Overview
Students in the B.A. in Theatre, Musical Theatre Concentration practice incremental techniques and skills necessary for the art form of musical theatre – including singing, dancing, and acting – and musical theatre history, theory, and repertoire. Students train to analyze and perform contemporary and classical scripts as actors, to effectively deliver highly physical staging or dance, and to practice healthy habits that support a lifetime of vocal production for the stage, screen, and/or recording. As informed collaborators, students contribute to the creation, rehearsal, development, and future of musical theatre performance.
In addition to four CSU Theatre Program Learning Objectives, the Musical Theatre Concentration includes the following unique learning objectives:
- MUSICAL THEATRE IN PERFORMANCE: Develop a unique artistic vision by practicing incremental techniques and skills necessary to perform in the discipline of musical theatre, including singing, dancing, and acting.
- MUSICAL THEATRE ARTISTRY: Develop an understanding of the musical theatre performer as a collaborative artist, and creative visionary, and explore the discipline of musical theatre as an artform, its history, repertory, conventions, and etiquette.
CSU Theatre produces one full-scale musical each season.
Musical Theatre Concentration Audition:
In addition to applying to CSU through the Office of Admissions, a successful audition with CSU Theatre faculty is required to enter the B.A. in Theatre, Musical Theatre Concentration. Your program audition is also your scholarship audition. AUDITION FOR THE MUSICAL THEATRE CONCENTRATION.
Study With
A Message from Professor Racey
From The Sound of Music to Hamilton, musical theatre is a leading genre in performing arts and entertainment. An innately American art form, it was developed out of the Music Halls of England, the ceremonies and rituals of immigrant cultures, the structure of the American Songbook, and the ordered chaos of jazz.
Music theatre blends the creative disciplines of singing, acting, and dance, harnessing the power of all three storytelling mediums to move the story forward; mastering this art form takes skill, courage, and intense dedication. To that end, students at CSU receive supportive, one-to-one studio and classroom training that results in authentic and exciting productions. Numerous performance opportunities include mainstage musicals, plays, operas, and dance concerts.
CSU's seasoned faculty convey first-hand insight into life as a professional artist based on their combined 30 years of Broadway experience, as well as countless appearances on television and in film,
Nothing unites us like a musical: the extraordinary trinity of music, text, and dance lights up our internal circuitry, flooding us with echoes of our deepest memories, our quietest fears, and our greatest aspirations. CSU Musical Theatre instructors and artists sit at the center of this amazing swirl of creativity, teaching one another to lean forward in our search for a more vital and inclusive truth.
—Noah Racey, Musical Theatre Professor