BW Puts Students Center Stage

Broadway Vetern, Director, Leading Educator Prepared to Lead BW Music Theatre

Jennifer Hemphill brings two decades of professional performance and academic leadership experience to BW's renowned training ground for Broadway talent, the first step in assembling an all-star leadership team.

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BWMT Faculty Search

The searches for two senior faculty members — a Music Theatre Director and Music Theatre Music Director — went live on the BW employment page the week of September 2, 2024. Both positions are tenure-track and open rank which will allow BW to attract professionals with significant experience and industry connections. Together this new senior faculty team will be tasked with leading the BWMT program.

Because each faculty member brings a unique set of skills to the team, we will make these leadership hires first, review the remaining needs of the program, and launch additional searches to complete a strong BWMT faculty team with the skills, connections, and commitment to lead BWMT to continued success and strong results for our students and graduates.

As you will see in the job postings, applicants must have strong professional connections in the industry and demonstrated commitment to teaching and mentoring undergraduate music theatre students. Please help us to build a strong and diverse pool of applicants by sharing these positions via your social media channels and/or reaching out to individuals who you believe either may be strong applicants for the positions or who may be helpful in spreading the word to others in the industry.

BWMT Faculty Search Advisory Committee Formed

To support the campus search committees, ensure a large, skilled and diverse pool of applicants, and assist in the interview and hiring process, BW has assembled a BWMT Faculty Search Advisory Committee made up of industry partners and senior campus leadership.

Members of the advisory committee include:

• Michael Barakiva, Artistic Director, Cleveland Play House
• Léna Crain, Dean of Students, BW
• Ryan Cross, BW Board Member; Vice President & Campaign Director, University Hospitals
• Ryan Fielding Garrett, BWMT Alumnus & Music Director (KINKY BOOTS, Broadway)
• David Greene, Senior Vice President for Programming, Playhouse Square
• Craig Hassall, President & Chief Executive, Playhouse Square
• Scott Spence, Artistic Director, Beck Center for the Arts
• Tom Sutton, Acting President & Interim Provost, BW
• Gina Vernaci, Broadway Producer & Consultant
• Nyla Watson, BWMT Alumna & Broadway Performer (WAITRESS, Broadway; HADESTOWN, THE COLOR PURPLE, WICKED, National Tours)
• Ellen Zegarra, Vice President for Philanthropy & Alumni, BW

I'm struggling to help my student make the right decision. What information can you give me that will make this decision easier for me? What assurances can you provide?

• The BWMT program is a seasoned, tested program with an excellent reputation throughout the industry. The many faculty members who contribute to the success of our students in this program are experienced pedagogues who have expertly prepared students for Broadway performance careers for many years. They remain firmly committed to BW and to our students.
• The regional theatre and industry connections so important to our students and to the program remain. Our affiliates have confirmed their belief in BW as an outstanding partner on many levels and voiced their commitment to further ongoing collaboration.
• The values of BW matter. The community matters. The culture matters. The spirit matters. The environment in which our students learn, connect, and grow as compassionate contributors to society matters. And integrity matters.
• BW's culture is personal, authentic, and values-driven. Students feel this, and it defines our University and our way of being in the world. It is what matters most to our network of alumni throughout the world and in NYC. This spirit is unique to BW, and it lives on forever among its graduates.
• The music theatre program at BW is celebrated as one of BW's premiere programs. BWMT students are important ambassadors for BW and are appreciated by faculty, leadership, and fellow students across the campus.

Should we be worried about BW's ability to provide high-quality training, attract top-tier faculty, and remain highly competitive in the industry?

We are committing the funding and resources needed not just to maintain the level of quality you expect from BW but to meet the level of support needed to attract and land the best talent to lead our nationally ranked program.

You want to graduate with a music theatre degree from a university known throughout Broadway for quality. BW's reputation opens doors. For over 20 years, Baldwin Wallace music theatre alumni have made their mark on Broadway, London's West End, prime-time television, film, and more, consistently earning top acclaim from agents, casting directors, and critics alike.

What steps are you taking to attract a high-level director and music director?

As is announced in the search posting, BW is seeking senior faculty members to fill both the music theatre director and music theatre music director positions. Both positions are tenure-track and open rank to attract the highest-level professionals. To assist in developing a robust and diverse pool of applicants, BW has assembled a BWMT search advisory committee of industry professionals who will help the University identify qualified applicants, participate in the interview process, and provide feedback on final hiring decisions.

When will a new director be hired?

Searches for music theatre director and music theatre music director are live now. Review of applicants will begin formally at the end of September. Top candidates will be identified throughout the month of October, with campus visits of our finalists during November. We hope to have identified these two new faculty members before the end of 2024.

What's the plan if the new director is not a good fit?

Our search process is robust and includes many constituencies, including students. It is our intention that great care in the hiring process will result in a strong fit — that is typically the case. Our new music theatre faculty will receive much support from the University, the Conservatory, and the regional theatre community as they transition into their roles at BW. We look forward to the opportunity to stretch and grow as a learning community as we gain new perspectives and benefit from new relationships and connections.

Are there any other professors who will follow and leave BW?

We have no knowledge of other faculty planning to leave BW. All other members of the music theatre faculty have voiced their firm commitment to BW, to our students, and to the opportunity to strengthen the MT program in the years ahead.

How will university-wide budget cuts impact the music theatre program?

We are committing the funding and resources needed not just to maintain the level of quality you expect from BW but to meet the level of support needed to attract and land the best talent to lead our nationally ranked program. The BW Board of Trustees and Administration have stated their clear intention to fully support the music theatre program into the future and, as needed, even increase their support to ensure continued success.

BW is in the process of transforming many areas of campus to reduce administrative levels, reduce programs and services that are not in demand by students and their families. Although you will see reductions in other areas of campus, those reductions do not touch every program. This means our top programs, like MT, get the resources they need to elevate performance and are not affected by the cuts.

Who will lead recruiting and what's your plan to continue attracting top MT students who are at the current BW level?

BW's music theatre audition team for the coming year is already in place and includes music theatre and voice faculty who have been part of the audition process for many years. Members of the BWMT faculty have been guest faculty at many of the nation's top music theatre summer programs and BW was host to the 2024 Arts Bridge summer program. Applications and audition reservations opened on August 1 and the number of applications for the music theatre program is at levels very similar to last year at this time.

For students who continue at BW, what's the plan to maintain the right-size classes so that there aren't too few students to be able to organize productions and showcases and not too many that my student doesn't get opportunities?

BW is committed to music theatre classes between 18 and 22 students in each year. We assess our ability to accept transfer students at the various class levels each year based on the number of returning students. Regardless of the number of students at each level of the program, BW is committed to offering all of the courses, experiences, and productions that are integral components of the BWMT curriculum and experience.

BW MT's social media presence has been lacking. What's your plan to increase visibility?

A new social media coordinator and BWMT student team is on the way! You will enjoy increased visibility very soon.

Why would my student want to enroll at a program that's in transition?

While parts of the BW music theatre program are in transition, there are many components that remain as strong foundations for a thriving future.

Over 20 faculty members are part of the BWMT team and all but three have indicated their continued commitment to the BWMT program and its students, including our outstanding voice faculty, who combined have over 100 years of experience preparing students for success in the music theatre industry as well as outstanding dance faculty who have performed with professional dance companies and on national tours of Broadway productions in addition to choreographing productions across the US.

BW's NYC Showcase has a 28-year history of attracting top industry professionals to consider signing, casting and connecting with BWMT seniors. BW's long-standing Masterclass Series brings 10+ industry professionals to campus to provide feedback and coaching to music theatre students in the sophomore through senior levels. The NYC Showcase and Masterclass Series are both funded in perpetuity through donor-created endowments.

Finally, BW's alumni network includes over 30 years of BWMT graduates as well as many BW arts management, music, theatre, and dance graduates who are part of the music theatre industry as producers, designers, choreographers, teachers, agents, and administrators. All programs go through transition. Growth and transition are a positive, necessary, and real component of human and professional development. Without it, we cannot remain vital and relevant. The BWMT program is defined by a significant community of expert faculty, an invested community, and a rich and supportive family of alumni throughout the country that ground our transition in success and stability.