4-Week Musical Theatre Camp

From the classics of the "Golden Age" like My Fair Lady, Sound of Music, and The Wizard of OZ to contemporary movie musicals like Moulin Rouge, Chicago, and Hairspray, there is a long and varied history of Musical Theatre on film. The New York Film Academy provides a unique environment where students of Musical Theatre can hone their skills for use both on stage and on screen.

In the Four Week Musical Theatre Workshop, students develop the necessary skills needed for success in the Musical Theatre and are exposed to the rich and varied history of musicals on film. The program is designed for individuals with varied levels of singing and movement ability.

Musical Theatre actors must be well-versed in a variety of dance styles, be able to effectively interpret scripts and songs, as well as present themselves professionally in performance situations either at auditions, on stage, or on film. Courses from the following list allow students to explore the integral skills required for success in the field, to understand professional ethics, and to prepare themselves for the demands of a career in Musical Theatre.

• Singing/ Acting Technique	• Music 101	• Song-alogue
• Movement/Dance	• Composers and Lyricists 101	• Movie Musicals
• Voice 101	• Scene into Song	• Performance Lab

CLASS DESCRIPTIONS/CURRICULUM

SINGING

Using material from the 1920’s through 2000’s, students will learn a wide range of musical styles and genres. Suggested format of the class is to learn one song per class as a group. Once the song is learned, the song is divided amongst each student in various ways (line by line, verse/chorus, etc). Students may sing the song individually with a focus on developing skills from Acting Techniques class – suggesting given circumstances, objective, actions, etc.

MOVEMENT/ DANCE

A survey of numerous dance techniques including jazz, ballet, and tap will be employed. Using material from musical theatre, students learn an ensemble piece musically and then proceed into dance staging.

VOICE 101

Understanding the voice and its physical components. Students will work on fundamentals of healthy singing: breath support, articulation, relaxation techniques, alignment and proper construction/placement.

MUSIC 101

Understanding basic music theory and its application including: note values, scales, intervals, harmony, key signatures, sight reading, etc.

COMPOSERS & LYRICISTS 101:

Students are immersed in the works of individual composers and lyricists. Class is a survey of the works and styles of major musical theatre artists including: Stephen Sondheim, Andrew Lloyd Weber, Jerry Herman, Cy Coleman, Cole Porter, Rodgers & Hammerstein, Bock & Harnick, Lerner & Loewe, Ahrens & Flaherty, Maury Yeston, Kander & Ebb, Leonard Bernstein, etc.

SCENE INTO SONG:

Students work on scenes with both music and text from a variety of musical theatre pieces. Scenes are generally taken from contemporary musical theatre, and may possibly include: Secret Garden, Carousel, Caroline or Change, Barnum. Goodbye Girl, etc.

SONG-ALOGUE:

Students work on songs that are specifically solos/soliloquies. Material may include: Into the Woods, 1776, Cabaret, Once on this Island, Sweet Charity, Mame, etc.

MOVIE MUSICALS:

A brief survey of musicals on film from 1930’s to present.

PERFORMANCE LAB:

This lab is designed to workshop musical scenes or group projects for performance at the end of the session. Work becomes more complex over the course of the session and will require that students take on both leading and ensemble roles in performance.

Suggested daily schedule for MUSICAL THEATRE WORKSHOP (Two groups of 10-12 students each)