Musical theatre
Welcome to musical theatre at the University of Colorado Boulder College of Music!
Since 2019, the College of Music is proud to present a Bachelor of Music in Musical Theatre degree. To train young singing artists who are pursuing a career in musical theatre, we offer an immersive four-year program of study in voice, acting and dance that ensures our students enter the professional theatre world with confidence. Our program is not only focused on theatre arts, but also includes development of core skills that today’s musical theatre artists need—including theory, history and keyboard arts—to be successful and well-rounded singing actors and musicians.
A variety of classes are offered and taught in conjunction with the Department of Theatre & Dance, offering a unique opportunity to work with an array of professional theatre artists and professors. The collaborative spirit at the College of Music allows our musical theatre students to experience exposure to an array of music and performance opportunities in addition to productions produced by the musical theatrearea: Multiple choral and instrumental ensembles, Eklund Opera Program productions, CU NOWproductions, student recitals and scenes programs are all open to musical theatre students.Students are also eligible to audition for productions produced by the Department of Theatre & Dance.
Performance opportunities are abundant and innovative—recently including “Chicago,” “The Drowsy Chaperone” and “Urinetown”—with productions in both fall and spring semesters.
Matthew Chellis is considered one of America’s most versatile singing actors. He has appeared with opera companies, orchestras and theatre companies in North and South America and Europe. Chellishas sung over 20 principal roles with New York City Opera and sung with Washington National Opera, Frankfurt Opera, Atlanta Opera, Opera Bogataand Calgary Opera to name a few. Concert performances include numerous appearances at the Kennedy Center, Carnegie Hall, Avery Fisher Halland Boston Symphony Hall. Chellis has taught at New York University and Roosevelt University’s Chicago College of Performing Arts prior to his appointment at the ̽Ƶ College of Music.He is the founder and executive director of the Up North Vocal Institute—an intensive four week vocal training program located in northern Michigan.MORE
Assistant Teaching Professor is a theater artist who has worked in the entertainment industry for more than 30 years. As an educator, Boccitto has been on faculty at Marymount Manhattan College, CAP 21/Molloy College, Broadway Dance Center and Circle in the Square Theatre School, and was a guest instructor at NYU and Juilliard. He is an award-winning performer, director and choreographer whose work includes Broadway Cares, The Metropolitan Opera, The 92nd Street Y, The New York Musical Theatre Festival, The Agnes DeMille Foundation, The Ryman Auditorium, Paper Mill Playhouse, national tours, Off-Broadway musicals and the MTV series “MADE.” He has worked with artists including Andrew Lippa, John Kander, Nicole Fosse, Alan Cumming, Lauren Ambrose and Tim Blake Nelson. MORE
After a lengthy performing career that included work on Broadway and Off-Broadway, in regional theaters, national tours, television and film, Robert Westenberg now concentrates on teaching, directing and playwriting. He is perhaps best known for his roles in the original Broadway casts of “Into the Woods” as the Wolf and Prince, for which he received a Tony nomination and Drama Desk Award; “The Secret Garden” as Neville Craven; and “Sunday in the Park with George,” in which he replaced Mandy Patinkin in the title role. He also performed the role of Javert in the Broadway production of “Les Misérables.” Other Broadway credits include leading roles in “1776,” “Company,” “Abe Lincoln in Illinois” (Drama League Outstanding Artist), “A Christmas Carol” and “Zorba” (Theatre World Award). MORE
Contact
Matthew Chellis
Associate Professor of Voice
matthew.chellis@colorado.edu
Upcoming voice + opera + musical theatre events
Join the ̽Ƶ musical theatre program!