I am a transfer student who will study psychological science at the University of Connecticut in August. However, I really like musicals, and I am planning to transfer to musical theatre at another university. It’d better be in New York. I’ve only studied a little bel canto, and I attended theatre class in high school. For me, my goal seems really impossible. So I want to ask, how can I reach this goal? What should I study? Should I transfer in my sophomore year or graduate school?
@soozievt might be able to give you a little guidance.
Where in NYC do you hope to land? And do you have the money to pay the full cost of attendance?
Are you saying you will be a transfer when you enter Uconn this fall…and you want to transfer again sometime in the future to a musical theater program?
The important thing is to start getting as much musical theater experience as you can, in whatever form you can. For example you can take dance, singing and acting lessons. You can audition for any and every show at your college --whether official mainstage shows put on by their theater department, smaller student-run theater productions, even club theater or club talent shows if they have them. Then audition for any summer production at community theaters in your home town. If you don’t get cast at first, volunteer to be part of the backstage crew or front of the house crew and show up every day with a hardworking positive attitude.
Most musical theater BFA programs are by audition only and have very low acceptance rates, especially the ones in NYC. Programs that are general theater BA programs, and that are located “off the beaten path” geographically can still be high quality and are easier to get into.
ETA: double majoring (for example in your original major of psychology) if you can manage it, is never a bad idea. All but the luckiest and most talented actors will need to work a “day job” tomake ends meet.
You will probably have to audition to get accepted to a musical theater program. Look at a few schools that interest you and see if these schools require an audition. In the meantime, get experience!! Start looking for opportunities to participate in musical theater productions. Did you participate in musical theater productions in high school? Were you in any singing groups? There are coaches who help applicants get ready for college BFA auditions—you should find information about folks who do this on this thread. Adding that UConn has a very good BFA program—not sure if there’s musical theater there.
U Conn has an exceptional BFA acting program and I believe an MT program. Start with where you are. Meet the faculty, see if you can take classes in the department. If you wish to do a BFA in MT you will have to audition as a first year and start your degree over. The curriculum is designed to be 4 years and is highly intense.
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Have you researched what is available at UConn? Are minors in theater available with no audition? Are there performance opportunities for non-majors at UConn?
I would also look into what performance opportunities are available for folks who are not majoring. You say you like musical theater, but have little experience. I think you need to audition for and be in a few shows so you get a feel for the commitment in time and energy this takes.
If you have not had tons of experience auditioning AND getting rejected- that should be your top priority right now. Everyone would love to be the next superstar- but the years of auditioning, re-auditioning, etc. before you get there is another universe.
You could be phenomenally talented. But if they are looking for a 5"8" blond and you are a 4"11" brunette- that’s a hard no. You may be a talented juggler but they are looking for someone who knows archery and fencing. Etc.
So get out there and start! Community theater, small productions on campus, every single opportunity to audition, rehearse, perform-- you need the experience. It doesn’t matter if you are in NYC or nowheresville, Kentucky (sorry Kentucky). If you don’t have a track record and haven’t been cast-- even as an understudy for a community theater production-- your progress will be very, very slow. So get moving and forget about transferring for now. The competitive programs are going to want to see that you have been on stage in a wide variety of productions.
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I want to go to NYU. But I really don’t know how much I have to learn to reach professional standards. I still can’t decide whether to transfer directly to undergraduate or graduate school. I plan to study dance and continue studying vocal music in the US. Or is there any organization for musical theatre tutorials?
@Lucy_Li05 I think you need to actually get some experience doing musical theater. ANY experience. You are talking about transferring to a very expensive college where you will be paying the full cost to attend (NYU). We are talking more than $80,000 a year. If you plan on majoring in musical theater or theater or dance or voice…you will need to audition for acceptance. I’m not even sure these programs take transfer students. They certainly don’t need to. They have plenty of incoming freshmen!
As noted above, UConn has a good BFA program and this might be worth at least exploring. Even that will require an audition for acceptance. There are also likely opportunities to be involved in performances at UConn.
Many many places have summer theater programs in towns. I’m a CT resident, and just about every town around here puts on a summer musical…high school and college students. Are you doing one of those? And if not, why not?
What makes you want to pursue this major given you have zero experience.
adding…it’s too late to transfer for 2023-2024. So…look into what is available at UConn.
And checking for clarity…you are currently going to be a new transfer student to UConn…and you want to transfer…again?
Because I admire a musical theatre actress and dream of acting with her one day. In my senior year of high school, I took drama as an elective course and my teacher selected me as the heroine in the graduation drama. During the rehearsal, I felt very happy and I desired to stand on the stage forever. Whether it’s a musical or a play, I just want to act in the theatre. But I realized that if you don’t have the right major, it seems very difficult to enter this field. At least that’s how it works in China. I’m just don’t know what to do.
Are your parents paying for college? Would they support this?
FWIW my D played roles in multiple productions (including Orphelia in Hamlet) in HS and college and loved doing it – she even minored in theater just for fun – but never considered a career in theater.
Many people enjoy theater as a hobby throughout their lives (ex. community theater).
Are you positive that you have extraordinary talent and are willing to make the sacrifices required to possibly make theater your life’s work? If not, I’d suggest you finish your BS at UConn, get involved in theater there, and then decide if you want to try and pursue a grad degree in theater.
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