Musical theatre performer

Musical performer is a profession most often found in stage productions such as musicals, revues, and operettas, but also in film and commercials. It requires extensive skills in singing, acting and dancing, as musical performers must be "all-rounders" to portray characters in these art forms. Germany's first musical was called Cats, based on a story by T. S. Eliot, with world-famous music by Andrew Lloyd Webber, premiered in Hamburg in 1986. However, the profession of musical performer only became learnable in German-speaking countries in the 1990s; before that, the profession was firmly in the hands of American performers.

The level of musical performers varies greatly, as many develop their own specialties and characters, often focusing on their strengths. However, if you look at the schools that offer musical in Germany, dancing and sometimes singing are usually given priority over acting.

Dance

Jazz dance and tap dance are two of the most common dance techniques often used in musicals and revues, but musical performers need the same basics as dancers plus classical ballet, modern dance and acrobatics.

Singing

Vocal technique varies, but is often based on classical vocal technique at its core. Most modern musical songs are sung using belting technique, while others are performed using classical neutral or operatic technique.

Acting

Although acting is often given too little importance in traditional musical training and on musical stages, it is one of the cornerstones of musical theater. Roles that require greater acting effort are usually filled by established actors.

The future of the musical

Trends come and go, but the musical remains. There is actually some truth to this. The musical as a form of entertainment is very popular in Germany and has spread from large productions in major cities to local productions in smaller towns. Sometimes new musical formats are exported from Broadway or the West End, which temporarily catch on, only to cool off again and make way for older classics.