Musical Theatre

Major and Degree Offered

• Musical Theatre (B.F.A.)

Statement of Purpose

It is our mission to train our future colleagues to become visionaries, creators and leaders in the next generation of American professional theatre.

Educational Goals

Our graduates will:

• Possess skills within their area of expertise
• Demonstrate an effective working process
• Be disciplined theatre practitioners
• Understand the value of the ensemble
• Be able to realize the potential of their imagination
• Have experience in theatre production in professional and learning environments
• Be prepared to get work

Student Assessment

The Musical Theatre Degree offers a sequential, selective, and intensive program for training young artists for theatre. All students are accepted into the program by interview or audition and are enrolled in a particular sequence. Through a carefully monitored grading system using written comment sheets from all faculty, students are regularly advised of their progress and status within the Conservatory. Learning outcomes are measured via semester auditions, interviews and/or portfolio reviews from which students receive individual faculty feedback.

Special Study Opportunities

The study of the musical theatre genre merges strong training in the performance skills with academic study in music theory, history, and the liberal arts.

Students entering the program spend the first two years in the music theory and musicianship sequence of courses, in dance classes (level dependent on entrance skill), and in the Conservatory of Theatre Arts. Acceptance into the program is by audition. The advanced curriculum provides opportunities for students to pursue studies in various aspects of the discipline of musical theatre and to refine acting, dance, and vocal skills.

Performance opportunities include two annual musical productions, in addition to musical theatre workshops and one-act scenes during the academic year. Musical theatre majors are also eligible for casting in all other Conservatory theatre productions and Repertory Theatre of St. Louis productions each year, dependent on the Repertory season and specific casting requirements.

Scholarships

Byron Grant Scholarship

This scholarship is awarded to a third or fourth year student in musical theatre representing outstanding talent and the desire to pursue a career in musical theatre performance.

Special Requirements

Courses completed with a grade of D do not count toward fulfilling the specific requirements of the major.

Musical Theatre

Degree Requirements

• 87 required credit hours
• 12 general education credit hours
• 29 elective credit hours

Required Courses

The 87 required credit hours are distributed over the following course offerings and represent a minimal competency level.

• MUSC 1000 Fundamentals of Musicianship                            3 hours
• MUSC 1010 Music Theory I                                             3 hours
• MUSC 1050 Introduction to Music Appreciation or
  MUSC 1070 Topics in Music:   Introduction to Jazz Styles    3 hours
• MUSC 1810, 1820 Musicianship I, II                                       4 hours
• MUSC 2910 Musicianship III                                                      3 hours
• MUSC 4002 Applied Music: Voice                                          16 hours
• MUSC 1080 Beginning Class Piano                                           1 hour
• MUSC 2001 Applied Music: Secondary and
  Non-Major Piano (or proficiency)                                      1-6 hours
• MUSC 4900 Webster University Choral Club                     2-6 hours
• DANC 2090, 2100 Jazz II                                                          2-6 hours
• DANC 2010, 2020 Ballet II                                                      2-6 hours
• THEA 1010, 1020, 2010, 2020 Conservatory I, II             32 hours
• MUTH 1030 History of American Musical Theatre                3 hours
• MUTH 3010, 3020, 4010, 4020 Music Theatre
  Styles I-IV                                                                                   12 hours

Musical Theatre Course Listings

MUTH 1030 History of American Musical Theatre (3)

Studies American musical theatre, from The Black Crook to present day. Works with book, lyrics, score, dance, and design to study individual composers, their styles, and contributions to this musical form.

MUTH 3010 Music Theatre Styles I (3)

Studies basic acting styles as applied to a song. Analyzes lyric for content, and music for phrasing to blend the two. Deals with choices of material to cover various styles and periods of musical theatre. Continues the second-year study in nonmusical scenes. Acting work concentrates on major periods of styles with advanced training in specific movement skills. Prerequisite: acceptance into musical theatre program or permission of the instructor.

MUTH 3020 Music Theatre Styles II (3)

Continues MUTH 3010. Emphasizes musical theatre scenes. Prerequisite: MUTH 3010 or permission of the instructor.

MUTH 3030 Shakespeare Text/British Dialects (1)

In-depth study of Shakespearean text, including scansion, paraphrasing, targeting figures of speech, and standard British dialect study. Prerequisite: THEA 2020.

MUTH 3040 Period Styles Movement (1)

Comprehensive study of the manners, dances, and understanding of period styles concentrating on Elizabethan, Restoration, and Victorian periods. Prerequisite: THEA 2020.

MUTH 3050 Stage Dialects (1)

Comprehensive study of European dialects for the stage. Prerequisite: MUTH 3030.

MUTH 3060 Third Year Movement: Mask Study (1)

This class focuses on the study and usage of universal and character masks, which further prepares the actor in making physical choices in service of the art of acting. Prerequisite: MUTH 3040.

MUTH 4010 Music Theatre Styles III (3)

Continues musical theatre scene work, including song or songs in relationship to the particular scene. Each actor will begin study of audition techniques and repertoire selection. Prerequisites: acceptance into the musical theatre program, MUTH 3020, or permission of the instructor.

MUTH 4020 Music Theatre Styles IV (3)

Continues MUTH 4010, with more specific work on audition and preparation for the job market. Prerequisite: MUTH 4010 or permission of the instructor.

MUTH 4030 Voice and Speech (2)

Comprehensive study of American dialects for the stage. Prerequisite: MUTH 3050.

MUTH 4040 T'ai Chi (2)

Introduction and application of the basic philosophy and form of t'ai chi ch'uan as applied to actor training. Prerequisite: MUTH 3060.

MUTH 4050 Voice and Speech (2)

Continuation of MUTH 4030, with concentration on elimination of regional dialects and individual vocal problems. Prerequisite: MUTH 4030.

MUTH 4060 Stage Combat (2)

The study of armed and hand-to-hand stage combat techniques. Includes swords, daggers, and quarterstaffs. Concentrates on acting the fight, safety, maintaining characterization, and projecting energy through weapons or hands. Prerequisite: MUTH 4040.