Musical Theatre Education and Training in the 21st Century

Jessica O'Bryan, Scott D. Harrison

• Publisher: Routledge
• Year: 2024
• ISBN:
  9780429996917
• Edition: 1
• Topic: Media & Performing Arts
• Subtopic: Music

Musical Theatre Education and Training in the 21st Century presents a wide range of viewpoints on the musical theatre profession. It brings together research from the UK, US, Australia, and beyond, providing an essential resource for educators, students, and all those involved in training for musical theatre. The research draws on best practice from creatives, producers, practising artists, and the academy to reveal a multiplicity of approaches and educational pathways for consideration by performers, educators, institutions, and the profession.

The book goes beyond the key elements of performance training in singing, dancing, and acting to explore adjacent creative and business skills, along with some of the more recent and challenging aspects of the profession such as diversity of representation both on and off stage, building safe working environments, and managing mental and physical health and wellbeing. The authors incorporate information from over 100 interviews with everyone from emerging performers to leading professionals, and explore the practicalities of pre-professional training, skills development, and curricular design, alongside the broader attributes required in preparation for the profession. This book offers vital insights into how musical theatre practitioners can best be prepared to make their way in the field now and in the future.

Table of contents

• Cover
• Endorsements
• Half Title
• Title Page
• Copyright Page
• Table of Contents
• Acknowledgements
• Prologue
• 1. The Role of Musical Theatre in the 21st Century
• 2. Approaches to Singing for Musical Theatre
• 3. Approaches to Teaching Acting and Spoken Voice for Musical Theatre
• 4. Approaches to Dance for Musical Theatre
• 5. First Act Finale
• 6. Contextual Music Studies in Musical Theatre
• 7. Sustaining a Career in the Performing Arts Through Career Diversification
• 8. Developing Complementary Skills
• 9. Interlude
• 10. Mental and Physical Health and Wellbeing
• 11. Pre-Tertiary and Non-Tertiary and Extra-Curricular Engagement Pathways
• 12. “More Men Called David Than People of Colour”
• Epilogue
• Appendix: Participants
• Index