Musical Theatre

This class is designed for students and teachers from beginner to advanced from 15 years and up. All styles of music theatre will be covered in workshop and rehearsal situations in preparation for a final performance. Aspects for study include: Voice; Musicality; Expression; Movement; Body Language; Presentation and other relevant aspects. Beginners should audition with one song on the first day of the School to enable the lecturers to assess their ability and select suitable material. Advanced students should bring a varied selection. Suggestions may be made regarding further suitable repertoire. The imagination will be explored to examine how to influence the depth, clarity, and freedom of expression in performance. Ensemble-pieces will also be worked on.

Tutors in Residence

Jason Barry-Smith from Brisbane and James Dobinson from New York

Jason Barry-Smith has become a familiar and commanding presence on the Australian operatic and music theatre stage and is equally in demand for recitals and oratorio. He has performed standard repertoire and world premieres with the Queensland, Sydney, Melbourne and Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra as well as the Queensland Pops Orchestra, and his 37 operatic and music theatre roles include almost all of the lyric baritone repertoire as well as the premieres of two new works. His discography includes the DVDs of The Pirates of Penzance, The Mikado and HMS Pinafore on ABC Classics, the CD Songs of Inspiration with the Queensland Pops Orchestra on ABC Classics, roles in the original studio recordings of Smiley – the Musical by John Watson and Portrait of Dorian Gray by John Wikman, and three CDs with the Queensland Youth Choir.

He has worked as chorus master on the music theatre productions The Pirates of Penzance, The Mikado, HMS Pinafore, A funny thing happened on the way to the Forum and The Merry Widow as well as being the musical director/conductor for the nationally televised Carols in the City. Jason is also a much admired singing teacher with many of his students working in the music industry both nationally and internationally, and holds the postitions of Sessional Singing Teacher at the Queensland Conservatorium, Griffith University and Director – Young and Developing Artist Program at Opera Queensland.

James has worked on- and off-stage in musical theatre, legitimate theatre and opera in Australia and the USA. As artistic director, resident music director and performer for the Warehaus Theatre Company he has received local, national and international acclaim, including strongly positive reviews in periodicals such as New York’s The Sondheim Review. He holds a Bachelor of Music in Classical Voice from the Queensland Conservatorium, and trained in music direction at the multiple-Tony award-winning Goodspeed Opera House in Connecticut, USA. He currently lives in New York, but most recently worked as Associate Music Director on the new Cat Stevens musical, Moonshadow, which ran at the Princess Theatre, Melbourne, earlier this year.

James wrote music and lyrics for the musical, Scissors, Paper...Rock! which played to packed houses in 2009 and is being reworked for a New York premier in the near future. Other credits include musical direction for Parade, Assassins (international review), The Witches of Eastwick (Dell'Arte Award), Music from Mars (also orchestrator), Underground Opera:Broadway Gold and cabaret group The Duvets (also arranger/orchestrator). James has also appeared as pianist for Songs For a New World, Suds, Cats, Footloose (also chorus master), The Magic Flute, The Sound of Music (also chorus master) and Grease.