Music Theatre
2012 applications are still open!
The perfect Music Theatre course
Highly popular with students taking a ‘gap year’ before or after university and full-time workers taking a sabbatical, ACTT’s Cert IV in Music Theatre is taught by dedicated professionals, ensuring students gain the most up-to-date teaching available and enabling them to begin building vitally-important industry contacts. The structure of this unique Australian course provides a carefully constructed combination of modules, taught in regular classes to develop different skill areas and impart knowledge of the current musical theatre industry. By the end of the course, you will be able to move towards your own personal career aspirations and start auditioning for professional roles. The Cert IV is also a great foundation for further training. Singer, Actor, Dancer
Music Theatre is the ideal program for singers and dancers who want to develop their acting technique and their overall music theatre ability, to prepare for roles in music theatre productions, or to successfully audition for higher level training. The course prepares students for the three essential demands of a career in the music theatre industry: Acting, Singing and Dancing – known in the industry as 'The Triple Threat". The training is holistic, vocational, and studio-based. It draws upon the college’s strengths in voice, movement and acting to develop much more than these three individual skills. It is a finely tuned course to ensure that individual skills are brought up to the level necessary so performers will be much more than simply a singer, or a dancer, or an actor.
Acting, Singing, Dancing, Voice and Movement
Acting training forms the backbone of the course along with singing, dancing, voice and movement modules continue throughout the course. The first semester is designed to develop the student’s ‘instrument’ and by the mid year performance of music theatre scenes, students aim to move seamlessly from the spoken to sung text and dance. Approaches to acting for musicals are taught so that students can apply a reliable method to approach a text, rehearsal and performance. Voice, dance, singing and movement modules form the critical foundation of physical and vocal skills that must be developed for students to integrate the whole body in music theatre performance. Students also learn effective use of the voice as an instrument directly linked to acting and the emotional connection of sound and movement. Singing, voice, music and sight reading skills are strongly developed, along with the ability to work with a musical director. Dance modules develop skills in rehearsal technique and performing, including developing rapport with the audience.
There are several presentations and performances put on by the class. These grow in complexity throughout the course and include concerts, scenes, show numbers and as the course is strongly focused on the process of skills development most of the performances are staged in order to maximise the emphasis on the developing performer’s skills. At the end of the year, the students have the experience of rehearsing and performing a music theatre show at ACTT’s Cleveland St Theatre. ‘At ACTT I found myself opening up in confidence and realising that I had something to offer to the industry. I made the choice to start this course and that has lead me to make choices I never thought I was brave enough or prepared to try.’ Luana Farina Music Theatre, 2007 – WAAPA 2008
Set yourself apart from the chorus
ACTT’s Triple Treat (Acting, Singing & Dancing) is for talented singers and dancers who wish to pursue their craftand develop a strong acting technique that prepares them to compete for andbe successful when auditioning forroles in a range of music theatre productions and for further training. ACTT has an exceptional reputation for producing versatile, dedicated performers. The nurturing, challenging and supportive environment at ACTT develops graduates who have benefited from being taught by some of Australia’s leading industry practitioners. ACTT’s strength as an acting school means that music theatre performers from ACTT are also strong actors – helping set them apart from the chorus!
Course Structure
Triple Treat is offered in an intensive format. It provides over 750 hours of tuition in a range of well-structured modules, which give a thorough integrated introduction to the music theatre industry. Triple Treat ensures each student extends their acting, singing and dancing skills in the music theatre genre within a supportive, challenging and dynamic environment. At the conclusion of the course students have the opportunity to perform in a musical. Recent productions include: Black Kat Kabaret, devised and directed by Stephen Helper and Caroline Mooney (2009); The Two Gentlemen of Verona (2008) and The Threepenny Opera (2007) both directed by Stephen Helper.
Career Prospects
Graduates of ACTT’s Triple Treat enter a highly competitive field of performance armed with not only singing and dancing skills, but ACTT’s practical and systematic acting approach. Opportunities to work onstage range from big-budget shows to small theatre companies, cabaret, film work, theme parks, theatre
restaurants and cruise ships. Graduates from ACTT have also gone on to teach, choreograph, write, design and direct their own music theatre shows.
2012 Certificate IV in Music Theatre
The entry for the Music Theatre course at ACTT is by audition. Anyone with talent and determination to succeed is encouraged to apply, and whilst auditions can be competitive, at ACTT if you come for audition you will received expert, personalised feedback from senior Directors – which is a rewarding and unique experience in itself. Come along with two songs you have prepared, one of which should be up-tempo, and don’t forget sheet music for your accompanist. You will also be asked to prepare one acting monologue and participate in a choreography session on the day.
And remember, we are here to help you and guide you through it with us. If you prefer you can ask us a question below and we will get back to you as soon as possible with more details. Please indicate what course you are enquiring about.
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