Musical Theatre Performance
What is Musical Theatre Performance?
Musical Theatre Performance (also MUSC 133) is a spring course offered by the UR International Theatre Program and the Arthur Satz Department of Music. Here is the course description:
Musical theatre is, indubitably, America's greatest home-grown theatrical form and one of the major accomplishments of American culture. From Carousel to Hadestown, Show Boat to Wicked, American musical theatre has defined, celebrated, and confronted our lives through song, dance, and dramatic character and action. The skills, techniques and talent needed to effectively embody characters from the repertoire challenge actors and singers in startling ways. This is a workshop-format, performance-based course devoted to the development of skills—both dramatic and musical—for musical theatre. We will take songs (and, potentially, scenes) from a range of musicals and explore them from a performer's point of view: investigating action, character, musicality, vocal technique, and more. The class follows a workshop model, with students performing material that is then critiqued and reworked. Students may get to work on both contemporary and Golden Age repertoire in both solo/monologue format and, potentially, in scenes or duets.
The class is intended for students with some background in musical theatre performance and is by audition only.
The class carries four English credits (if taken through the English department/theatre).
Who teaches it?
The instructors: Nigel Maister (Theatre) and TBA (Music), with coach/TA, Jacob Rose.
When and Where does it meet?
The class meets on Mondays from 2-4:40 p.m. in Todd 107 (Sloan Studio).
Please Note:
This class may be subject to a time change. If that occurs, it will take place on Wednesdays from 3.25-6.05pm instead of the currently listed 2-4.40pm. We will let folks know when a decision is made.
Additional times for coachings and rehearsals will also be required.
How do I audition?
Audition: Sunday, December 10, 2023, 10 a.m.-12 noon
Audition Location: Todd 107 (Sloan Studio)
Audition Requirements:
Fill out this form and reserve your Audition.
Please also fill out this Audition Form and bring it with you to the Audition.
Choose and prepare a short 2-3 min song/extract from any musical theatre piece of your choice.
Choose and prepare a short dramatic monologue (2-3 minutes) from any play of your choice
Please be sure to keep the timing of your audition materials short and within the time limits expressed above.
Audition Notes:
It is recommended that you use a piano accompanist for your musical audition piece (we will have an accompanist on hand).
You are responsible for providing any sheet music in appropriate time to the accompanist. You can email our accompanist Jacob Rose at jrose26@u.rochester.edu.
If you are using a recorded track as accompaniment, please be aware that you will be responsible for bringing whatever tech needed to play that accompaniment during the audition. Additionally, any setup for the tech must come out of the time constraints for your audition piece (see Audition Requirements above).
If you cannot make the allocated audition times AND you are unable to submit a video audition, please contact us.
Questions?
Contact Nigel