Musical Theatre Studio – Talent Unlimited

Musical Theater Studio

Overview

Musical Theater Studio

Students take drama, vocal, and musical theatre dance classes with specific focus on tuning their physical instruments. The Musical Theatre students complete a rigorous four-year curriculum of vocal, acting and dance classes with an emphasis on acting through song and dance.

Musical Theatre majors are provided the opportunity to perform each year. The degree of student input and choice increases each year and by senior year, students will write, direct, choreograph, produce and perform in a devised Senior Showcase performance.

Musical Theater Spotlight

Senior Showcase in December!

The senior Musical Theatre majors will present their student-led Senior Showcase on Thursday, December 5th and Friday, December 6th at 3:30pm and 6:30pm each day in the J.R.E.C Auditorium. The purpose of this production is to allow students to demonstrate mastery of the skills they have acquired over the last four years AND to take ownership over ALL aspects of production. This ensures that they have an understanding of their craft – inside and out. Seniors will tackle writing, direction, choreography, stage management, marketing, publicity, costumes, props, set elements, lighting, sound and playbills. Come witness the magic that occurs when you allow students to lead the way!

Musical Theater Studio Snapshots

Musical Theater Faculty

Brooke Berry-Wolf

Brooke Berry-Wolf earned her BA in Musical Theatre with an Emphasis in Voice in Colorado and then traveled the country and the world performing. Favorite roles include The Baker's Wife in Into the Woods, Mona in Chicago and Sarah in Sarah, Plain and Tall. Ms. Berry-Wolf helped to start Cake Productions, a female-founded off-off Broadway theatre company and went on to produce, direct and perform in numerous productions, as well as an annual presentation of It's a Wonderful Life: A Live Radio Play. Ms. Berry-Wolf earned her masters in teaching in NYC and found her home at Talent Unlimited HIgh School in 2015. Ms. Berry-Wolf is a mother of two and a secondary mother to all of MT.

Danielle Harris

Ms. Harris graduated valedictorian from the Arnhold Dance Education Masters Program at Hunter College and was also a Professional Division Ailey School student. She has served as a background dancer for various Soca recording artists, has performed in an array of dance companies and was a performer for Disney Cruise Line. As a first generation American, Ms. Harris loves to incorporate her Bajan heritage into her curriculum here at Talent Unlimited.

Christian Smythe

Christian Smythe is a teaching artist who has been on the Talent Unlimited faculty since 2001. His multifaceted performance background includes experience and training as classical singer, pianist, and oboist, being a self-taught flutist, and acting in both musicals and straight plays. As singer, he is in the professional choir at St. Bartholomew's church, and has recently appeared in productions of "The Drowsy Chaperone," "The Mystery of Edwin Drood," and "Urinetown." In his earlier years at Talent Unlimited, his choirs performed to raves at local choral festivals, and he was nominated for "Who's Who Among America's Teachers" on multiple occasions. Currently, he straddles both the Vocal and Musical Theatre departments, teaching Musicianship, Piano, and Solo Repertoire classes. A sample of productions at TUHS include "The Wiz," "Chicago: High School Edition," "Thoroughly Modern Millie," "Hairspray," and "Nine." His undergraduate degree is in Music Education (with a voice concentration) from NYU, and his Master's is in Vocal Performance from Hunter College.