Forty Years of Musical Theatre Excellence
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Jim Walton (1977) remembers the emphasis on creativity. “Worth encouraged me to write, to direct and choreograph, to FORTY YEARS OF take whatever different challenges arose.” Following graduation, Walton originated the role of Franklin Shepard in Sondheim’s Merrily We Roll Along (1981). His career continues MUSICAL THEATRE with the upcoming Broadway revival of Bye, Bye Birdie. Tony Award winner Faith Prince (1979) says she was naïve about what was required EXCELLENCE for a career in musical theater. “I was sort of raw, like dough, waiting to be kneaded. a retrospective by Rick Pender CCM gave me everything. When you left, you knew what you were shooting for.” With tons By the 1960s, the University of “Our first show was Sweet Charity in of Tony recognition — a win for best actress Cincinnati’s College-Conservatory of Music Wilson Auditorium in 1969,” Rouse remembers, in the 1992 revival of Guys and Dolls and had a nearly century-old reputation for recalling the decrepit 1930s facility. “No nominations for Bells Are Ringing (2001) and traditional musical arts, including instrumental one was sure we were worthy of Corbett A Catered Affair (2008) in which her daughter performance, voice, orchestra and chorus. Auditorium.” By 1970, that attitude changed, was played by another CCM grad, Leslie Theater was the province of the College of exemplified by West Side Story with future Kritzer (1999) — Prince clearly absorbed what Arts & Sciences. CCM voice faculty member opera stars Barbara Daniels and Kathy Battle, was necessary. Helen Laird believed other forms of singing in addition to conductor Erich Kunzel, who She was challenged to find her depth should be included in a conservatory. She went on to found the Cincinnati Pops in 1977. when Gardner and others told her, “‘OK, we lobbied CCM Dean Jack Watson to establish Myers remembers performing in Funny get that you’re funny. What else can you do? a program in musical theater, and he recruited Girl at CCM, perhaps its first production Show us something else.’ That combination Jack Rouse from the University of Wisconsin beyond Broadway, thanks to UC alum Martin of comedy and pathos pretty much made to shape a division that encompassed Tahse, who was involved in the original show. my career,” she says gratefully. “It was an broadcasting, opera and musical theater. That connection represents another hallmark incredible time of my life,” Prince adds. “I Rouse recalls, “Helen was the first faculty of CCM: Alumni who open doors and provide remember saying, ‘Oh, God, please don’t member who didn’t think it was a cardinal opportunities for subsequent students. let me leave.’ I wanted to push out and sin to sing in chest voice and belt.” At UC When Rouse departed CCM for a career find my life. The rigors of CCM made that a young Cincinnati singer, Pamela Myers, in theme park design, his successor was possible. My knees still shake when I come had starred in musical theater productions suggested by Word Baker, artistic director into that building.” staged by theater professor Paul Rutledge at the Cincinnati Playhouse. Worth Gardner Another Tony winner Michele Pawk in Arts & Sciences. “I had excellent voice was a talented young director who had (1985) was attracted to CCM because “the training with Helen Laird,” Myers recalls, “who assisted Baker with several shows. Gardner program functioned more on the level of a believed that singing is a holistic experience.” remembers being impressed with the city graduate program. I feel very blessed to have When Myers graduated as CCM’s first and its “level of professionalism, musicianship been pushed and nurtured while I was there.” musical theater major in 1969, that was a new and artistry.” Between 1973 and 1985 he Gardner taught her a fundamental lesson: perspective. established those qualities as the foundation “He was a huge believer in ensemble theatre. Myers quickly put CCM on the map of CCM’s musical theater program. No matter how big your part, everybody when she was cast in the original Broadway “At the forefront of the menu,” Gardner onstage was involved. I take that with me production of Stephen Sondheim’s says, “was an effort to attract students who to every production.” Pawk is proud to be a groundbreaking Company as Marta, a young exhibited a compelling clarity of vision, CCM grad. A director was raving about two Midwestern girl who epitomized the hordes of discipline and consistency in the mastery of recent CCM alumni he had worked with, not adventurers flocking to the city. Her rendition craft. Our growing reputation gave us access knowing she went there, too. “Their work of “Another Hundred People,” a number to a wonderful talent pool, not only from ethic, preparation, enthusiasm and positive Sondheim wrote specifically for Myers, earned the Midwest but from other sections of the energy, not to mention their talents, were all a 1971 Tony Award nomination and established country. Every entering class bore a unique attributes about which he gushed. Although I Myers as the first of many CCM grads who personality, voice and potential. As a training had nothing to do with their training, I still felt established the gold standard in professional conservatory we were trying to expose them like a proud parent.” musical theater. to classic musical theater repertoire as well When Kevin McCollum (1984) came to Back in Cincinnati, Rouse was building as engaging their creative voices in making CCM, he had planned a career in film and a true conservatory program. “I believed new works.” Citing productions of Sweeney thought studying theater would give him there was a place for professional training Todd (1984), Sister Aimee (1975), Gypsy (1983), an edge. But he had leadership skills, too. for professional theater.” He simultaneously Carnival (1974) and The Canterbury Tales “I was president of the CCM Tribunal,” he established a live-show program at the new (1986), Gardner says, “We were producing way remembers. “One year I put together a P.D.Q. Kings Island amusement park that provided beyond our reach with extraordinary results!” Bach festival to raise money for scholarships. I summer experience for CCM students. During Gardner and his fellow teachers “were was good at getting people to do what I asked his five years at CCM, Rouse assembled a young and inexhaustible in our desire to them — I was playing the role of a producer faculty with first-rate theatrical credentials: expand the boundaries of what musical back then, and I guess I’ve fallen into that.” conductors Bruce Fisher from the University theater could be. Combining our collective While he succeeded as an actor after of Michigan and Oscar Kosarin with Broadway desire for building excellent young artists, we graduation, McCollum’s true success has been experience. Three Yale-trained professionals also strove to nurture individual voices.” as a producer of award-winning Broadway rounded out the team: designer Paul Shortt, technical director Steve Waxler and producer Suellen Childs. “ Combining our collective desire for building excellent young artists, we also strove to nurture individual voices.” www.ccm.uc.edu of Hair, in which he played Claude. “I can’t Today other schools have copied what CCM created, believe they are doing it again. I mean, it’s only but none does a better job offering a competitive been 20 years!”) Liz Pearce (2000) recently made her conservatory environment that prepares triple-threat Broadway debut in the Tony Award-winning Billy Elliott: The Musical. “I simply would not performers for careers in musical theater. be here without the training, support and shows including Rent (1996), Avenue Q (2004), Berg is known as a stern taskmaster who encouragement I received from my teachers The Drowsy Chaperone (2006) and In the advances a piece of simple wisdom: “Give at CCM. The most important lesson I learned Heights (2008). up the need for praise. Praise easily given was perseverance. It’s not enough just to want According to McCollum, CCM attracts renders itself meaningless. We instill in our to perform. You have to constantly work at students who have their own inner voice. “Life students a strong sense of self-evaluation. your craft.” Careers like Pearce’s are often is not doing what people are telling you to do. They know when they have done good work launched by showcases that CCM seniors It’s listening to yourself and figuring out how and when it’s time to spend an extra hour or perform for producers and casting agents in to contribute your own story.” He adds, “You two in the practice room.” New York City. “The showcase provides an have to do it because it burns inside you. You During Gardner’s era, incoming classes extremely valuable introduction into New will never get enough approval. If I was afraid of about a dozen first-year students were the York’s theater scene and is one of the most of risk, I couldn’t function as a producer. You norm. Under Berg that number has grown to fantastic opportunities that CCM gave me,” have to have an internal light that guides you. 20-25, now recruited from across the United Pearce asserts. “I was signed by my agent Worth told us if you’re doing this for your States. Approximately 800 students are who I am still with today, and I booked my first parents, you’d better stop now. That’s not auditioned annually for each new class. professional job. A school that provides that going to sustain you for a career. He was a “While there are 50,000 out-of- kind of steppingstone is the place to be!” taskmaster, but he was also passionate about work actors in New York City alone,” Berg Some CCM grads find success in related ‘Aren’t we lucky to be doing this?’” observes, “many of our graduates are careers.