Eight lucky students will have the chance to work with him one-on-one, focusing specifically on audition technique. The class will also include a Q & A session with the entire program. In addition, Liberman will be working with the senior class on presence and ensemble-building.

When he’s not performing, Liberman has been working on a book about the late Hollywood actress Jayne Mansfield. While he is in town, he will be conducting research on Mansfield’s days of performing in Greensboro at the Plantation Supper Club in the 1960s. Click for more information about Liberman’s project.

To visit Erik Liberman’s website, click .

Current students will be seen performing at prestigious professional theatres such as The MUNY, Pittsburgh Civic Light Opera (PCLO), Music Theatre Wichita, Bucks County Playhouse, The Lexington Theatre Company (The LEX), Flat Rock Playhouse, Forestburgh Playhouse, Arrow Rock Lyceum Theatre, New London Barn Playhouse, Maine State Music Theatre, and many others.

Several music theatre majors have also chosen to apprentice or study in different areas of the business, including assistant directing at North Carolina Theatre, interning at New York City’s Dodger Productions, and directing leadership workshops in Maryland.

Catch an ºÚÁϲ»´òìÈ Music Theatre student working near you!

& – Florence, Italy

La Traviata

Stephanie Ainsworth ’21 (Ensemble)
Nathan Keffer ’22 (Ensemble)
Alex Pouloutides ’22 (Ensemble)
Andy Edelman ’22 (Ensemble)

La Bohème

Stephanie Ainsworth ’21 (Ensemble)
Nathan Keffer ’22 (Ensemble)
Alex Pouloutides ’22 (Ensemble)
​Andy Edelman ’22 (Ensemble)

– Ponte Vedra Beach, FL

Chicago

Liat Shuflita ’20 (Mama)
Jakov Schwartzberg ’22 (Billy Flynn)

A Midsummer Night’s Dream

Liat Shuflita ’20 (Hermia)
Jakov Schwartzberg ’22 (Demetrius)

– Arrow Rock, MO

Cinderella

Jake Hartman ’20 (Ensemble)

All Shook Up

Jake Hartman ’20 (Dean)

9 to 5

Jake Hartman ’20 (Josh / Ensemble)

– Bigfork, MT

Oklahoma

Skyler Sajewski ’22 (Dream Laurie)
Willem Butler ’22 (Ensemble)

Seussical

Skyler Sajewski ’22 (Bird Girl)
Willem Butler ’22 (Wickersham Brother)

Catch Me If You Can

Skyler Sajewski ’22 (Ensemble)
Willem Butler ’22 (Frank Abagnale, Jr.)

The Wedding Singer

Skyler Sajewski ’22 (Julia)
Willem Butler ’22 (Ensemble)

– New Hope, PA

Mamma Mia!

Francesca Mancuso ’19 (Ensemble)

– Cortland, NY

Legally Blonde

Madeline Hudelson ’20 (Vivienne)

Mamma Mia!

Madeline Hudelson ’20 (Ensemble)

Born Yesterday

Madeline Hudelson ’20 (Ensemble)

The House at Pooh Corner

Madeline Hudelson ’20 (Owl)

– Kearney, NE

You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown

Daniel Rabinowitz ’22 (Charlie Brown)

Newsies

Daniel Rabinowitz ’22 (Davey)

– Adrian, MI

Violet

Brendan Coulter ’22 (Monty)

– New York, NY

Sarah Liddy ’21 (Production Intern)

– Thousand Oaks, CA

West Side Story

Daniel Brackett ’22 (Ensemble)

– Flat Rock, NC

South Pacific

Sophie Scarpulla ’19 (Ensemble)
Cody Marshall ’19 (Ensemble)
Emma Vance ’20 (Ensemble)
Christine Wanda ’21 (Ensemble)

All Shook Up

Sophie Scarpulla ’19 (Ensemble)
Cody Marshall ’19 (Ensemble)
Emma Vance ’20 (Ensemble)
Christine Wanda ’21 (Ensemble)

– Forestburgh, NY

Buddy: The Buddy Holly Story

Breia Kelley ’19 (Apollo Singer)
Andrew Stevens Purdy ’20 (Ensemble)
Sam Pearson ’20 (Ensemble)
GraceAnn Kontak ’21 (Ensemble)
John Zamborsky ’22 (Ensemble)

Me and My Girl

Breia Kelley ’19 (Ensemble)
Andrew Stevens Purdy ’20 (Ensemble)
Sam Pearson ’20 (Ensemble / Dance Captain)
GraceAnn Kontak ’21 (Ensemble)
John Zamborsky ’22 (Ensemble)

Hair

Breia Kelley ’19 (Featured Ensemble)
Andrew Stevens Purdy ’20 (Woof)
Sam Pearson ’20 (Jeanie / Dance Captain)
GraceAnn Kontak ’21 (Crissy)
John Zamborsky ’22 (Margaret Mead / u.s. Woof)

Priscilla, Queen of the Desert

Breia Kelley ’19 (Diva)
Andrew Stevens Purdy ’20 (Ensemble)
Sam Pearson ’20 (Ensemble)
GraceAnn Kontak ’21 (Ensemble)
John Zamborsky ’22 (Ensemble)

The Producers

Breia Kelley ’19 (Ensemble)
Andrew Stevens Purdy ’20 (Carmen Ghia)
Sam Pearson ’20 (Ensemble / Dance Captain)
GraceAnn Kontak ’21 (Ensemble)
John Zamborsky ’22 (Ensemble)

– San Francisco, CA

Heathers: The Musical

Dariana Mullen ’21 (Heather Chandler)
Daniela Rodrigo ’21 (Heather Duke)

– Highlands, NC

Buddy: The Buddy Holly Story

Olivia Tummillo ’20 (Ensemble)

Oklahoma

Olivia Tummillo ’20 (Laurie)

– Indianapolis, IN

Weston LeCrone ’22 (Intern)

– Laguna Beach, CA

Mamma Mia!

McKenna Wells ’22 (Sophie)

– Tyrone, GA

Matilda

Travis Flynt ’21 (Doctor / Escapologist / Ensemble)

– Lexington, KY

West Side Story

Brandon Halvorsen ’20 (Luis)
Anna Hertel ’22 (Graziella)

Newsies

Brandon Halvorsen ’20 (Elmer)
Anna Hertel ’22 (Ensemble)

– Brunswick, ME

Grease

Katie Brnjac ’21 (Ensemble)

Hello, Dolly!

Katie Brnjac ’21 (Ensemble)

The Wizard of Oz

Katie Brnjac ’21 (Ensemble)

The Little Mermaid

Katie Brnjac ’21 (Ensemble)

– Annapolis, MD

Bridge

Tres McMichael ’19 (Program Director)

– La Mirada, CA

Beauty and the Beast

Brandon Halvorsen ’20 (Ensemble)

– Roanoke, VA

Next to Normal

Mikayla Cohen ’20 (Natalie)
Gianni Palmarini ’22 (Henry)

A Peter Rabbit Tale

Mikayla Cohen ’20 (Ensemble)
Gianni Palmarini ’22 (Peter Rabbit)

– St. Louis, MO

Cinderella

Kamal Lado ’21 (Ensemble)

– Wichita, KS

The Sound of Music

Michael Dikegoros ’19 (Ensemble)

An American in Paris

Johnny Stellard ’10 (Henri)
Michael Dikegoros ’19 (Mr. Z)

A Chorus Line

Michael Dikegoros ’19 (Bobby)

Chicago

Michael Dikegoros ’19 (Ensemble)

In the Heights

Michael Dikegoros ’19 (Ensemble)

– New London, NH

The Pajama Game

Justin Norwood ’19 (Hines)
Alec Michael Ryan ’19 (Ensemble / u.s. Sid Sorkin)
Haley McCormick ’19 (Ensemble)
Caroline Attayek ’19 (Gladys)
Cara DiPietro ’21 (Ensemble)

Peter and the Starcatcher

Justin Norwood ’19 (Ensemble)
Alec Michael Ryan ’19 (Ensemble)
Haley McCormick ’19 (Ensemble)
Caroline Attayek ’19 (Ensemble)
Cara DiPietro ’21 (Ensemble)

Grease

Justin Norwood ’19 (Ensemble)
Alec Michael Ryan ’19  (Kenickie)
Haley McCormick ’19 (Marty)
Caroline Attayek ’19 (Ensemble)
Cara DiPietro ’21 (Ensemble)

Catch Me If You Can

Jake David Smith ’19 (Frank Abagnale Jr.)
Justin Norwood ’19 (Ensemble)
Alec Michael Ryan ’19 (Ensemble)
Haley McCormick ’19 (Ensemble)
Caroline Attayek ’19 (Ensemble)
Cara DiPietro ’21 (Brenda)

– Winston Salem, NC

Jelly’s Last Jam

Jasmine Walters ’20 (Ensemble)
Sidney Wilson ’21 (Hunnie)

– Raleigh, NC

Annie

Tucker Stampen ’19 (Assistant Director)
Timothy Brausch ’22 (Ensemble / Morgenthau)

– Saratoga Springs, NY

Miguel Fernandez ’21 (Resident Apprentice)

– Pittsburgh, PA

Grease

Jake David Smith ’19 (Ensemble)

Oklahoma

Jake David Smith ’19 (Ensemble)

– Hartford, CT

The Scottsboro Boys

Jaylan Evans ’20 (Ozie Powell / Ruby Bates)

– South Boston, VA

Mary Poppins

Oliver Davids ’21 (Bert)
Evan Schachter ’21 (Featured Ensemble)
Weston LeCrone ’22 (Ensemble)

Mamma Mia!

Oliver Davids ’21 (Featured Ensemble)
Evan Schachter ’21 (Sky)
Weston LeCrone (Harry)

– Waltham, MA

The Sound of Music

Audrey Flowers ’21 (Ensemble)

– Bloomfield, IN

The Odd Couple

Marisa Nahas ’20 (Cecily)

The Fantasticks

Marisa Nahas ’20 (Luisa)

Grease

Marisa Nahas ’20 (Sandy)

– Winchester, VA

Ragtime

Haile Ferrier ’21 (Sarah)
Hannah Hubbard ’22 (Ensemble)

Young Frankenstein

Hannah Hubbard ’22 (Ensemble)

The Sound of Music

Hannah Hubbard ’22 (Ensemble)

– Ft. Lauderdale, FL

Priscilla, Queen of the Desert

Mason Grey Zaroff ’20 (Ensemble)

– Bardstown, KY

The Stephen Foster Story

Kevin Lacey ’21 (Tom Rowan)

Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat

Kevin Lacey ’21 (Judah)

– Warsaw, IN

Singing in the Rain

Logan Foster ’19 (Roscoe)

Oklahoma

Logan Foster ’19 (Ensemble)
Eddie Falshaw ’21 (Ensemble)

Mamma Mia!

Logan Foster ’19 (Ensemble)
Eddie Falshaw ’21 (Ensemble)

Peter and the Starcatcher

Logan Foster ’19 (Ensemble)
Eddie Falshaw ’21 (Ensemble)

Hands on a Hard Body

Logan Foster ’19 (Ensemble)​

– Orlando, FL

Meredith Fox ’21 (Character Performer)

Dan Butler, who is best known for his work as Bob "Bulldog" Briscoe on the TV series "Frasier," along with his partner Richard Waterhouse, a faculty member at Brown University, will be teaching a master class to 20 students in ºÚÁϲ»´òìÈ’s Music Theatre program April 12-14.

The workshop will teach students the tools necessary to adapt their skills for acting on camera, allowing the students to become more versatile in the demanding entertainment industry. The 20 participants have been given scenes that will best highlight the specific challenges facing each actor.

To see clips of Butler’s performance as Bulldog in "Frasier," click .

According to Professor Cathy McNeela, when Ginna Claire Mason ’13 was a freshman Music Theatre student here at ºÚÁϲ»´òìÈ, she told McNeela, “I’m so happy to be your voice student and I want to be Glinda on Broadway.” Fast forward ten years, and it has just been announced that Ginna Claire will in fact be playing Glinda on Broadway.

She is no stranger to the role, having previously performed as the standby for Glinda in the Broadway production, beginning back in Fall 2015. “The Gershwin Theatre became my home for 16 months,” said Mason, “and it was where I learned many lessons about preparedness. I found productive ways to fill my time offstage, and tried to use the terror of being thrown onstage last minute (one time after three months) to develop as a performer.”

After her run as a standby in the Broadway production, Mason re-auditioned to take over the role full-time in Wicked’s National “Munchkinland” Tour. She got the job, and “for 20 months, I bubbled up around the country, until the great thrill of learning that I was invited to transfer to the part on Broadway. I was given a few months off to rest, but now I am really looking forward to getting back into a Broadway performance schedule.”

Mason’s other notable credits include the Katherine understudy in the first National Tour of “Newsies,” Gloria in the first National Tour of “Flashdance: The Musical,” as well as Korie in “Duck Commander: The Musical.”

In 2017 Mason was honored by ºÚÁϲ»´òìÈ as one of the Top 10 Under 10, an award that “highlights and celebrates alumni who have graduated within the past decade and who are distinguished in their professions and invested in the future of ºÚÁϲ»´òìÈ and their community.” She was honored alongside fellow Music Theatre graduate Rob Marnell ’06.

When asked how her time at ºÚÁϲ»´òìÈ helped prepare her for her career, Mason responded, “My greatest joy was having Cathy McNeela as the head of the Music Theatre department and as my voice teacher all four years. ºÚÁϲ»´òìÈ’s Music Theatre program is world-class thanks to her passion, bravery and kindness.”

To see Mason in “Wicked” at the Gershwin Theatre, click . 

The core values of ºÚÁϲ»´òìÈ’s program are highlighted in the article, with a quote from professor of performing arts and head of the music theatre program, Catherine McNeela: “An ºÚÁϲ»´òìÈ Music Theatre student not only dedicates themselves to their training, but also to cultivating what makes them unique as people and performers. This results in storytellers who are soulful, daring, and passionate, all while being led with kind hearts. The students that thrive at ºÚÁϲ»´òìÈ have a deep capacity for love, and a deep love for putting in the work.”

The article also mentions five notable ºÚÁϲ»´òìÈ performing arts alumni, including Barrett Wilbert Weed ’11 (Mean Girls, Heathers), Taylor Trensch (Dear Evan Hansen, Hello Dolly!, The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time), and recent graduate , who is currently traveling the country performing as Jared Kleinman in the national tour of Dear Evan Hansen, in addition to workshopping an original musical titled Mazkapan: A New Magical Musical!. Also mentioned were Ginna Claire Mason and Kennedy Caughell.

For more information about ºÚÁϲ»´òìÈ’s Music Theatre program, visit /u/academics/arts-and-sciences/performing-arts/majors-minors/music-theatre-facts/.

As a Music Theatre major and an Isabella Cannon Leadership Fellow, Tres McMichael ‘19 is no stranger to using his public speaking skills to make a difference. During the fall semester of 2018, he put these skills to use in the Music Theatre program, presenting a series of seminars to his peers and professors.

“The ‘Music Theatre: Leadership, Inclusion, and Diversity Seminars’ were developed for the students, faculty and staff of the Music Theatre department at ºÚÁϲ»´òìÈ,” said McMichael. “Having faced various situations surrounding bias and noninclusive language toward minority students within the department, these seminars served as a benchmark for highlighting the narratives of those students and providing a collaborative diversity and inclusion training for the entire community.”

Over the course of two days in September and October, McMichael in partnership with the Center for Leadership and Center for Race, Ethnicity and Diversity Education led the community in various activities, including a “gallery walk” containing stories of community members, a “values clarification” activity, as well as small and large group discussions.

According to Tres, “Session one, ‘Awareness and Knowledge,’ provided members of the community with data from a preliminary survey completed by all participants and written narratives from individuals who have felt marginalized. In session two, ‘Skills and Action,’ community members worked together to understand shared values and how they can reject bias and non-inclusive language.”

The seminars were well-received, leading to McMichael receiving invitations to present to other academic departments, as well as at the Seattle Arts Leadership Conference in March 2019.

“Over the course of my four years at ºÚÁϲ»´òìÈ, I have found myself frustrated with the actions of others that can often polarize and alienate groups and individuals because of their difference,” said McMichael. “Through this seminar series, I tried to put my frustration into action. I asked the department to give me two days to ‘try something out’ and they agreed. They put 100 percent of their faith in me and I am glad that everyone was able to take something away by the end. I am so thankful to the entire Music Theatre community for fully participating and trusting me to lead them through difficult dialogue. Change doesn't happen fast, but I am happy to be a part of the process.”

ºÚÁϲ»´òìÈ’s program is drawing its students from an increasingly talented and numerous pool of candidates, with marked growth during the past years in the number of students applying. In 2013, ºÚÁϲ»´òìÈ saw 387 applicants audition to become a member of the 20-person Music Theatre Class of 2017.

By 2017, that number had grown to 802, a level of growth that saw the program begin to rely upon pre-screening applicants using video auditions to accommodate the level of interest. This year, ºÚÁϲ»´òìÈ saw 1,051 applications audition for the Musical Theatre program, with approximately a third of those who had applied invited to campus for an in-person audition to become one of the 20 selected for the program.

Due to the increased interested in what ºÚÁϲ»´òìÈ has to offer and the growing exposure for the accomplishments of program alumni, the university’s Musical Theatre program has now become one of the country’s most selective and sought-after. The university expects interest to grow, generating an ever-greater pool of applicants and ensuring ºÚÁϲ»´òìÈ can attract top-level students each year.

Additionally, many websites and publications have recently and consistently ranked ºÚÁϲ»´òìÈ’s Music Theatre program among the best in the country. Some recent rankings include:

Playbill – Named ºÚÁϲ»´òìÈ one of the Top 10 Colleges represented on Broadway in 2018 Backstage.com – Ranked ºÚÁϲ»´òìÈ in their “10 Musical Theatre Programs You Should Know”

Buzzfeed – Ranked ºÚÁϲ»´òìÈ No. 4 in their Top 10 Under 10: Top Musical Theatre Programs Based on Alumni Success Within 10 Years of Graduation

College Factual – Ranked ºÚÁϲ»´òìÈ’s theatre department in Top 10 percent in the country Onstage Blog – Ranked ºÚÁϲ»´òìÈ in their Top 25 Musical Theatre Programs HelpToStudy.com – Ranked ºÚÁϲ»´òìÈ the No. 3 Musical Theatre Program

Ensemblist – Featured ºÚÁϲ»´òìÈ as one of the “most prolific breeding grounds for Broadway ensemblists 

This past May, Niemann participated in a full-day photo and video shoot at a studio in New York City for The Book of Mormon, along with other members of the ensemble. During the shoot, more than 50 cameras captured Niemann performing jumps and leaps in front of 360 degrees of blue screens to create the effect of “circling” the dancer.

Niemann’s photo was recently featured in a full-page solo spread in The New York Times. The photo can also be seen on Instagram and Facebook, and may soon appear on billboards and in videos around Times Square and New York City to help promote the show.

In addition to appearing in the advertising campaign, Niemann is featured in The Book of Mormon’s new augmented reality app, called “Book of Mormon Musical AR.” The app is available now for download in the App Store.

Goldsmith received this news in late February, three months before graduating. “At the time, I was at ºÚÁϲ»´òìÈ prepping for the casting director/agent showcase,” said Goldsmith. “It felt amazing knowing that so much of my hard work over the last few years had truly paid off.

“Frankly, I wouldn’t be in ‘Dear Evan Hansen’ if I hadn’t gone to ºÚÁϲ»´òìÈ,” he responded when asked how ºÚÁϲ»´òìÈ helped prepare him for this opportunity. “I was simply incapable of singing the callback material four years ago. My amazing voice teacher April transformed my voice. ºÚÁϲ»´òìÈ also teaches us how to be great at auditioning as well as how to be great storytellers, so I was able to really take direction and nail it when I was in the room.”

In the midst of this excitement, Goldsmith has also been working alongside his longtime best friend, Adam Quinn (currently the associate director for “Dear Evan Hansen”), co-writing and developing a new musical, “Mazkapan: A New Magical Musical!” According to Quinn’s website, “This new musical tells the story of best friends, Ralph and Harry, who find themselves stuck in the magical town of Mazkapan for the weekend where they are named the Messiah, who’ve come to bring the rain.”

Goldsmith is currently in rehearsal for “Dear Evan Hansen,” which is set to play 60 cities around the country beginning this fall. Be sure to catch Jared in a city near you.