Why do people go to college for musical theatre?

Why not? Even if you never get a job in theater, you can always get other employment with a degree. Most positions don't require a specific degree, just a degree.

I know of Broadway actors who have degrees in the most random areas, who got those degrees to please their parents. After/during/before they were working towards said degrees they got their musical theatre training via sporadic classes.

I personally am going to school for musical theatre because i love the arts, but I need guidance perfecting my craft and bringing myself to the level of the professionals. I chose this degree instead of sporadic classes because I honestly didn't want to waste my time or money doing anything else.

And about paying for it -- it can be done if you wait a lot of tables. trust me.

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Why do people go to college for musical theatre?

It's the passion of the craft. My heart is completely engulfed in Musical Theatre and just the attempt at making it my professional career is very tempting, so what's the harm in trying? I shall be doing this (hopefully, if the auditions this November work out) plus majoring in Journalism. A back-up is necessary for this 'risky business'.
I'm passionate about it. That's why.

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If nothing else, after four years of classes and studying and balancing work, school, and a personal life, college gives you self-discipline that you might not otherwise learn.

In order to grow as a performer, you need education and experience. You can get those in many ways, from different sources and outlets... College being one of them.

I learned a lot in my college days... and a lot from other sources as well.

College can teach you about the craft, and the history and legacy of the craft. And it can give you a fundamental amount of experience as a performer. But remember that it's an academic environment. That seems to be the hardest thing for "young kids" in theatre to understand.

The "real world" of theatre doesn't operate the same way (not by a long shot), but you can use your college experience to prepare for a performing career.

Oh, and the degree means nothing out there... unless you plan on teaching or continuing to advance in "academia."

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I think that even if you don't have many stage/tv.movie creds, the training is what matters. So, yes, if you took classes in your town, from professionals, then that is the equivalent of college, eh?
i think that you need something to fall back on, a safety. Are you good at cooking? Drawing? Buisness-ing? You can use that stuff to get a job.
But, hey, I'm getting this from my old, faithful copy from 20 years ago of How To become a Working actor.
Good read.
But, yes, if you had a degree fro something part-timne, you cna do auditions and stuff. Freeadmission, you don't sound crazy, you are totally right-minded!

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I don't think a degree in the theater/entertainment field means much, but the knowledge that comes with it does. I don't really care to have a piece of paper saying I graduated, but I'd rather have all the knowledge I've learned over the years about techniques and the experiences I've had. What I'm doing is minoring in something else - that's not theater related - so I have something to do inbetween jobs or if I never get a job, that way I have something to fall back on. I don't want to wait tables for five years, I'd rather have a "real" job.

See, the waiting tables thing totally pisses me off. After two years, I'm sick of it. It's the people. All the people. And all of them drink that sweet tea that's so damned sweet I'm afraid I'll get diabetes just from LOOKING at it.

So I can't wait tables. School will be my salvation in the fall. At least for a time.

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This is true...

People go to college for musical theatre because most people who want to do this professionally need to study it in a safe environment.

Very few are given the opportunity to earn professional, on-the-job experience while they are still school-aged. Those who are fast learners can pick things up, but there's not really any substitute for consistent acting classes, for example. Not a few weeks at an acting studio when you can afford it, or an audition clinic here and there, but real training and technique.

Music theatre is the easiest place to fake it, if you know how to put the polish on, but good luck doing a play if you haven't legitimately educated yourself.

I hate to be on a soapbox, but I'm an actor, and I work constantly, both in and out of New York, and I tell every young actor who asks that he or she should go to college if they possibly can. I majored in theatre and minored in music theatre, and it was the best choice I could have made. There are some shortcuts, but not everyone can make a career out of them.

This is a profession. Not a hobby. You'd go to school for whatever other profession you decided to pursue (even if, as some posters mention, you change your mind later) so why not this one? I think investing the energy in learning your trade is an invaluable pursuit. If you're going to do it, I say DO IT. If you plan to have a fall back career (a philosophy I don't believe in), you may as well just go with that.

Dear Freeadmission,

I would say that it is because the days of having someone like George Abbott cast you as the lead in his new musical because he saw you in an open audition are long since over.

People have been going to college for it for about forty years and they are the norm.

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I initially went to college for theatre because I burnt out academically in high school. I was sick and tired of having to prove myself, competing with other equally smart people for a top 5 ranking. It was disgusting. I chose musical theatre because I enjoyed it. Now that I'm actually in college, I've discovered that it is a true passion of mine. I can't imagine myself majoring in anything else. I love the theatre as an art form and the classes I take really help me explore all aspects of it. I'm getting lots of experience as a performer and as a musical director. I wouldn't have any of my current credits on my resume if I were focusing on a different major (or if I hadn't worked so hard to get into my college's program in the first place). Eh, that's my story, but I'm sure other people have similar ones.

~Steven