About Elon Music Theatre

Commitment to a Foundation of Inclusivity

The BFA Music Theatre Program at Elon University is committed to creating a welcoming and inclusive environment that values and celebrates diversity, equity, belonging, and accessibility. We strongly believe that every person has a unique perspective and voice that deserves to be heard and respected. We strive to promote this philosophy in every aspect of our program, ensuring everyone has opportunities to learn and grow. We acknowledge that our efforts are not always perfect, and we are constantly reevaluating our practices to identify areas that require improvement. Our goal is to ensure that everyone is valued and accepted, regardless of their background, identity, or experience. This work is fundamental in our mission to broaden our comprehension of what musical theatre is and what it can become.

Auditions and Financial Aid

Admission to Elon’s music theatre program is by audition. Audition dates are set annually in the fall and spring. View a list of upcoming audition dates. Students may audition before being admitted to Elon; however, all offers of admission to the music theatre program are pending until a student is admitted to the university. Additional information regarding financial aid is available on the University Scholarships page; visit this link for details and deadlines.

 

 

Preparing Graduates to Take Center Stage

Music theatre graduates from Elon University catch the attention of casting directors and talent agents due to the institution’s reputation for producing skilled, mature, energetic, and creative performing artists. If your goal is to pursue a career in music theatre, Elon’s intensive program will provide you with the necessary knowledge, experience, and professional exposure to succeed in the industry or graduate school.

Working closely with experienced faculty members, you will improve your acting, singing, and dancing skills while exploring the theories of the craft and learning how to apply them. Additionally, you won’t have to wait in line for stage time, as you will have ample opportunities to showcase your talents in stage productions, concerts, recitals, and revues from your first semester.

Moreover, before you graduate, you will participate in masterclasses, auditions, conventions, competitions, and workshops with top industry professionals, which will help you establish valuable connections in the industry.

I couldn’t have asked for a better training ground than Elon. The environment created by the talented and nurturing faculty encourages self-exploration, passion for your craft, and success. It’s a wonderful community. I worked very hard and had the time of my life.

Innovative Curriculum

Elon University offers a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in music theatre. The music theatre program accepts approximately 16 new students annually, ensuring each student receives personalized attention to unlock their potential. The program emphasizes the three essential elements of music theatre: music, acting, and dance. The major requirements include:

• Individual Voice Instruction – all four years

• Acting I

• Acting II

• Acting III

• Performance in Music Theatre

• History of Music Theatre

• Music Theatre Literature and Repertoire

• Senior Seminar – two semesters

• Dance for the Musical Stage (I-IV) – all four years

• Professional Practices – all four years

• Ensemble

• Ballet Dance

• Modern Dance

• Jazz Dance

• Tap Dance

• Music Theory

• Piano

In addition to their major requirements, each student must also fulfill a number of elective courses and earn dance credits. The university offers a variety of courses to choose from, including but not limited to:

• Acting for the Camera
• Contemporary Vocal Styles
• Choreography
• Music Theatre Scene Study
• Rock the Music Theatre
• Vocal Pedagogy
• Shakespeare
• Music Theatre Songwriting
• Jazz Dance I-III
• Ballet Dance I-VI
• Modern Dance I-VI
• Tap Dance I-III
• West African Dance I-IV

Expert Faculty

At Elon, you will learn from dynamic professors who combine years of industry experience with a passion for teaching and innovative scholarship. The faculty comprises professional actors, musicians, and dancers who have and continue to work worldwide, including regional theatres, concert halls, opera houses, and both on and off-Broadway. They are also actively engaged in cutting-edge research and scholarship that pushes the boundaries of the industry. We invite you to explore the teaching, professional, and scholarly work of our music theatre faculty and staff using the provided links.

Jacob Brent, Assistant Professor of Music Theatre

Haidee Dollak, University Accompanist

Tyson Hankins, University Accompanist

Brian Kremer, Music Theatre Program Coordinator, Associate Professor of Music Theatre

Courtney Liu, Assistant Professor of Music Theatre

Christopher Rayis, Assistant Professor of Performing Arts

Alexandra Joye Warren, Assistant Professor of Performing Arts

Experience on Stage

Experience on the stage serves as a laboratory for honing one’s craft. As you progress through your academic journey, you will be given numerous chances to participate in various productions such as musicals, plays, dance concerts, musical revues, recitals, singing ensembles, workshops, readings, and student-generated productions. We aim to offer our students a diverse range of theatrical opportunities of different scales, which will prepare them for the various roles they may be hired to play in the real world. Some of the opportunities available include:

Early Real-World Experience

Professional

Elon’s performing arts programs offer ample opportunities for students to gain real-world experience and build professional resumes. To help students secure summer theatre work, we host on-campus auditions with professional theatre companies every year. Additionally, our graduation requirements include completing an Experiential Learning Requirement that encourages internships and other professional programs to earn professional credits and experiences before graduation. Our students have had the opportunity to work and intern in various venues, including Music Theatre of Wichita, Pittsburg Civic Light Opera, Santa Fe Opera, Flat Rock Playhouse, Arkansas Repertory Theatre, The Sacramento Music Circus, The Muny, Paper Mill Playhouse, and internships with Broadway productions and professional casting agencies.

Masterclasses and Guest Artists

We offer yearly opportunities for students to participate in masterclasses and work alongside renowned guest artists who are leading figures in the field. Some of our former guests include Kristin Chenoweth, Norm Lewis, Quentin Earl Darrington, Jason Robert Brown, Daniel J. Watts, Adam Guettel, Shannon Lewis, Hal Prince, Deidre Goodwin, Andrew Lippa, David Chase, and Beth Leavel.

We invite you to learn about our past masterclasses and guest artists at this link.

Study Abroad and Study USA

Music theatre majors frequently participate in Elon’s nationally recognized study abroad programs, such as classical studies in Greece, London semester residencies, winter semesters in Ghana, summers in Italy, and internships with the London Theatre. Additionally, there are Study USA opportunities in Los Angeles and Washington DC.

Senior Casting Series and Showcase

Each year we host our Senior Casting Series, providing our graduating class a golden opportunity to audition for some of the top Agents and Casting Directors in the entertainment industry. They receive valuable feedback and guidance through auditions, workshops, and personalized coaching sessions, helping them start their journey toward a promising career in the industry. Many students have found professional representation or landed significant performance jobs as a result, making the event a truly valuable experience. Additionally, some Senior classes choose to perform a showcase, which can take various forms, including a filmed version that is perfect for creating content for a professional reel or a live performance in New York City at venues like 54 Below or Joe’s Pub.

After Graduation

Our alumni have found success in the field of performing arts and beyond, with notable accomplishments.

Broadway Productions

Elon Music Theatre alumni have appeared in Broadway productions, including but not limited to:

Ain’t Too Proud, Aladdin, American Idiot, Back to the Future, Beautiful, A Beautiful Noise, The Book of Mormon, A Bronx Tale, Camelot, Caroline, Or Change, Carousel, Choir Boy, Cinderella, The Color Purple, The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time, Dear Evan Hansen, Evita, Freestyle Love Supreme, Frozen, Gettin’ The Band Back Together, The Great Gatsby, Hadestown, Hamilton, Harmony, Head Over Heels, Hello, Dolly!, How to Dance in Ohio, KPOP, The Lion King, Lysistrata Jones, Matilda, Mean Girls, Moulin Rouge!, Motown, The Mystery of Edwin Drood, My Fair Lady, Natasha, Pierre, and the Great Comet of 1812, Newsies, Pippin, The Prom, Spamalot, Summer: The Donna Summer Musical, Swept Away, Tina: The Tina Turner Musical, To Kill a Mockingbird, Tuck Everlasting, Water for Elephants, West Side Story, White Christmas, Wicked, and A Wonderful World.

Elon Music Theatre alumni have appeared in Broadway National Touring productions, including but not limited to:

Aladdin, American Idiot, Anastasia, Bandstand, Bat Out Of Hell, Beautiful, A Beautiful Noise, The Book of Mormon, A Bronx Tale, Bullets Over Broadway, Cabaret, Camelot, The Cher Show, Chicago, A Chorus Line, Cinderella, Company, Crazy For You, Come From Away, Dear Evan Hansen, Dirty Dancing, Elf, Evita, Fame, Fiddler on the Roof, Finding Neverland, Flashdance, Grease, Hamilton, Hello, Dolly!, Jesus Christ Superstar, Kinky Boots, Legally Blonde, The Lion King, Mamma Mia, Les Misérables, Mean Girls, Memphis, Miss Saigon, Moulin Rouge!, Newsies, Oklahoma!, Ragtime, School of Rock, Sister Act, Something Rotten!, The Sound of Music, South Pacific, Spamalot, The SpongeBob Musical, Spring Awakening, Thoroughly Modern Millie, West Side Story, and Wicked.

TV & Film Credits

Elon Music Theatre alumni have television and film credits, including but not limited to:

90210, Arrow, Big Break, Blindspot, Blue Bloods, Broad City, The Carrie Diaries, The Chi, The Color Purple (2023), CSI: Miami, Containment, The Deuce, FBI, The Flash, Deception, Fosse/Verdon, Girls, Glee, Grease: Rise of the Pink Ladies, The Heidelberg Holiday, Jersey Boys, The Last O.G., Legends of Tomorrow, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, Modern Family, My Life with the Walter Boys, Only Murders in the Building, Reptile, Rise, Smash, Supergirl, Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, The Vampire Diaries, Vinyl, The Voice, and Werewolf by Night.

Off-Broadway Productions

Elon Music Theatre alumni have appeared in Off-Broadway productions, including but not limited to:

Bare, Carrie, Chix 6, Cirque Du Soleil, Empire, Enter Laughing, Fiorello!, Found, Freaky Friday, Heathers, Little Shop of Horrors, The Refuge Plays, Rent, Sidekicks!, Superyou The Musical, Teeth, A Tree Grows in Brooklyn, and Whorl Inside a Loop.

Professional Representation

Elon Music Theatre alumni are represented by prestigious agencies, including but not limited to:

DGRW, CGF Talent, CESD, BRS/Gage, Harden-Curtis, MSA, Bloc, Avalon Artists, The Price Group, The Roster Agency, Take 3 Talent Agency, HCKR, and The Mine.

Regional Theatre Productions

Elon Music Theatre alumni are working regionally all over the country at theatres, including but not limited to:

Asolo Repertory Theatre, ACT of Connecticut, Arkansas Repertory Theater, The Barnstormers Theatre, Berkeley Rep, Bucks County Playhouse, Casa Mañana, Cortland Repertory Theatre, Discoveryland, Flat Rock Playhouse, Forestburgh Playhouse, Goodspeed Musicals, The Gateway, Heritage Theater Festival, Hangar Theater, The Kennedy Center, La Jolla Playhouse, Lyric Opera of Chicago, Maltz Jupiter Theatre, Maine State Music Theatre, Music Theatre Wichita, New London Barn Playhouse, North Carolina Theater, North Shore Music Theater, Ogunquit Playhouse, Orlando Shakespeare, Pioneer Theatre Company, Paper Mill Playhouse, Pittsburgh CLO, Playmaker’s Rep Company, Reagle Music Theater, Signature Theatre, STAGES St. Louis, Sacramento Music Circus, The Muny, Theatre Under The Stars, The Prizery, Timber Lakes Playhouse, Virginia Repertory Theatre, Wagon Wheel Theatre, White Plains Performing Arts Center, The New York Musical Theatre Festival, New York City Center.

And More

After graduating, Elon Music Theatre alumni have various career paths available to them. Some of our past graduates have chosen to pursue postgraduate degrees, while others have worked for casting agencies or performed on cruise ships for companies like Disney Cruise Line, Norwegian Cruise Line, Carnival Cruise Line, Royal Caribbean, and Viking Cruise Line. Additionally, some students have become teachers, recording artists, or social media influencers, while others explore other areas of the entertainment industry, such as directing, music directing, choreography, songwriting, and producing.

Alumni

We invite you to discover more about our remarkable alumni at this link.