Stand Out With an Undergraduate Degree From Webster

200,000+
Alumni from our Global Campuses

 

Earn Your BFA in Musical Theatre from the Sargent Conservatory of Theatre Arts

黑料网鈥檚 Sargent Conservatory of Theatre Arts offers a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in Musical Theatre, training students to perform in a wide range of styles and with complex material, both classical and current. Our focus on storytelling skills prepare our students for success on stage and on screen. Voice and speech, movement and acting classes form the core curriculum every semester. As the training sequence progresses, students hone and apply the principal tools taught in the core to an array of stylistic approaches 鈥 from Greek and Shakespearean verse to the early realism of Chekhov and Ibsen, from the farces of Moli猫re and Oscar Wilde to the contemporary plays of Dominique Morisseau and Paula Vogel.

Musical Theatre majors add to their acting sequence a rigorous training program in music (theory, piano, voice), dance (ballet, jazz, tap, musical theatre dance styles) and musical theatre song study (Golden Age, Sondheim, Disney, rock). In the end, the Musical Theatre program is comparable to a triple major involving work in the Sargent Conservatory, the Department of Music and the Department of Dance.

n actor, center stage, sings surrounded by an ensemble. He is dressed in a cardboard pizza box hanging over his clothes and a cardboard hat. The back of the stage has a large starburst design on it.

American Idiot, 2022

Trio of actors dressed in period clothing, pants and vest, sing together on a set decorated with furniture, a large door, and pillars.

Natasha, Pierre & the Great Comet of 1812, 2024

A woman, alone on the stage, is smiling. She has long, curly hair, wears an apron, and clasps her hands together over her heart.

The Spitfire Grill, 2023

Three actors are on a stage decorated with quilt designs. One is dancing and one is playing a harmonica while holding a rabbit marionette.

The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane, 2021

Two actors, holding each other, sit on a colorful stage with steps and papercut decorations. In the background, there are two actors, one is playing guitar.

Rain and Zoe Save the World, 2023

An actor sings in front of a microphone on stage dressed in red and black and wearing a large pair of feathered wings.

Myths and Hymns, 2023

Choose Webster for Your BFA in Musical Theatre

Train with the Pros

Our training program benefits from several professional partnerships, including collaborations with the Repertory Theatre of St. Louis, St. Louis Shakespeare Festival and The Muny. We are able to offer students unparalleled opportunities to work alongside professional theatre artists, directors and designers in the city鈥檚 thriving theatre scene.

Our students also benefit from studying in a city that boasts an internationally renowned opera company and orchestra, a vibrant music scene and a number of excellent art museums.

Benefit from Our International Partnership

Webster has an ongoing partnership with the internationally acclaimed Academy of Fine Arts Vienna, where you can study alongside renowned theatre production designers and experience backstage jobs in a lively international theatre scene.

Mentorship from Experienced Faculty

Sargent Conservatory鈥檚 faculty members are working professionals and dedicated educators committed to nurturing their students鈥 artistic growth. Learn more about the individual accomplishments of our faculty. Their work includes Broadway, off-Broadway, regional and international credits, as well as projects in a variety of other fields (film, television, voice-over, corporate events).

Featured Alum

Our alums include Rebecca Hartman (BFA in Musical Theatre, 鈥22), who is currently on the "Sister Act" international tour. Photos highlight Hartman, left, in our productions of 鈥淒eadly (2020)," 鈥淯rinetown (2021)" and 鈥淪ondheim on Sondheim (2021)."

Webster's Sargent Conservatory Curriculum

Our first-year program encourages students to discover what it means to be an actor and to establish the basis for a personal technique. First-year students do not perform publicly but do present scene work and songs for Conservatory at the end of the year. Classes during the first year of training typically involve:

  • Acting
  • Voice and speech
  • Movement
  • Text analysis
  • Makeup
  • Ballet I
  • Jazz I
  • Private voice
  • Piano
  • Music theory
  • Song study

In their second year, performance majors stretch and strengthen basic techniques by applying them to highly contrasting styles of dramatic literature. Second-year students join the casting pool and are now eligible to perform in the Conservatory season. They also comprise the casting pool for the directing students鈥 鈥淓very Tuesday鈥 series of performances, which involve 20-minute plays presented almost every Tuesday in the semester. Classes during this second year of training typically involve:

  • Acting: contemporary theatre, Ibsen and Chekhov
  • Voice and speech: Greek and Shakespeare
  • Movement: neutral mask, yoga and pilates
  • Song study
  • Audition techniques
  • Ballet II
  • Jazz II
  • Tap dance
  • Musical theatre dance
  • Private voice
  • Musicianship
  • Piano
  • Musical theatre history

Work in contrasting styles becomes even more ambitious in the third year of training. Students continue to be eligible for casting in the Conservatory season as well as for opportunities to perform with our professional partners. Classes will now include:

  • Acting: Shakespeare, 17th- and 18th-century comedy of manners, Edwardian drama
  • Voice and speech: dialects
  • Movement: period movement, stage combat, Alexander Technique
  • Ballet II or III
  • Jazz II or III
  • Musical theatre dance
  • Musical theatre scene study, song and dance
  • Dance improvisation and composition
  • Private voice
  • Vocal ensemble

The fourth year aims to provide a smooth transition into professional practice. Students remain eligible for both Conservatory casting and casting opportunities with our professional partners. In Spring, students will participate in Senior Showcase, presenting work to casting agents and directors. Classes typically involve:

  • Acting: contemporary scene work, Showcase preparation
  • Voice and speech: dialects
  • Movement: clown
  • Acting for the camera
  • Audition techniques and professionalization
  • Ballet II or III
  • Jazz II or III
  • Musical theatre dance
  • Musical theatre audition technique
  • Dance improvisation and composition
  • Private voice
  • Vocal ensemble

Theatre Scholarships

Almost every full-time undergraduate student at 黑料网 receives some sort of financial aid. Webster鈥檚 Office of Financial Aid is committed to making a college education affordable.

Additionally, the Sargent Conservatory of Theatre Arts awards annual scholarships designated specifically for theatre majors. In 2023-2024, the department awarded over $225,000 in scholarships to its students. Most of these awards are reserved for our third- and fourth-year students. Every year we allot some scholarships to first-year students. These awards are made in consultation with the recruiting faculty and with the Office of Financial Aid. There is no separate application process. Please contact Andrew Laue, Associate Director of Fine Arts Admissions at lauear@webster.edu, for additional information.

Hannah Browning
Edward Chase Garvey Memorial Endowed Scholarship Recipient

鈥淢y Webster degree will guide me through the process of telling stories of unheard perspectives and help to shed light on important issues. This, in turn, will enable me to be an instrument in creating a better world.鈥

Hannah Browning
Hannah Browning

BFA in Musical Theatre, 鈥24

Three smiling men in costumes on stage interacting

Apply Today for the BFA in Musical Theatre

Three smiling men in costumes on stage interacting

Webster's Sargent Conservatory of Theatre Arts is committed to your artistic growth and academic success. The first step is to fill out an application.

Contact Lara Teeter, Head of Musical Theatre

Get Started on Your Bachelor of Fine Arts in Musical Theatre Degree

Take the next step toward earning your degree and starting a rewarding career in Musical Theatre. We are here to help you get started.

Explore

Learn more about our academic programs and our main campus and locations.

Engage

Connect with our admissions counselors and academic advisors.

Apply

and take the next steps for financial aid and scholarships.

Contact the Admissions Office to Find Out More

If you have more questions about the program, your application or other enrollment-related inquiries, contact our Admissions Office.

Call 314-246-7800 or 800-753-6765 or send an email to admit@webster.edu.