WHAT WOULD BE A GOOD COLLEGE FOR MUSICAL THEATRE?¿?

[BROADWAYx3STARR]

Posted: 10/1/06 at 9:54pm

Hello everybody,

I was just wondering...what would be a good college to go to if I wanted to be in musical theatre/acting? I was thinking about Tisch School Of The Arts in New York, but does anyone know about any more? I want to be in musical theatre/acting when I'm older...and I just wanna get a head start. I'm a teenager that needs to know. haha. Thanks for your time!

-BROADWAYx3STARR

:]
Updated On: 10/1/06 at 09:54 PM

[neddyfrank2]

Posted: 10/1/06 at 9:56pm

Are you kidding me?

You are thinking of applying to college and you can't spell it?

[rubyslippersxo]

Posted: 10/1/06 at 9:57pm

Hi. :) You may want to do a search for "musical theatre colleges" and just read all those threads before people yell at you. There's TONS of them on these boards. And also, it's *college. Good luck with the whole acting thing from a fellow aspiring actress.

[BROADWAYx3STARR]

Posted: 10/1/06 at 9:57pm

woops.. my bad. i was in a hurry. :]

[anotherhundredpeople]

Posted: 10/1/06 at 11:32pm

I would really check the student board for this type of stuff; people will yell. But, Tisch has a great program; I just started there this fall. It's very intense but definitely worth it. Tisch divides their drama dept. up into studios. The musical theater studio is called CAP21. You should check out the Tisch and CAP21's websites for more info. Auditions are usually held from November to Febuary. Break a leg!

[TheActr97J]

Posted: 10/2/06 at 1:48am

Don't bother with the student board. Go immediately to www.collegeconfidential.com. Run, don't walk there, immediately!

Register for the message boards. They have an ENTIRE message board dedicated to applying and audtioning for a musical theater major! There is a list of all the best BFA Musical Theater schools, and a massive compilation of information that holds the answer to any question you could possibly have about the application/audition process or about a specific school. There are parents, current BFA students, and faculty of BFA programs who are all extremely knowledgable and helpful. This sight was so valuable when I was applying for college last year, I don't know what I would do without it.

If you have any other questions, feel free to PM me, as I went through all this last year. Are you a senior now? If you are, you really need to get a move on.

[madison2]

Posted: 10/2/06 at 10:14am

The top 4 schools are University of Michigan, Carnegie Mellon, Cincinatti Conservatory of Music (CCM), and Northwestern. There are other great schools as well like Syracuse, Ithaca, Webster, OCU.

[edenespinosalover]

Posted: 10/2/06 at 10:28am

Sporti brought up a good point in a prior post. There aren't necessarily "good" musical theatre schools. You need to find a school that you fit with. Some schools have programs that you won't be able to stand or handle or keep up with or whatever. You have to find that school that's good for you. So go visit them, sit in on classes, talk to the professors, see what the school's like before you say you wanna go to the "good" musical theater schools. Cuz not all of the "good" ones are actually good for certain people.

I hope that makes sense.

[Icbanannie]

Posted: 10/2/06 at 1:07pm

Ithaca College Updated On: 10/2/06 at 01:07 PM

[RustyRocketteBoy]

Posted: 10/2/06 at 1:10pm

boston conservatory. its has the most working alumni out of any musical theater program

[jimnysf]

Posted: 10/2/06 at 1:13pm

ITHACA! Great school and you will also have a great time there. At least I did many years ago.

[BROADWAYx3STARR]

Posted: 10/2/06 at 4:55pm

Thanks everyone!!

:]

[playssome]

Posted: 10/2/06 at 5:00pm

I would echo the Ithaca response - actually quite reputable. Of course, still no Carnegie Mellon.

[OnMyWay]

Posted: 10/2/06 at 5:03pm

Boo to OCU

[theminutepast]

Posted: 10/2/06 at 7:34pm

Have to mention Oberlin College. Our Con is one of the best in the country. Famous grads: Judy Kuhn, Seth Rudetsky, the conductor for Dirty Rotten Scoundrels.

I don't believe we have a musical theater major, but our voice teachers and majors are very talented. I took voice lessons with a senior voice major last year, and was so blown away by the talent she had.

[theminutepast]

Posted: 10/2/06 at 7:35pm

https://forum.broadwayworld.com/readmessage.cfm?thread=194813

Someone made a rather long list of schools.

[kaboodles041]

Posted: 10/2/06 at 8:48pm

Woo-hoo, I go to Ithaca College!

[iheartamc10]

Posted: 10/2/06 at 10:29pm

I second the "top schools" post (in no order):

CCM
BoCo
Michigan
NYU Cap 21

**However, those aren't the only good programs.. there are TONS of other good ones depending on what you're looking for. Look at the other posts on this board.

[yeahitskavin]

Posted: 10/2/06 at 10:32pm

definately East Carolina University in North Carolina. Im a student there now and love it. the school is great.

[TheActr97J]

Posted: 10/3/06 at 12:29am

I second Collegeconfidential.com. Do yourself a favor and get on their message boards.

Don't let anyone sell you on a list of the "top schools". There is no such list. There is only whatever is the top school for YOU. Find a program that is the right fit for you, and that is the place where you will get the most out of your education. Your education is what you make of it. Remember, stars like Norbert Leo Butz didn't go to CCM or BoCo or Michigan. He went to Webster, which has a respectable, but less celebrated program, and he has a Tony. Or how about Sherie Rene Scott, who went to a two-year, non-degree theater school in NYC? Many Broadway stars didn't even go to school. I talked to the cast of "High Fidelity" at the stage door last week, and half of them didn't even go to school. Will Chase, the lead, was a percussion major.

Find the school that is right for you.

... and GO TO COLLEGECONFIDENTIAL.COM!!! Trust me.

[ElFantasma14]

Posted: 10/3/06 at 4:12pm

Has anyone ever heard if Yale's drama program is good? Also, has anyone famous ever come out of Emerson College in Boston? It seems to have a good program from the website and what people have told me, but you never see it listed in any playbills.

[jess20882]

Posted: 10/3/06 at 4:17pm

Also check out the Eastman School of Music in Rochester, NY. They have a wonderful program (Kenita Miller, of The Color Purple, is a recent graduate). I have a couple of friends who went there and are going on audition after audition in NYC.

As for Emerson, they do have a great program. My mother is a teacher there. I can't think of any 'celebrities' off the top of my head who are graduates but I know the program is very strong...

[Up In Lost]

Posted: 10/3/06 at 6:35pm

Ithaca is awesome. I am here now as a Theatre Arts Management major and absolutely love it. The BFA Musical Theatre program seems pretty instense, and I know the BFAs get cast alote. There are six mainstage shows a year, and countless other shows going on. There are three completely student run shows, and then a few other, smaller productions.

It sounds so cliche, but the Theatre Arts department really is a massive family here.