Musical Theatre
The Musical Theatre Division of the School of Music is composed of a faculty and staff of seasoned professional performers and directors who guide students through an interdisciplinary program that includes comprehensive training in singing, dancing and acting. As part of the Bachelor of Music in Musical Theatre degree, students will study Music Theory, Aural Skills, Piano, History of Musical Theatre, Musical Theatre Directing, Stage Make-up, Stagecraft, Production/Performance, Major Ensemble, and Applied Voice.
Productions
Our School of Music’s musical theatre productions have a tradition of excellence. Productions range from contemporary to classic, familiar to ground-breaking.
Musical Theatre students have a chance to perform in two full-scale musicals produced every year. Past seasons have included: High Society, Steel Pier, Promises, Promises, The Wild Party, Jane Eyre, State Fair, She Loves Me, The Fix, Assassins, Forever Plaid, Gypsy, A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum, Sweet Smell of Success, Chicago, Baby, Once on This Island, The Rocky Horror Show, Cabaret, Pippin, Sweeney Todd, Sunset Boulevard, The Mystery of Edwin Drood and Man of La Mancha – just to name a few! Students also have a chance to perform in two professional musical revues as a part of UCO’s popular Jazz Lab Production Series.
Other Opportunities
Musical Theatre regularly collaborates with local professional companies, offering students professional credits and Equity Membership Candidate (EMC) credits with the Actor’s Equity Association (AEA) Union. Central’s continuing collaborations with City Rep have included area premieres of The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, The Great American Trailer Park Musical and Zombie Prom. Our Musical Theatre students have the unique opportunity to collaborate with the UCO Broadway Tonight Series, an on-campus celebrity series that offers Workshops, Master Classes, and even Integrated Performance Opportunities with entertainment legends every semester. Previous artists include: Tommy Tune, Olympia Dukakis, Andrea McArdle, Shirley Jones, Carol Channing, Patrick Cassidy, Donna McKechnie, Carole Cook, Betty Garrett, Deidre Goodwin, Mark McVeigh, Betty Buckley, John Bucchino and many more to come!
Alumni
As a testament to the quality of our program and its productions, many of our esteemed alumni have gone on to careers on Broadway (Mary Poppins, Mamma Mia!, Beauty and the Beast, Cabaret, The Boys From Syracuse, Cats, Footloose, Good Vibrations) Off-Broadway (Nunsense A-Men!, The Magdelene), and Broadway National Tours (Addams Family, Anything Goes, Les Miserables, Mary Poppins, Mamma Mia!, Cabaret, Cats, Footloose, State Fair, A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum, Oklahoma!, Carousel, Spamalot, Beauty and the Beast) and as a part of regional theatres, international tours, and major cruise lines. Miss America 2007, Lauren Nelson, was crowned while in our esteemed program.