<p>Hi, all! Now, I know this might have been covered, but there is so MUCH in this section that it's a little daunting! Here's our question: D2 is a terrific, all-A student who adores musical theater, but thinks she'd like a liberal arts education rather than conservatory-type school (her other big enthusiasms are creative writing and history). What we'd love to find is a school that has strong Theater and Music departments, with opportunities to be involved in musical theater productions. Most of the schools we're familiar with seem to focus on traditional drama, with the occasional small-scale student-run production ("our club of 12 people put on Grease last year in the back of the dining hall"). Anybody got some info out there? We live in the Northeast, and she'd prefer not to go significantly far away. Thanks for any help! CC came to our rescue several years ago with D1, so we're baaaaack! ;)</p>
<p>With her interest in other areas as well you might want to look at the big list for BA options instead of a BFA schedule that would only have one gen Ed a semester.</p>
<p>Here are a few schools to begin with: Wagner College on Staten Island (NYC), James Madison University in Harrisonburg, VA, both audition-select BA MT programs, and Muhlenberg College in Allentown, PA, offers a BA Theater, audition for departmental scholarship. 3 Liberal Arts colleges all with excellent MT training.</p>
<p>I was just going to say Wagner, too. They love musical theater students who also really WANT a strong liberal arts education. It also is a truly beautiful campus.</p>
<p>I second the recommendation of Muhlenberg! Beautiful campus, excellent program, great facilities, double majors encouraged. Schedule a meeting with Charlie Richter in the theatre department. He is a wealth of information.</p>
<p>If she’s got the credentials, consider Princeton. [Music</a> Theater Lab - Lewis Center for the Arts](<a href=“http://www.princeton.edu/arts/arts_at_princeton/music-theater-lab/]Music”>http://www.princeton.edu/arts/arts_at_princeton/music-theater-lab/)</p>
<p>When I saw Jersey Boys on Broadway, the lead was from Princeton ( he had left school to do the show)</p>
<p>Brandeis offers MT classes within the theater department. I am not sure about the production schedule / frequency of musicals.</p>
<p>Take a look at the non-audition and audition BA programs on the “Big List BY PROGAM TYPE” thread. It hasn’t been pinned to the top. I think it is currently on Page 2 or 3. Read the program curriculum requirements carefully and ask questions. Most will allow minors and many will allow double-majors.</p>
<p>Are you looking for schools where she could major in theatre or musical theatre while still being in a liberal arts environment, or schools where she could major in creative writing or history and still be actively involved in musical theatre and theatre?</p>
<p>Sent from my DROID RAZR using CC</p>
<p>There is always the true Liberal Arts College path straight to Broadway or Hollywood – This made me think of Lin-Manuel Miranda who conceived his Tony-winning “In The Heights” at Wesleyan. Much has been made of the “Wesleyan mafia” within the entertainment industry: <a href=“http://roth.blogs.wesleyan.edu/files/2008/09/wesleyanvanityfair.pdf[/url]”>http://roth.blogs.wesleyan.edu/files/2008/09/wesleyanvanityfair.pdf</a></p>
<p>I may be misunderstanding you, but are you saying that your daughter wants to major in something else but still be involved in theater if possible? I don’t have an answer for that, and I don’t think most of the answers given address that. Perhaps a double major or a minor in theater someplace would be a solution. I am not sure if many colleges would extend open auditions to the whole student body if they have theater degree programs.</p>
<p>I’d suggest looking at Northwestern University near Chicago. They have very strong Theatre and Music programs, as well as world class Creative Writing and History offerings. Students can double major, and as far as I know auditions to most of the 60+ shows produced on campus every year (including many musicals) have open auditions. Another plus is that the curriculum is flexible enough that students can create schedules ranging from near-conservatory performance training to liberal arts to science/research focus as their interests change.</p>
<p>When I was applying to schools, I had a similar wish list and was looking at mostly: NYU, Northwestern, Wesleyan, and Yale. I was accepted to all 4 (and 6 other schools) and I chose NYU-- I felt it was the perfect fit of excellent academics and excellent theater training. Though I received a BFA, it felt a lot more like a BA with EXTRA theater classes.</p>
<p>Check out American University in D.C. They have a BA MT program, and it is possible to double-major. The program does require an audition, however.</p>
<p>You guys all have a great wealth of info! She’s definitely interested in Wesleyan, could be interested in Princeton, but we all know how that route can break your heart! I think her dream school would give her a chance to major or minor in theater while major/minoring in writing or history–and that they’d put on several musicals a year! 
She’d started out looking at NESCAC in general, but is concerned that the level of theater productions is pretty small-scale. Anybody have insight into Tufts and Brown?</p>
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<p>Our D is currently doing a double major in Theatre (with the MT Certificate) and History, so I know this is often done at NU. Some people even complete triple majors in four years. Plus they put on many MANY very highly-produced musicals every year. In her two years she has already been in at least 7 musicals, and I may be forgetting some. D also applied to Yale, Brown and many others but she chose NU ED due to the ability to balance serious theatre with a second major.</p>
<p>Good luck to your D!</p>
<p>Though Northwestern can also break your heart I have to agree with Momcares above as sounding like an excellent fit. Absolutely consider NU. Skidmore? U Penn? Stanford? Sounds like you need to look for the rigorous academic school first and then sort out whether it has a good theatre offering vs. the other way around. Then throw in a decent safety or two and you should be golden. I would not recommend the reverse approach based on what you’re describing. Don’t go for the school with the great theatre program with less than academics. I would have my doubts about it feeling right. The highly academically capable kids that go that route make it work because they are entirely all about theatre. You are not describing a student that is in that boat - at least not yet. </p>
<p>I think both Momcares and I have daughters like that. Mine is in a BFA at NYU which is perfect for her on many levels. She went to a fantastic academic high school and as it turns out a year in, if it were up to her, she’d study nothing but theatre related classes for the rest of her life which is sort of surprising but not entirely. She didn’t enter college knowing she’d feel that way so she eliminated a lot of lesser academic schools and every straight conservatory because of it. But that is where she is at after almost completing year one. In hindsight some of the eliminated schools could have been fine but she is where she always wanted to be and it’s all good. Momcares daughter is wisely finding the flexibility within her BA program at a strong academic school which allows her to never sleep and satisfy her other interests and double major. Different paths but I’d venture that they are both equally committed to theatre and getting great training.</p>
<p>Again, my advice would be to seek out the school that can satisfy her other interests first and then determine if they also have a strong theatre program vs. the opposite. </p>
<p>Best.</p>
<p>Good advice from halflokum. I would add that my daughter is currently a senior at NU and she, like halflokum’s daughter, also decided that she wanted little other than MT and Theatre classes. She has taken more classes in this area than most (all?) BFA programs but will occasionally take a math or history class for fun and to help relieve stress. What she particularly likes about NU is the level of intelligence and interest in whatever major the students have (plus great fun/parties). </p>
<p>Good luck!</p>
<p>Halflokum - what do you mean, NU can break your heart?</p>
<p>@amtc it was a reference to post 14 where the OP mentioned Weslyan and Princeton as being schools that can break your heart. I think the implication was you can fall in love with them and then not get in. NU is also a school that one can fall in love with, be completely qualified for academically and still not get in so thus the reference. :)</p>
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Brandeis has an MT track in the department of music, but the theatre department runs any musicals that they do and I cannot find evidence on their web page that they did any musicals this year.</p>
<p>I am not an expert, but I think that you will be hard pressed to find a LAC/Ivy in the Northeast that truly fits your criteria, especially one that “puts on several musicals a year” (and I assume that you mean several departmental musicals, not student-run productions in the back of the old cafeteria). Main Stage/Departmental musicals are very expensive both monetarily and organizationally and to do more than 1 or 2 per year requires a cadre of performers, directors, choreographers, musical directors, etc. that is generally beyond the resources (and possibly the interest) of the theatre departments in most relatively small, highly selective schools (at least in my understanding). Even many larger schools with dedicated MT departments are limited to 2 main stage/departmental musicals per year.</p>
<p>Reiterating what has been said in previous posts, Muhlenburg is probably the closest to what you are looking for with Yale (has an MT concentration) and Princeton (musical theatre lab) being the two Ivy’s with at least some MT. Northwestern would fit your description but it is not in the Northeast. As you have alluded to, Yale, Princeton and Northwestern are all extremely selective for admission. </p>
<p>I would be suprised if you find a NESCAC or similar school that was close to what you describe in terms of MT activity.</p>
<p>As noted in other posts, NYU, although physically opposite to a typical LAC, would certainly offer solid academics and outstanding theatre.</p>
<p>SUNY Fredonia also sounds like it may be a good school to look into.</p>