Musical Theatre

Sample Courses

Sample courses within the musical theatre curriculum:

• THTR 196: Musical Theatre Studio - This recurring course offers musical theatre majors the opportunity to meet and interact with each other in a studio setting, under the guidance of a musical director and musical theatre stage director. Weekly meetings will be used to work and hone musical theatre acting and singing techniques, develop musical theatre repertoire as an ensemble, work on individual performance opportunities, and workshop with professional theatre artists.
• THTR 208: Vocal Health and Wellness for Actors - Utilizing examples from and exercises based upon musical theatre repertoire, teaches techniques for keeping the vocal instrument healthy, reducing vocal and overall stress and managing external factors such as performance anxiety. Presents a detailed look at vocal anatomy to foster a cross-genre approach to healthy, life-long singing.
• THTR 209: Musicianship for Actors - This course will develop competency for musical theatre actors in music reading, critical listening, analytical understanding of the tonal language of musical theatre and fundamental keyboard skills to develop aural competencies.
• THTR 219: American Musical Theatre - This course explores the "Golden Age of Broadway," encompassing literature from the 1920's though the early 1960s, as a means to provide the student with a basic understanding of the origin of the American Musical Theatre. Students will develop a heightened sensitivity to nuance, attention to detail, and learn to approach the song through comprehension of the text.
• THTR 221: Auditions - This course, through practical application, research, mock auditions and professional guest presentations, will develop skills, knowledge and experience that will enable the student to more confidently prepare and engage in the audition process.

Career Outcomes

99% of Xavier students, including those in the musical theatre major, are working, volunteering or in graduate school within six months of graduating (Class of 2022). Explore Xavier's Career Outcomes Dashboard to view career outcomes by major.

Career Opportunities: Theatrical Design (lights, sound, set, costumes, video), Director, Actor (stage, film, tv, commercials), Stage Manager, Producer (theatre, film, tv), Talent Management, Education, Sales, Public Relations, Advertising, Marketing, Communications Specialist, Broadcaster, Project Management, Event Management, Realty, Authors, Health Care, Fundraising

More: Xavier's Career Development Office assists students in their search for employment by offering individual career counseling sessions, conducting workshops and maintaining an employer database. More than 100 nationally known companies visit the campus annually to interview graduating seniors for open positions.

Student Clubs

• A caBellas- These singers are a close-knit group of students who love performing a cappella music on and off campus. They sing a variety of songs ranging from old classics to pop music.
• All-Inclusive Dance Club- This club is perfect for those looking for a casual environment to move creatively and learn or practice basic combinations or dance practices. XUDC practices all styles of dance including contemporary, ballet, jazz, tap, folk, and we are open to more.
• Harmon-X- Harmon-X is an a cappella group who's mission is to bring high-quality music to campus and beyond. Members practice three times a week for performances on campus and within the Cincinnati community.
• Hip Hop Collective- The Hip Hop Collective is a club dedicated to promoting cultural awareness of Hip Hop by educating members on its fundamental elements and rich historical foundation. We represent a social gathering of individuals dedicated to the pursuit and creative expression of this artform.
• Don't Tell Anna- Don't Tell Anna (DTA) is an improvisational comedy group of Xavier University students that aim to provide quality entertainment to both on-campus and off campus audiences. At Xavier, DTA performs in shows that provide a free, late-night alternative to students looking to have fun and enjoy themselves on-campus. 
• Singers- This club provides an outlet for students who wish to sing, dance and perform beside a student band. Xavier Singers exists as a professional experience for students to practice and perform their singing and dancing talents, play music in a live band, choreograph dance numbers, and arrange/teach vocal numbers.
• Toolbox- Toolbox is a student-led improvisation comedy troupe sponsored by the Xavier Theatre program. Featuring both long and short-form improvisation techniques, Toolbox performs multiple times throughout each semester.
• XU Live- XU Live is a live performance club that strives to support student performers at Xavier University and create a platform for bi-monthly open mic live performances in the heart of campus: Gallagher Student Center.

Related Programs