THEA 315 Musical Theater Performance

The American musical presents unique challenges to performers. They act and they sing, and most importantly, they must act while singing. Performers also need to understand the literary and musical meaning of a work of musical theater, and how the two are intertwined. In this course, designed for the novice performer as well as the advanced actor or singer, we focus on introducing students to the art of acting a song. We place character within the context of the music and the story, and explore how the elements of healthy singing (including breath control, phrasing, and placement) express character. Through solo and collaborative selections from the contemporary and classic musical cannons, we examine the intersection of singing, acting, and movement.