The University is quintessentially known for its incredible academics, its (historically) good football team and its large alumni network. But what about its ability to land performing stars right on the Broadway stage? Unbeknownst to some, the University’s Department of Musical Theatre is one of the highest-ranked theater departments not only in the nation, but also the world.

“I think the young people that come out of (the University’s Musical Theatre Department) are really prepared to work right away. They don’t have to come to New York and take other classes, but they are really so well prepared to audition and get a job,” said Nancy Carson, a New York-based talent agent at the Carson-Adler Agency. “They’re well rounded. They’re triple threats when they walk out of there.”

But these University students don't just rise to Broadway stardom out of nowhere. It's a long process to even get a meeting with an agency, let alone a chance to land a starring role on the Great White Way. It dates back at least to high school.

Making the collegiate chorus line

A prospective student fresh out of high school must compete against approximately 600 other hopefuls to be selected for a spot in the Musical Theatre Department’s 20-student freshman class.

According to Music, Theatre & Dance Prof. Brent Wagner, who also serves as the chair of the Musical Theatre Department, in addition to having the acceptable grades for the University at large, a student must also have the skills to interpret different songs and monologues, to make the pieces their own and be a team player.

However, acceptance into the program is not so cut-and-dry and even an applicant who excels in all these areas still may not merit an acceptance letter. Because the department is so selective, only the best of the best (roughly 3 percent of applicants, according to the department's website) will receive a student ID number.

As talented as an incoming freshman class may be, it also tends to be diverse. Wagner said that the department tries to admit an equal number of men and women into the program. The department is also known for selecting students of varying appearances.

“You know, actors come in all shapes and sizes. Some programs, you go to their showcases and you see that there are only beautiful, perfect people. I like that there is a range of people when I go to U of M,” Carson said.

And the talent of the faculty and staff complements that of their students. In fact, many of the professors have worked in the business before, so they have experience with the industry firsthand.

“Our faculty is unreal,” musical theatre senior Will Burton said. “They really know what they’re doing. They know exactly what to do to prepare us.”

Once a student is admitted into the program, a long journey still lays ahead. Students take various dance, acting and singing classes at different levels.

Gavin Creel, a 1998 graduate of the program who has starred on Broadway in revivals of “Hair” and “La Cage aux Folles” and the original “Thoroughly Modern Millie” (receiving two Tony nominations in the process), said he took a lot away from his Musical Theatre courses.

“It’s appreciation for the art form,” he said. “It’s understanding a lyric and understanding a line in a musical. It's understanding how to communicate through words and where your most powerful point on the stage is and to break beats down — all these things that a lot of schools are teaching, but Michigan is doing in a great way for musical theatre students.”

But the department does more. It tries not only to push the performance factor of its program, but also the history of theater.