<p>Hello,</p>
<p>I am currently a senior starting my last year in high school. I only recently found out my love for musical theatre. By recently I mean a few months ago. I've been singing my entire life, I take part in plays at school, and I play the piano. I've never had musical theatre or acting classes so I don't know much about the business. I am still unsure of what I want to do in college but I'm trying to find programs around me (like community theatre) so that I can see if this is what I really want to do. Am I too late to start thinking about this? Everyone is telling me that if I wanted to pursue musical theatre and eventually star on Broadway, I should've started my training when I was 6 years old.
Right now, I'm applying to colleges that offer musical theatre as majors... however I don't know if I'm good enough for the auditions. If I don't make the auditions, how am I supposed to get better and receive training? I don't have much time until college since I'm worrying about school, SATs, college visits, sports, etc. Also, I'm pretty tight financially.
This is my plan for now:</p>
<p>Apply to colleges for musical theatre (including some that aren't really expensive). Major in MT for the first 2 years at a community college and after those 2 years, audition for a larger, higher ranked school and hopefully major in MT there. OR completely forget MT (because international business was the major I wanted before I discovered MT), major in international business while participating in some musical theatre plays in college, see if it's what I really want to do, and depending on that I would either transfer for musical theatre or stay in the international business.</p>
<p>This is a time in my life where I need to make important decisions fast, and I really don't want to make the wrong one. Broadway is my goal... although I don't even know what that means. I have no experience in theatre so I don't know if I have the talent or not.
Any help is appreciated.</p>
<p>Another thing that worries me is my voice. I am a bass/baritone. All the singers I see on Broadway and such are high tenors. Do basses or baritones really sing and have a chance?</p>
<p>Community colleges offer programs in musical theatre? I didn’t know that. </p>
<p>See, the thing is, most musical theatre degrees are BFAs, not BAs. Therefore, for most programs, you have to audition into the program. Are you certain that you can transfer in from a community college program into a university program? Certainly the extra two years of training would help you, seeing as some musical theatre programs are very competitive. </p>
<p>I just saw that you also want to major in International Business? Since MT (BFA) and International Business (BA) will be completely different degrees programs at most schools, you might be in school for a while fulfilling the requirements for both of those schools. </p>
<p>Ultimately, if you want to go into Musical Theatre directly after high school, I would recommend going to a smaller school that is less acclaimed for their program, the audition will be easier, and many people come into those programs with minimal experience.</p>
<p>Thanks for your reply, annazee13. Some community colleges offer musical theatre programs, yes. But I agree with your idea. I would just go into a smaller school (not community) and major in BFA. Then when I have more experience, audition for a higher ranked school and hopefully get in.
The thing with International Business is that I don’t know if I want to do that. I WAS going to major in Int. Business… but then I discovered MT and I want to find out more about it before I make my decision. It’s going to either be one or the other. I don’t want to double major.
Do you have any suggestions as to what I should do now? I’m starting my senior year and I want to ‘test out’ musical theatre before I make the decision of majoring in college. Auditions for colleges are soon so should I just go at it and see what happens?
Thanks again.</p>
<p>There is a great deal of information about musical theater programs on the musical theater forum: [Musical</a> Theater Major - College Confidential](<a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/musical-theater-major/]Musical”>Musical Theater Major - College Confidential Forums) </p>
<p>Scroll through and you’ll find some great advice.</p>