Assembling the top 10 musical theater colleges is quite a challenge. It is a challenge we welcome knowing that a major factor to consider is word of mouth. Or the ability to plug their programs to a wide audience. Not all theater colleges and institutions that offer musical theater degrees have Facebook pages. But it is also a factor in getting the word out there. Everyone interested to make a career out of theater deserve to learn where they can get the degrees earned.
Runner-Up. Western Michigan University a.k.a The University Theatre, 2148 FB likes
According to the promotional clip found in in WMU’s YouTube channel, The University Theatre develops artists. It meant learning not only to act, sing or dance. Aspiring stage managers, director and theater professionals come over here to get an early exposure to the career called musical theater. Lessons learned from here turned out to be applicable to film and TV productions. As early as now, auditions for 2016 dates are already available on their website. Very helpful information.
10. Ithaca College Theatre Arts, 2713 FB likes
Ithaca College referred to its Musical Theater (BFA) degree as “highly-competitive”. New York is usually where aspirants would go to pursue a career in musical theater. So expect one of the top 10 musical theater colleges to be in this state. It’s the Great White Way after all. Viewing the list of academic programs offered practically covered everything you need to learn. To make it in musical theater. Dance classes are not limited to ballet. But it’s often the base for which dance moves will be taken from. Jazz and tap dancing are included among the lessons as the trends have made it evident. ICTA takes pride in its London Centre where their students immerse themselves in learning British drama and culture. Imagine learning Broadway and West End styles in the same school.
9. Carnegie Mellon University School of Drama, 2838 FB likes
How high profile can you get with alumnus like Tony Award Nominee Christian Borle and alumna like Tony Award Winner Sutton Foster? 2 of its decorated graduates made CMU School of Drama one of the top 10 musical theater colleges to go into. This school is definitely doing something right to produce stellar performers. Students learn the skills needed to penetrate the highly competitive professional theater market. The skills they learned through degrees. Leaning towards musical theater end up becoming applicable in film and TV too. Very crucial to ensure career longevity in the entertainment industry.
8. Florida State University School of Theatre, 3170 FB likes
Being one of the top 10 musical theater colleges meant preparing the students for a career in professional theater. This meant presenting the options at the FSU School of Theatre. Now what made FSUSOT unique is preparing students for the regional theatre circuit. This is apart from a curriculum with the entertainment industry in mind. This explained best the “Senior Showcase in New York City”. An opportunity for the seniors to showcase their talents in the Big Apple itself. The fact that FSUSOT had this arranged with the casting agents and producers in mind. Exposure comes after extensive and intense learning programs. Students then realize all that struggle in college is worth it. They realize it the moment careers are secured and agents signed up.
7. Mason Gross School of the Arts, 3651 FB likes
Rutgers University’s Mason Gross School of the Arts labeled their programs here as theater and music. Delving deeper into the programs, it turns out that one of the programs under the music category is opera. According to Pamela Gilmore, the area co-coordinator of opera here at the Mason Gross School, opera is “the white elephant of the arts”. So the curriculum used here has opera as the basis of their musical theater program. Lessons in acting and movement for singers are found here. Even the business of opera is tackled here. Very important for aspiring opera producers/distributors. You then understand what made this school one of the top 10 musical theater colleges today. Finding a niche helps a lot.
6. New York University’s Tisch Special Programs, 4340 FB likes
What made the musical theater program here at Tisch special enough to earn a spot on our list of top 10 musical theater colleges today? NYU’s Tisch Special Programs includes a graduate course on musical theatre writing. There is a demand for new productions in this industry. Musical theatre productions are constantly staged on an almost nightly basis. It makes the market hungry for new material. When you have a talented pool of writers, all they need next is how to turn their scripts into books for musicals. Emphasis is on collaboration. Everyone with a talent for writing gets exposed to different disciplines here. Learning the right alchemy and perfecting the formula are skills to be expected here.
5. University of Michigan School of Music, Theatre and Dance, 7292 FB likes
There are some theater professionals that would browse on an auditionee’s resume. Expectations shoot to the roof the moment they see “University of Michigan School of Music, Theatre and Dance” on the curriculum vitae. The UM News Service is only too happy to report how their alumni brought glory to the school once more in the most recent Tony Awards.
4. College Conservatory of Music University of Cincinnati, 10706 FB likes
Speaking of the 2015 Tony Awards, the College Conservatory of Music was represented as well. Based on the numbers found on their website, their alumni covered pretty much a chunk of the list of Tony Nominees. The kind of comprehensive education provided here at CCM-UC really shone through. Tony Yazbeck’s Fred and Adele Astaire Award for 2015 served as the best feather on the cap. So many accomplishments earned this year that this institution has produced through its graduates. Applications keep on pouring here as one of the top 10 musical theater colleges today. Click here while there are still vacant slots for Fall 2015.
3. The Boston Conservatory, 10886 FB likes
From classical opera to contemporary musical theatre, The Boston Conservatory is the place to go. To earn topnotch credentials for launching your professional career in musical theatre. Little wonder as to how this respected institution got into our list of top 10 musical theater colleges today. You see yourself joining the orchestra as a musician in opera productions? Getting into the theater ensemble in high-profile opera and musical theater productions come closer to reality upon passing the auditions here. Those who see themselves worthy of the stringent selection here at The Boston Conservatory may sign up for auditions. Click here to pick a date that fitted your schedule.
2. California Institute of the Arts, 20071 FB likes
The CalArts Highlight Reel mentioned how they are “a small school”. They meant that in a good way. As one of the 10 musical theater colleges, only the gifted and the prepare make it in their list of enrollees. There are so many applicants for this institution. And there are still many waiting in the wings for the next audition dates. In the School of Music, there is a degree that teaches composition. Lessons on being a performer-composer are offered here too. As for the School of Theater, lessons on theater design and directing are listed on their official website.
1. The Julliard School, 55763 FB likes
The Julliard School. THE Julliard School, emphasis needed in our list of top 10 musical theater colleges. The same Julliard School featured in the straight play, Terrence McNally’s “Master Class”. With a learning program inspired by previous faculty members such as famed cellist Yo Yo Ma and composer Philip Glass, performers and musicians alike get the best musical theater education possible here.
How good are their alumni? One of them, Alex Sharp, bagged the 2015 Tony Award for Best Actor for The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time. And he just earned his Bachelor’s Degree within the same year. Another alumnus, Sam Gold, won Best Director for Fun Home The Musical. Talk about caliber.Other notable faculty members that influenced the very high standards imposed here are “The Black Callas” Julliard alumna Shirley Verrett, famed soprano Leontyne Price and, of course, La Divina herself, Maria Callas. Little wonder as to how The Julliard School topped our list of top 10 musical theater colleges.
Interested to give it a shot? Audition dates for the best among the top 10 musical theater colleges, The Julliard School, can be viewed here. Now break a leg.
Musicals Online is glad to be of help to everyone in need to places to go for an audition. Or an appointment. Learning the top 10 musical theater colleges to go to helps in conditioning yourself for a professional theater career. In case we have other musical theater colleges to feature, it would be discussed here. For the meantime, I highly recommend that you subscribe to our online newsletter. You get the latest articles that way. Like our official Facebook page, Musicals Online, and follow us on Twitter @musicalsnews. Thanks for reading.
