Musical Comedy Workshop - Winter Holidays 2023 in Lausanne

The musical is a theatrical genre that combines dialogue, song and choreography to tell a story. The codes of the musical often include the expressive use of music and dance to convey emotions and feelings. Musicals may incorporate elements such as musical numbers, solos, duets or ensembles, as well as choreographed dance sets. In addition to these codes, musicals can also include light-hearted comedic themes, but they can also deal with more serious and dramatic subjects. Musicals can use music to enhance the emotion or humour of a scene and use song lyrics to deepen characters or advance the plot. In terms of the specific elements of musical theatre mentioned in the question, singing is an essential element of musical theatre, with songs written specifically for the show. Training is also important for actors performing in musicals, as they not only need to be able to sing and dance, but also to play a role and express emotions convincingly. Comical or exaggerated voices can also be used to create a comic or satirical effect in a musical.

There is no single answer to this question, as musicals can vary considerably in terms of style, subject matter and artistic approach. However, there are several common ingredients found in many musicals that are considered essential to their success: Music: Music is probably the most important ingredient in a musical. The songs, melodies and musical arrangements are often specially written for the show and are used to reinforce the emotion, humour or action on screen. Dance: Dance is another essential ingredient of the musical. Choreographed dance numbers can add a visual and expressive dimension to the music and story, and are often used to reinforce the emotion or humour of certain scenes. Theatre: Finally, theatre is a key element of musical theatre. Dialogue, characters and stories are what distinguish musicals from other forms of musical entertainment. Actors must be able to play a role, sing and dance, while expressing emotions convincingly to make the story believable and engaging for the audience.

There are several reasons why you might want to do musical theatre. Firstly, musical theatre is an art form that combines several disciplines, including singing, dancing, acting and music. This makes it a complete and emotionally rich show that can reach a wide audience. What's more, taking part in a musical can be an exciting and rewarding experience for the actors, singers and dancers involved. It can provide an opportunity to work with entertainment professionals, such as directors, choreographers and vocal coaches, and to develop performance and collaboration skills. Voice coaching is particularly important for actors doing musical theatre, as it can help them improve their vocal technique, tone, intonation and diction. Voice coaches can help actors better understand how to use their voice to convey emotion and expression in a song. Finally, musicals can provide a memorable and fun experience for audience members, who can enjoy the story, the music and the actors' performance. For those taking part in a musical as actors, singers or dancers, it can be an opportunity to develop their skills as performers and create lasting memories.

Characters in musicals can vary in personality, motivation and background. However, there are often characteristics common to many characters in musicals. Firstly, many characters in musicals are heroes or heroines. They are often faced with challenges or obstacles that they must overcome, whether it's to fulfil a dream, find love or achieve a specific goal. These characters are often sympathetic and easy to like, which allows viewers to identify with them and become invested in their story. In addition, many characters in musicals have a particular talent or passion for music, dance or theatre. They may be singers, dancers or actors, and their love of the arts is often at the heart of the musical's plot. Finally, musicals can sometimes include characters who refer to particular eras or styles, such as West American characters, tap dancers, and so on. There's something for everyone. These characters can add a touch of local colour or nostalgia to the musical, as well as contributing to the visual and musical aesthetics of the production.

Which musical is best known depends largely on the point of view and the context. However, one of the most famous and iconic musicals of all time is "The Phantom of the Opera", created by composer Andrew Lloyd Webber and librettist Charles Hart. Since its premiere in London in 1986, "The Phantom of the Opera" has been produced in many countries around the world, becoming one of the most popular musicals of all time. It has won numerous awards, including seven Tony Awards, and has been seen by millions of people around the world. "The Phantom of the Opera" tells the story of a mysterious ghost who haunts the Opéra Garnier in Paris and falls in love with the young singer Christine. The musical is known for its iconic songs, such as "The Music of the Night" and "All I Ask of You", as well as its sumptuous sets and elaborate costumes.

Singing and acting coaching is generally recommended if you want to do musical theatre, as it can help you improve your vocal technique, develop your acting skills and perfect your interpretation of songs and dialogue. Singing is an essential skill for musical theatre actors, as it is important to be able to sing accurately, have good breath control and be able to project your voice on stage. Singing lessons can help you develop these skills, as well as improving your diction, interpretation and ability to harmonise with other singers. Similarly, acting is an important skill for actors in musicals, as they need to be able to play their character convincingly, convey emotions and move around the stage with ease and naturalness. Acting classes can help you improve your acting, learn stress management techniques and better understand the psychology of your character. Singing and acting coaching can also give you the opportunity to receive constructive feedback from industry professionals, who can help you identify areas for improvement and develop your confidence as a performer. Ultimately, singing and acting coaching can be a valuable investment in your musical theatre career, helping you to develop and achieve your artistic goals.

Yes, at Apolline, our musical theatre training can be adapted for adults, whatever their previous experience in this field. Adult musical theatre courses are tailored to the level and needs of participants, whether they are beginners or advanced, and can be a great opportunity to learn new artistic skills, make new friends and take part in a rewarding creative activity. In addition, our adult musical theatre classes can offer unique advantages over classes for children and young people, such as the opportunity to focus on more advanced topics such as improvisation, complex song interpretation and more nuanced character creation. Adults can also be more motivated and invested in their musical theatre training, as they are often looking to develop new skills for their careers or simply for personal enjoyment.

It's not easy to determine whether your child has a talent for comedy, but there are a few signs to look out for. First of all, if your child enjoys acting and making others laugh, this can be a good indicator of their comedic potential. What's more, if your child enjoys taking part in shows, plays or role-playing, this may also be a sign that they have some aptitude for comedy. Observing how your child interacts with others, how they tell stories and what they say can also be clues to their potential as a future comedian. If you think your child has a talent for acting, you can encourage them to take part in drama classes or acting activities for children. Drama classes for children can help your child develop their acting, improvisation and speaking skills, as well as boosting their self-confidence. It's also important to bear in mind that even if your child doesn't become a professional actor, the skills acquired by taking drama classes can be beneficial in all areas of life. Comedy and acting can help children develop their creativity, self-confidence, teamwork and self-expression.

For the time being, we're only offering our musical theatre courses in Lausanne. In view of the growing interest in our courses, we may open classes in other towns in French-speaking Switzerland, such as Geneva, Yverdon and Neuchâtel. As for our drama classes, our teacher Mirko teaches in Yverdon and Etoy.

It's true that we do run holiday camps at Apolline, particularly visual arts camps for children of all ages. At the moment, we don't organise similar camps for theatre and musical comedy, but this situation may change in the future.

There is no particular diploma awarded to students throughout their apprenticeship. Indeed, Apolline favours learning that is based on pleasure through progression and not on performance. That's why we don't organise exams, and why there are no diplomas. Each year we organise a festival in the school colours: the Apolline Fest. You can read our article on this subject. Any student who wants to can sign up and perform in front of an audience of friends and family. It's a great opportunity to show off all the work you've done over the year. Our teachers also often write letters of recommendation for students to help them achieve their goals. What's more, for experienced students, our teachers offer a vocational curriculum to prepare motivated students for the art school entrance exams. All our music teachers have an arts school diploma.

For the moment, Mélie is teaching musical comedy to a group of the same age, juniors, with a positive and balanced dynamic. If enrolments increase over time, we will form several classes according to age and experience, via the school. Apolline guarantees the best learning conditions for your child. Note that if your child speaks English, there is always the possibility of including English in a role, for example. There are no limits to creativity!

An acting internship is a longer, more intensive programme designed to help students develop and improve their acting skills. Internships can last several weeks or even months and can include acting classes, comedy writing workshops, rehearsal sessions and public performances. On the other hand, a comedy workshop is a shorter, more focused event that concentrates on a particular aspect of acting, such as improvisation or sketch writing. Workshops can last a few hours or a day, and are often led by comedy professionals who share their expertise with participants.

At Apolline, we offer a free trial lesson to new students. At the end of this trial class, the student will then have to decide whether to sign up for the year if he or she liked the class, or not, without any complications. Given that classes are held once a week, this is a sort of one-week enrolment option.

To be honest, this is a scenario we haven't faced yet. But yes, it can make sense to take one-to-one lessons in musical theatre, depending on each person's needs and goals. One-to-one tuition can offer a more personalised and individualised environment for learning musical theatre. Mélie, our teacher, can focus on each student's specific strengths and weaknesses and tailor lessons accordingly. This can help maximise each student's potential and develop their skills more effectively. In addition, one-to-one tuition can be beneficial for people with busy schedules who are unable to attend regular group classes. Timetables and sessions can be more flexible and adapted to each student's needs.

Theatre and musical theatre courses have different objectives, content and physical requirements. Theatre courses generally focus on acting, stage acting and text analysis, while musical theatre courses focus on dance, singing, musical interpretation and choreography. Musical theatre courses are often more physically demanding than acting courses. Acting courses are suitable for different levels of experience, whereas musical theatre courses are often more demanding and require a more advanced level of skill in singing, dancing and acting. The choice between the two types of course depends on the interests and goals of each student.

Memory is one of the actor's main working tools on stage. Even before working on directing a play, you'll need to make the dialogue your own, like a breeding ground, a working base on which to research, build and explore avenues of interpretation and direction. But this can be a complex task: how can you get to grips with the sometimes tedious dialogue and monologues? First of all, it will help to identify your learning style. What type of memory do you have? Are you more sensitive to visual, auditory or kinaesthetic aspects? If you're not sure, there are lots of online tests that will help you find your input channel. Once you've identified your memory type, build tools that use these channels. If you're a visual type: It's easy for you, so the most effective method will be to work directly with your book. Read it regularly and use a ruler to hide your line of text to check that it has entered your memory. If you're the auditory type: Ask someone to help you work through your text by giving you the line and correcting you aloud by reading back to you any erroneous passages. If no-one can give you the lines, you can also work on them using your phone: record the whole text, leaving gaps before your lines, then say them out loud. This way you can work on your text orally and be corrected straight away. If you are kinaesthetic: Try as much as possible to work on your text in a situation. You can use the same methods as for auditory memory, while moving around in the space. If you already have elements of staging or set design, take the opportunity to incorporate them into your memory work. Don't forget that the most important thing about memory is to work on it regularly and over time! There's no point in working on your script for 5 hours the night before, prefer small work sessions well in advance of the first rehearsals. That way you'll be perfectly at ease to concentrate on the work of directing and the emotional investment that acting requires.

Yes, singing lessons are included in musical theatre courses because singing is one of the key elements of musical theatre. Students learn to sing using the appropriate techniques to project their voice, harmonise in a group, sing solo and interpret a song convincingly. Musical theatre courses also focus on musical interpretation, where students learn to use their voices to express emotions and tell a story. Musical theatre courses may also include rehearsal sessions where students work on individual or group songs. However, it is important to note that musical theatre classes may focus more on dance and choreography than on singing. If you would like to perfect your pure vocal technique, you can sign up for singing lessons with our resident teacher: Sandrina.