Musical theatre: How to integrate singing, music and acting into a musical theatre performance?

Mony Wouters

Musical theatre of today comprises a broad field of musical theatre styles and forms, from opera, musical revues, etc. to the modern musicals, the experimental theatre and the musical theatre to be invented by the generation of today. Whatever the style or form, the musical theatre performer has to integrate singing, acting, musicality and theatrical intuition.
The students in our academy are intensively trained in the different areas of this work, but especially in integrating these diciplines in their performance. The integration lessons are the core lessons in the main subject. In these lessons we aim to create an atmosphere of research wherein students can explore their ideas, make their own choices and reflect on each others work. The studio floor is transformed into the theatrical space.
We work in several modules, from different points of view and with a variety of items. For example: we work on the development of traditional skills as well as on the development of creativity and theatrical ideas; on building a character and a dramatic situation from musical and vocal choices.
Or: we explore how musical and vocal choices can sustain the creation of a character, how theatrical images can emerge from changing musical elements of a song.
The research question is about how the choices one makes on the musical part influence the theatrical meaning and vice versa: how the choices one makes on the acting and the theatrical part influence the musical performance.

Teacher of singing and musical theatre, Head of Education of the Muziektheater academie, Codarts, Hogeschool voor de Kunsten, Rotterdam (www.muziektheateracademie.nl)

Contact:
Mony Wouters
Pijlslaan 57
2014 TL Haarlem
Netherlands
+ 31.23.5245714 + 31.6.40254650
monywouters@muziekhuis.demon.nl
Head of Education Muziektheateracademie
Codarts, Hogeschool voor de Kunsten
Voorschoterlaan 73
3062 KJ Rotterdam
T + 31.10.2019784 F + 31.10.2019783
mwouters@codarts.nl
www.muziektheateracademie.nl