Musical Theater Workshop

Take your first steps to joining the Berklee community

1. Submit your registration. Students begin by submitting their registration or application online. If applicable, you may need to submit additional supporting materials as well.  
2. Make your tuition payment. All programs have limited capacity, so complete your full tuition payment, and reserve your space in the program. 
3. Request housing. If you require housing accommodations, complete the housing agreement form in the "Next Steps" tab of your application portal.

Once you're registered you can explore parent and student resources. 

Each day, students will participate in several core classes in voice, acting, dance, and audition techniques.

Students will also take three electives, ranking their topic preferences before starting the program. 

Past Electives:

Acting Through Song:  Practice what William Eastland calls "The Juggling Act" - balancing concentration on your character’s objective without getting distracted by vocal challenges in musical theater, opera, and contemporary styles. A discussion to be followed by coaching of several student volunteers.  Please bring your own sheet music in the correct key if you would like an opportunity to perform and receive feedback.  Note: there is only time for a limited number of students to perform in a master class, while the rest learn through observation.  See “How to get the most out of a master class.”   Also taught by Khiyon Hursey and Caitlin Gjerdrum

Healthy Belting Workshop: Kevin Wilson will present a work shopaddressing “What is belting and how do I do it?”. Subtopics will include: understanding register, mixing, belting, vocal health, and exercises to help keep your voice healthy and singing for a lifetime.  Note: all students will attend a program-wide masterclass introducing this technique. This elective will provide more practice time and more individual coaching opportunities.  

Circus Arts:   Circus skills have made their way into shows all over Broadway, from  Pippin to Sideshow. Joy Clark will teach you some circus basics and a short partner-acrobatic routine so you are ready for the next production of Barnum that comes to town. Partner work will be involved. 

Contemporary Musical Theater:  Prepare your favorite musical theater songs that draw on pop, rock and hiphop.  All contemporary repertoire is welcome, but in particular, this could be an exciting opportunity to get coached on your rap skills by Khiyon Hursey, music assistant for Broadway’s Hamilton and co-songwriter with Pasek and Paul for the upcoming feature film Spirited. Please bring your own sheet music of a contemporary theater song in the correct key if you would like an opportunity to perform and receive feedback.  You may also choose to learn through observation.  Please see “How to get the most out of a master class.”

Choreography Workshop:  Get inside the mind of award-winning director/choreographer and Boston Conservatory faculty member Larry Sousa, as he offers insights, inspiration, and tricks of the trade for creating effective musical theatre choreography.

Dancing for the Camera - Heather Myers will teach you a short dance phrase to master and then perform for your own smartphone camera. Learn how to optimize your self-video technique and empower yourself to create content for social media.  A camera stabilizer will be provided.  

Master Class with Christy Altomare:  The originator and star of Broadway’s Anastasia, Christy will address the entire program with a career conversation and master class.  Then, in this more intimate elective, she will continue to coach volunteers.  Accompanist provided, please bring your own sheet music in the correct key if you would like an opportunity to perform and receive feedback.  Note: there is only time for a limited number of students to perform in a master class, while the rest learn through observation.  See “How to get the most out of a master class.”

Moves and Grooves for the Performer - Get comfortable adding fluidity and soul to your movement without the stress of learning a combination. Heather Myers will teach you basic grooves through the decades and create a fun and interactive atmosphere with a funk, soul, and R&B soundtrack from ‘60’s (Hairspray, Little Shop of Horrors), ‘70’s (Motown, Summer) and ‘80’s (Get On Your Feet, Head Over Heels).  Beginners welcome.

Monologue Workshop: Whether on stage or at an audition, performing a monologue demands deep character work and text analysis.  Bring in a monologue to perform, ideally memorized, and get pointers on your interpretation. For those without prior material or experience, Brandon Green will provide a few options.  

Nailing the Dance Audition Are you ready to tackle the dance audition? Heather Myers will take you through what you need to know to walk into your dance audition with confidence: how to pick up choreography quickly, how to apply corrections on the spot, recover from mistakes, and make a positive first impression. Information on what to pack for your dance audition and the do's and don't of dance auditions will also be explored.

Stage Combat: Learn the fundamentals of an art that dates back centuries, and how to simulate fights onstage while escaping without a scratch. Brandon Green will get you started on skills that could come in handy for shows from West Side Story to Heathers: The Musical.

Tap Dancing, level 1:  Tap is a longstanding tradition celebrated in numbers from Mean Girls to Book of Mormon, and a style that continues to thrive on innovation, such as in Savion Glover’s choreography for Shuffle Along.  Joy Clark will teach you some basics as well as a short routine. Tap shoes required; please choose this elective only if you can bring tap shoes. 

Tap Dancing, level 2:  An opportunity to develop and finesse more advanced vocabulary of tap dance, taught by Joy Clark.  Please only choose this elective if you already are able to execute triple time steps.

Writing an Original Musical: Have you ever wanted to write a song or a whole musical? Or maybe you already have? Led by Caitlin Gjerdrum, this elective will give you the opportunity to gain some theatrical writing tools and deeper appreciation for the craft.  This elective may be taken independently or in addition to the Original Student-Written Musical Ensemble.
 

Ensembles

Nightly rehearsals culminate in a mainstage Final Showcase on Friday, 2pm.  Each student may invite 2 guests to attend in person and the performance will also be streamed live.
 

Dear Evan Hansen Ensemble:  A medley from the Broadway show, 

offering gender-inclusive casting opportunities; led by Director/ Choreographer Larry Sousa and Music Director Ned Rosenblatt.

Khiyon Hursey Ensemble: Perform contemporary theater songs written and directed by composer/lyricist Khiyon Hursey, co-songwriter with Pasek and Paul for the upcoming feature film Spirited whose work in past years has moved audiences to tears.

Fangirl Ensemble:  Be the first to workshop an excerpt from Fangirl, a new musical exploring three realities: a hit teen drama, its rabid fanbase, and a stan caught in the real-life drama of high school bullying, catfishing, and personal growth. Book, music and lyrics by Berklee alum Luna Abreu-Santana.  Directed by Brandon Green and music director Utsav Bhargava.

Jagged Little Pill Ensemble - From her chart-topping 1995 album 

Jagged Little Pill to the 2020 Tony-award winning Broadway show featuring her songs, Alanis Morissette has inspired generations to take a deeper look at life, relationships, and being human.  Come celebrate her music and themes as we “live and learn,” led by Director/Choreographer Heather Myers and Music Director David Coleman.

Original Student-Written Musical Ensemble: Collaborate with other 

students to co-write and perform a ten-minute musical from scratch, guided by Caitlin Gjerdrum. 

Kander and Ebb Ensemble: Director/Choregrapher Joy Clark and 

Music Director William Eastland will guide you through Fosse-inspired choreography with excerpts from Chicago, Cabaret and Kiss of the Spider Woman, and more

Below is a sample of a typical day in the program. 

Schedule subject to change

The program culminates in a final showcase of student ensembles. Each student will take the stage and participate in at least one ensemble. 

Students also have the opportunity to perform in an open mic on the first evening of the program. 

All students 15 and older with some background in musical theater are welcome to attend.

After completing your registration, you will be prompted to submit a video link of a vocal solo. These links are reviewed by the faculty to place students into the appropriate level classes, help assign roles in ensembles, and recommend participants for master classes with visiting artists. Professional video quality is not required, but your performance should demonstrate your personal best.

Please note: This program has limited capacity. Submission of registration materials alone does not guarantee participation in the program. You will secure your spot by paying in full. When the program capacity has been reached, registrants who have not paid in full will be placed on a waitlist. 

As a student in the Musical Theater Intensive, you are expected to wear appropriate attire, bring necessary supplies, and prepare two musical excerpts. 

• For classes: Please wear dance or active wear with socks. Bring tennis shoes, Toms, jazz shoes, or any dance shoes—including character heels—that you already own. If you are choosing a tap elective, you must also bring tap shoes. Pack any hair accessories needed to keep your hair secure and away from your face. Consider a towel and deodorant. You will also need a refillable water bottle, notebook, pencil, black sharpie, highlighter, and tape recorder or phone recording app. 
• For performances: Bring a variety of black clothing and black socks, tights, and shoes. 
• For a practice audition: Pack clothes without rips, holes, or visible logos. Your outfit could be as dressed down as jeans and a nicely fitting tee-shirt with sneakers or boots, or more dressed up with a button-down shirt, dress shoes, or heels. Select two pieces of music demonstrating your ability to act and sing. We ask that you have clearly marked sheet music ready to supply an accompanist, typically 16 bars, but no longer than 32 bars in length. If you are inexperienced in preparing vocal selections, we recommend “Happy Birthday” as a great solution in a pinch. Headshots and résumés are welcome, but not required.

If you intend to stay in the Berklee residence halls while participating in the program, please also review what to bring for your room on the housing page. 

Check out this FAQ with important information and answers to common questions about Summer Programs.