Shenandoah™ University

The field of theatre – musical theatre in particular – is constantly changing and evolving, and Shenandoah Conservatory’s Musical Theatre Program is evolving as well. We are regularly reviewing our curriculum and comparing it with the demands of the industry to be sure that we provide the most cutting edge preparation for our students to go out and have long, successful careers in theatre. We are pioneers in the training of healthy pop/rock singing for musical theatre performers; we are leaders in preparing our performers to think of themselves as small business owners; and we take immense pride in the professional connections we are able to help our students forge within the industry.
 

 In Acting:

• Four-year curricular track that includes Meisner training as well as other Stanislavski derivatives, a three-semester Acting Through Song sequence, Shakespeare, and Acting for the Camera coursework.
• Regular availability of faculty for private coaching. 

In Voice:

• Four years of weekly private voice studio.
• Classical foundation applied to the contemporary needs of the musical theatre performer.
• One year of pop/rock/country/R & B styles training under a vocal pedagogy and physiology expert for healthy singing technique as well as microphone training.
• Repertoire that reflects the unique and specific audition needs of the individual student.

In Dance:

•  Foundational work in ballet, jazz, and tap.
• A one-year Musical Theatre Dance Styles sequence in which students learn choreography from the history of musical theatre up to the present day.
• Opportunities for advanced dancers to perform concert dance as well as musical theatre dance. 

OTHER PROGRAM BENEFITS:

• Audition and repertoire preparation taught and reinforced throughout the curriculum.
• Business of the business course that teaches branding and marketing for the performer; life and money management skills; networking; and web design for artists.
• Senior showcase that involves bringing major agents and casting directors to campus over the course of several weekends, during which students get one-on-one workshop time on their material with the industry guests, thus forging a relationship with them.
• Partnerships with Musical Theatre Programs in Europe (Sweden, Denmark, Germany) providing students with exchange opportunities to study abroad.
• Hands-on preparation for participation in professional theatre conferences so that students are encouraged to go out and work in the summers.
• Shenandoah Summer Music Theatre (SSMT), our own professional stock company, which produces four major musicals each summer.
• Ongoing partnership with the Tony Award-winning Signature Theatre in Arlington, VA, which has provided a professional pipeline for many students.
• A robust and diverse season consisting of 8-10 productions.

OUR RECENT ALUMNI:

• Perform in Broadway shows, including Mary Poppins, The Phantom of the Opera, Next to Normal, Wicked, Hair, and others.
• Perform in Off-Broadway shows, including Sistas, ImaginOcean, Dear Edwina, Iron Curtain, and others.
• Perform on major national tours, including Legally Blonde, Fiddler on the Roof, How the Grinch Stole Christmas, Hair, Cats, The Wizard of Oz, and others.
• Perform in the Washington D.C. market at theatres such as Signature Theatre, Studio Theatre, The Washington Savoyards, and others.
• Perform regionally in professional theatres such as Flat Rock Playhouse, Charleston Stage, Thin Air Theatre, and Great Plains Theatre.
• Have won Tony Awards for producing theatre in New York as well as Helen Hayes Awards for performing in DC.
• Have networks in Chicago and Los Angeles in addition to New York City and Washington DC.