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Home , Abe Burrows, Howard Lindsay, Jerome Weidman

Musical Theatre Voice- Course Syllabus

OSA School of Theatre 2018-2019

The Vitals: Instructor: Ms. Plette ([email protected]) and Ms. Goldfield ([email protected]) 415.205.7365 (text)

Class Meetings: Wednesdays- 9th Period, Fridays- 7th and 8th Periods Plette: Room 202 Goldfield: The Flight Deck

The Course: Course Learning Goal: The goal of this class is to develop your vocal instruments with a specific mind toward performance. In this class students will work solo, ensemble and group numbers from the musical theatre repertoire covered in their Musical Theatre Scene Study course. This year we will explore the history of the genre through specific examples of books and scores from influential musicals from the beginning of the Golden Ages of Broadway in the 1950’s to next generation of musical creators who begin to push the genre in a new direction, often referred to as “concept musicals”. Students will study with both Ms. Plette and Ms. Goldfield over the course of the year in order to stretch and explore their vocal technique, interpretation skills and performance.

Expectations: Students are expected to be prepared to work when class begins, which includes being dressed and having all of their needed materials for class for that day. Failure to be prepared at the beginning of class will result in lowering of participation points for the day. All theatre department rules apply.

Attendance In accordance with school wide policy please have a parent/guardian inform us when you have an excused absence or tardy, on the day it occurs. Please use the subject line “[student name] Absence Excuse [_/_/_]” or “[student name] Tardy Excuse [_/_/_] Period [_]” and email all teachers affected along as well as [email protected]. Not only does this allow us to know that your absence has been officially excused, it is also needed for the school which is required to keep a record of excuses for auditing purposes. NOTE: Attendance and Punctuality will be strictly expected. If the student has an excused absence, please let your teacher know via attendance guidelines. Attendance will be taken at the top AND the end of class. Every week, students will be given an Accountability grade for punctuality. ONE tardy will result in a 0 (zero) for the week. These zeros are not able to be made up, so make sure you are on time to class. If you are late to class because of lunchtime conflicts, you will not be allowed to eat in class, and will therefore be marked tardy. Please do your best to be on time and ready to work.

Dress Policy For this class students will be required to wear actor neutral clothing. Actor neutral clothing is a top and bottom that is comfortable to wear that allows you to do a range of movement. Examples of appropriate actor clothing would be: t-shirts, sweatpants, gym shorts, yoga pants, comfortable leggings. Your clothing is not appropriate if you cannot move in it because of length, cut, or you don’t want to get it dirty by lying on the floor because you will lie on the floor at some point. Dress is part of your accountability grade and will be taken daily.

Required Supplies Each class you are expected to bring a pencil, your journal, and whatever scripts, reading or music you are working on during that time. All musical theatre students will also need a hard- sided binder in which to keep their sheet music. NOTE: Any students with financial hardships should see me for supplies. Ms. Potter has been hoarding binders so we have some to share. Please don’t be shy.

Electronics Except in certain circumstances or when requested by the instructor as a class resource, all electronic devices should be set on silent and stowed for the remainder of the class period. EXCEPTION: All students should have some method of recording music in order to aide in home and in-class practice sessions.

Respect Acting classes by nature require participation and an open, safe environment in which every student feels safe to take risks. This is especially important in a voice class in which each student is at a different level and development is highly personal. It is therefore expected that students will be supportive and respectful of their peers and participate fully in all class activities. This class will emphasize a respect for the process of theatre. Students will become familiar with professional rehearsal practices in preparation for working at the college and professional level.

Policy on Issued Books and Handouts You may be issued copies of plays throughout the year. It’s expected that you’ll keep these books safe and free from damage. Any lost or damaged books will be charged to the student at the cover price plus any shipping costs. Damage can include an unreasonably bent cover, missing pages, marked-up pages, food stains, and more than usual wear.

You MUST keep any and ALL handouts you receive during the year. If you lose a handout and one of us asks you to take it out during class and you don't have it, you will lose your participation points for that day. We may not be able to provide you with an additional copy in class the day you need it, or it could take some time to replace, and you are still responsible for the material in your handout (especially if it is music). SO DON'T LOSE HANDOUTS.

Assessment: In this course you will be assessed in the following areas: Accountability A1- Dress A2-Audience Behavior A3- Participation A4- Work Completion Essential Skills E1- Lyric Analysis E2- Rehearsal and Performance E3- Reflections E4- Techniques E5- Research and Scholarship

These categories will be reflected in PowerSchool. For Accountability (A) skills you will be given a 1 (you completed the skill successfully and the time it was asked of you) or a 0 (you did not complete the skill successfully when it was asked). Those numbers are unchangeable. For Essential (E) skills you will be assessed on the scale of 1-4 and you will have the opportunity to improve your score as you master the material.

Course Breakdown: Semester 1 Golden Age of Twentieth Century Musical Theatre (1950-1964) Unit Goal: The goal of this unit is to stretch and explore your vocal instrument in preparation for work in the genre of the Golden Age. In this semester you will work individually and as a group with your vocal instructor on various material in order build from your current skill level as a musical theatre performer. With Ms. Plette you will be focusing on music theory and technical vocal training. With Ms. Goldfield you will be working on emotional honesty and song styling through your vocal performance. In the first semester you will work on numbers including but not limited to the following material:

- Your summer assignment songs - Solos, ensembles, and group numbers from the Golden Age of Musical Theatre - Songs from your musical scene study class

The following musicals will be included in repertoire selection:

Guys and Dolls (1950) Music and Lyrics by Book by

Wonderful Town (1953) Music by Lyrics by Betty Comden & Adolph Green Book by Joseph Fields & Jerome Chodorov

The Pajama Game (1954) Music and Lyrics by Richard Adler & Jerry Ross Book by & Richard Bissell

House of Flowers (1954) Music by Harold Arlen Lyrics by Truman Capote & Harold Arlen Book by Truman Capote

Bells Are Ringing (1956) Music by Jule Styne Lyrics and Book by Betty Comden & Adolph Green

West Side Story (1957) Music by Leonard Bernstein Lyrics by Book by

The Music Man (1957) Music, Lyrics and Book by Meredith Wilson

Once Upon a Mattress (1959) Music by Mary Rodgers Lyrics by Marshall Barer Book by Jay Thompson, Dean Fuller & Marshall Barer

Gypsy (1959) Music by Jule Styne Lyrics by Stephen Sondheim Book by Arthur Laurents

The Sound of Music (1959) Music by Lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein Book by & Russell Crouse

Fiorello! (1959) Music by Lyrics by Book by & George Abbott

Camelot (1960) Music by Frederick Loewe Lyrics and Book by Alan Jay Lerner

How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying (1961) Music and Lyrics by Frank Loesser Book by Abe Burrows

No Strings (1962) Music and Lyrics by Richard Rodgers Book by Samuel Taylor

She Loves Me (1963) Music by Jerry Bock Lyrics by Sheldon Harnick Book by Joe Masteroff

Funny Girl (1964) Music: Jule Styne Lyrics: Bob Merrill Book: Isobel Lennart

Mame (1966)* Music and Lyrics and Book: Jerome Lawrence & Robert E. Lee

Finally….If you need help with a personal issue, reach out to me, the dean, a counselor, or another trusted adult on campus. We’ll see what we can do to assist you. You should know that all adults on campus are Mandated Reporters - that means, if I suspect that you are experiencing harm or abuse from someone, I will reach out to Child Protective Services to make sure you are safe and cared for. Your well-being is my most urgent priority.