What to do with a degree in Musical Theatre
What to do...
In the opening song "What Do You Do with a B.A. in English?" from the Broadway musical Avenue Q, the fresh-faced college graduate Princeton laments that his degree is essentially useless for paying the bills.
So, what do YOU do with a B.A. in Musical Theatre?
A musical theatre degree equips you with a "triple threat" skill set in singing, acting, and dancing, alongside training in collaboration, public speaking, discipline, and production logistics.
On-Stage & Performance Careers
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Actor / Performer: Perform in Broadway, national tours, regional theatre, theme parks, or cruise ships.
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Vocalist / Session Singer: Work as a commercial recording artist, backup vocalist, or cabarets/concert performer.
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Voice-Over Artist: Provide character voices for animation, video games, commercials, and audiobooks.
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Dancer / Choreographer: Dance in stage or film productions, or design movement and choreography for shows.
Off-Stage & Creative Roles
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Director or Music Director: Lead artistic or musical vision for theatre companies, schools, or community groups.
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Stage Manager or Production Coordinator: Manage schedules, live cues, technical crews such as stage hand, rigger, carpenter, electrician, scenic designer, scenic painter, set decorator, costume design, makeup or hair artist, audio technician and day-to-day operations of a production.
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Casting Director: Scout and audition talent for theatre, film, or commercial projects.
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Composer or Lyricist: Write original music, scores, or books for stage and screen.
Education & Coaching
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Coaching: Train private students or cast members in many different coaching fields: acting, stage fight coordination, intimacy, dialects, vocal performance, dramaturgy and many others.
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Drama / Theatre Teacher: Teach performing arts in K-12 schools, youth theatres, or community centers (often requiring state certification and in many situations a master's degree).
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Fight Coordinator, intimacy coach, dialect coach, vocal coach, dramaturg.
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University Professor: Teach higher education courses in musical theatre or vocal pedagogy (typically requiring a master's degree or Ph.D.).
Arts Business & Alternative Fields
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Arts Administrator: Manage non-profit arts organizations, fundraising, or community outreach programs.
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Talent Agent or Publicist: Represent performers, negotiate contracts, or handle public relations.
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Entertainment law (requiring a law degree).
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Event Planner: Apply strict organizational, timeline, and spatial planning skills to corporate events or weddings.
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Marketing & Public Speaking: Use strong communication and presentation training for corporate training, sales, or public relations.
As you see, there are many avenues (see what I did there?) open for you with a musical theatre degree. And please note that many of these careers have heavy cross-over possibilities to the film and TV field, which adds another long list of possibilities specific to that medium.
And one of the important parts for many in the field is satisfaction with what they do!