PERFORMING ARTS COLLEGES- Page 2
PERFORMING ARTS COLLEGES
chasing_rainbows43
Broadway Star Joined: 5/11/03
#25re: PERFORMING ARTS COLLEGES
Posted: 6/11/04 at 12:18am
Again, pimping Wagner College. www.wagner.edu
Alum include:
Randy Graff - Fiddler
Cathy Brier (sp?) - Hairspray
Janine LaManna - Seussical, Kiss Me, Kate
Plus many more, but it's late and I"m forgetting a lot. I'm a current student there- PM for more info, guided tours, etc.
#26re: PERFORMING ARTS COLLEGES
Posted: 6/11/04 at 1:19am
Yeah I have a friend at Wagner who's in the musical theatre program there and she says it's great!
Oh and I have a couple of friends at Marymount Manhattan also and they say it's a great program!
Good luck with the search!
"Take a breath. Take a step. Take a chance. Take your time." -L5Y
showstopper
Featured Actor Joined: 2/22/04
#27re: PERFORMING ARTS COLLEGES
Posted: 6/11/04 at 6:42amAnnafabulous, just out of curiosity...who do you know that graduated from Hartt thats been on Broadway? I think techiboi has a great list. Good luck.
kitkatgirl54
Leading Actor Joined: 5/19/04
#28re: PERFORMING ARTS COLLEGES
Posted: 6/11/04 at 10:18am
i find it interesting that people who don't go to NYU throw around "it's not that great of a school" and then say one or 2 names of people who have been in a couple broadway shows as proof why their school is awesome. it happens every time this type of topic is brought up. also, most of the other nyc college auditions i went to made some kind of crack about "that three letter school," but i have never heard NYU make any kind of comment about another school (except maybe juilliard :) ). competition between other nyc schools has never even been an issue in that environment.
so here is the deal straight from a tisch student. 2 current students (that i know of) are on broadway right now and in school -- i think that's pretty neat. in the alumni magazine there are so many goddamned alumni that they forgot to mention that raul esparza is an alumni and he was up for a tony. which kind of pissed me off but there are just pages and pages of both theater and movie stars and actors that have come out of the program. this year, 7 nyu alumni in wicked, etc. the nyc location is key. most of my friends are already working or beginning to work just because of the location or are working right in the business. quite a few of my teachers are people i have either previously heard of or whose work i have heard of, many of whom were tony voters, etc. working in their profession. as for the size, yes the school is huge but they break it down so you can definitely make a name for yourself within it. and as for the expenses ... nyu is good in that you can still make a living with an nyu degree even if theater doesn't work out. otherwise i have no comment about the expense :)
btw marymount manhattan doesn't have a MT major, only a minor.
Updated On: 6/11/04 at 10:18 AM
#29re: PERFORMING ARTS COLLEGES
Posted: 6/11/04 at 12:52pmBtw, I did go to NYU for Music Ed, and I have only heard a couple from Tisch that made any improvement in their voice. The key to any MT program is the voice teachers. Go and have a lesson with them and see how you feel. The more variety the better. As stated, even with places like OK City, there may be a lot of graduates like Kristin Chenoweth, but think of how many graduate from those programs...
#30re: PERFORMING ARTS COLLEGES
Posted: 6/11/04 at 1:08pm
Tisch has Cap21 which is it's musical theatre school and its very hard to get into. Marymount only has the MT minor. The long list of schools on the first page are great.
And instead of looking at what schools "stars" went to, you could always go to a not-so-frequented school and make your own mark...THAT's where your talent comes in. Also, if you're really into musical theatre and you're confident enough in your voice, you might want to go to a school for ACTING that occasionally has musicals (ie Fordham, SMU ) because that's how you build up your strengths.
Plince! Plince! Nein! T-Rex!!
Mr. Tuttle
Broadway Legend Joined: 5/17/03
#31re: PERFORMING ARTS COLLEGES
Posted: 6/11/04 at 2:02pm
Having worked with many EMC's and graduates of various schools...here's my take:
The best trained (not only singing, but music theory, musical knowledge in general/other shows besides musicals, acting, dancing):
University of Michigan
Emerson
Oklahoma City University (the tap capital of the MT world)
Good in one aspect (sing, dance) but not complete triple threats:
NYU Cap21 seems they train you to either be a dancer or a singer
Boston Conservatory
Florida State U
And the attitude winner is:
CCM They think they're hot s*it..and they're not. If you're gonna tell everyone you're the best, then you better be the best.
Ignorance is temporary. Stupidity last forever.
Watch out BWW...
HE'S BACK.
kitkatgirl54
Leading Actor Joined: 5/19/04
#32re: PERFORMING ARTS COLLEGES
Posted: 6/11/04 at 3:01pm
btw i agree about CAP 21 (lacking in the voice training) and am much more impressed with the students that are showcased through Steinhardt (their production of 'A New Brain' this year was very impressive). what I personally have been doing is taking my acting/dance/etc. and half of my voice through tisch and the rest of my voice electives through steinhardt and outside of school and it has been working out well.
right now the schools that i am hearing a lot about are carnegie melon (it seems either everyone from nyu applied there and didn't get in, or applied, got in, and decided they'd rather be in NY) and CCM, also Northwestern (although their mus. theater is only a minor or something .. i can't remember exactly.) good luck!
#33re: PERFORMING ARTS COLLEGES
Posted: 6/11/04 at 4:01pmJulliard and Yale are really good, NYU and UCLA are good
DoReMi
Stand-by Joined: 5/19/03
#34re: PERFORMING ARTS COLLEGES
Posted: 6/11/04 at 6:27pmJulliard and Yale don't offer musical theater majors.
#35re: PERFORMING ARTS COLLEGES
Posted: 6/11/04 at 8:37pmI am graduating from the UCLA Music department, but all my friends are in the theater department/ musical theater track... I do not want to talk ill of a program so many people close to me are involved in (including my boyfriend), but the department is as weak as it has ever been and I would not recommend it. Any specific questions, PM me!
WiCkEDrOcKS
Broadway Legend Joined: 6/13/04
#36re: PERFORMING ARTS COLLEGES
Posted: 5/4/06 at 9:20pmHow about performing arts colleges solely in NYC?
BtMartin25
Featured Actor Joined: 1/4/06
#37re: PERFORMING ARTS COLLEGES
Posted: 5/4/06 at 10:08pm
The University of Michigan only accepts 10 guys/girls each year. cRaZy!
Anyways, one recommendation if you would like to apply there is to check out there summer intensive musical theatre program called "MPULSE!" It's recommended for Juniors in High School. The Director of the program teaches you one on one.. it's a great "umph" for when you audition.
bt
#38re: PERFORMING ARTS COLLEGES
Posted: 5/4/06 at 11:37pmShenandoah Conservatory in Winchester, VA. It's kind of a small town but there are things to do, there are lots of cute little places and it's close to DC sprawl. It's private so it's expensive but something like 96% of students get craptons of financial aid. I live in Winchester (just in high school, alas) and I go to all of their shows. They're AMAZING! They did Sweeney Todd last fall and The Will Rogers Follies back in February. Anyway check 'em out.
I know this groc'ry clerk...
Chitty
Featured Actor Joined: 4/29/05
#39re: PERFORMING ARTS COLLEGES
Posted: 5/4/06 at 11:39pm
This should be moved to the students section.
But the posters who mentioned OKLAHOMA CITY UNIVERSITY as a top musical theater school are correct. And good luck of you van get in.
And to the poster above who said that Kristin (and that would be enough for most universities) was the only star OCU has produced, maybe you should know that OCU has also produced the second current big female musical theater star on Broadway....
someone named Kelli O'Hara.
If you're serious about musical theater, then OCU is for you.
musicjunkieg
Swing Joined: 4/2/05
#40re: PERFORMING ARTS COLLEGES
Posted: 5/6/06 at 5:39pm
So, one school that has not been mentioned yet, and is very up and coming, is Kent State University in Kent, Ohio. I am soon to be an alum of that school, and I have receieved fabulous training from here.
Some famous alumni: Alice Ripley, Mark Lamura, Mark Setlock, Erin Coors, Jeff Richmond, and hopefully, Bryan Guffey! lol
emg_sound
Understudy Joined: 5/3/06
#41re: PERFORMING ARTS COLLEGES
Posted: 5/6/06 at 7:25pmOne thing to consider is how many of the various programs have a strong OPERA componenet, OK City is one of these, my alma mater, Indiana University (Jacobs School of Music) has a fantastic opera program. I personally like that fact, because in opera, you have to build up A: A powerful natural voice, and B: Massive vocal stamina. So when you actually get to musical theatre, the microphone on you is a lot more redundant, and you could easily do 10 shows a week!
The one show everyone on Broadway is waiting to see: Twyla Tharp presents: Big Bottom - The Spinal Tap Jukebox musical!
#42re: PERFORMING ARTS COLLEGES
Posted: 5/6/06 at 9:21pm
I'll promote Montclair State University in Montclair, NJ- just 12 miles out of NYC.
Its entering the top list of theatre schools next year and is doing national auditions.
It has four degrees-
BFA Musical Theatre
BFA Acting
BFA Production/Design
BA Theatre Studies.
All are very strong and intense programs with excellent facilities. There is a new theatre on the campus, designed by the same architect who designed the stellar NJPAC in Newark, NJ, that is also set up as a regional theatre as well. So that means tons of master classes with the shows that stop to perform on our campus. We also have an outdoor theatre, a blackbox, and an auditorium, not to mention other small theatres used for experimental work.
One of the best parts of Montclair is that it is affordable and you have the opportunies to do extra programs- such as our program with the Shanghai Theatre Academy and/or London Theatre trip. Amazing experiences- both of them.
Def. check out MOntclair because right now its kind of like a hidden gem. Its going to be very big in a few years!
"They hear drums. We hear music."
LostLeander
Broadway Star Joined: 3/18/05
#43re: PERFORMING ARTS COLLEGES
Posted: 5/6/06 at 10:17pm
CMU takes 10-12 people a year for Musical Theatre.
Boys AND girls.
CMU is an intense program that will prepare you as an actor, prepare you for a CAREER and not just a couple of years. You absolutely can not slip through the cracks here. You get SO much personal attention, that you have to be on the ball constantly.
But the faculty is incredible, and SO encouraging, and loving. But you have to be absolutely sure this is what you want to do, because you will eat, sleep, and breathe this place, and you have to be OK with that, otherwise you will get eaten alive.
The list of alumni is huge, too.
But, if you're gonna make it, you're gonna make it, whatever school you go to, I believe.
Personally, I think I have too much bloom.
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