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Why musical theatre?
Why musical theatre?
The Academy for Performing Arts at Morris County Vocational School offers a new major in Musical Theatre, starting with the Class of 2029. Students with this major will be ready for almost any college major or career path encountered in the 21st Century, having acquired enhanced and developed imaginative capacity, flexible ways of thinking, self-discipline, and sophisticated presentation skills.
The program will prepare students for college and a career in musical theatre by fostering a comprehensive skill set. Students will learn to collaborate effectively and creatively with their peers, cultivating qualities like generosity, critical thinking, discipline, and integrity. They will develop the technical skills crucial for musical theatre practitioners, including acting, voice, production, and dance, while also honing their ability to perform diverse studies with growing artistry. Additionally, the program will equip students with practical career skills by helping them build an audition repertoire, develop audition techniques, and create personalized career plans. This combination of collaborative abilities, technical proficiency, and career preparedness ensures students will be well-rounded and ready to pursue further educational launches in their careers.
Grade 9 Coursework
MUSICAL THEATRE I Honors: This foundational year-long course introduces Grade 9 students to the essential elements of musical theatre performance through integrated study of acting, voice, movement, and choral singing. Students will explore classical acting methodologies while developing their vocal technique and musicianship through the lens of Golden Age musical theatre repertoire.
TECHNICAL THEATRE I: In this course, students will be introduced to basic elements of technical theatre practices. Through a series of practical exercises and authentic projects, students will explore the various production roles of Sound and Lighting, Production Operations, Costuming, Makeup and Hair, and Set Construction. Students will also demonstrate understanding of fundamental industry language and terminology of Technical Theatre practices and be able to apply them. This floating unit will be infused throughout a student’s academy coursework in grades 9.
Grade 10 Coursework
MUSICAL THEATRE II HONORS: This advanced year-long course builds upon foundational skills by integrating sophisticated acting techniques, vocal artistry, and musicianship through contemporary musical theatre repertoire. Grade 10 students will deepen their performance craft while exploring playwriting, directing, and career-ready practices essential for professional work in musical theatre.
PIANO STUDIO FOR MUSICAL THEATRE HONORS: This specialized course develops essential keyboard skills and advanced musicianship for musical theatre performers. Students will build functional piano technique, including score reading, harmonization, transposition, and chord reading, while mastering diatonic scales, chords, and intervals. Through integrated group lessons, students explore advanced vocal health, anatomy, and production while performing complex contemporary musical theatre repertoire at the keyboard. The curriculum emphasizes sophisticated aural training through improvisation and advanced sight-reading. Students develop harmony skills and stamina by performing diverse musical theatre ensemble pieces, learning to balance vocal production with keyboard playing across multiple styles. This course creates versatile performers capable of self-accompaniment and musical leadership in professional musical theatre environments.
TECHNICAL THEATRE II: In this course, students will further explore technical theatre practices. Through a series of practical exercises and authentic projects, students will explore stage management, set construction, lighting, and camera technique and editing. Students will also demonstrate understanding of fundamental industry language and terminology in Technical Theatre practices and be able to apply them. This floating unit will be infused throughout a student’s academy coursework in grades 10 and will prepare students to obtain a CTE credential in Technical Theatre.
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