Carefully Taught: Teaching Musical Theatre with Matty and Kikau

Matty and Kikau chat about Kikau's recent Short Travel Trip with students to London and Matty's experience with the recent California State University Strike. We also have special guest, Jami Witt Miller, join us at the end of the episode for a recommendation!

Matty and Kikau chat with Lara Teeter, Head of Musical Theatre at Webster University and former President of the Musical Theatre Educators Alliance. Lara has taught at Cal State Fullerton, Shenandoah Conservatory, and Northwestern University. Broadway credits include The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas, Pirates of Penzance, The Wizard of Oz, and On Your Toes for which he was nominated for a Tony Award.

Lara's recommendations include regular meditation, The Lyrics by Paul McCartney, Shark Heart by Emily Habeck.

Matty and Kikau talk with Erin Farrell Speer, the Head of the Musical Theatre Program at The University of Utah. She just completed her first semester in this new position after leading the MT program at the University of North Carolina Greensboro. She was the Director of Undergraduate Studies for the School of Theatre at the UNCG, where she developed a new BFA musical theatre program with music director and arranger Dominick Amendum.

Her recommendations include the series Jury Duty on Amazon Freevee, Brenee Brown's podcast "Unlocking Us", Justin Su'a's podcast "Increase Your Impact", Liz Gilbert's Big Magic, and The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho!

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Before joining the Department of Theatre, Erin was an Assistant Professor specializing in Musical Theatre and Director of Undergraduate Studies for the School of Theatre at the University of North Carolina Greensboro, where she developed a new BFA musical theatre program with music director and arranger Dominick Amendum (Wicked, Prince of Egypt). While at UNCG Erin was also recognized as the College of Visual and Performing Arts Outstanding Teacher in 2021. In 2022 she was the recipient of the UNCG-wide James Y. Joyner Award for excellence in teaching. 

A Los Angeles native, Erin made her Broadway debut serving as the Directing Assistant to Tony Award winner Christopher Ashley on Escape to Margaritaville, the Jimmy Buffett musical. She also served in that capacity for the show’s pre-Broadway tour. Erin's career has taken her from coast to coast, giving her the opportunity to work off-Broadway at the York Theatre and regionally with companies like Center Theatre Group/the Mark Taper Forum, the Orlando Philharmonic Orchestra and the Sarasota Opera House. In addition to her directing career, Erin has worked professionally as a performer in theatre, film, and commercials, even spending a year as an agent assistant in LA. She couples her directing and performing knowledge with nearly two decades of teaching experience, covering a wide range of abilities from true beginners to Broadway performers and television stars.

Erin was previously an adjunct faculty member in musical theatre and dance at Florida Southern College and instructed/lectured in musical theatre, directing and theatre history at Penn State. She earned her MFA in Directing for the Musical Theatre Stage from Penn State University where she studied in their nationally recognized musical theatre program under the mentorship of veteran Broadway director and former SDC President Susan H. Schulman. Erin is also a proud graduate of The University of Michigan, where she earned her BFA in Acting from another nationally recognized program and studied alongside many future Broadway and film/TV stars.  

Some of her favorite university direction/choreography credits include American Idiot, Rock of Ages, The SongeBob Musical, The Bridges of Madison County, Sweet Charity, Hot n’ Cole, ‘S Wonderful!, Dreamgirls, The Wild Party, Stones in his Pockets, Romeo and Juliet, and many others. Professional direction/choreography credits include All Shook Up, Little Shop of Horrors, Oklahoma!, Bye Bye Birdie, Seussical, Footloose, Cinderella, Annie Get Your Gun, and Guys and Dolls among many others. Film direction: Hear Our Voices, Radio. Film producing: One Week at Woolworths, Flatbush Avenue.

Erin is a proud Associate of the Society of Directors and Choreographers (SDC), and an alumna of the Director’s Lab West.

Kikau and Matty chat about ending the semester and beginning the recruitment/audition season for BFA MTs. They both attended Drewnifieds, put on by Drew Boudreau, Autumn Kirkpatrick, and the College Audition Pros team! Let us know what you think of the episode. We would love for you to be a part of the conversation. We also are chatting with MT programs across the country. If you are interested in being featured on our podcast, please reach out to [email protected]!

Kikau and Matty speak with the amazing Josh Grisetti who runs the Musical Theatre program at California State University Fullerton all while being a successful working actor. We talk about how he balances everything, while bringing his knowledge of the industry directly to his students.

Josh's recommendation is an author named Michael Kostroff. He wrote several books, notably Audition Psych 101: A Refreshing Approach to the Dreaded Process and The Stage Actor's Handbook: Traditions, Protocols, and Etiquette for the Working and Aspiring Professional, a book he wrote with Julie Garnye.

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JOSH GRISETTI. As a performer, Josh starred in Broadway's SOMETHING ROTTEN!, IT SHOULDA BEEN YOU (Clarence Derwent Award winner), and Neil Simon’s revival of BROADWAY BOUND.  Off-Broadway, Josh starred in RENT, PETER AND THE STARCATCHER, ENTER LAUGHING (Theatre World Award winner), RED EYE OF LOVE, CANDIDA and AFTER THE BALL. Regional credits include PRINCE OF BROADWAY (Tokyo), CAMELOT (The Kennedy Center), MATILDA (The Muny), HOW TO SUCCEED… (Reprise Theatre – Los Angeles Ovation Award winner), BEAUTY & THE BEAST (LaMirada), SPAMALOT (Las Vegas), WHERE'S CHARLEY? (Goodspeed) and others. On television, Josh starred in the ABC sitcom THE KNIGHTS OF PROSPERITY, as well as multiple series regular roles in pilots for other networks. Film credits include THE IMMIGRANT, REVOLUTIONARY ROAD, THE NAMESAKE and others. Josh recently directed SOMETHING ROTTEN! at Musical Theatre West, and IT SHOULDA BEEN YOU at Musical Theatre Guild in Los Angeles. Prior to Josh’s appointment at CSUF, Josh taught acting, musical theatre and business of theatre at Fullerton College and Loyola Marymount University; he also authored the book, God In My Head (Tantor Media, LLC). Visit www.joshgrisetti.com , and follow @joshgrisetti.

Matty and Kikau chat with Sarah Kay, who graduated from Pace University and Nathan Angelo, who is a current student at Montclaire State University! Both are performing nightly in Here Lies Love on Broadway!

They both talk about what prepared them for this moment and what they are discovering while performing in this immersive show.

Matty and Kikau talk to Ben Cherington (@bencherington), Eden Mau (@Edenelizabethmau), and Christopher James Tamayo (@_cjtam) from the National Tour of Les Miserables. They discuss tour life, as well as the things they learned in their Musical Theatre degree programs that are most applicable to their careers.

For more information about the Les Miserables tour visit https://us-tour.lesmis.com/

Their recs-

BEN 

Podcast - Living the Dream with Rory O’Malley and Geffen Playhouse Unscripted

CHRIS 

Brian Cranston’s Memoir “A Life In Parts” 

EDEN 

Getting out of my routine for a while. We are going to Malibu in a swimming hole. Wandering around Target. Doing things that take me out of the world.

In this episode, Kikau and Matty chat with Tiernan Tunnicliffe and Matt Raffy, two members of the Broadway company of & Juliet. They reflect on their MT education, opening on Broadway, and the importance of Dungeons and Dragons.

TIERNAN TUNNICLIFFE (she/they) is thrilled to be making her Broadway debut with such a magical cast. Credits include: Bat Out of Hell (NY City Center),The Who’s Tommy (Kennedy Center). T would like to thank her friends, family & everyone in between that has supported her journey-so much love for y’all. (BFA, NYU-Tisch)

MATT RAFFY (he/they) Theatre: & Juliet (Mirvish); Exit, Pursued by a Bear, Mamma Mia! (Globe Theatre); Mythic (Segal Centre); Beauty and the Beast (Capitol Theatre); Cinderella, Mamma Mia! (Neptune Theatre); Disgraced (Magnus Theatre); TV/Film: “Workin’ Moms” (CBC); Pillowcase (KP Films). Matt is over the moon to make his Broadway debut in & Juliet!

Carefully Taught is a podcast to discuss Musical Theatre pedagogy and create a community of sharing amongst Musical Theatre Educators.

In this episode Matty and Kikau get caught up about their summer activities and prepare for another exciting semester of teaching Musical Theatre at the collegiate level.

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