<p>My daughter is insisting on applying to Univ of Michigan’s musical theater program and claims that it is the best program around. Can some current or past students of the program please tell me what it is about this program that makes it so sought after as well as successful? What do they have that other programs may not have? We live in California so it will be an added expense to go to the auditions therefore I really want to understand the draw. Thanks for your help.</p>
<p>Like you, I wondered the same thing. I did some research and here is what I found:</p>
<p>The MT program at Michigan is:</p>
<ol>
<li><p>Part of a university with an overall outstanding reputation that is committed to excellence in the Fine Arts.</p></li>
<li><p>Part of a combined College of Music, Theatre, and Dance with an overall outstanding reputation and a commitment to a cross-discipline musical theatre program (some universities struggle with departmental barriers/rivalries/whatever that hinder the creation of “triple threat” MT programs in acting/music/dance).</p></li>
<li><p>A specific department of Musical Theatre within the School of Music/Theatre/Dance with a dynamic department head who has solid professional experience, connections to the industry, and charisma (Brent Wagner). The cross-discipline curriculum is intense and demanding. MT does not get its own department at some/many schools.</p></li>
<li><p>A school with excellent facilities and support for many mainstage, small stage, and student musical productions.</p></li>
<li><p>One of the sponsors of a summer high school program, MPulse, that attracts top high school performers from across the country.</p></li>
<li><p>Able to attract top talent to the school, for example, Young Arts Finalists, Jimmy Winners, etc. that combine talent with high academic performance (the school has high academic standards for admission).</p></li>
<li><p>Currently in the top five among MT programs in producing working actors on Broadway (if you count schools in Playbill bios, admittedly a very non-scientific survey).</p></li>
<li><p>Commonly listed in “everybody’s top five” among MT programs.</p></li>
<li><p>Home of the viral video, “The Very Potter Musical” and Darren Criss from Glee (said with tongue firmly in cheek).</p></li>
</ol>
<p>No doubt there are other advantages to the program.</p>
<p>I think EmsDad pretty much nailed it except I think Darren Criss was not an MT major. (Acting?). Those Potter videos alone was enough to move it way up on our list. Brilliant.</p>
<p>I’d also add a #10 which is that for anyone seeking a college experience full of school spirit, sports events that even MTs attend etc., it is hard to top U Mich. Pretty much you know if you go to U Mich, the bulk of your wardrobe will consist of blue and gold. Doesn’t always work that well with tights but you get my drift.</p>
<p>I don’t think the importance of my last paragraph for some students should be ignored. Not everyone needs/wants it but if your student does, they should seek it out. You want them to be happy and sometimes that includes all of those things that are outside of the MT program as well.</p>
<p>Agree with all that has been said. However, I also believe that if you are studying MT in a college with the full experience- something has to give as most of your time is spent in that major and there’s not much time for anything else. It’s really hard not to be able to go to college events because you have rehearsal all day and into the night.</p>
<p>Michigan is an excellent school with working, well-connected alumni. Auditions are extremely competitive. It was also on my boys’ dream list and thus we encouraged them to apply. Note that it is a state flagship school, therefore Californians pay out-of-state tuition. There is very little, if any, money for merit aid and the school is honest about this up front. If merit aid is important to you (it was critical for us), you probably need to have some other options on your daughter’s list. I’ve shared elsewhere on CC that in hindsight my sons probably should have saved the time and effort in applying to Michigan (they didn’t get in) because if one or both had been accepted, we probably couldn’t have afforded it.</p>
<p>We looked at U Mich but there was no way to afford it as an out of state student.</p>
<p>I think all of us will agree that there is no ONE perfect school for every performer. The best thing you can do is encourage your D to be very broad-minded about her choices and as a female, she will probably need to select 10-12 schools anyway.</p>
<p>All the things mentioned about Michigan were the same things that attracted my D originally. The lack of merit aid/talent monies for girls was a real turnoff, but at least they were upfront about that. These same issues also knocked Carnegie Mellon, Northwestern and NYU off the list. Each student’s situation will be different, so it is wise to keep an open mind based on YOUR situation.</p>
<p>Brent Wagner has a specific teaching style that my D didn’t prefer after having done a Master’s Weekend with him junior year. We were fortunate to have had that opportunity because it forced her to start researching other schools and saved us some prescreen hell, application fees, and travel expenses.</p>
<p>There are many good programs out there. The successful one will be the one that takes your D closer to her dream. Good luck!</p>
<p>My daughter is a senior MT at Michigan, I cannot believe how fast the time has gone! It has been an amazing four years, and was by far the right choice for my daughter. I agree with almost everything that has been said, but I would like to add some words of encouragement to those worried about money. We are not from Michigan, so out of state tuition is quite steep at Michigan, but it was steep at the other schools my daughter applied to as well. We were quite naive four years ago, and because of money issues only allowed her to apply to six schools. She ended up auditioning at only five and my daughter knew that not only did she need to get accepted but she needed to get scholarships to be able to attend. Had we been told that money wouldn’t be available from any schools we would have given up before we started, but we looked at getting in as the first hurdle and money second. She had scholarship offers from all of her acceptances with Michigan being the MOST generous of all her offers. My daughter has had an amazing experience at Michigan, I can’t imagine her anywhere else. Good luck and Go Blue!</p>
<p>There is no actual ranking, but just an opinion. I think what has really brought the school its popularity is the amount of alumni and the reputation that the schools has by itself. At the end of the day it is all about what kind of performer does your child want to be. These different schools have completely different ways of teaching Musical Theatre. University of Michigan mainly focuses on Singing/Dancing, Carnegie Mellon University is mostly Acting/Singing, CCM Singing/Dancing, Webster University Acting/Singing, Baldwin-Wallace Singing, Boston Conservatory Dancing/Singing, and Point Park Dancing. I can go on and on about schools and what they specialize. I am not saying that that is solely what each school focuses on, but it is their strongest disciplines. </p>
<p>For myself my top two were Webster and Carnegie, because I consider myself mostly a singer/actor. I ended up getting into Webster! Webster’s acting is absolutely mind blowing along with their amazing vocal coaches. A lot of the MT’s have the opportunity to do straight plays, a lot of them have heightened dialogue. I am also getting great dance training, especially for a beginner dancer. </p>
<p>So once again it’s really all about what your child is looking for and where they feel like they are strongest and weakest. I think a good question would be, what would they like to work on the most?</p>
<p>I just returned from visiting my sophomore son this weekend at UMich. I can’t tell you how please I am with the education he is getting there and how happy he is being there. </p>
<p>Friday I was able to sit in on dance workshop rehearsals. Dance workshop is a series of student choreographed pieces they do every semester. I was able to see my son’s tap piece that he is choreographing and watch that creative process. Then I sat in on the end of a rehearsal for contemporary piece he is in. </p>
<p>Friday evening I attended Sunday in the Park with George. I was blown away by the talent. </p>
<p>Saturday was game day. I had never been in Ann Arbor on a football weekend. It was nuts (in a good way!!) Most of the MTs have season tickets and they all sit together. There is time for football at UMich even if you are an MT major! What a great group of kids too. </p>
<p>Every time I visit I like it more. It was certainly the right choice for my son.</p>
<p>I agree with others - Michigan is one of the best triple threat programs around. I also agree that the reason for this is the admin’s unwavering support, and the cross discipline cooperation that exists. The reason they do so well is that the school admin was one of the first to commit to MT and did so with great gusto. Now they have a large pool of applicants - and the applicants are generally good - so good in = good out. It is a great program. But as many others have said - their is no actually factually based ranking system in MT and different programs have different elements that create the best fit for any individual student. I say this is hopes that your search will be open to several other programs and include college visits as part of your process. Good journey.</p>
<p>I’d like to chime in here and add a few slightly more tedious points about the program - what everyone else said is absolutely true! </p>
<p>UMich is a really wonderful program if a student is a bit more academically minded even though the program is not super academic. UM really believes in actors being intelligent, so their actors and MTs have a broader sense of their art. They also believe in training actors who are musicians, and this makes me infinitely happy. Their MTs receive music training in a BFA setting that might be more comparable to a BM, and their vocal instructors approach singing a bit more classically than other theatre programs might (and that might be a plus or a minus for your student). Also, if you’re not familiar with Brent Wagner, look him up- he is a formidable man to have steering their program. </p>
<p>For many of the same reasons that I listed above, I personally am not as crazy about this program as I am some of the others that might be of the same caliber (and as was mentioned, I’d put them in the top 5 of MT programs). This is my personal opinion, and I say it with all the love in the world as I myself am a Wolverine! First, I believe that not only can actors be brilliant in their craft without being academically brilliant (as well as be excellent researchers), but I believe UM sometimes over thinks the creative process and the intelligence becomes a hindrance (sometimes…only sometimes…). As I said, the musicality might not be for everyone. And Brent Wagner, as was mentioned by MrsDrz, can really be a hard pill to swallow- brilliant but definitely, he has his own way. </p>
<p>That is just to offer a different opinion, and I can’t strongly say enough how my opinion is not the rule. There are the correct school choices for every kid. themcds: if your daughter is in love with UM and has put it at the top of her list, she’s made a wonderful choice and it is absolutely worth the praise. If she likes UM, I’d consider also looking at Penn State and Baldwin Wallace if you haven’t already.</p>
<p>Oh! And mommamt: your daughter is a senior…was she in Sunday in the Park With George? If she was- man oh man! Hats off (heh…pun totally intended :D) to that cast, what an absolutely phenomenal production, beautifully conceptualised and brilliantly played. Seriously- I am not typically a UM fan and I have been praising this show for weeks. So good, in fact, (I just can’t help myself apparently) that I would be hesitant to see this show done again short of seeing it on Broadway because I don’t think I could possibly like it better. Just wow! Congrats to them :)</p>
<p>Hello MTCOACH, no my daughter was not in Sunday in the Park With George, but many of her senior classmates were. I have heard the same praise you stated above from others that saw it. I am so glad it was a hit!! I love the show! I was sad to not be able to get there to see it, but we are heading to Michigan for my daughters opening in Bat Boy tomorrow and we couldn’t make two trips so close together. We have loved traveling to Ann Arbor for shows over the years, we have been fortunate to see so many. Still cannot believe how fast the four years have gone!</p>
<p>Thanks for all the great feedback. I gave in and my D has an audition at Michigan this Friday. Her father is taking her because he has a much cooler demeanor than I do :). That will be better for everyone.</p>
<p>Umich sounds like an awesome school :)</p>
<p>I just have to say it. What is with the “UMich”? That must be an out of state moniker. U of M is U of M. Or just “Michigan”. Big 10 sports school and no one calls it "UMich"except the theater forums. Michigan is one of those that puzzled me as well in terms of why it’s such a draw for aspiring performers. I mean it’s in MICHIGAN. But throughout this process, I have learned that the geographical location of your school matters less than I thought to begin with. It’s more about the quality of the program and the connections and credentials of the faculty. There are several really good schools in places that you wouldn’t ordinarily associate with big theater districts. It’s all about where you “fit”.</p>
<p>^^theatremon2013-I know what you mean about he UMich it cracks me up but no different when my D went to vist CMU or wear a shirt from there everyone here thinks it’s Central- I guess its all in where you live</p>
<p>True about CMU and living here! My D was at Carnagie Mellon last summer and whenever I referred to it as CMU, people automatically thought I was talking about Central. But Michigan is such a BIG sports school…all over TV and news papers and I don’t think I have ever seen/heard it called “UMich” except from theater forums.</p>
<p>^^yup,yup - life in the mitten ;)</p>