<p>Okay, I'm going to ask a question carefully: In your research/opinion which musical theatre programs have more of an ACTING emphasis/focus?(I'm asking because I feel that is my daughter's weaker talent: she's a singer who dances and acts). </p>
<p>I say carefully because in NO WAY am I asking to rank (I've been on CC long enough to know NOT to do that ;) ). Also, I know that ALL MT programs focus on all three aspects of singing/acting/dancing. </p>
<p>For example, I know that OCU offers a BM, so there is more of a music focus (although of course thry have strong acting and dance, too)and just to name two, I have heard FSU and Point Park have excellent dance in their programs. </p>
<p>I have read that while CMU is excellent in all three areas, acting is a big focus. Therefore, I'm wondering besides CMU, what other programs might emphasize acting most?</p>
<p>Sometimes, if a MT program is located in a drama school as opposed to a music school, it MAY have a significant emphasis on acting. For example, this is true at CMU. At my child's school, Tisch, the MT program is in the Drama Department and the degree is actually a BFA in Drama, even for the MT students. I think CAP21's program is pretty much equally balanced with singing, acting and dance training. But acting is valued in that it is a drama school and Tisch states that they are training actors who sing and dance. </p>
<p>I believe that Syracuse, Ithaca, and Webster are some other examples of schools where acting is emphasized in where the MT program is in a drama department. These are not the only ones of course.</p>
<p>At Penn State MT is housed in the School of Theater and the MT kids have access to the acting professors that teach the MFA and they also have a Masters in Directing so the actor training is very strong, as I would
imagine it would be for most MT departments housed within the theater depasrtment, including Indiana</p>
<p>UArts has a strong acting emphasis for MT students. In fact, the acting students and MT students take the same acting studio classes together. MT students also spend substantial time in MT performance classes which focus on acting the song. That being said, there is also a good balance with voice and dance, but it is definitely a school that trains actors in the MT program.</p>
<p>In addition to what MichaelNKat stated, UArts also has Master Acting Classes, and in Acting Classes (in some acting classes as I'm not sure that every professor works the same way) a M/T student is partnered with an ACTING student as scene partners for the semester.
From what I've heard this year from my D, her acting classes are definitely intense. In a good way. ;-)</p>
<p>May I just say you are very very wise to be evaluating the strength of an acting program within an MT one, as acting is the key to success. The students I coach hear my mantra constantly, worth repeating here: Patti Lupone went to Juilliard[drama], Mandy Patinkin was/is a serious actor who had never done a musical before Evita. Michael Crawford was not the best singer to audition for Phantom. The point is, many can sing, it's the overall performance that makes a role memorable, can't be overstated. All above posts are right on target.
And lastly I believe a kid should experience the power of holding an audience while onstage WITHOUT singing, that will make him/her a complete performer.</p>
<p>First let me stress that what I am going to say in NO way reflects on how great this show is - it's a WONDERFUL show that we thoroughly enjoyed. Recently in NYC we saw Chorus Line. The dance numbers were good. The singing numbers were good. But what made this show outstanding and each and every performer in it fabulous was not the singing and dancing - it was the presentation and character ....well, in short, the acting they did while they sang and danced. This must have been a special emphasis the Director had when casting this show - and it worked to my full enjoyment. Because it was Chorus Line - which I would have expected to be cast in order of importance: dancing, singing, then acting - it really drove home the importance of acting to make a show great.</p>
<p>MomOfAPrincess, I wholeheartedly agree. S spent several weeks trying to make a school decision, and finally decided that the acting was what was going to help him keep a long career. He picked NC School of the Arts which was the only non-MT school he applied to. He felt the acting was that important. The acting is what makes the performance memorable. We live in Charlotte, NC, and get fabulous Broadway touring company shows here. The only performances we talk about for days and remember are the ones where the acting was tops - not necessarily the singing and dancing - although we love that, too.</p>
<p>Very good emphasis CosmoMom. My D had a coach that did well off and on Broadway and TV. He kept driving home that she wasn't singing a song. They were just more lines - acted out in character - that she just happened to be doing singing. The result was from this approach is totally different.</p>
<p>Indiana University/Bloomington BFA MT students take the majority of their theatre classes with the BA theatre & drama majors. The environment seems very, very nurturing.</p>
<p>TXKatsMom, Ithaca, Webster, Syracuse, CMU are strong acting programs. I'm sure there are others. Those are the one's I'm familiar with. The best thing to do is research research research! Talking about it here is good. Call the schools, have your child go on facebook and speak to other students at whatever schools he is looking into, talk to professionals in the business and his teachers. I know this is a lot but it is what we have done and I can tell you it's worth it.
Some opinions will be outweighed by others so speak to those whom you know and trust. Don't fall into the bigger is better when it comes to a school.
I am 100% about the acting being the most important part of the triple threat. Some singers then actors go on to great success on the stage and for some shows that's great, but my D believes that if you can't act the performance will fall short of what it could be.</p>
<p>Keep in mind that at Tisch, if you do CAP21 (which is in a Drama school and weighs singing, acting and dancing pretty equally) that you have the OPTION after two years or even after three years, of doing an acting program for the remainder of the time in school. Lots of flexibility that way. My D did CAP21 for 2 1/2 years (it is actually a 3 1/2 year program of training) and is doing an acting studio for 1 1/2 years. Just a consideration that I will throw out there for anyone researching options. </p>
<p>I agree with others that being a good singer is not enough. I'd rather see a show where the singers were fair but could act than seeing great singers who can't act. I feel that too often even on this forum, there is too much emphasis in singing being the most important factor in both admissions and in the field and MT is not like vocal performance as it is theater and in theater, you must be able to act, including when you are singing songs. My personal preference is a program that trains triple threats and trains in singing, acting and dance equally. But that is just me.</p>
<p>Millikin is very strong acting wise. They definitely train triple threats but I know, from seeing the kids in performance and class and from speaking to professors, that acting is extremely important to them. Just another one to consider.</p>
<p>I can't really tell whether the University of Oklahoma's MT program or Acting program is considered to be stronger. I can tell you that for the first two years, the MTs and Acting students attend most of the same classes. This may be true at other schools as well.</p>