About the Program

Do you dream of taking the stage in a big musical production? Refine your talent with Musical Theater Workshop. This rigorous five-day course offers professional-level training in voice, dance, acting, and audition techniques. Learn from faculty working in the industry and distinguished visiting musical theater artists from Broadway. The program will culminate in a final performance open to family and friends.

How to Enroll

This program has limited capacity. Submission of registration materials alone does not guarantee participation. You will secure your spot by paying in full.

Step 1Submit your registration
Begin by submitting your registration online. If applicable, you may need to submit additional supporting materials.
Step 2Make your tuition payment
All programs have limited capacity, so be sure to complete your full tuition payment to reserve your space in the program.
Step 3Request housing
If you will be age 15 or older by the start of your Boston-based program and require on-campus accommodations, complete the Residence Hall Agreement in the Next Steps tab of your registration portal.
Step 4Complete your next steps
Visit the Next Steps section of your program to view and complete any additional requirements. Review the checklist to make sure you are on track.

Curriculum

Each day, you will participate in several core classes in voice, acting, dance, and audition techniques.

Note about electives: You will rank your top six electives by preference and be assigned the top three available. Previous electives are listed below to give you an idea of the types of elective classes available.

Note about ensembles: Nightly rehearsals culminate in a mainstage Final Showcase on Friday at 2 PM. You may invite unlimited guests to attend in person. The performance will also be live-streamed. As with electives, you will rank ensembles by preference and be assigned your top available choice.

Every summer, Musical Theater Workshop offers master classes to students for an opportunity to connect with a master teacher in a classroom setting. This year’s masterclass will be led by Erika Henningsen(Opens in a new window), currently on Broadway as Sandra Dee in Just In Time, the originator of Cady in Broadway’s Mean Girls, and a featured actor in Tina Fey’s Netflix series The Four Seasons. Henningsen will address the entire program with a career conversation and master class.
An accompanist will be provided; please bring your own sheet music in the correct key if you would like an opportunity to perform and receive feedback. Please note that there is only time for a limited number of students to perform in a master class, while the rest learn through observation. Please see “How to get the most out of a master class” for more information.
In previous years, master classes have been led by the following guests:
- Christy Altomare, originator and star of Broadway’s Anastasia
- Khiyon Hursey, songwriter on the major motion picture Spirited, starring Ryan Reynolds
- Dan Callaway, national Broadway tour with Phantom of the Opera
- Debo Ray, Grammy-nominated performer
- Voice
- Dance and Movement for the Stage
- Acting Technique
- Audition Technique: This required class will help you ace your next audition by learning the dos and don’ts of audition etiquette. Bring your own sheet music for two contrasting selections in the correct key, ideally 16–32 bars each. Headshots and résumés are welcome but not required.

Schedule

Check out a sample of a typical day in the program. Schedules are subject to change.

Each Day

8 AM–9:15 AMBreakfast
9:30 AM–1 PMCore Classes in Dance, Acting, and Voice
1 PM–1:50 PMLunch
2 PM–3:45 PMInterview and Master Class with Visiting Artist
4 PM–5 PMElective or Audition Technique
5:10 PM–6:50 PMDinner
7 PM–10 PMEnsemble Rehearsal

Performance Opportunities

The program culminates in a final showcase of student ensembles. Each student will take the stage and participate in at least one ensemble.

Students also have the opportunity to perform in an open mic on the first day of the program.

Requirements

All students 15 and older with some background in musical theater are welcome to attend.
Participants must possess a proficient level of English to enroll in this program. We do not require proof of English language proficiency (e.g., TOEFL, IELTS, Duolingo) as part of the enrollment or application process; however, you are expected to have a sufficient command of the English language to understand class material and assignments.
After completing your registration, you will receive an email invitation to choose your electives and ensembles, and to submit a video link of a vocal solo. These links are reviewed by the faculty to place students into the appropriate level classes and help assign roles in ensembles. Professional video quality is not required, but your performance should demonstrate your personal best.
We ask that you bring clearly marked piano sheet music, in the correct key, for one or ideally several memorized selections. Prepare a full-length song as well as an audition selection between 16-32 bars in length. You never know what opportunities will present themselves to sing for a visiting artist, faculty, or your peers—be prepared!
For classes: Please wear dance or active wear with socks. Bring tennis shoes, Toms, jazz shoes, or any dance shoes—including character heels—that you already own. If you are opting for a tap elective, remember to bring tap shoes. Pack any hair accessories needed to secure your hair away from your face. Consider bringing a towel and deodorant. Additionally, you will need a refillable water bottle, notebook, pencil, black Sharpie, highlighter, and a tape recorder or phone recording app.
We recommend arriving with clearly marked sheet music in your correct key for several musical theater songs you have memorized. There will be multiple opportunities for coaching on your repertoire by our faculty or visiting artists.
For performances: Bring a variety of black clothing and black socks, tights, and shoes.
For a practice audition: Pack clothes without rips, holes, or visible logos. Your outfit could be as casual as jeans and a nicely fitting tee-shirt with sneakers or boots, or more formal with a button-down shirt, dress shoes, or heels. Select two pieces of music demonstrating your ability to act and sing. We ask that you have clearly marked sheet music ready to supply to an accompanist, typically 16 bars but no longer than 32 bars in length. If you are inexperienced in preparing vocal selections, we recommend “Happy Birthday” as a great solution in a pinch. Headshots and résumés are welcome but not required.

Program Director

Michael Wartofsky
"I want to empower my students to discover new methods of creation, vocabulary, tools, and habits for success, and faith in their own power to transform the foundation they gain at Berklee into a lifetime of learning, creating, and inspiring the next generation."
Read Full Bio

Once You’ve Enrolled

The Berklee Summer Programs Team is excited that you’ve taken the first step! Now that you’re enrolled, here’s what you need to know to be prepared before check-in, and what to expect afterward.

Please regularly check the email you used to enroll in your program for important updates. A detailed check-in email, containing information about your assigned arrival location, housing assignment (if applicable), and program schedule, will be sent one to two weeks before your program's start date.
On-campus housing is limited, and spaces will be offered on a first-come, first-served basis based on the completion of the following steps:
1. Read, sign, and submit the residence hall agreement on the registration portal.
2. The Summer Programs team will review your signed residence hall agreement within 3-5 business days. After review, we will send you an email inviting you to return to the registration portal to view your on-campus housing decision letter.
3. If your request has been approved, secure your spot by accepting your offer and paying the housing fee in full.
Important Considerations
- For students enrolled in multiple programs, please complete a separate residence hall agreement (along with the accompanying housing fee payment) for each program.
- To be eligible to request on-campus housing, a student must be 15 years of age before the start of their program.
- If a student is under the age of 18, the request for on-campus housing must be filled out by a parent/guardian, and both the student and parent/guardian must agree to all the terms and conditions.
- Applicants for Musical Theater Acting Intensive (MTAI) and Vocal/Choral Intensive (VCI) must first be offered admission and accept their offer before their residence hall agreement submission will be considered.
- Since space in our residence halls is limited, a spot in our residence halls will only be guaranteed once a student has fully registered for their chosen program and paid the program tuition in full. Any housing requests or payments made before the completion of both these steps do not ensure a guaranteed place in on-campus housing.
Learn more about housing and campus life by exploring the Help Center.
Accommodations are provided for students with documented medical needs, offering services such as academic accommodations, academic coaching, special housing arrangements, dietary adjustments, and referrals to on-campus support, including adaptive technology and tutoring.
Accommodations are determined through an interactive process involving the student, faculty, the Office of Housing and Residential Education, a dietitian, and Accessibility Resources for Students staff. Requests for academic, housing, and dietary accommodations can be made by following the steps outlined in this Help Center article.

Access the Summer Programs Help Center

Explore some of these top articles from the Summer Programs Help Center.

Explore Help Center

Musical Theater Workshop