Workshops

Masterclasses & Workshops

Our masterclass and workshop series focuses on honing the skills necessary to developing and performing contemporary musical theatre. We explore how to create the myriad different musical styles contemporary performers must access while considering how the tone of a song or musical influences the storytelling. 

We’ve had the pleasure of leading masterclasses at the Lucy Moses School, NYU Steinhardt, Rider University, University of Alabama Tuscaloosa, among others, and developed a residency at Marymount Manhattan College. All our masterclasses and workshops can be customized to your particular institution’s needs.

MASTERCLASS 

Teaching Artists: David Sisco & Laura Josepher   

Prior to the Masterclass, David and Laura will supply participating students with a list of contemporary musical theatre songs to choose from. The three-hour masterclass will focus on helping the young artists find more technical and dramatic freedom of expression and include a Q&A session about current industry trends.

3-DAY INTENSIVE

Teaching Artists: David Sisco & Laura Josepher  

Prior to this intensive, Music Director David Sisco and Director Laura Josepher will supply varied collection of high-quality songs for participating students to choose from based on their video submissions. The students will come in with the songs already learned. David and Laura will individually work with them to develop more technical and dramatic freedom, discuss how to analyze musical and lyrical cues, and how to build a character in contemporary work. The culmination of the workshop will be a cabaret-style presentation of the songs. A pianist will be provided by the institution.

1-WEEK WORKSHOP

Teaching Artists: David Sisco & Laura Josepher  

Prior to this intensive, Music Director David Sisco and Director Laura Josepher will supply varied collection of high-quality songs for participating students to choose from based on their video submissions. The students will come in with the songs already learned. David and Laura will individually work with them to develop more technical and dramatic freedom, discuss how to analyze musical and lyrical cues, and how to build a character in a contemporary work. The culmination of the workshop will be a cabaret-style presentation of the songs. A pianist will be provided by the institution. 

In addition to the rehearsals, students will receive a series of seminars during the week to be chosen from the following: Making Fast/Smart Choices: Tools for Learning Music and Developing Characters, Investigating the Text: How to (Properly) Learn a Song, Contemporary Musical Theatre Listening Lab, and Audition Techniques 101.

3-WEEK WORKSHOP

Teaching Artists: David Sisco & Laura Josepher 

Option 1: The Institution may opt to license previously written musical shorts written by CMT.com writers, woven together with songs from CMT.com. Perusal copies of shows will be made available and writers can be invited to join in workshop process, either in person or via Skype. Music Director David Sisco and Director Laura Josepher will individually work with the students to develop more technical and dramatic freedom, discuss how to analyze musical and lyrical cues, and how to build their characters as well as learn how to talk to the writers. The workshop will be run like a professional rehearsal process of a new work. The culmination of the workshop will be a fully staged presentation.

Option 2: The Institution may opt to commission a CMT.com writer/writers to create musical shorts specifically for the students based on a unified theme, woven together with other contemporary songs, supplied by David and Laura. Writers can be invited to join in workshop process, either in person or via Skype. Music Director David Sisco and Director Laura Josepher will individually work with the students to develop more technical and dramatic freedom, discuss how to analyze musical and lyrical cues, and how to build their characters as well as learn how to talk to the writers. This collaboration with the students and writers will create a unique theatrical experience. The workshop will be run like a professional rehearsal process of a new work. The culmination of the workshop will be a fully staged presentation.

In addition to the rehearsals, students will receive individual coachings with David and Laura, individualized repertoire suggestions, and a series of seminars during the week to be chosen from the following: Making Fast/Smart Choices: Tools for Learning Music and Developing Characters, Investigating the Text: How to (Properly) Learn a Song, Contemporary Musical Theatre Listening Lab, and Audition Techniques 101.

For all workshop options, each student must submit a pre-screen video submission including two songs (one 16-bar ballad and one 32-bar uptempo of different styles) at least two weeks prior to the workshop. 

Click here to download our workshop brochure. 

Please contact us at contemporarymusicaltheatre@gmail.com for more information and pricing.