BEST COLLEGES BFA MUSICAL THEATER- Page 6

[CJWesselman]

Posted: 7/6/05 at 10:15pm

...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.

[Blair]

Posted: 7/6/05 at 10:26pm

A few weeks ago, I was all for getting a bachelor's degree in Musical Theatre. I was planning to go to U of M, or NYU, or any other prestigious school. Then I had a really informative conversation with my new voice teacher. She has had many successful students go on to professional careers. One being Angela Brown, most recently Aida at the Met.

She told me that it is better to get a bachelor's in either Vocal Performance or Theatre. And then if you want, you can get a master's in Musical Theatre.

With Musical Theatre, you get all the training in each area: acting, singing, and dance. You are good at everything, but you never get enough training in each to truly be great at any of them.

At first, I just didn't really believe that. I thought, well there are plenty of successful people who have a bachelor's in Musical Theatre. But then I looked at some of the best musical theatre performers out there's backgrounds.

Victoria Clark - Music (Yale)
Norbert Leo Butz - MFA Acting (Alabama Shakespeare Festival)
Kelli O'Hara - BM Vocal Performance (OCU)
Sara Ramirez - Acting (Juilliard)
Audra McDonald - Vocal Performance (Juilliard)
Kristin Chenoweth - MFA Opera Performance (OCU)
Idina Menzel - BFA Acting (NYU)
Raul Esparza - BFA Acting (NYU)
Marc Kudisch – BFA Theatre (Florida Atlantic University)
Jeffrey Carlson – BFA Acting (UCDavis) Graduate Acting (Juilliard)

Those are just a few.

Specializing first can lead to so many more career opportunites, and it's a better chance for success. Musical Theatre programs often so specially breed their students for that area that they are good performers all together, but their acting wouldn't be able to carry a straight play, and vocally they would never be asked to do say, a POPS concert.

My plan? Bachelor’s in Vocal Performance, Master’s in Musical Theatre. Try to develop a steady career and if that doesn’t happen in say 10 years, get a Doctorate and teach.

I'm not in any way trying to tell you that that's the only way to go, but it's just something to think about...

[Aigoo]

Posted: 7/6/05 at 10:34pm

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.

[CJWesselman]

Posted: 7/6/05 at 10:35pm

It is very true that just because someone doesn't have their degree in something, like Musical Theatre, it doesn't mean they can't do it and become very successful, they can! But I think it's all about work ethic. If you're a musical theatre major and worry that you aren't getting enough training in one particular area, work at it! The schools can only teach you so much, a lot of work is what you do on your own! Not that I'm calling you lazy or anyone lazy or anything, lol, but you get out of any degree only what you want to get out of it. That being said, I need to start working on a lot of stuff!

[Aigoo]

Posted: 7/6/05 at 10:37pm

CJ, I just ran into your post. Line breaks are your friend. :) Especially in your signature.

[briarbrad]

Posted: 7/6/05 at 10:41pm

I respectfully disagree with you when you say "With Musical Theatre, you get all the training in each area: acting, singing, and dance. You are good at everything, but you never get enough training in each to truly be great at any of them." There are plenty of people who go through BFA Musical Theatre programs and are GREAT at all three things. To say that because you study voice, acting, and dance that you are spread too thin is rather foolish. Some of the very top MT programs aren't gonna let you in their doors unless you show potential as an actor. Others focus more on song and dance. It depends. Getting a BM in Vocal Performance could, in fact, LIMIT opportunities. You are not gonna get the acting training that you would in a BFA program. And if you can get into one, it makes more sense to get a BFA in MT at a top program than getting a BFA in Acting at an equally top or lesser program because MT training will make you that much more versatile!

Idina got a BFA in Drama/Musical Theatre from CAP21 at Tisch - not Acting.

Also, there are VERY, VERY few Masters programs in Musical Theatre - you could probably count them on one hand. BoCo has one, and one or two of the Florida schools do too.

[Blair]

Posted: 7/6/05 at 11:09pm

I'm not at all trying to say that graduates from musical theatre programs are of a lesser quality. Maybe I worded things wrong. You can most definitely become a great performer with a musical theatre degree, but I do believe that you won't get that intense vocal or acting training within the college, that you would get if you exclusively trained in one or the other first. You will always get those people who work so very hard with other teachers or on their own, and do become great. But the program by it's self isn't going to do that for them, in my opinion.

You can get a BFA in VP/Acting, and then say go to NYU for musical theatre as a graduate student. By many accounts, NYU's grad programs are actually regarded better than their BFA programs.

This gives you more guidance in becoming "great", rather than doing all that vocal and acting work on your own. And you can always get great acting and voice classes outside the university while you are specializing.

And then you have those special cases like Audra McDonald, who's never had an acting class in her life, and is one of the best.

It all really depends on the kind of person you are. Would you rather have a whole lot of guidance from universities, or just do things on your own?

This route works better for me, but others might not like it as much. And that's completely fine, you can do whatever you would like, but like I said, this is just another option...

[briarbrad]

Posted: 7/6/05 at 11:19pm

Unless they're hiding it under the Union Square subway station, I don't think NYU has a graduate program in Musical Theatre. (They have one of the top graduate acting programs, though.)

And, just trying to be helpful and shed some light on the college search process for you...you will get intense vocal and acting training at most top MT programs. At alot of the best programs, Musical Theatre is somewhat of a double major - that is to say, you are getting the exact same acting training as the acting majors, and the same training as the vocal performance majors. You're just doing 2x the work! I know this is true at Carnegie, and I'm pretty sure it could be said about Michigan, CCM, etc.

[briarbrad]

Posted: 7/6/05 at 11:19pm

Oops, sorry for the double post! Updated On: 7/6/05 at 11:19 PM

[Aigoo]

Posted: 7/6/05 at 11:24pm

How is NYU's undergraduate programs? I've heard..mixed things. I'm particularly looking at Steinhardt, but I hear that it's not really worth how much you have to pay.

[Blair]

Posted: 7/6/05 at 11:28pm

NYU has a Graduate Musical Theatre program at Steinhardt.

Thanks for the help, I really do appreciate it. I think that most of what I'm saying is coming from my voice teacher, and I may or may not follow her advice. I like that you disagree, haha. I have 2 very strong opinions here, and I still have a while to really choose.

[briarbrad]

Posted: 7/6/05 at 11:29pm

I'm definitely much more familiar with the Tisch programs than with Steinhardt. My main problems with the school -Tish in particular - (and one of the reasons why I chose to turn down their offer of admission) is price and number of students. They are known to not be very generous with financial or merit aid. They accept 300 students every year, and so, every year, there are 300 more NYU BFA's entering the field. It's my opinion that because of this, a degree from NYU doesn't hold as much prestige or merit (something important to me, but maybe not to others) as other schools. I'm convinced that the training is just as good as the other top-tier schools, but there aren't the extra "perks" to the degree that would have made it worth it to me.

Oh - and only 50% of coursework is in your major. (Compare to 95% at Carnegie, Juilliard). This appeals to some, and it is a turn-off to others.

[cudramacat]

Posted: 7/6/05 at 11:57pm

I am a Theatre major and music minor and after college I am hoping to move to New York. I really want to get into muscial theatre, besides NYU, what are some other good graduate programs or even just training programs in New York? or anywhere else but especially NYC?

Updated On: 7/7/05 at 11:57 PM

[dory the nun]

Posted: 7/7/05 at 4:57pm

just a general response to the idea about undergrad in mt versus acting or voice-

its absolutely true what someone said earlier about a double major- you actually ARE getting all of the same training as the acting majors and voice majors and at my school (UArts) you can even take dance major dance classes if you get into them.

the truth is that there's more to musical theatre than just learning to act and sing. if that were it they wouldnt have musical theater prorgams- you could just major/minor or literally double major. a big difference in musical theater training is that you take musical theater classes.

for example- not just studio class for acting and voice lessons- we take singing-acting classes as well for both technique and styles (from gilbert & sullivan to brecht to vaudeville etc). I also study musical theater repertory in a separate studio class (taught by the same teacher who teaches some of the acting major studios) where we do style and scene study in the musical theater repertory... which is important if that's the medium in which you'd like to work.

musicals are in essence different than plays and also different than operas (where acting is for the most part not considered or if it is they take into consideration the specific acting style of opera)... so therefore if you want to work in them- study musical theater. it only makes sense.

you get to take electives at many colleges-- so take extra voice and piano lessons, or study specific studios or take advanced dance classes...

and no one says you cant study outside of school as well. if its not intense enough for your liking- pack your weekends.


any questions about the process or about UArts specifically - feel free to IM me at dorythenun.


thanks

[WildhornFanatic]

Posted: 7/7/05 at 5:12pm

As a musical theater major at Ithaca College, I have to say that I think Ithaca has one of the best programs out there. At IC all of the musical theater majors take the same classes as the acting majors, plus voice lessons and music classes, plus dance classes. It is a very rigorous but rewarding program and I have nothing but good things to say about it.

From scene study to voice and movement to styles of acting to audition techniques to TV acting to musical theater workshops Ithaca is always finding fresh, innovative ways of teaching their students and getting the material across.

So far, the best years of my life were spent in the theater department at Ithaca and I can not wait until the fall to continue honing my craft.

[WildhornFanatic]

Posted: 7/8/05 at 6:01pm

bump

[Mr. Tuttle]

Posted: 7/8/05 at 7:39pm

You bumped this so we can all see, again, what a "great" program Ithica is?

[whatyouown223]

Posted: 7/8/05 at 8:07pm

Tuttle- since you seem against so many programs, I'm interested in hearing what you think the best are (excuse me if you already posted, I don't feel like digging).

[TheColorOfFlame]

Posted: 7/8/05 at 8:09pm

In conclusion, almost every person to post here has trashed every program but his or her own, which he or she has lavishly lauded.

In other words, go visit the schools, sit in on classes, see which teachers you like best (because really, doesn't it all come down to the faculty whose language you *GET* the most?) and think about how they made you feel at the auditions.

All of the well-known programs will train you well. It's up to you to get the most out of your training, no matter where you go.

[gimmegimmelove]

Posted: 7/8/05 at 9:51pm

i was wondering what people knew about marymount manhattan. my friend is going there in the fall and although im only going into 10th grade, I would like to learn more about it. Thanks!
<3 misha

[whatyouown223]

Posted: 7/8/05 at 10:40pm

I visited there with my sister last March and I wasn't too impressed. It was way too small for me, but I guess it's good for some people.

[talentseeker]

Posted: 7/8/05 at 10:44pm

My assistant told me about this thread and I thought I would add my 2 cents worth. I work in casting (music theatre mostly) and I see hundreds of talented actors every day. There are many good Music Theatre Programs but the graduates that have been catching our attention and receiving the most work are from...
CCM, Elon University, University of Michigan and Carnegie Mellon.

for what its worth

Posted: 7/8/05 at 11:33pm

I would say either Carnegie Mellon or NYU

[WildhornFanatic]

Posted: 7/9/05 at 12:00am

I agree with TheColorofFlame. Just because someone goes to the best school doesn't mean they're going to have the best training. I think it's based on each individual. It depends on YOU and how much you're willing to take out of the program.

And Mr. Tuttle, I have nothing but great things to say about my program at ITHACA but I haven't heard anything great about the program over at ITHICA.

[Theater_Maniac07]

Posted: 7/9/05 at 11:40am

So I suppose that their or NO schools in Georgia, nor the south that have good MT programs. Is it true that you must go up North to go to a good school? Out of state tuition in insane, and there is probably no way I can afford it. So, does that mean that MT is out of the question? I need help...