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A place for all ages to express themselves
Under the direction of Julie Parrish, Director of Performing Arts at the John Carroll School, the Musical Theatre Academy continues to meet the need in our community for year-round instruction in theatre arts. There is something for thespians of all ages and interest levels!
Curriculum and courses
We're proud to offer two semester-long sessions of Musical Theatre classes as well as a Musical Theatre Audition Seminar! Classes are available to students in grades 2-12. See class details below.
Payment plans
Tuition noted is for the entire year. Please contact Program Director, Julie Parrish for payment plan requests.
Session 1
The John Carroll Musical Theatre Academy’s Musical Theatre classes are production/performance-based classes with a focus on putting together a show from beginning to end. Students in grades 2-8 will learn the fundamentals of musical theatre performance while also building friendships, confidence, creativity and, most of all – having fun! On our final class date, students will perform "Annie KIDS" for an invited audience.
Based on the popular comic strip and adapted from the Tony Award-winning Best Musical, with a beloved book and score by Tony Award-winners, Thomas Meehan, Charles Strouse and Martin Charnin, "Annie KIDS" features everyone’s favorite little redhead in her very first adventure.
With equal measures of pluck and positivity, little orphan Annie charms everyone's hearts despite a next-to-nothing start in 1930s New York City. Annie is determined to find the parents who abandoned her years ago on the doorstep of an orphanage run by the cruel Miss Hannigan. Annie eventually foils Miss Hannigan's evil machinations, finding a new home and family in billionaire, Oliver Warbucks, his personal secretary, Grace Farrell, and a lovable mutt named Sandy.
Tech Rehearsals: November 28–29, December 1, 5:00–7:00 p.m.; December 2, 10:00 a.m.–12:00 p.m.
Performance: December 2, 1:00 p.m.
Session 2
The John Carroll Musical Theatre Academy’s Musical Theatre classes are production/performance-based classes with a focus on putting together a show from beginning to end. Students in grades 2-8 will learn the fundamentals of musical theatre performance while also building friendships, confidence, creativity and, most of all – having fun! On our final class date, students will perform an exciting Musical Theatre Junior Show (to be announced) for an invited audience.
Audition Seminar
Taught by John Carroll’s Director of Performing Arts, Mrs. Julie Parrish, this seminar for the student who is interested in honing their audition skills! This class will focus on the tools needed to successfully navigate the musical theatre audition from sign-in through callbacks.
Students will learn skills that will not only aid them in future auditions, but any future job interview. They’ll learn about headshots and how to create/format a performance resume, how to make the best first impression, how to correctly mark their music and speak with an accompanist, how to deliver a professional slate that communicates to any casting director, “you want to hire me!” Throughout this class, students will be guided to develop a full audition repertoire binder – one that has the perfect audition piece for any musical theatre audition that may come along.
Students will also gain experience practicing other elements of a musical theatre audition including the dance audition, cold readings and callbacks. For the student seeking to pursue theatre, whether at the community level, in school productions, or in college or the professional stage – you don’t want to miss out on this opportunity!!
Meet our instructors
Julie Parrish is the Director of Performing Arts at The John Carroll School and Music Department Chair. She graduated magna cum laude from Elon University in 2005 where she earned her BFA in Musical Theatre Performance with a minor in Music. Mrs. Parrish has taught at John Carroll since 2013, where she instructs Chorus/Advanced Chorus, Bella Voce (a mixed a cappella choir), Patriettes (all-female a cappella choir), Acting I & II, and AP Music Theory. She produces and musically directs the Fall and Spring musicals, and is the troupe director of the John Carroll chapter of the International Thespian Society, JC’s Music Ministry leader, and Director for the John Carroll Academy of Performing Arts & Dance's Musical Theatre Academy.
Mrs. Parrish has extensive musical direction experience with several local community, school and children’s theatres including Children’s Playhouse of Maryland, Phoenix Festival Theatre, Cockpit in Court, Pumpkin Theatre, Beth Tfiloh Dahan Community High School, Beth Tfiloh Community Theatre, Spotlighter’s Theatre, Teatro101 and Immaculate Conception School. She's performed with several regional and community theatre organizations including Tidewater Players, John Carroll Community Theatre, Phoenix Festival Theatre, Dundalk Community Theatre, Beth Tfiloh Community Theatre, Suburban Players, Cockpit in Court, SummerStock at the University of Findlay and the Suncoast Broadway Dinner Theatre (formerly known as the Show Palace Dinner Theatre). She is excited to share her passion for musical theatre with the students of the John Carroll Musical Theatre Academy!
Rachel Miller '19 is a recent graduate from Goucher College where she received her Bachelor of Arts in Dance. She is currently working on her master’s degree in Arts Teaching at Goucher College. Rachel grew up performing in musical theatre productions and was an active member of the John Carroll Theatre Department. She returned to the School to choreograph the past two Fall Musicals, “All Together Now” and “Elf: the Musical," and is choreographing “The Sound of Music." Rachel has choreographed for various theatre companies in the Baltimore metropolitan area for the last seven years. She is currently the Resident Choreographer for the Children’s Playhouse of Maryland and is the Director of Dance Education at Beth Tfiloh Dahan Community School.
Amanda has been the resident choreographer for John Carroll’s spring musical productions since 2022 and is thrilled to return to John Carroll as a Musical Theatre (Session 2) Instructor. She recently choreographed John Carroll’s 2022 spring production, Legally Blonde. Her choreography has appeared in numerous productions at Phoenix Festival Theater (“Legally Blonde,” “Anything Goes,” “The Little Mermaid,” “Avenue Q”), Cockpit in Court (“Spamalot,” “Peter Pan”), Dundalk Community Theater (“Ruthless,” “Fundraisers”), Tidewater Players (“A Christmas Story”), Notre Dame Prep, Beth Tfiloh School, BTCT and Children’s Playhouse of MD. Favorite onstage credits include Brooke (“Legally Blonde”), Nicky Puppeteer (“Avenue Q”), Alice (“Millie”), Bonnie (“Anything Goes”) and Nellie (“South Pacific”).
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