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Top entertainment media have (once again) crowned BW one of the best places to study music theatre in the world.
When Baldwin Wallace University describes its music theatre program as "nationally renowned," that's not the University's self-designation; the acclaim comes from industry pros and media year after year.
Most recently, The Hollywood Reporter (THR) and Backstage are touting BW music theatre as elite.
But it's the BWMT graduates themselves, working all over the world, that provide the most powerful evidence that the high praise is well-deserved.
This is the second year in a row that BW has earned a place on The Hollywood Reporter's "25 Best Drama Schools in the World" list.
Yes, the world.
THR "consulted with members of the industry and educators to determine its ranking of the best schools for an acting degree, with factors including overall training, cost, alumni success and more."
In making the case for the distinction, THR reporter Caitlin Huston wrote, "The conservatory musical theater program, led by Victoria Bussert, has seen most of its graduating seniors across the past 10 years sign with top representation after participating in the school's New York showcase. Alumni include Colton Ryan, who received a Tony nomination for leading New York, New York on Broadway last year, in addition to many others who are now on Broadway or on tour."
The THR accolade comes on the heels of Backstage magazine naming BW to its list of "The top college musical theater programs in the U.S." this spring.
Backstage had high praise for the varied skill-building, performance opportunities and post-college career prep offered in the BW program.
Performance opportunities abound with robust partnerships for off-campus professional stage experience at Great Lakes Theater/Idaho Shakespeare Festival, Playhouse Square, Beck Center for the Arts and The Cleveland Orchestra, just to name a few.
Backstage writer Hayden Field explains, "Each audition and rehearsal is run with Equity rules to prepare students for industry standards."
Backstage also laid out the breadth of skill-building offered, writing, "Baldwin Wallace's conservatory program trains students in classical acting techniques like Stanislavsky, Meisner, and Alexander. It also focuses on diction and dialect, heightened verse, acting for the camera, and contemporary scene study.
"In the dance realm, students learn classical ballet, jazz, tap, modern, and hip-hop. As far as vocal techniques, they study classical, golden age musical theater, and pop and rock styles, as well as audition training."
As for professional launches, Backstage notes, "Baldwin Wallace also offers a master-class series that, starting sophomore year, allows students to be seen by 10 different professionals (agents, managers, or casting directors) who offer critiques and advice. Seniors perform in two days of showcases at New World Stages."
That New York City showcase is attended by 200 industry professionals, including agents, managers, casting directors, modeling agencies and TV/film studios, resulting in the majority of BW students landing representation year after year.
Following the May 2024 showcase, all BW Music Theatre graduating seniors were signed by an agent and/or a manager within a month.
Since celebrating 2017 grad Colton Ryan's Tony Nomination for Best Leading Actor in a Musical in June 2023, BW Music Theatre alumni have been busy performing in a range of shows on Broadway, off-Broadway and in national/international tours.
These 2023-24 lists don't include the many other BW alumni currently working in venues from Tampa to Shanghai in professional theatres, on television and in film.
In fact, the filmed version of "Waitress: The Musical" debuted in fall 2023, on demand and in theaters, with Caitlin Houlahan starring as Dawn and Nyla Watson in the ensemble.
Looking ahead, BW will stage the live, regional premiere of "Waitress: the Musical" as part of the BW/Beck Center collaboration in February 2025.
