Musical Theatre

Admissions

See the musical theatre audition requirements

Pursue your passion

Develop the skills, artistry, and experience to build a life in the performing arts.

As a Musical Theatre student, you’ll receive rigorous, interdisciplinary training in acting, singing, and dance while bringing your work to life on stage. Now that we’re a part of the IU’s Jacobs School of Music, our students can work toward an even broader idea of a life in the theater. Through rigorous coursework, frequent performance opportunities, and close collaboration with accomplished artist-teachers, you will develop your technique, deepen your curiosity, and discover what makes your artistic voice distinctive. These skills will help you grow into a versatile and confident theatre professional.

Your Jacobs education will prepare you for a wide range of careers including those onstage, behind the scenes, and throughout the performing arts. It will also equip you with skills that transcend any single profession. As a B.F.A. graduate, you’ll know how to communicate with clarity, collaborate across disciplines, solve problems creatively, respond constructively to feedback, adapt under pressure, and connect meaningfully with individuals and groups. These distinctly human abilities are increasingly valuable in a world shaped by rapidly evolving technology, making your training an enduring asset wherever your career leads.

Class of 2026 Showcase Page

Explore every facet of the art form

At IU, you’ll be encouraged to grow beyond performance to develop a fuller understanding of how musical theatre is made. B.F.A. students explore writing, music, directing, staging, choreography, and production through student-led stage and film projects, independent study, backstage and crew assignments, new work development, and master classes with industry professionals, including casting directors and agents.

Your training will be grounded in the essential disciplines of musical theatre while challenging you to think beyond the traditional “triple threat.” This training will allow you to approach work with curiosity, discipline, and initiative. By contributing both onstage and behind the scenes, you’ll become a collaborative, adaptable, and informed artist, prepared not only to perform, but also to help shape the future of the field.

B.F.A. Handbook

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Rigorous training, individual attention

From your first year through graduation, you’ll benefit from focused faculty mentorship and individualized attention throughout your time at Indiana University. You’ll receive honest insight into the demands of a competitive profession, along with the support, resources, and freedom to imagine new possibilities for your work.

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As an applicant to the Jacobs School of Music, you may also be considered for merit- and need-based financial assistance through Jacobs and Indiana University.

Musical Theatre Common Prescreen

Indiana University’s B.F.A. in Musical Theatre participates in the Musical Theater Common Prescreen, a shared set of guidelines designed to make the college audition process more consistent and accessible for applicants.

All applicants must submit their prescreen recordings through the Jacobs School of Music Supplemental Application. For the song and monologue portions of your submission, follow Option A of the current Musical Theater Common Prescreen criteria. Be sure to review all requirements carefully, including instructions for video length, framing, file labeling, and recording each selection as a separate video.

Bachelor of Fine Arts in Musical Theatre

Take the stage

At Indiana University, performance is an essential part of your training. You’ll have opportunities to audition for musicals, plays, cabarets, student-led productions, film projects, workshops, and other collaborative work across campus.

The program’s production season gives you the chance to apply your classroom training in rehearsal and performance, while independent projects offer space to experiment, develop new work, and take on creative leadership role.

Your opportunities to audition extend throughout the university and the surrounding community. With more than 1,400 Jacobs School performances each academic year, you’ll be part of one of the most active performing arts environments in the country. Students may also audition for IU Summer Theatre, student organizations, community and professional productions in Bloomington

Beyond the IU and Bloomington community, students regularly pursue professional summer work, internships, workshops, and performance opportunities across the country. These experiences allow you to build professional relationships, strengthen your résumé, and begin navigating the industry while completing your degree.

Current season

Learn from accomplished artists

Your training takes place in the Lee Norvelle Theatre and Drama Center, where dedicated rehearsal, design, andperformance spaces support every stage of the creative process. These facilities give you the opportunity to develop your work in environments that reflect the professional and collaborative demands of contemporary theatre.

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Ray Fellman

Director of Music, Associate Chair; Musical Theatre Department

Email:: rfellman@iu.edu

Address:: Lee Norvelle Theatre and Drama Center, A276W

DJ Gray

Professor of Practice, Musical Theatre Dance

Email:: dg1@iu.edu

Address:: Lee Norvelle Theatre and Drama Center, A270W

Ilene Reid

Adjunct Professor, Musical Theatre, Vocal Coach

Email:: isreid@iu.edu

Phone:: (812) 856-2744

Address:: Lee Norvelle Theatre, Drama - A015W

Richard Roland

Assistant Professor, Musical Theatre

Email:: riroland@iu.edu

Address:: Lee Norvelle Theatre and Drama Center, A300S

Raymond Sage

Head of Musical Theatre Voice and Musical Theatre Voice Pedagogy

Email:: raysage@iu.edu

Susan Swaney

Adjunct Voice Instructor, Musical Theatre

Email:: sswaney@iu.edu

Address:: Lee Norvelle Theatre and Drama Center, A278W

Find your community

Beginning in your first year, you’ll be paired with a second year Musical Theatre student who can help you navigate life at Indiana University.

Your “sibling” can answer questions, share advice, offer encouragement, and help you feel connected to the program from the start. These relationships often grow into lasting friendships, creating a network of support that extends across class years and beyond graduation.

Over time, sibling families become an important part of the Musical Theatre community as we continue to welcome new students, share campus and program knowledge, and help one another transition from university training into professional life.

Next steps

Apply and audition

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