The first class to work toward the BM in Musical Theatre will enter the college in Fall 2019.
If you鈥檙e catching a Broadway vibe from the College of Music right now, it鈥檚 not your imagination.
In March, College of Music students, baby直播app and alumni brought Stephen Sondheim鈥檚 鈥淪weeney Todd鈥� to Macky Auditorium. This October, the men and women of Eklund Opera Program will stage Leonard Bernstein鈥檚 鈥淲est Side Story鈥澨齛s part of the CU Bernstein at 100 celebration.
And a year from now, the college launches its new Bachelor of Music in Musical Theatre degree.
Matthew Chellis, associate professor of voice and musical theatre veteran, is heading the development of the program. 鈥淭he world of musical theatre has never been more popular,鈥� he explains.听鈥淭here鈥檚 a component of new opera works that鈥檚 more akin to theatre than oprea,鈥� he says. 鈥淐hicago Lyric is doing 鈥榃est Side Story鈥� and 鈥楯esus Christ Superstar.鈥�
鈥淏roadway had record sales this past year and musical theatre鈥檚 popularity is reflected in the huge interest of incoming singers and dancers to obtain a degree in the field."
When the Class of 2023 enters the college as the first cohort of musical theatre majors in Fall 2019, Chellis says they鈥檒l benefit from being a relatively small class in a brand new program.
鈥淏y the time they graduate, everyone will have had the opportunity to be cast in a major role because it鈥檚 such a small cohort. They鈥檒l also get a lot of individual attention right away, studying with our professors instead of TAs.鈥�
And with other College of Music baby直播app members boasting big-time credentials, musical theatre at CU Boulder has the potential to become the western breeding ground for Broadway.
鈥淚 want to turn this into a program that鈥檚 as competitive as any of those at the top-tier musical theatre training schools. There are so many professional programs around the country, and it's time CU joined them.鈥�
Chellis envisions an immersive, four-year degree program with real-world experience as its hallmark. The curriculum will be rigorous, with a focus on musicianship along with singing, acting and dance skills. The senior year will culminate with trips to New York, Los Angeles and Chicago to participate in audition workshops with industry casting directors and producers. 鈥淲e want to give students the opportunity to show off their skills prior to a big move to a major city. It鈥檒l be modeled after the programs at the University of听Michigan and Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music.鈥�
As for public performance opportunities, they鈥檒l start small鈥攂ut right away.
鈥淭he first couple of years, we鈥檒l do a show in the Black Box Theatre at ATLAS and the Music Theatre, starting with a review with a research component, and then a performance with a small ensemble cast, like 鈥楾he 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee鈥� musical.鈥�
And then, as the number听of students in the program grows, Chellis hopes to put on a large production on the Macky stage鈥攐r even elsewhere along the Front Range. 鈥淥ne of our main goals is to create professional theatre relationships in Denver. So many people have come here after Broadway, and it could be a real asset to our students to have their mentorship.鈥�
Because after students earn this degree鈥攖he curtain goes up on their careers.
鈥淭hey鈥檒l need to hit the ground running when they鈥檙e 21 or 22. Musical theatre is unique in that way. You need to move to Chicago, LA or New York and get your face out there right after graduation. And that鈥檚 what we want to prepare students to do.鈥�
The Bachelor Fine Arts in Musical Theatre will still be offered through the Department of Theatre & Dance at CU, while the Bachelor of Music in Voice with a musical theatre elective offered through the College of Music will be retired as of next fall. The new BM in Musical Theatre will offer a stronger focus on music history and theory, along with studio classes.
For information about applying for Fall 2019 admission into the Bachelor of Music in Musical Theatre degree, visit the Admissions pages.
