Villanova University / The University of the Arts
Summer Course Syllabus: Course 639
I.
Jeffrey Kern, Instructor
609-410-6699 (cell)
jkern@uarts.edu
II.
Course: 639 – Intro to Musical Theater Concepts (3 credits) (90 PA Act 48 hours)
Session IV: July 8 – July 12, 2013
This course is a concise overview of the multi-faceted components of show production for
elementary, middle and high schools. Participants will actively take part in a variety of lectures,
workshops, and exercises designed to give a foundation for the novice school director. Among the
topics discussed will be: choosing the appropriate musical; creating a budget; assembling an
artistic staff and discussing their roles (director, choreographer, scenic and costume designer),
forming a production staff, comprised of students and parents; organizing a
rehearsal/performance schedule; and creating a sound educational process through the musical.
Students will compile a list of musicals appropriate for each of their schools. Students will take
part in singing various musical theater repertoire from the 1940’s to the present.
III.
Major Learning Objectives
 To choose appropriate material for elementary, middle, and/or high school in regards to the topic
 To choose appropriate material that fits the available talent of the school
 To prepare a complete budget for the production
 To organize sources of income for and from the production
 To create a production staff, paid and/or volunteer, appropriate for the chosen musical
 To construct a process that will be educational and healthy for each student
 To learn and create appropriate vocal and physical exercises for the performer, age appropriate
 To learn vocal techniques that deal with the demands of the vocal “belt”, mix, and head voice,
where appropriate
IV.
Course Outcomes
 This course will help the teacher create a more organized environment for their students and their
production.
 This course will help the teacher choose a musical that will be vocally and physically appropriate
for particular age groups.
V.
Required Texts and Materials
 Materials: Organizational Information for a musical, available in the syllabus
 Required listening (all recordings are available on iTunes and YouTube (which has samples of
junior versions). Please listen to a version of the show that most directly applies to your school:
Annie by Charles Strouse
Guys and Dolls by Frank Loesser
Into the Woods by Stephen Sondheim
Thoroughly Modern Millie by Jeanine Tesori
Legally Blonde by Laurence O’Keefe and Nell Benjamin
Godspell by Stephen Schwartz
The Little Mermaid by Alan Menken, Howard Ashman & Glenn Slater
Villanova University / The University of the Arts
Summer Course Syllabus: Course 639
Page 2
VI.
Assessment
 Students will be required to prepare a complete budget for a particular musical that they could
possibly perform in the future of their school. A thorough budget and its visual presentation will
be a major part of the assessment.
 Students will be required to prepare a production staff for their chosen musical, with a
description of each position and whether it is a budgeted position, a volunteer position, or a
student position.
 Students will be required to write a synopsis of their chosen musical, along with character
descriptions and performance and production demands.
 Students will make an oral presentation of their chosen musical to the class, which could include
(but not limited to): aural and video recordings, PowerPoint presentations, budgets (including
incomes and expenditures), plots, alteration of the script and/or score, dance demands, dramatic
and musical demands, orchestral needs, educational outcomes, auditions, rehearsal schedule, and
other issues.
 Participation in class discussions will be considered part of the assessment process.
VII.
Grading
 Pre-course assignment: Students will listen to recordings and/or watch videos of the seven
musicals listed in section V of this syllabus. All Original Broadway Cast Recordings are
available on iTunes, and many junior versions of the shows (as well as OBC recordings) are
available on YouTube. Students should pick versions of shows that most directly apply to their
schools. Students will take notes, describing the version of the show they listened to or watched,
and how it could or could not work at their school. Objective and subjective comments are
welcome. Students should hand a copy of their notes prior to the class beginning or on the first
day of class.
 Assignment #1 (due on the 2nd day of class): Students will write a synopsis of a chosen musical
(preferably not performed at their school prior to this class), along with character descriptions
and performance and production demands. The student can use any version of a show (i.e. Kids,
Junior, or Full Production). See on line resources on page 3 of the syllabus for assistance.
Student will include a list of the production staff, with a description of each position, and
whether it is a budgeted or a volunteer position. This assignment must be done in Word and can
be completed prior to the beginning of the course. A hard copy of the assignment can be
submitted on the due date, or attached to an email and sent to the instructor.
 Assignment #2 (4th class): Students will prepare an oral presentation of the chosen musical,
discussing the plot, characters, vocal and physical demands, budget, orchestral needs, production
needs. A model rehearsal schedule should be constructed and presented, beginning with the
auditions, proceeding through the regular rehearsals and dress rehearsals, and finishing with
performances. Students are encouraged to use projections, audio, video, PowerPoint, and other
effective presentation media.
 Post-class Assignment (due within 10 days of the last class): Students will prepare a budget
spreadsheet, including expenses and income as discussed in Class #2. This assignment must be
done in Word or Excel. The assignment should be submitted by email to the instructor.
 All students are required to attend all five classes for the entire length of the class. The student’s
grade will be lowered if any class time is missed.
Villanova University / The University of the Arts
Summer Course Syllabus: Course 639
Page 3
VIII. Course Outline
The following schedule is a breakdown of the topics for each class. Many of the topics will create a variety of
discussions in the class; therefore, the schedule may change, due to the length of these discussions:
Class #1:
1. Students will introduce themselves and discuss their district, school, music program, previous
musical productions performed at their school, including positive and negative issues.
2. The instructor will discuss the following musicals (including aural and video examples):
Annie (Kids Version)
Thoroughly Modern Millie (Junior Version & Full Version)
Legally Blonde (Full Version)
Each musical will be examined for the following points, based upon fictitious schools with
various performance venues, enrollments, and music programs:
 Is the material appropriate for this age?
 Is there sufficient talent available to fulfill all the leads and choral and orchestral needs?
 What are the vocal ranges of each solo performer?
 Are there any demands on the performer that cannot be met or that need to be addressed?
 What will be the cost of the production?
 What are the production requirements?
3. The instructor will begin discussing the following items that should be considered when
putting on a musical, specifically, how to chose the appropriate musical for your program and
curriculum:
 Content of material appropriate for school (i.e. subject matter, language, musical
difficulty)
 Choreography: ability of students
 Musical leads: Before choosing the musical, do the directors know of students who can
handle the parts musically, dramatically, and when applicable, dance the role? Can the
roles be double casted?
 Large scale musicals: Do you have the facilities and the budget to handle: multiple sets
and costume changes; orchestra personnel from within the school, or hired, that can
handle the difficultly of the material?
 Small scale musicals: Are there enough parts (leads, chorus, and orchestra) that can be
filled for all who are interested in participating?
 Expanding the cast: If the musical is a popular event, can the chosen musical be expanded
to include everyone who wants to participate?
 Altering the material: What can or should be altered with or without permission?
 Does the musical offer sound learning objectives for the students, through the music,
dialogue, and historical background?
 Kids and Junior versions of musicals: What is available and what is appropriate? The
class will look at versions of the musicals discussed previously. In addition, Annie will be
discussed in this category.
 On line resources for full and junior versions of musicals: Rental libraries and specific
materials available for musicals.
*
Show Rights: Alphabetical Index (musicals101.com)
*
Kremer Publications School Musicals (schoolmusicalstore.com)
*
Pioneer Drama Service (pioneerdrama.com)
*
Rodgers & Hammerstein Organization (rnh.com)
*
Music Theatre International (mtishows.com)
*
Samuel French (samuelfrench.com)
*
Tams Witmark Music Library (tams-witmark.com)
Villanova University / The University of the Arts
Summer Course Syllabus: Course 639
4.
Page 4
The class will sing through various songs from the musicals discussed earlier today.
Class #2:
Topics to be discussed:
1. Creating a budget for a musical:
 Where does the income come from? Budgeted line items, tickets sales, program
advertisements, donation of materials, volunteer work by parents and others
(Booster Clubs), musical fund from profits of previous show(s).
 What items dictate the royalty fee? Size of auditorium, ticket price, rental period,
amount of performances, orchestration rental, other materials available from
rental library.
 Production staff: Who receives payment for their work? Is the payment included
as a stipend in the school’s budget?
 Other production costs: Scenery, costumes, hiring of instrumentalists, sound
equipment rental, publicity, special equipment rental (i.e. harnesses for flying)
2. Organizing a production staff: Who will fill the important roles of these production positions
(paid, volunteer, or student):
 Musical Director (Chorus and/or Orchestra)
 Drama Director
 Stage Manager
 Choreographer
 Accompanist
 Costume Designer
 Costume Construction
 Set Designer
 Set Construction
 Program Organizer (including assembling program and seeking advertisers)
 Sound Engineer
 Lighting Designer
 Lighting Crew
 House Manager
 Head of Box Office and Ticket Sellers
 Ushers
 Publicity (Who’s in charge? Posters? Internet and newspaper articles?)
 Make-up
 Props
 Dressing Room Monitor
 Concession Stands
3. The class will sing more examples from various shows, this time concentrating on Junior
Versions.
Class #3
1. Rehearsal and Performance Schedule:
 Organizing a rehearsal schedule: knowing the breakdown of the show; working
forwards or backwards in time; length of each rehearsal; rehearsal period; orchestra


rehearsals with and without the cast; no wasted time.
How to make a chart for each scene, including who is involved and in what aspect.
How many performances are practical?
Villanova University / The University of the Arts
Summer Course Syllabus: Course 639
Page 5

2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
Can students handle the rehearsal schedule and keep up with their studies and other
extra-curricular activities?
 Is the schedule too vocally or physically exhausting?
 Do the performances avoid other important events in the school district?
 Are there conflicts with district, regional, state, county, or other festivals? Can they
all be avoided?
Additional topics to be discussed:
 Musicals requiring young children
 Musicals requiring specific races
 Involving academic classes (i.e. English)
 Performing to a pre-recorded track
 Student directors
 Process vs. Product
 The Sitzprobe
Vocal pedagogy and the musical
 Dealing with all types of voices: high soprano, the “belt”, the mix, the changing
voice, the male voice.
 Avoiding vocal damage
 An introduction to vocal exercises appropriate for musical theater
 Eurhythmics: the importance of warming up the voice and the body before each
rehearsal and performance
 Musical roles that could potentially damage the voice
Students will sing vocal warm-ups appropriate for all grades
Students will sing additional samples from musicals, concentrating on the high school level.
Musicals that we all should know.
Class #4:
The class will present their projects. Each project should be 30-45 minutes in length, followed by
class discussion (see assignment #3)
Class #5:
1. Audition process:
 Audition requirements: monologues, songs, dialogue from the script, dance
requirements.
 Do all students who audition get accepted in some aspect of the show?
 Length of audition
 Callbacks
 Double cast
 Understudies for leads
 Who should be included in the audition panel?
 Audition workshops, to assist students in preparing for the audition.
 Several students in class will take part in an actual audition, as the auditioner and
the auditionee.
2. Becoming the drama director, musical director, or choreographer
 Students will take part in playing the role of the director, musical director, or


choreographer. During the week, the student should decide which role they would
like to play.
Music used earlier in the week will be the material used for these roles. For
students choosing the director’s role, dialogue from some of the discussed
musicals can be provided if requested.
All other students will become the cast of the musical.
Villanova University / The University of the Arts
Summer Course Syllabus: Course 639
Page 6

If a student decides to choose the choreographer’s role, then the student will teach
the class some basic choreography that applies to one of the discussed musicals.
3. At the conclusion of the final presentation, the students will hold a closure discussion on the
course.
Contacting me: If you should have any questions, please contact me through my email address: jkern@uarts.edu.
Disability Services: Any student eligible for and requesting academic accommodations due to a disability
should provide an Accommodation Form from Disability Services prior to the start of class.