WCU's Musical Theatre Program faculty is committed to teaching you the skills necessary
to become a professional in the field. Seasoned professionals and performers, they’ve
enjoyed successful careers in the musical theatre and performing arts industry and
in the classroom.
Our program’s endowed chair is Broadway legend and two-time Tony Award nominee Terrence Mann. Mann, who originated the role of the Beast in the Broadway production of Beauty and the Beast, is the Carolyn Plemmons Phillips and Ben R. Phillips Distinguished Professor in
Musical Theatre. He earned Tony, Drama Desk and Outer Critics Circle nominations for
best actor for his performance of the Beast and is widely known as the original Rum
Tum Tugger in Cats.
Assistant Professor and Theatre Program Director Claire Eye completed her master's degree in the Professional Actor Training Program at Louisiana
State University. Eye has performed in off-Broadway shows in New York, including Measure for Measure, and has appeared in productions in coastal North Carolina. Her television and film
credits include The Wedding and Paradise Falls.
Our team of resident faculty comes to you from the School of Music and School of Stage & Screen, offering you the benefit of their professional and academic experience:
Voice
- Mary Kay Bauer
- Robert Holquist
- William Martin
- Lisa Odom
Theatre
Dance
To enhance the instruction given by our resident faculty, visiting artists—professionals and master teachers—are often on campus to share their expertise with you in master classes.