Teaching Musical Theatre: The Essential Handbook: 16 Ready-to-Go Lesson Plans to Build a Better Actor

Need a little help taking your musical theatre classes to the next level?

Introducing Teaching Musical Theatre: The Essential Handbook, a new resource packed with 16 ready-to-go lesson plans that will turn your young performers into musical theatre triple-threats. This book is the highly anticipated follow-up to Teaching Drama: The Essential Handbook which has sold over 10,000 copies worldwide.

With this book you'll receive:

• A semester's worth of cumulative lessons perfect for students age 7-14
• Notes on how to introduce musical theatre concepts in a way kids will instantly absorb
• Tips and tools on easy ways to transition between activities and lessons
• A guide on how to plan a performance at the end of the semester
• Useful reflection and journaling exercises after every lesson.

Below are just a few of the topics covered in the lessons:

• What is musical theatre? Students will explore the origin of musical theatre and the shows that have defined the genre.
• Storytelling in Musicals. Students will learn about the "emotional staircase" and how it's the basis of storytelling in musical theatre.
• Music in Musicals. Students will develop an understanding of how music is used to convey character and emotion, and how that understanding can help strengthen and inform their acting choices.
• Singing Musical Theatre. Students will develop an understanding of proper singing technique and how to use their voice to captivate an audience.
• Dance and Movement. Students will learn how dance and movement contribute to musical storytelling and become familiar with basic choreography.
• Acting the Song. Students will understand the importance of "acting a song" as opposed to just "performing a song", and learn how to give nuanced, compelling performances.
• And much more

About the Author
For nearly a decade DENVER CASADO has worked as an arts educator with New York City's leading theatre organizations including Disney Theatricals, New York City Center and Young Audiences New York. Denver's innovative approach to exploring theatre with kids has earned him invitations to speak at the national conferences of the American Association of Community Theatre and the American Alliance for Theatre Education. In 2011 he was honored with the All Stars Projects' Phyllis Hyman award, in recognition of his important contribution to the creative growth and development of over 20,000 young people in the NYC public school system. Denver is a graduate of New York University's Steinhardt School of Education.