Is there any 2 years musical theater program you guys would recommend?
I come from Thailand. I’m interested in musical theater 2 years ago after i watch Beauty and the Beast in my country.
Then I started to learn singing and dancing 1 years ago. Now I’m in the last years of university in dramatic arts major.
After i graduated from university i want to go audition for “Gekidanshiki” (Theater companies in Japan) but i lack of skills and profiles so i need to take musical theater program and improve my skills to pass that audition in Japan. (I can speak Japanese)
One more reason that i have to take 2 years program not 4 years program because Gekidanshiki’s audition is not allow for people who have age more than 25 years old. Next year i will be 23 so i only have 2 years left.
I have heard about both good and bad reputation from CAP21,AMDA so i don’t know where i should pick.
Depending on what training you need, you might consider a professional semester or two at Broadway Dance Center. You can also look at Circle in the Square. Or consider doing a series of intensives in areas you need work on. For example, Stella Adler Acting Studio has a musical theater intensive that is maybe 5-6 weeks long. You may piece together an acting intensive, a voice intensive and a dance intensive if you can’t find exactly what you need all in one program. I know there were a lot of international students at Broadway Dance Center. You could also consider getting a masters in musical theater performance. You will need to check prerequisites as many require an extensive voice background for admission. I know Oklahoma City University offers this program and I’m sure there may be other colleges that do as well. I think Boston Conservatory at Berklee offers a masters in musical theater as does NYU Steinhardt.
Why don’t you take a loot at La Salle College of the Arts in Singapore? You are located in Thailand and it would be much easier for you move in there. La Salle is the only college in South East Asia that has a Musical Theatre Degree Program (If I’m not wrong). The Philippines probably may have Musical Theatre Schools too. Also you have to take in consideration if you can afford a 2 year school program abroad. The US is extremely expensive for internationals and the UK even if it has 1 year or 2 years programs both countires (also I include Australia) have pretty high standards for auditioning.
If you are still studying in your final year at college in Thailand, why don’t you try to go abroad as an exchange student? Are you studying in Chula? they may have good opportunities and probably you could take this option (and affordable for sure).
If I you live in Bangkok there are thousands of foreigners living there and probably you may contact different artists that have trained in Musical Theatre. You can contact the chambers of commerce or embassies and they may have the networking of people that you need, and the networking events in Bangkok could also work for you.
I highly recommend you to find out if you have contacts in Thailand and get good training there ( 1 year of singing and dancing is not enough in my opinion). After doing that you may look for other options such as:
Singapore (you live close)
Australia
UK
Canada ( is the most affordable option for internationals who watn to study musical theatre)
USA
I have a bunch of info about schools abroad, send me a private message and I will reply to you.
I know graduates from PCPA and it is a great 2 year program. The faculty is top notch and they put out amazing Equity productions. Robin Williams and Kathy Bates are both alums and Zach Efron has been in many of their musical productions growing up since he is from San Luis Obispo.