Musical Theater Competition

2023 NVMTA Musical Theatre Competition

Competition Goal:

to give students experience and preparation for the theatre industry’s audition process at every level:  middle school, high school, the college audition circuit, and professional shows.  We warmly welcome students at every level of experience who love their art and would love to gain opportunities for public performance.  The 2023 competition will be held at St. Alban’s Episcopal Church in Annandale, VA. [In order to ensure that enough time has been allocated for this event, please contact the competition chair (bharatipsoman@gmail.com) prior to registering, to let them know how many students you plan to enter.]

Date

Saturday, October 14, 2023, 12:00pm

Deadline

Registration deadline:  Thursday, September 28, 2023

Fees

$30.00.  (Includes accompanist fee) Non-NVMTA members have to pay the $50 fee (per student per event) plus registration fee. All fees are non-refundable.

Application Requirements

1.  Please register at new.mtfest.com.  Register under “Universal Application”.

2.  Pay fee online through new.mtfest.com.  Click on Billing, then click on the $ next to the event.  Pay with Visa or Mastercard.  After payment is made, you may print a copy of the invoice for your records.

Chair(s)

Bharati Soman and Nicole Lamm

Eligibility

Students in grades 6-12 who study with an NVMTA member. Adult students may participate for comments only.

Repertoire  Requirements

Divisions I-III [I = MS grades 6-8; II = HS grades 9-10; III = HS grades 11-12]:  each student will have a total of 3 minutes to perform two contrasting musical theater cuts (traditionally called 32-bar cuts: approximately one minute each).

Comments Only: same as above [Students of any age, including adults, may participate for comments only. On the Universal Application, choose “Adult” under Age (regardless of the student’s actual age) to register for comments only.]

Divisions may be adjusted, if warranted, by the number and age of applicants.  Students whose repertoire does not follow the judging standards set out below, will be eligible for comments only.

A LEGAL copy (hard copy) of sheet music (including piano accompaniment) must be presented at check-in on the day of the competition. Digitally purchased sheet music MUST include the cover page with the “Authorized for Use By…” notice.

Judging Standards

Adjudicators will be listening for a demonstrated ability to sing a healthy belt/mix as well as era-appropriate “legit” technique.  The student’s goal should be to present contrasting song selections that will allow their technical, musical, artistic, and theatrical grasp of the wide range of musical theater styles and techniques to be displayed.  For example, a student could sing a Golden Age song using legit sound and an up-tempo contemporary song incorporating a healthy belt/mix.  Or a singer could select two contrasting contemporary musical theatre songs where one song is a ballad and the second song is an up-tempo.  Judges will also be paying attention to how effectively a singing actor can portray emotion on the stage, how well they embody their character, etc.

Awards

Judges will award 1st ($200), 2nd ($100), and 3rd ($50) places in each division.   At their discretion, they may also choose to award Honorable Mentions to deserving students.

Accompaniment Guidelines

An accompanist WILL be provided, and ALL participants MUST use the provided accompanist. Students MAY NOT rehearse with the hired accompanist prior to the competition.

Teacher Guidelines

Participating teachers are expected to assist the chair(s) as needed based on the number of students enrolled, regardless of subsequent student withdrawals. Student MUST study individually, directly and regularly with the registering teacher. Teachers must agree to abide by the Rules of Competitive Events published by NVMTA and to the Teacher Responsibilities.  All judges’ decisions are final.