BEST COLLEGES BFA MUSICAL THEATER- Page 2

[DivaQueen332]

Posted: 6/15/05 at 2:49pm

Elon has a GREAT musical theatre program. I attend a small college in South Carolina for vocal performance, but if I had gone for musical theatre, Elon would have been at the top of my list.

[briarbrad]

Posted: 6/15/05 at 2:57pm

please change me: although Juilliard has no Musical Theater major, students in the drama division can take voice lessons and I believe that students in the vocal performance program can take acting classes. Audra McDonald graduated from the vocal performance program and Sara Ramirez came out of the acting division.

[jim coleman]

Posted: 6/15/05 at 3:05pm

University of Arizona at Tucson--very good--I did some Master Classes there this year and it is very good. Marsha Bagwell is on the faculty there, and she is magnificent. A brillian performer in her own right, and a great teacher.

[freeadmission]

Posted: 6/15/05 at 3:18pm

NC School of the Arts doesn't offer a musical theatre program. Just a professional acting or a voice program. I was pretty bummed about that simply because it would cut my driving time in half were I to commute there instead of Elon.

[Eliza0114]

Posted: 6/15/05 at 3:20pm

That is true, but it is an excellent institute.

[erinrebecca]

Posted: 6/15/05 at 3:23pm

briarbrad, I think waywicked is correct, you're confusing the two and OCU is definitely the school which has the better reputation for MT.

For those of you who are interested in educating yourselves about this process, I'll again post this link to the most informative site for MT college applications, information, and auditions.

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

It is a series of discussions on every possible aspect of the process, with very knowledgeable students, parents, admissions officers, professionals in the business, and graduates.

[StephanietheStar]

Posted: 6/15/05 at 3:23pm

I go to Rockford College in Rockford Illinois. If you're looking for personal attention you'll DEFINETLY get it! we have only about 10 people in the MT deptartment, and we have one of the best vocal coaches I think anyone could ever have (I've seen incredible improvements soooo quickly!), and everyone on the staff is so fantastic. We have some great dance teachers, but I'd say that area is slightly lacking in our school, It's less intense then you would get at other schools. But they're still great. I love my school. It's awesome.

And we desparetly NEED guys, so come on down guys you'll be guaranteed roles! our school does really good musicals and plays, ones that haven't been done to death. My first year(this past year) we did Ruthless! (the musical), an Original play written by a faculty member called THe Pick Up, Angels in American part 1, and Smoke on the Mountain (musical). In addition you can direct, produce, mount your own play, whether you have written it or not, you cast it, get a small budget, etc. Those are called 3 pennies (you charge 3 pennies for admission or a donation). So in total we do about 8 shows a year. :) The theatre depts also take 3 trips a semester to shows, we recently saw Sweet Charity (pre-bway), I am My Own Wife (w/ Jeff Mays), Sunset Boulevard, and Finishing the Picture (Arthur Miller's last play) we had good seats and you don't pay for them, it's in the tuition.

and Heather Headley's voice coach is coming to work with the voice students 1st semester this fall. Thwyla Tharp will be speaking 2nd semester.

and second semester we're doing Urinetown....:)

don't you wanna come now? lol

Updated On: 6/15/05 at 03:23 PM

[briarbrad]

Posted: 6/15/05 at 3:28pm

erin - nope, once again, definitely not confusing the two. I had actually never heard of OCU until very recently when I was reading some stuff online. I've come to learn that OCU seems to good in voice, but when you want to talk about acting and musical theatre, it's definitely OU.

http://www.ou.edu/finearts/musicaltheatre/

http://www.ou.edu/finearts/drama/

[erinrebecca]

Posted: 6/15/05 at 3:34pm

brad, not to belabor the point. I'm aware that OU has a program but it certainly does not have the reputation that OCU's does. That's all I'm saying. You may not have heard of OCU until recently but it's very well known in the 'biz' as being one of the top programs. OU may have a very fine program but it's not considered in the same group as OCU and others.

[marincrazy11]

Posted: 6/15/05 at 5:13pm

Marsha Bagwell is great!!!! Some friends and I attended a workshop she was teaching at the Region 3 American College Theatre Festival this past January. She did some really amazing things with great kids. She pulled more out of them than I ever thought they could give. Just fantastic!!!!

[Broadway_freak]

Posted: 6/15/05 at 5:33pm

U of M
AMDA
CMU
Shanendoah (?)
Florida State has a good program from what I hear.
Tisch
NYU
Northwestern
Boston Conservatory
Syracuse

[WonderBoy]

Posted: 6/15/05 at 5:52pm

NCSA is a wonderful school. One of the top in the country but there is indeed no musical theatre program and little experience to venture into musical theatre. I certainly have no clue to whom you people have been talking to but Elon pretty much sucks but then again I went to AMDA, so I can't say anything about going to a ****ty school. We didn't call it ScAMDA for nothing. If I could go back and do it all over again I would have gone to Boston Conservatory but that is neither here nor there.

Do you wanna be a big fish in a little pond or a small fish in a big pond? What you have to do is figure out what it is you need to make you a better performer. Look at different schools and do as much research on each one as you can before you make up your mind. You may not find a school that is going to give you all that you want or need. I found my best musical theatre education came from me taking classes around the city and living at the library at Lincoln Centre doing research on my own. Don't go somewhere just because of the hype. Go there because it is what is best for you.

[Mr. Tuttle]

Posted: 6/15/05 at 5:57pm

I love reading these threads. It's great that so many people have a passions for a school. But unfortunately there's always some misinformation.

You gave me a great laugh, briarbrad when you said that University of Oklahoma has one of the best MT program. You also represented further lack of credibility when you said you had never heard of Oklahoma City Univesity or other universities. So I assume you are a student there. OU does not have the capability or the excellence of teaching staff to even come near Oklahoma City University. As an industry professional, I know the kind of excellent training that OCU provides. OU has never even help to develop someone of a Chenoweth or O'Hara. If you are indeed at student at OU, I recommend you look elsehwere if you are truly interested in working in this industry.

And thanks for providing a link for us to see the grandure that is University of Oklahoma. After reviewing your "beautiful" web site, I loved seeing that your graduates have all secured work on crusie ships. And it seems the last time any of them worked was 2003.

For those of you who'd like to see what a real music school web site looks like, click here: http://www.okcu.edu/music/index.asp

My other MT suggestions:

U of Michigan currently the top school
CCM if you can put up with the attitude
Boston Conservatory

Updated On: 6/15/05 at 05:57 PM

[WonderBoy]

Posted: 6/15/05 at 6:00pm

Mr. Tuttle, I simply adore your avatar. That was one of the best moments during the Tony's this past year!

[Mr. Tuttle]

Posted: 6/15/05 at 6:02pm

Thank you..I'm trying to sex up BWW

Updated On: 6/15/05 at 06:02 PM

[itstheM]

Posted: 6/15/05 at 6:12pm

My friend at Boston Conservatory says it's a great school, but the facilities are small and not that great. Syracuse has a connection with an equity theater and there is an opportunity to gain equity points in college. Michigan, Carnegie, and Ithaca have great alumni connections. There are lots of good schools, but it is mostly what you take from it.

[jillian2]

Posted: 6/15/05 at 6:18pm

My uncle taught at Syracuse back in the day, and he had Taye Diggs in one of his classes (and he said he was one of the sweetest guys ever and extremely talented) If you don't mind upstate NY, Ithaca and SU are so good.

[briarbrad]

Posted: 6/15/05 at 6:23pm

Mr Tuttle, I definitely do not go to OU. My school is Carnegie.

"You also represented further lack of credibility when you said you had never heard of Oklahoma City Univesity or other universities."

Other universities? What other universities did I say I hadn't heard of?

Sorry if I've overly hyped an underperforming MT school, Mr. Tuttle.

Updated On: 6/15/05 at 06:23 PM

[Mr. Tuttle]

Posted: 6/15/05 at 7:14pm

Thanks, briar.

Although I do find it odd that a non student would go posting links to other schools.

[briarbrad]

Posted: 6/15/05 at 7:16pm

Just trying to provide examples of what the original poster asked for.

[Liz_Bennet]

Posted: 6/15/05 at 7:44pm

Eliza0114- I'm not sure how attending Ithaca would be getting out of a small town. I'm from Ithaca, and I can assure you that it's a small town. A very nice small town with a good theater scene. But a small town. I went to high school in Syracuse, which is a medium size but not very exciting city. However, Syracuse University's productions are generally excellent. So are Ithaca's for that matter. But don't come for the culture in Syracuse, because there ain't very much off campus. In Ithaca, there is stuff, but it's likely to resemble off-off-Broadway.

Updated On: 6/15/05 at 07:44 PM

[PleaseChangeMe]

Posted: 6/15/05 at 7:50pm

Thanks for answering my question! BTW, are there any other quality performing arts colleges in NYC?

[briarbrad]

Posted: 6/15/05 at 7:55pm

NYU is probably gonna be regarded as the top drama school in NYC. (Columbia has a great GRADUATE program, though). I've heard that Marymount Manhattan has a good program, as well. Can anyone speak on the quality of Hunter College or Hofstra? I've heard of people going to these schools for drama/musical theatre, but I'm not very familiar with them. Also -- Fordham @ Lincoln Center.
Updated On: 6/15/05 at 07:55 PM

[RustyRocketteBoy]

Posted: 6/15/05 at 8:17pm

NCSA is great, i just graduated form there. There is no musical theater major, but the acting program has deep roots in musical theater. part of the auditon is singing. The program is like majoring in drama and minoring in musical theater.

[BwayLeadman]

Posted: 6/15/05 at 8:24pm

What about schools under the CUNY/SUNY system?