Ontario High School Students Music Theatre Competition

The DAN School of Drama and Music 2022 Music Theatre Competition for Ontario High School Students (grades 9-12) is co-presented with the Ontario Registered Music Teachers’ Association. 

The Competition consists of two rounds, with the finals taking place on Friday afternoon on July 22, 2022 as part of the ORMTA 2022 Provincial Convention, to be held at the Isabel Bader Centre for the Performing Arts, Queen’s University, Kingston, ON. 

Three prizes will be awarded: 1st place-$1,500, 2nd place-$1,000 and 3rd place-$500 (CAN). 

The preliminary round for this competition will be by video submission. The competitor’s video recording, along with other application material, will be uploaded to the DAN School of Drama and Music website. 

Up to six performers will be invited to perform in the Finals. The deadline for submitting an application is  April 1, 2022. Please follow the instructions at the bottom of this page.  

Competition Philosophy

This competition follows the DAN School of Drama and Music’s philosophy of “music theatre” as an evolving and inclusive term that encompasses many subgenres of music + theatre (and/or dance), including musical theatre, operetta, opera, cabaret, avant-garde music theatre, and others. We support the development of young artists who will thrive when performing in a variety of these styles. 

Additionally, this competition is designed to nurture and recognize the best young music theatre talent in Ontario in an environment that fosters and supports the development of versatile and creative performers. This philosophy also underlies the DAN School’s Bachelor of Music Theatre degree, which is cooperatively presented with St. Lawrence College, Brockville Campus, where students complete two years of study concentrating primarily on singing, dancing, and acting, followed by two years at the DAN School with opportunities for more academically focused classes in addition to further studies in performance.

Eligibility and Requirements

1. Competitors must be Canadian citizens or permanent residents, who reside in Ontario and attend an Ontario high school (grades 9-12) or have their parents provide a letter indicating homeschooling at the high school age and level of grades 9-12. 
2. Competitors must not have graduated from high school prior to January 1, 2022. 
3. Music Theatre Competition competitors may also enter the ORMTA Provincial Vocal Competition and/or the ORMTA Provincial Instrumental Competition but not the ORMTA Provincial Young Artist Competition. In particular, there should be no duplication of repertoire between the Music Theatre Competition and ORMTA Provincial Vocal Competition. 
4. As a rule, competitors are responsible for their own expenses (travel, accommodation, accompanists, etc.). However, if a selected finalist is experiencing financial hardships that prevent them from participating, an opportunity will be provided to request support from the DAN School.

Programme

1. The programme must contain a minimum of 15 minutes of repertoire and must not exceed 20 minutes in total length, including accompaniment. 
2. Competitors must perform at least three, and no more than five, contrasting selections from music theatre productions that have received fully staged, professional performances. Selections from musicals that have only been workshopped are NOT permitted. Competitors will be judged on their whole performance package, including selection of repertoire, interpretation, and programme arrangement with regard to contrast, appropriateness, and suitability. 
3. Repertoire selections must be contrasting in style and tempo. At least one selection must be from a Broadway musical. 
4. The use of a chair or stool is permitted, and a selection of these will be available for competitors to use. Additionally, a very small number of props or wardrobe accessories are permitted. These must be limited to items that can be placed on a small table at the side of the stage and be used in such a way that does not disrupt the flow of the performance. 
5. No microphone amplification is permitted. 
6. The same programme must be performed for both the preliminary and final rounds.
7. The application form must contain all the details of the competitor’s repertoire for the programme, including composers and lyricists, the names of the shows the selections are from, and the performance times. Selections must be listed in the order in which they will be performed.  
8. Competitors must perform all selections from memory. Collaborative pianists must use a published or licensed printing of the music. The use of photocopied material is prohibited. Competitors must provide a published or licensed printing of their entire programme of music for the adjudicators on the day of the competition. If needed, the DAN School can provide a pianist for the competitor’s final round, noting that the competitor will have to pay the pianist a reasonable fee for this service. 
9. All competitors must submit with their application the following: 
   • a photo 
   • a short biography (150 words maximum), written as if for a professional recital programme, beginning with a summary of the applicant’s musical accomplishments and briefly mentioning other interests as space allows  
   • a signed letter from a high school teacher or principal confirming the competitor’s high school enrolment, or a letter from a parent indicating homeschooling at a high school age and level  
   • a signed DAN School Image Consent Form  by the competitor, parent, or guardian as required  
   • for the repertoire performed on the video, provide the title of the selection, show title from which the selection is taken, as well as the names of the composer and lyricist 
   • URL of the applicant’s video performance

Video Guidelines

While the selected finalists must perform all selections with piano accompaniment, it is acceptable to use pre-recorded accompaniments for the first round. However, it does need to be stressed that more nuanced performances are often obtained when working with a live piano accompaniment. It is fine to use a combination of live piano and pre-recorded accompaniments. 

• All selections must be placed on one single video, but each selection can be recorded separately and then combined into one video prior to submission. 
• The performance of each individual selection must be a one-take recording with no editing or splicing. 
• Camera placement, steadiness (with a stand), lighting, and source of sound all play a part in the quality of the video. Videos made with a phone are completely acceptable.  It is strongly suggested that the camera angle remain consistent throughout the performance. 
• It is suggested that you upload the video to your own YouTube channel as an “UNLISTED” video and paste this link into the online application form. Following this process ensures that only people with the link can view the video.

Deadlines and Application Fees

• An application fee of $25 (non-refundable) must be paid using a credit card through the DAN School ePly account , which will be made available to all applicants when submitting their application. 
• A link to the Online Application Form for the DAN School 2022 Music Theatre Competition will be posted on this webpage in early 2022. Online submission of all application material will begin on March 1, 2022 and must be uploaded by April , 2022 at 11:59 pm. We anticipate being able to contact the finalists by May 1, 2022. 
• No late applications will be accepted. 

For more information, please contact John Burge, DAN School Music Theatre Competition Convener at: burgej@queensu.ca. 

Application form via ePly.com

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