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MILLIGAN COLLEGE, Tenn. (Nov. 6, 2017)—Combining its strengths in music and theatre, Milligan plans to launch a new major in musical theatre, Fall 2018. The major will prepare students not only for Broadway, but also careers in film, musical performance, worship arts, music and theatre education, ballet, dance and more.
President Dr. Bill Greer, along with music and theatre faculty, announced the new major at a special event during Milligan’s Homecoming celebration on Saturday, Oct. 28, which featured a performance of Broadway classics by the college’s music area, as well as a theatrical performance of the Roman comedy “The Menaechmi.”
“Milligan has a long tradition of excellence in music and the theatrical arts, including many wonderful collaborations in the musical theatre genre,” said Brown, who will be directing the new major. “Adding a major in musical theatre is an exciting way to build on these strengths and provide opportunities for the many students who are interested in learning the skills and gaining the experience necessary for success on stage.”
Milligan’s musical theatre major is taught within a nurturing Christian environment by dedicated and knowledgeable music and theatre professionals. The major’s interdisciplinary curriculum is composed of courses in theatre arts, music performance, and dance. In addition, students will develop their performance skills through singing, acting, and dancing, while exploring stage direction, as well as the technical and design aspects of theatre production.
Students also will create and perform in musical productions each year in state-of-the-art facilities, like Milligan’s McGlothlin-Street Theatre located inside the Gregory Center, with 294-seats, proscenium stage, fly system, orchestra pit, green room, dressing rooms, box office, and concessions area.
“Whether it has been a musical performance or a theatrical production with an orchestra, I have never left a performance at Milligan without a hearty laugh or several moments that moved me to tears,” said Meg Foster, theatre teacher at Elizabethton High School and adjunct French instructor at Milligan. “Milligan’s new musical theatre major is an important and exciting addition to the college and its students, as well as to the region, which is steeped in a deep-seated love for music and storytelling.”
Milligan’s music and theatre areas have produced a number of successful graduates who have pursued careers in a variety of fields. Recently, Laura (Mixon, B.A. ’16) Mehl, a 2016 alum who majored in music performance major, is now one step closer to her Broadway dreams: she’s studying in the graduate musical theatre program at New York University Steinhardt.
In addition to being prepared for a career in musical theatre, Mehl took away something more from Milligan.
“The friendships and connections I formed, as well as the input I received from those around me, have stayed with me,” said Mehl, who is from Kingsport, Tennessee. “I still seek out my former teachers for support. They remind me that I am working to serve something bigger—not just to have a paycheck. I’m working to serve God and show the beauty in everyone’s life and those around me.”
Performance scholarships are available to incoming students interested in participating in musical theatre productions at Milligan, with auditions scheduled for January 27 and February 9.
Learn more about Milligan’s new musical theatre program at www.milligan.edu/music or email Admissions Counselor Christina Mushayamunda at cmush@milligan.edu.