Wondering About Pursuing Musical Theatre

[Meaghan596]

Posted: 12/30/12 at 4:18am

My name is Meaghan, I am 17 years old and I've started looking into what colleges to audition for and what to major in. I've been torn between what to do for that last year and I was hoping that you guys could give me some help. I feel like the only profession that would make me happy is within performance art.

I didn't realize how much I loved theatre until I was around 14 and I had some bad instruction so my biggest concern is that I've started too late to have enough training in order to pursue anything in performance art. I've just started serious vocal and piano lessons a year ago. I'm also having trouble with knowing what specific area to focus on. I feel like acting is my better skill but I also sing, have general piano skills, and dance classic ballet. I love dancing, singing, and acting equally so it is hard for me to choose what to focus on. Any ideas on how to incorporate them all? Does musical theatre sound like a good way to use all of those skills?

I'm also wondering about any ideas on majors versus minors, double majors, and what skills I should really focus on improving in preparation for college auditions. I know this is a lot of question and I really appreciate anyone's time in helping me get a clearer head on this!

Thank you

[faithzilla]

Posted: 12/30/12 at 6:07pm

Look into getting a college audition coach (like Mary Anna Dennard or someone in your area) for auditions. They are VERY expensive, but I've seen coaches get people into great colleges I never thought possible. And perhaps you can just take a few lessons in order to find and work on a monologue, without taking from them every week.

Obviously musical theatre is the best way to combine dancing, singing, and acting. However, unless you are a GREAT singer there's not much point in trying for a prestigious musical theatre program. Rarely does great acting make up for mediocre singing in the world of collegiate auditions.

However, there are tons of programs that allow you to do musicals AND stage plays with a basic theatre major. And there's theatre studies majors or theatre majors with musical theatre concentrations. Often a good bet is to be an acting/theatre major and take voice lessons on the side if you want to continue growing vocally yet aren't yet strong enough for a musical theatre program. Of course, I don't know you, so you could totally be strong enough! Just if you feel a little insecure about it that can be a good way to go.

Purchase the Dramatics Magazine college theatre directory or the newest addition of the College Guide for Performing Arts Majors for a rundown on schools. Also the Theatre/Drama and Musical Theatre forums on College Confidential have some good first-hand information. Every program is different, so it's likely you can find one with the setup and flexibility right for you.

Posted: 12/31/12 at 1:40am

Hi Meaghan,

I'm a college audition coach in Los Angeles and I encounter people all the time who started "late". If you feel you're strong enough and you have the desire to, GO FOR IT! It's a rough time and really hard to make such a huge decision at such a young age so I would agree with faithzilla, you can get great musical theatre training anywhere you go with the right determination and mindset. Almost all theatre programs WORTH THEIR SALT (because a lot aren't) will offer opportunities in both drama and musical theatre where you can make your program for yourself without being in a top tier musical theatre program.

[Brave Sir Robin2]

Posted: 1/1/13 at 1:57am

If you audition for musical theatre programs, you can still be considered for acting programs as well which can help you choose in the long run.