BEST COLLEGES BFA MUSICAL THEATER — Page 5

Hey Bwaybettini - congrats on UArts. Was just wondering if you'd share why you chose UArts over other BFA programs (if any) you got it into. Thanks.

Emerson as a school has been going through a lot, but I don't think the theatre department has been too affected. I mean of course it has been affected, but the faculty and students are great. I've worked with the new department head and he seems fine. He's a lot of fun and he puts out great work. He's still new, but he seems to fit right in. I don't think Emerson's political problems should keep people away from it. The show must go on, after all.

~Steven

oops hahaha

I suck at typing!

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Its funny that for most schools you have to go to a small town to study Musical Theater...

That's one problem Im having...
I want to go study Musical Theatre (for most part away)
but I want to stay in NYC.

Then your going to want to go to NYU Tish or AMDA which are both in Manhattan.

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Emerson is in the heart of Boston's Theatre District. Three of the four major Boston theatres are a block or less from my dorm and Emerson's campus. It's a real plus for going to the college. You truly are immersed in theatre at Emerson.

~Steven

nyustud, I was just going to post about Steinhardt's program but you beat me to it. Steinhardt's MT program is a great one with lots of talented students. :)

broadwaybettini2, it's TisCh, not Tish. :) If you got into NYU and decided not to go because you thought you'd have to take math, you made the wrong decision. You don't have to take math, if you don't want to, at Tisch. I don't know where you got that idea!

There are many excellent MT programs in cities: Tisch, Steinhardt, Emerson, BoCo, Syracuse, CMU, UArts, CCM just to name a few.

Updated On: 6/26/05 at 09:33 PM

Just because it shouldnt go unsaid---

none of this really matters in the end.
what i think (and who am i.. right? but i am going into my senior year successfully in my Musical Theater BFA... so maybe i know something... maybe not..)

what i think- is that you need to decide what is really important to you and study that to its fullest. certain schools focus on different pieces of the pie to differing degrees... do you want to be a singer who can read lines... or an actor who sings... or a singing dancer.. or an acting dancer.. you want to order the three in your priorities and make sure that the schools you select to apply to hold the same standards.

and i'm telling you- from here to the moon- the name only impresses people who would be impressed by only a name. but again if you want to go to a big name school just to say i went to so and so school- then go there. but know that there are lesser known universities with phenominal programs out there. and when performers have the training they need- they won't need a name.

and know what role you'd like to fulfill as a grown artist and performer... different schools prepare students for differing careers... a chorus line position... a leading lady... a dancing sensation... you know?

and visit each school because you have to live there and be passionately in love with your experience.. you may never know till you see a place if you will flourish there. and THAT is the important thing. you must mesh with the program.



that- is what i have to say.

that aside-- just because i have had a phenominal first three years- i put it out there:

UArts in Philadelphia has a very quickly growing phenominal program for musical theater. They select around 25 students each year (though I think it was more like 22, 20 this past year) but that number dwindles- my senior class in the fall has 12 people.
You study Meisner with some of the top NY Meisner teachers... but they also integrate a myriad of other methods into your freshman and senior acting studios. The teach in depth Shakespeare, 4 years of Singing Acting training, Cabaret, voice lessons... yadda yadda...

Its a truly solid program in my humble opinion. I'd just like to put it out there for consideration.
If you have any questions- my email address is Storygoeson @ yahoo.com and my AIM is Dorythenun. i'd be more than happy to field questions.

and for anyone looking UArts does offer a pre-college intensive summer program in acting or musical theater that is quite wonderful. I know many other places offer them too- so you may want to shop around... but I'm working my second summer as a teacher's assistant for this program and i can say its pretty wonderful...


just another option to help get a feel for certain colleges...

best of luck to you.
this is a hard time and a hard thing to figure out--- but just keep auditioning and the right thing will fall into your lap.
i promise.





sincerely
kati

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Wow, Dory, thanks. That really gave me some insight on things.

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Entering my senior year at an incredible BFA Musical Theater program, allow me to bestow some words of wisdom to those in need.

As students, we've had this same discussion many many times, and it is consistently agreed upon that the best schools for a BFA in musical theater are, in no meaningful order:

Boston Conservatory
Carnegie Mellon
Cincinatti Conservatory of Music (CCM)
Michigan
Northwestern
University of the Arts


It is evident from reading this thread that there is so much time and energy wasted on the idea of going to a "name" school. And believe me, I understand its allure. It is simply not necessary, though. The best thing you can do right now is research and visit these schools, and also GET YOURSELF READY TO AUDITION. It won't matter where you apply if you've blown these precious months agonizing over which school will look better on a resume. Trust me - nobody cares. When certain school reach such a godly status in one's mind, they can do little but disappoint when fully experienced. You shouldn't worry about what the school's name can do for you, you should think about what you are bringing to the table can do for the school's name.

It's important to keep in mind that no school is without its faults. Certain frustrations many people have had with some of the programs I mentioned include blatant favoritism, disorganization on an administrative level, cut systems, physical qualifications ("you're too fat", etc), and a cookie-cutter mentality of asking each student to fit a certain mold. That all being said, these programs, some old and established (as CCM and CMU) and some extremely green (as UArts), continue to produce talented individuals and have proven themselves exciting and vibrant talent pools that are most definitely places to consider when applying. THESE are the hotspots.

I, like DorytheNun, am entering my senior year at UArts. This school is enduring a period of rapid growth, and in the past three years even, I've seen it change and develop much for the positive. UArts, like CMU, is an acting based program. If your dreams put you in the company of a national tour or in the tapping chorus of 42nd St (which is fabulous, and something I will never be able to do), look into CCM or Boston - they WILL get you that work, undoubtedly.

Perhaps UArts' greatest strength is its focus on the individual. Where other schools rely on a cookie-cutter mentality (as that IS the nature of the work sometimes), UArts puts a strong emphasis on self-reflection and discovery. It is their thinking that if you are able to develop your individuality, it will make you a much more dynamic and exciting and UNIQUE performer down the road. Looking around my senior class of 12 and even the entire program here, we cover nearly about every conceivable "type" in the dramatic canon: character actors, leading men and women, song and dance types, and beyond. The program is a synthesis of a conservatory and a liberal arts college, if that is something you're concerned about. As the name of the institution suggests, this is a school that understands the ART of theater, and ESPECIALLY musical theater. This is important, as art frequently escapes the medium today amid jukebox musicals and the rest of the crap that's beind produced.

People frequently know so little about UArts because, well, our publicity sucks. Most of what people know about us is by word of mouth. Talk to professionals though, and the name IS getting out there. Both Hunter and Sutton Foster, among many other credible sources, have been quoted as saying our program has a lot to offer, and Sutton even spoke here last year. Also, Philly is a GREAT city for regional theater, and it is close enough to NYC and DC for travelling. It really is a lot like a mini-NYC, only very friendly, very safe, and very very manageable. Between the rest of the University as well as residing on the Avenue of the Arts, students are immersed in an artistic environment that really facilitates excitement and inspiration throughout your time here.

If you have any questions about the program or the audition process or anything else, feel free to AIM me at Superben444 or email me at BlueMinstrel1 @ yahoo.com.

-Ben


Here are just some parting words of advice that someone told me when I was looking at MT programs that I've never forgotten, because it's so so true:

If you are going to a BFA MT program worth its salt, EVERYONE will have been the lead in their high school musicals. You're not special anymore because you can sing, dance, or act. Be prepared, it's a tough pill to swallow.

the colleges that im applying to are...

University of the Arts
Ithaca
Marymount manhattan
Shenandoah
University of Southern Colorado
American

they all have GREAT MT departments

...doesn't mean I should, but I will anyway. lol. I go to Northern Kentucky University which is 3 miles south of Cincinnati and therefor, CCM. I don't call our school the best, I try and stay away from pushing it on anyone, I have no intention of getting it world-reknowned, I simply say this to try and make a point. We've been making consistant improvements in our musical theatre program and often recieve reviews for our shows that are just as good as CCM's and are often praised for our improvements. If you've got that ambition and determination, but find yourself unable to make it into/at the Big schools, don't give up! Work your way towards that goal because by starting out at someplace else, because you never know what you'll find at some 'rink-a-dink hole in the wall.' I wanted to go to CCM all throughout high school, but I'd never cut it there, it's just not right for me, but NKU has provided an education I'll cherish forever (and not to mention at a very afordable price! lol). I'm not comparing us to CCM or UofM or anyplace else, I'm just saying we're working hard, so don't disregard schools like NKU, they'll help you get there too.

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Blair, I completely understand where you're coming from. And it's a great plan, and it may still be an early decision for me, but I feel like I can benefit so much from a general BFA program, but I'll probably put a more emphasis on singing or acting. I would still want that training in all three areas, however, I'd want a slight emphasis on either singing or acting, so I'm not restricted to just a specific type of media, but I think just being trained at an earlier time gives you flexibility as a performer.

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