The Musical Theatre Training Academy is a 3-week musical revue and training camp dedicated to providing high school performers with intensive skill building in the fundamental areas of acting, voice, and dance towards the pursuit of their craft.
The Shedd Institute’s Musical Theatre Training Academy (MTTA) was established to provide a regional training opportunity for young performers, grades 9-12, to further develop and hone existing skills in the core musical theatre disciplines of voice, acting, and dance. Directed by musical director/conductor and educator, Vicki Brabham, students will work under the guidance of professional coaches, production staff and guest artists from The Shedd’s production of the 1927 musical comedy Good News. The course culminates with its ”Half-Past Revue”, a ticketed concert featuring ensemble, duet, and solo repertoire associated with this summer’s theme, “Mid-Century Broadway”. Repertoire will showcase some of the greatest hits of the 1950s & '60s, with selections from musicals such as My Fair Lady, Pajama Game, Peter Pan, Hello, Dolly, Westside Story, and Fiddler on the Roof, with 2 performances ("Half-Past Four" and "Half-Past Seven") in the Jaqua Concert Hall on Friday, July 14.
Enhancing the core training, workshops in dialect study, elocution, audition preparation, and technical production skills will be sprinkled throughout the schedule, creating a rich & multi-faceted sampling of the kind of professional training required to succeed in a college program and beyond.
Merit-based Ed Ragozzino Scholarships are available upon application. Financial aid is available upon application.
The Revue: Wouldn't It Be Loverly?
Musical Theatre of the 1950s
This summer's Musical Theatre Training Academy culminates with its classic ”Half-Past Revue”, a ticketed concert
featuring ensemble, duet, and solo repertoire associated with this summer’s theme, Mid-Century Broadway. Entitled
"Wouldn't It Be Loverly?" the revue will showcase some of the greatest hits of the 1950s & '60s, with selections from musicals such as
My Fair Lady, Pajama Game, Peter Pan, Hello, Dolly, West Side Story, and
Fiddler on the Roof, with 2 performances in the Jaqua Concert Hall on Friday, July 14. set in cabaret formation at 4:30 and 7:30 pm ("Half Past Four" and "Half Past Seven").
Theatre professionals recognize the attributes of serious performers--those who have mastered the basics of their craft, and gone on to hone their acting, voice, and dance skills in equal measure. Academy participants receive intensive professional instruction in the 3 essential aspects of musical theatre performance through daily core sessions and specialized workshops. Students will polish essential performance and presentational skills through the preparation of a staged, costumed revue-style show.
Musical Theatre Dance
In musical theatre, a dance can connect scenes to characters, and is often one of the most important means of advancing the show and entertaining its audience. In addition to learning choreography, solo, and ensemble work, a musical theatre actor must learn how to perform the dance. In this session, students will receive training in musical theatre dance choreography and technique, and learn the isolated movements that professional dancers use to heighten a stage performance. By focusing on character-driven dances and choreography that establish a relationship and storyline, students will emerge from this session with a set of dance skills that make them a true “triple threat”.
Musical Theatre Voice
One of the most important skills that musical theatre performers must develop is their voice. Beyond simply being able to sing in tune or keep a rhythm, singers must convince an audience that their songs are not just “performance” but rather, extensions of story, tone, and character. In this session, students will be coached in the art of refining their voices for musical theatre. Over the course of the 3 weeks, they will participate in Group Voice sessions as well as receive individual coaching on Revue repertoire, to develop their singing skills and perfect their technique on the chosen piece. All students will have the opportunity to be a featured soloist in the Revue.
Musical Theatre Acting
Designed as an “actor bag of tricks” for the developing performer, this daily session will cover fundamental acting techniques utilized in the professional world of theatre from stage presence and actor engagement to physicality and character development. Whether shining in the spotlight or filling in the chorus, acting requires a specific level of consciousness and a certain degree of engagement (both contextually and physically) that each call for a precise spectrum of skills. This class will provide aspiring actors with the tools they need to excel in musical theatre and the confidence to perform in front of any audience.
DAILY SCHEDULE
| 9:30 | – | 10:00 am | Dance & vocal warm-ups |
| 10:00 | – | 11:00 am | Group A, Dance Foundations |
| | | Group B, Acting Foundations |
| 11:00 am | – | 12:15 pm | Ensemble vocal coaching |
| 12:15 | – | 1:00 pm | Lunch break |
| 1:00 | – | 2:30 pm | "Revue" production staging |
| 2:30 | – | 3:30 pm | Break-out vocal sessions |
A limited number of merit-based Ed Ragozzino Scholarships are available to applicants through the generosity of Shedd Institute donors in honor of Eugene musical theatre legend Ed Ragozzino (1931-2010).
To apply for a Ragozzino Scholarship, request an application form and submit along with your Academy registration form.