
Sing your story. The BFA Musical Theatre program at CCPA blends intensive musical training including music theory, piano skills, and weekly voice lessons with a high level of acting coursework in Linklater technique, scene study, and period styles. Students also take a full course load of dance classes.
The Theatre Conservatory of the Chicago College of Performing Arts (CCPA) consists of 200 undergraduate students, divided between our Acting and Musical Theatre programs. Students are guaranteed onstage performance credit while they are at CCPA — more time onstage means more training for your future career in the theatre.
Our faculty is comprised of full-time professors as well as many active theatre professionals who lend their unique talents and expertise to the Conservatory. At CCPA, our students learn from and work alongside Chicago's very best, and a low student/faculty ratio results in focused study tailored to each student's needs.
Located in the heart of downtown Chicago, CCPA is just steps away from Chicago's bustling theatre district and the Tony award-winning Goodman Theatre, Steppenwolf Theatre Company, Lookingglass Theatre, and Chicago Shakespeare Theatre — and our students have graced the stages of them all. Upperclassmen in good standing are allowed to audition for productions outside of CCPA, adding valuable professional credits to their resumes prior to graduation.
Located in the heart of downtown Chicago, CCPA is just steps away from Chicago's bustling theatre district and the Tony award-winning Goodman Theatre, Steppenwolf Theatre Company, Lookingglass Theatre, and Chicago Shakespeare Theatre — and our students have graced the stages of them all.
Students are guaranteed onstage performance credit while they are at CCPA — more time onstage means more training for your future career in the theatre.
The BFA in Musical Theatre is a pre-professional degree program designed to develop a strong foundation in the skills required for a career as a musical theatre performer, focusing particularly on vocal performance and acting technique. The program blends intensive musical training including music theory, piano skills and weekly voice lessons with a high level of acting coursework in Linklater technique, scene study and period styles. Students also take a full course load of dance classes, receiving training in ballet, jazz, modern, tap and musical theatre styles. Students are eligible for casting in musical productions and plays on the mainstage as well as our blackbox productions.
All students receive performance opportunities throughout their studies. Students in good academic standing are also able to audition for opportunities outside of the Conservatory with approval.
All applicants to the BFA Musical Theatre program are required to submit pre-screen materials for review before they can be invited to a live virtual audition. Pre-screens are to be submitted through GetAcceptd.com beginning September 1st.
You may not submit your pre-screen materials until you have first submitted the Roosevelt University Undergraduate Application. The Pre-Screen deadline is December 1st, though earlier submission is highly recommended.
We are following the guidelines for the Common Musical Theatre Pre-Screen:
Each piece should be filmed/uploaded as a separate piece of media. No continuous videos.
Students can audition in-person on campus, at New York or Chicago Unifieds OR in a virtual-live formal during our virtual audition weekend.