The Shedd Institute's Musical Theatre Training Academy was established to provide a regional training opportunity for young performers, grades 9-12, to further develop and hone existing skills in the core musical theatre disciplines of acting, voice, and dance.
Directed by local musical director/conductor & educator, Vicki Brabham, students will work under the guidance of professional coaches and production staff/guest artists, to prepare The Revue, a publically presented show featuring ensemble, duet, and solo repertoire from the legendary mid-1930s RKO films of Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers.
Enhancing the core training, workshops in dialect study, elocution, audition preparation, and technical production skills will be sprinkled throughout the schedule, creating a rich & multi-faceted sampling of the kind of professional training required to succeed in a college program and beyond.
The Academy runs 15 days over 3 weeks (June 15-July 2), excluding weekends. The daily routine (9:30 am-4:30 pm) combines an equal balance of training and rehearsal, all focused on the creation of a musical revue, which will be presented publically twice on Thursday, July 2nd, the final afternoon and evening of the final day of the camp, at 4:30 and 8:30 ("Half-Past Four" and "Half-Past Eight").
On Friday, June 26th, students will also attend a performance of The Shedd Institute's production of the 1961 Frank Loesser/be Burrows classic, How To Succeed In Business Without Really Trying.
The Ed Ragozzino Merit Scholarship If you are thinking of attending the Musical Theatre Training Academy, we encourage you to apply for an Ed Ragozzino Merit Scholarship.
Theatre professionals recognize the attributes of serious performers--those who have mastered the basics of their craft, and gone on to hone their acting, voice, and dance skills in equal measure. Academy participants receive intensive professional instruction in the 3 essential aspects of musical theatre performance through daily core sessions and specialized workshops. Students will polish essential performance and presentational skills through the preparation of a staged, costumed revue-style show.
Musical Theatre Dance
In musical theatre, a dance can connect scenes to characters, and is often one of the most important means of advancing the show and entertaining its audience. In addition to learning choreography, solo, and ensemble work, a musical theatre actor must learn how to perform the dance. In this session, students will receive training in musical theatre dance choreography and technique, and learn the isolated movements that professional dancers use to heighten a stage performance. By focusing on character-driven dances and choreography that establish a relationship and storyline, students will emerge from this session with a set of dance skills that make them a true “triple threat”.
Musical Theatre Voice
One of the most important skills that musical theatre performers must develop is their voice. Beyond simply being able to sing in tune or keep a rhythm, singers must convince an audience that their songs are not just “performance” but rather, extensions of story, tone, and character. In this session, students will be coached in the art of refining their voices for musical theatre. Over the course of the 3 weeks, they will participate in Group Voice sessions as well as receive individual coaching on Revue repertoire, to develop their singing skills and perfect their technique on the chosen piece. All students will have the opportunity to be a featured soloist in the Revue.
Musical Theatre Acting
Designed as an “actor bag of tricks” for the developing performer, this daily session will cover fundamental acting techniques utilized in the professional world of theatre from stage presence and actor engagement to physicality and character development. Whether shining in the spotlight or filling in the chorus, acting requires a specific level of consciousness and a certain degree of engagement (both contextually and physically) that each call for a precise spectrum of skills. This class will provide aspiring actors with the tools they need to excel in musical theatre and the confidence to perform in front of any audience.
The Revue: Fred & Ginger
MTTA is an intensive 3-week session that combines serious training with serious rehearsal, all in the service of the creation of a classic 1930s-style musical comedy revue, which will be presented to the public twice on Thursday, July 2nd in The Shedd Institute's Jaqua Concert Hall set in cabaret formation at 4:30 and 8:30 pm ("Half Past Four" and "Half Past Eight"!).
Special emphasis will be placed on emulating the protocol and atmosphere of a full professional production of the highest order.
The Revue this summer will be made up of song and dance numbers from the RKO films featuring the legendary Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers. Special emphasis will be placed on historic performance practice on all fronts -- voice, acting, staging and dancing.
A limited number of Ed Ragozzino Merit Scholarships are available to applicants through the generosity of Shedd Institute donors in honor of Eugene musical theatre legend Ed Ragozzino (1931-2010).
The scholarship application deadline is Friday, May 29, 2015 at 5 pm.
To apply for a Ragozzino Scholarship, request an application form and submit along with your Academy registration form.