New Music Theatre course for Australia

SIGNIFICANT NEW MUSIC THEATRE COURSE ANNOUNCED FOR SYDNEY
STARTING FEBRUARY 2005

ACTT, SydneyÂ’s largest independent actor training school, is searching for talented young adults interested in a career in Music Theatre.

The College has taken the step of bringing to Sydney a 1 year accredited full-time Music Theatre program with an emphasis on acting. The Certificate IV level course will start in 2005 and is the only such curriculum in Australia with such a focus.

As an introduction, ACTT is running a free 4-hour Music Theatre workshop in on Saturday, 27 November for people who are thinking of entering this competitive field of performance. It will be held at ACTT, 505 Pitt Street, Sydney from 10am-2pm.

ACTTÂ’s prime strength as an actor training school means that singers and dancers who finish its music theatre course will have gained the performance edge that will move them out of the chorus and into a leading role.

According to Lesley Watson, ACTT’s Director, “acting has been the weak link for many performers who are skilled in dance or singing. ACTT’s course aims to give its music theatre students a comprehensive advantage because of the structure and quality of the actor training they will receive.”

“Performers who are highly skilled in acting, singing and dance, are much more employable because of their ability to take on roles in each of these areas. This has been long acknowledged by the industry that has called such artists “triple threat” performers because of their wide-ranging skills.”

The free workshop will take the form of a music theatre rehearsal. Participants will work on some scene-work, followed by a song and dance number. There will be a separate acting coach, choreographer and music director in attendance to conduct each aspect of the performance. The workshop will be led by Gael Ballantyne, who herself has studied under such Australian legends as Lorrae Desmond and Hayes Gordon.

Those attending will benefit by coming away with a complete rehearsed sequence that can be adapted for auditions, along with personal feedback about their work.

Interested people can register for the free workshop by phoning (02) 9212 6000 or by visiting the web site: www.actt.edu.au