Carefully Taught: Teaching Musical Theatre with Matty and Kikau

Jessica Humphrey is the President of the Musical Theater Educators’ Alliance and an Assistant Professor at Texas Christian University. In this episode we discuss the Musical Theater Common Prescreen Criteria developed in partnership with MTEA, Accptd, and several Musical Theater programs across the country. We also discuss the upcoming MTEA conference in London at the Guilford School of Acting fro...

Matty and Kikau talk to Josh Young , the Coordinator for the Musical Theatre BFA program at Missouri State University . Prior to his Tony-nominated Broadway debut as Judas Iscariot in Jesus Christ Superstar, Josh had the distinction of playing the role of Marius in Cameron Macintosh’s Les Miserables and in more subsequent productions than any other actor. Josh also won the Theatre World Award for...

Matty and Kikau spend time with Tommy Iafrate (Coordinator of Musical Theatre BFA at Binghamton University Theatre Department) and Tim Espinoza (Chair of Theater at Boston Conservatory at Berklee). Today's roundtable topic was "Curriculum." We hope that this conversation about our programs helps you as you are making plans for the future. Recommendations today include an app called S...

In this episode of Carefully Taught, we have the privilege of hosting Chelsea Pace, co-founder of Theatrical Intimacy Education and the pioneering author behind "Staging Sex." With an impressive resume that includes serving as the intimacy choreographer for Broadway's "Strange Loop" and ongoing professional engagements nationwide, Chelsea is a force to be reckoned with in t...

After a brief hiatus, Kikau and Matty return to discuss showcase season, seeing shows, and what we have been up to for the last couple weeks. Send us a message on carefullytaught@gmail.com and like/follow us on instagram @carefullytaughtpodcast.

Matty and Kikau chat about Kikau's recent Short Travel Trip with students to London and Matty's experience with the recent California State University Strike. We also have special guest, Jami Witt Miller, join us at the end of the episode for a recommendation!

Matty and Kikau chat with Lara Teeter, Head of Musical Theatre at Webster University and former President of the Musical Theatre Educators Alliance. Lara has taught at Cal State Fullerton, Shenandoah Conservatory, and Northwestern University. Broadway credits include The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas, Pirates of Penzance, The Wizard of Oz, and On Your Toes for which he was nominated for a Tony A...

For our first ever one-on-one Matty sits down with star of Stage and Screen, Aaron Lazar. They discuss their friendship of 25 years, the state of Musical Theatre Education, and Aaron's recent announcement that he has been diagnosed with ALS. Click here to see Aaron's performance of the song Impossible Dream at 54 below Aaron's recommendation Life and Teaching of the Masters of the Far East. For mo...

Matty and Kikau talk with Erin Farrell Speer, the Head of the Musical Theatre Program at The University of Utah. She just completed her first semester in this new position after leading the MT program at the University of North Carolina Greensboro. She was the Director of Undergraduate Studies for the School of Theatre at the UNCG, where she developed a new BFA musical theatre program with music d...

Kikau and Matty chat about ending the semester and beginning the recruitment/audition season for BFA MTs. They both attended Drewnifieds, put on by Drew Boudreau, Autumn Kirkpatrick, and the College Audition Pros team! Let us know what you think of the episode. We would love for you to be a part of the conversation. We also are chatting with MT programs across the country. If you are interested in...

Kikau and Matty speak with the amazing Josh Grisetti who runs the Musical Theatre program at California State University Fullerton all while being a successful working actor. We talk about how he balances everything, while bringing his knowledge of the industry directly to his students. Josh's recommendation is an author named Michael Kostroff. He wrote several books, notably Audition Psych 10...

Matty and Kikau chat with Sarah Kay, who graduated from Pace University and Nathan Angelo, who is a current student at Montclaire State University! Both are performing nightly in Here Lies Love on Broadway! They both talk about what prepared them for this moment and what they are discovering while performing in this immersive show.

Matty and Kikau talk to Ben Cherington (@bencherington), Eden Mau (@Edenelizabethmau), and Christopher James Tamayo (@_cjtam) from the National Tour of Les Miserables. They discuss tour life, as well as the things they learned in their Musical Theatre degree programs that are most applicable to their careers. For more information about the Les Miserables tour visit https://us-tour.lesmis.com/ Thei...

In this episode, Kikau and Matty chat with Tiernan Tunnicliffe and Matt Raffy, two members of the Broadway company of & Juliet. They reflect on their MT education, opening on Broadway, and the importance of Dungeons and Dragons. TIERNAN TUNNICLIFFE (she/they) is thrilled to be making her Broadway debut with such a magical cast. Credits include:  Bat Out of Hell  (NY City Center), The Who’s Tom...

Carefully Taught is a podcast to discuss Musical Theatre pedagogy and create a community of sharing amongst Musical Theatre Educators. In this episode Matty and Kikau get caught up about their summer activities and prepare for another exciting semester of teaching Musical Theatre at the collegiate level. Follow us on instagram @carefullytaughtpodcast

Matty and Kikau catch up on what they've been working on, including Kikau's production of Urinetown at University of the Arts and Matty Sabbatical writing project Burn Ban: A Horror Musical. They also discuss their feelings about the state of summer theatre and a little Disneyland. Carefully Taught is a podcast to create a community of sharing amongst musical theatre educators. Make sure to follow...

Matty (@teaguemiller) and Kikau (@kikautown) speak with Making Light Productions Executive Director, Juliet Yaques , Making Light Productions Executive Director, Mandi Broadfoot , and Director Actor and Educator, Christine Hansen about theater performers and audience members of all ages who might be neurodivergent. ​Making Light Productions is a non-profit organization in Tallahassee, Florida with...

Matty (@teaguemiller) and Kikau (@kikautown) check in with Jacob Brent (@jacobbrentstagram) and David Coolidge (@david.coolidge.3) who are now both at different institutions since we last spoke on the podcast. Some of their recommendations include taking a trip to NYC, asking students for New Musical recommendations, embedding Spotify lists on Canvas, meditation, the importance of being surrounded...

Kikau (@kikautown) and Matty (@teague.miller) chat with the amazing Vicky Bussert, who is the Director of Music Theatre at Baldwin Wallace University.  In addition to running the MT program at Baldwin Wallace, Victoria Bussert is resident director for musical theatre for the Great Lakes Theatre, Idaho Shakespeare Festival and Lake Tahoe Shakespeare Festival. She has taught as a guest faculty...

Matty (@teague.miller) and Kikau (@kikautown) get caught up on what is happening!  Kikau talks about directing his first show at UARTS and Matty updates Kikau on sabbatical life.  They talk about the senior showcase landscape, and debrief about Matty's recent family trip to Disneyland! Follow Carefully Taught on Instagram @CarefullyTaughtPodcast!

Kikau and Matty discuss Musical Theatre Education and Social Justice in Theatre with multi-hyphenate artist and teacher Rose Van Dyne (@Rose_Van_Dyne).  Rose is currently in the final semester of her MFA at the Boston Conservatory, and serves as the administrative assistant to the Musical Theatre Educators Alliance.  She served on the music team of the post COVID remounting of Waitress o...

Matty (@teague.miller) and Kikau (@kikautown) speak to the amazing Van Angelo, who is currently at San Diego State University working on their MFA in Theatre Arts: Musical Theatre . At the end of the episode, Van recommends YouTube University, the College of Google, Google Chrome Extension: Transpose , Tik Tok , and Joe Deer's Acting for Musical Theatre .  Van Angelo (they/them) - is a proud...

Matty and Kikau discuss the MTEA Conference and some of the other things from their trip to NYC. Follow us @carefullytaughtpodcast on Instagram and reach out to us by emailing carefullytaughtpodcast@gmail.com 

Kikau (@kikautown) and Matty (@teague.miller) reflect on the last year and discuss what they are looking forward to in 2023!  Thank you for supporting our little podcast! Give us a follow @carefullytaughtpodcast, rate and review the podcast, and send us a message at carefullytaughtpodcast@gmail.com. 

Matty and Kikau have a chat with the amazing Alisa Hauser, Assistant Professor of Music Theatre at Florida State University.  She is the Program Director for the BM in Music Theatre.  As a performer, Alisa appeared on Broadway in the original cast of  Thoroughly Modern Millie  (Alice),  Grease!  (Frenchy), and in the original cast of  Disney’s Beauty and The Beas...