The Associate of Applied Arts Degree in Musical Theatre is an intense 15-month program designed to train students for the competitive world of Musical Theatre. Upon successful completion of the 71.0 credit hour program, the graduate may expect to possess acting, singing and dancing skills enabling him/her to compete in a professional environment in theatre, television and film.
PROGRAM CHAIR:
Linda Leonard
Linda Leonard is a professional director and choreographer with over 500 credits, a stage and on camera actor (AEA,SAG/AFTRA), a voiceover actor, a singer and dancer, and a teacher and mentor for students ages 5-95. With a career spanning over 45 years, she has taught and performed in the DFW Metroplex, NYC, Chicago, Los Angeles and abroad. Her work has been seen locally at Stage West, Circle Theatre, Echo Theatre, CitiRep, Theatre Three, and she was the Education Director for Water Tower Theatre for 3 years. Her stage credits include award-winning roles such as Ann Richards (Critics Forum and Column Awards), and Aurora in The Kiss of The Spiderwoman (Leon Rabin, Column and Critics Forum Awards). Film, television and commercial credits include “American Crime,” “Salem,” “Dallas”, “Friday Night Lights,” “Cleaner” with Samuel L. Jackson, and “Wonderful World” with Matthew Broderick, among others. She currently voices numerous characters in anime for Crunchyroll, such as Joshu Kasei in “Psycho-Pass”, Sister Teresa in “Black Clover”, Liza Quillyn in “Ancient Magus Bride”, and over 200 other characters in the last 20 years. She is represented by The Horne Agency in Dallas/LA, and has directed an award-winning web series about Autism, “Saving Hope”, which premiered in March of 2019. Linda received her B.F.A. in Acting and Associate Degree in Psychology from Marian College and her Associate Degree in Dance from Butler University. Her teaching credits include adjunct positions at universities around the country, including Texas Women’s University, Texas Christian University, University of North Dakota, University of Illinois, Indiana University (IUPUI) and University of California, Santa Barbara as Head of Summer Opera and Musical Theatre Graduate Studies.
Program Overview
The Musical Theater Degree Program is an intense immersion for the student who wants to prepare for a career of singing, dancing and acting. You will begin networking on your first day as your instructors are all working professionals!
Development of sight singing, interval training, choral singing and harmony will connect the keyboard, the brain and the voice. Students learn to perform duets, trios and quartets, approaching the material from an actor’s perspective. Marketability will also be enhanced by the development of dance skills: four semesters of ballet, which is the basis of all dance forms, and three of semesters of jazz and tap with emphasis on technique.
All four semesters contain acting classes, taking the student from self-exploration to dealing with a variety of characters and situations in scene work.Rounding out the curriculum, students will enjoy learning about everything from the rich heritage of their art form to the practical aspects of auditioning in the modern marketplace. Your fourth semester provides opportunities for a full-length musical production and an industry showcase for an invited audience of agents, casting directors, theatre and film directors, choreographers, producers and theatre owners — an introduction to the start of your professional career and building your network.
Join KD Conservatory and train to become a triple threat from some of the country’s top working professionals!
