Musical Theater Concert Ensemble

This course is a concert performance exploration of the history of musical theater and the performance of classic musicals during the golden era of Broadway. The Musical Theatre Concert Ensemble performs a review of one full concert version of a classic Broadway show featuring: 13+ singers, two conductors, orchestral arrangers, 15 to 25-piece orchestra, stage manager, orchestra manager/librarian, and a recording engineer working in collaboration. This course focuses on understanding and performing a review of classic Broadway musical theater works in the professional setting. During the semester, students who have auditioned and been cast in the course learn how to create and develop a character in the context of a concert revue performance. Students are required to learn and memorize the songs and scenes from the piece, analyze the score, and perform in front of a live audience. Students are evaluated through weekly song performances and quartet quizzes (on harmonies), a graded mid-term on the score including singing test, scene acting, and a final performance in concert style (i.e. without props, costumes, etc.). There is a focus on the analysis of music and lyrics of the songs in these classic musical theater pieces. The focus begins with basic stage terminology and works toward creating a more detailed connection between analysis and performance. Students gain a better understanding of how classic theater songs create and bring dramatic elements to life.