as a performer and person, fit in the most. Updated On: 2/16/05 at 06:46 PM

[CapnHook]

Posted: 2/16/05 at 6:50pm

Exactly - there is no ONE top school. Top what? How do you measure it? The school may be successful - but will it make YOU a successful actor? It's different for different people.

Make a list of all the things you will look for in a theatre program. Also include things you look for in a college. Finally, things in a city.

Then, put each listing into a priority. Once you have a prioritized list, begin your search. Once you have some schools that seem to go along with your list, go visit them. See how they are up close. Audition for their theatre programs, even if you're not sure you want to go there. Stay overnight with a student. Attend some classes. Visit all theatre spaces.

Here are some general things to look for:

Theatre Program:

-Size (How many freshmen enter each year? How many in program now? How many acting students, compared to tech and directing/stage management?)
-Classes (How many acting classes? What special topics? What are the requirements to obtain your degree?)
-Spaces (How many different performance spaces are there? Rehearsal spaces? How technologically advanced are they? Do they get good sized audiences?)
-Shows (How many shows are done each year? Plays vs. musicals? One-acts?)
-Students (How friendly do the students seem? Would you fit in?)

The College:

-Classes (What classes not related to theatre do you need to take to obtain your degree? What is an average class size?)
-Size (How large is the campus? Would you need a car?)
-Facilities (What facilities are offered? How is the cafeteria food? How many places to eat are on campus?
-Cost (How much is tuition? What scholarships will I get? How much federal aid will I get? Grants? Loans?)
-Construction (Find out if there are plans for renevation. Will this affect any theatre buildings? Your schooling? Your housing?)
-Parking (Enough parking? Need a car?)
-Housing (How are the dorms? Big enough? What is offered in the dorms? What furniture is given? What will I need? How many roommates will I have? Internet? Heat? AC? Lighting? Policies?)

The City:

-What professional theatres are located nearby? What other colleges are close by?
-Are there recreational places close by? Theatres? Movie Theatres? Clubs?
-Closeness to shopping areas, such as malls, restaurants, banks, etc.
-How large is the city? How would I get to the city? Bus? Drive a car? Get a ride from a friend? Easy to get lost?
-How safe is the city?

[bjivie2]

Posted: 2/16/05 at 11:31pm

Bobbysworld, I didn't mean to cause any ruccus, but I heard from a friend that the girls (don't know about the guys) got weighed once a week so that they stayed on track to being easily cast. Guess they were wrong.

[birdlives]

Posted: 2/17/05 at 1:36am

I went to CCM and nobody that I know ever got weighed. It's a really funny rumor, probably started by those nasty CMU people. (j/k)

There will be discussion about your weight if it is an issue with how you are cast. There just isn't a whole lot of work for really young character actors, whether male of female. I had a few discussions about my weight with faculty, and I wish I'd paid more attention to what was said, because they were right in so many respects. I'm just now getting to the point where I'm the right age for the things I should be playing.

CCM is a great school. It's tough, and it's certainly not for everybody, particularly those easily shaken. But, in the end, you get out of it what you put into it, and someone who is committed and works hard every day at their local community college has every bit the chance a CCM grad does.

[Jamie Hat]

Posted: 2/17/05 at 11:02am

The access that schools in the bigger cities (NY, Chicago, L.A., etc etc etc) allow you to have is invaluable.

[Jamie Hat]

Posted: 2/17/05 at 11:03am

Nobody has been to all of the schools, its silly to expect anyone to know which one is "the best" for you.

Listen to captain hook post, that's what you need to know and should go on

[brdlwyr]

Posted: 2/17/05 at 11:21am

Another question should be whether you want a college education or training only. There is a great benefit in receiving a B.A as opposed to a B.F.A. But, you generally do not receive as much training.

[lyfeisacabaret]

Posted: 2/17/05 at 3:17pm

I think it's not so much important where you go as the training you recieve there. No one's going to say "Oh he went to NYU, let's give him the part" at an audition. I'm going to Muhlenberg next year, which is a B.A. with training at a B.F.A. level. But I also based my choice on the importance of my second major as well. I'm a firm believer in the practice of having a back-up career, but that may have something to do with my fear of not being able to support my expensive taste... lol.

[Jamie Hat]

Posted: 2/17/05 at 3:42pm

you can get a bfa and take other classes as well

[erinrebecca]

Posted: 2/17/05 at 4:16pm

You're right, Jamie. That's exactly what I'm doing at NYU. A BFA in drama with a double major in the College of Arts and Science. Many Tischies do this.