Acting in Musical Theatre: A Comprehensive Course

Acting in Musical Theatre: A Comprehensive Course by Joe Deer and Rocco Dal Vera is the only textbook that provides a complete, systematic approach to the unique acting challenges of musical theatre performance. Deer, a professor at Wright State University, and Dal Vera, who taught at the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music (CCM), bring decades of combined experience training musical theatre performers at two of the most respected programs in the country. The book fills a crucial gap in acting literature, as most acting textbooks focus exclusively on straight plays and treat musical theatre as a separate discipline requiring different skills rather than an integrated art form demanding the simultaneous mastery of acting, singing, and movement.

The book systematically addresses how actors can apply standard acting principles — given circumstances, objectives, obstacles, actions, beats — to the specific challenges of performing in musicals, where characters express themselves through song, dance, and spoken dialogue in ways that require seamless integration. The authors demonstrate that the same analytical tools used for straight plays apply to musical theatre, but with additional considerations related to the musical score, choreography, and the heightened emotional reality that justifies bursting into song. This integrated approach counters the common problem of musical theatre performers who sing beautifully but act generically, or who act effectively in scenes but become vocally focused and dramatically disengaged during songs.

The textbook is organized as a progressive course, with each chapter building on the previous one and including practical exercises, assignments, and discussion questions that make it suitable for classroom use or self-guided study. Early chapters establish foundational acting principles, while later chapters address the specific challenges of performing songs as dramatic monologues, integrating choreography with character intention, and managing the technical demands of musical theatre performance. The book also covers audition technique specifically for musical theatre, including how to choose audition material, how to work with an accompanist, and how to handle dance calls.

One of the book's most valuable contributions is its detailed exploration of how to analyze and perform a song as a dramatic event with the same specificity and depth that actors bring to spoken scenes. The authors provide a clear methodology for identifying the dramatic structure of a song — the inciting incident, turning points, climax, and resolution — and for making acting choices that honor both the emotional content and the musical structure. This approach transforms songs from vocal performances into dramatic scenes that happen to be sung, which is the hallmark of the finest musical theatre acting. The examples drawn from the musical theatre canon are well-chosen and illuminate the principles effectively.

The book has been adopted by university and conservatory musical theatre programs worldwide as a primary or supplementary text, and its influence on how musical theatre acting is taught has been substantial. A companion website provides additional resources, including video demonstrations, supplementary exercises, and updated content that keeps the material current with industry developments. Multiple editions have been published, with each revision incorporating feedback from students and instructors and reflecting changes in the musical theatre industry. The most recent edition addresses contemporary developments including the growing importance of self-tape auditions and the expanding diversity of the musical theatre canon.

Acting in Musical Theatre is available in paperback from Routledge, typically priced between $30 and $50 for a new copy, reflecting its status as a comprehensive textbook rather than a slim trade paperback. Used copies of previous editions are available for less, though the most recent edition incorporates significant updates. Digital editions are available for Kindle and other e-readers at somewhat lower prices. While more expensive than many acting books, the comprehensive scope and practical utility of the text make it a worthwhile investment for any serious musical theatre performer or student. Institutional pricing and rental options may be available through academic bookstores.

Acting in Musical Theatre is essential reading for any actor who performs in musicals or aspires to a musical theatre career, and it should be a required text in every musical theatre training program. It is particularly valuable for actors who have strong vocal and dance skills but struggle to bring genuine dramatic truth to their musical performances, as the book provides a clear methodology for integrating acting technique with musical and physical performance. Directors of musicals will also benefit from the analytical framework, which provides a shared language for working with actors on the dramatic content of songs and musical sequences. Pair this book with technique-specific texts on singing, dancing, and straight acting to build a comprehensive foundation for musical theatre performance.

Work through the book systematically rather than skipping to chapters that seem most relevant, as the progressive structure means later concepts build on earlier foundations. Apply the song analysis methodology to every song you perform, treating each song as a dramatic scene with specific acting choices rather than a vocal performance. Record yourself performing songs with full dramatic commitment and review the recordings, paying attention to whether your acting choices are visible and specific or whether you default to generic emotional performance during musical passages. Use the audition preparation chapters before every musical theatre audition, as the specific guidance on material selection, preparation, and presentation is immediately applicable and practically valuable. Discuss the book with your voice teacher and acting teacher to integrate the insights with your ongoing technical training in both disciplines.