Performing Arts - FAQ

SUNY Cortland exclusively offers a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Musical Theatre. There is no competing dance major or acting major pulling faculty attention in other directions, so every full-time faculty and staff member is focused on training performers for this specific career path. Even within individual acting, dance and voice classes, instruction is built around the skills musical theatre performers need.

A BFA is widely considered the professional degree in musical theatre training. Unlike a BA, which spreads coursework across a broader liberal arts curriculum, a BFA is conservatory-style and performance-intensive, built specifically to prepare students for a career in the field. At Cortland, that means Acting, Dance and Music classes every semester, along with weekly voice lessons and vocal repertoire class; students spend four years immersed in the exact skills the industry expects, not sampling them alongside unrelated coursework.

Admission to the Musical Theatre program is competitive and audition based. We offer on-campus and site-specific auditions; a song, a monologue and a dance call are all a standard part of the process. No prescreen is required. Virtual submission is available through the Pittsburgh UNIFIEDs and Virginia Thespians festivals, or by personal arrangement for students 200 or more miles from any audition site; special circumstances are always considered. Prospective students must be admitted to both the Musical Theatre program and the University. Full requirements and dates are posted at cortland.edu/performingarts/auditions.

If you are admitted to SUNY Cortland but not to the Musical Theatre program, you are welcome to reapply. There are no admission requirements for the American Musical Theatre minor, which is open to any student.

Class sizes generally run 16 to 20 students. Every semester, Musical Theatre majors take classes in Acting, Dance and Music, including a 40-minute private voice lesson, a weekly vocal repertoire class and regular work with staff pianists. All students also enroll in Participation in Theatre each semester; if a student is not cast in a show, they are placed on a production crew, so everyone in the department has a production responsibility every semester.

Yes to both. The department fully supports a study-abroad semester, and it does not extend time to degree; the most recent Musical Theatre majors to take advantage of this spent a semester in London. While the program is rigorous, many students also take on a minor or even a double major.

As a SUNY, in-state tuition makes this one of the most affordable BFA Musical Theatre programs in the country, a fraction of the cost of comparable private conservatory programs. There are currently no fees attached to Musical Theatre classes, though a fee for voice studios to help cover pianist and technology costs may be introduced in the future. Academic scholarship information is posted at cortland.edu/performingarts/scholarships.

Senior year culminates in a Senior Showcase, including a performance in New York City at a venue such as Green Room 42. The showcase class prepares students for this, helping them create reels and a professional website and getting materials to agents and other industry professionals. Many graduates have booked agents and professional gigs directly from showcase, and SUNY Cortland alumni currently work on Broadway tours, in regional theatre and in teaching.

Dowd Fine Arts Center underwent an extensive renovation in 2014. It includes a 370-seat mainstage theatre with a proscenium stage, full flies and a hydraulic lift; a flexible Lab Theatre; practice rooms with digital pianos, open to the full campus; dedicated scenery and costume shops; a dance studio; an acting classroom and cabaret space; and a large ensemble rehearsal room. The department also brings in guest directors from New York City and maintains a collaborative partnership with Cortland Repertory Theatre.

Yes. Visits, class shadowing tours and other campus meetings can be arranged by contacting the musical theatre coordinator at [email protected].

Yes. Auditions are open to the entire SUNY Cortland campus, not just Performing Arts majors and minors. Because Musical Theatre students are BFA students actively training in singing, dancing and acting every day, they are typically the strongest-prepared performers and are the most likely to be cast. That said, non-majors and minors are occasionally cast, an every-now-and-then occurrence rather than a regular one, and everyone is welcome and encouraged to audition.

Email Production Manager Benjamin Wells at [email protected] to be added to the audition email list.

Absolutely. The department is glad to involve as many interested students as possible on crews and other behind-the-scenes roles. Contact the Production Manager at [email protected] to express interest and learn about current opportunities.

Yes. Students first need to be approved for Federal Work-Study. From there, interested students have their names passed to the Technical Director for Scene Shop placements or the Costume Shop Manager for Costume Shop placements. There is no set limit on how many students can be hired, but Musical Theatre majors are often given first priority for the slots each shop designates per semester.

Yes, though seats are limited and prioritized. Musical Theatre majors get first priority, followed by American Musical Theatre minors. Declaring the minor is the best way to improve your odds of getting into these classes.

No. The Performing Arts department does not offer a standalone music major, only the BFA in Musical Theatre. Students looking for music opportunities outside the major have several ensembles and campus clubs to choose from, described below.

College Singers is a musical theatre-focused vocal ensemble open to any student, regardless of major. There is no enrollment limit, but an audition is required, and it meets Monday and Wednesday in the fall semester.

Choral Union is a large mixed-voice choir bringing together SUNY Cortland students, faculty and singers from across the Cortland community to perform major works of the classical and choral repertoire under a professional conductor. No audition is required, and it meets once weekly across both fall and spring semesters.

Yes. The College Community Orchestra pairs SUNY Cortland students with experienced musicians from the Cortland community to perform classical orchestral repertoire. No audition is required, and it meets once weekly across both fall and spring semesters.

No, the department does not have a band or marching band.

Pit musicians generally need advanced-level skill on their instrument, roughly equivalent to an all-state-level high school player, since these positions are typically filled by hired professionals.

Students are encouraged to explore campus clubs, including the Chamber Orchestra, various A Cappella groups and the Dance Team.