Musical Theater Studio

Clips from the 24-25 Musical Theater Studio Showcase

Journey’s Musical Theater Studio is a 9-month program (September through mid-June) designed for teens who want more rigorous training in the theater arts. If you are considering pursuing theater as a career, or just want to push yourself to really grow in your skills and become a more well-rounded performer, then this program is for you.

Studio classes meet weekly, except for selected school holidays and Journey dress rehearsal dates, starting the first week of fall session and running through the final week of spring session.  Students may only miss up to 2 classes during any of the 3 sessions (September through December, January through March, and April through mid-June).

The Musical Theater Studio class is designed to challenge you in all areas of musical theater: singing, dancing, and acting. In this class, you will get work on challenging material, and be given opportunities to really push yourself into becoming a triple-threat performer and preparing for that musical theater grind!  This class is for students who are ready to receive critical feedback and who are committed to putting the in work. You should expect to work roughly 1 hour each week outside of class in Fall and Winter, and 2 hours each week in the spring. 

In order to provide the best quality instruction for the students in the program, this year we are limiting the class to 16 students. 

If you participated in the Musical Theater Studio program in a previous season, you are still eligible to audition! Please remember your previous involvement does not guarantee you a spot in the class.

For any Studio related questions, please reach out to our Class Coordinator, Audrey Miller.

Musical Theater Studio Instructors: Chelsea Pitel and Erin Moro, as well as various guest instructors.

2026/2027 Musical Theater Studio Auditions are complete.

Students who wish to be considered for Musical Theater Studio should prepare a 30-60 second monologue, in addition to a 16-bar cut of a song of your choosing. You will need an accompaniment track (instrumental only) for your song. The track needs to be a downloaded MP3 (no streaming). There will also be a group dance audition at the start of the evening.    Please bring your theater resume (list any theater training and/or experience) and headshot.

2026/2027 Musical Theater Studio Class Dates:

• Studio class dates:

  Fall:  Sept 14, 21, 28, Oct 5, 12, 19, 26, Nov 9, 16, 30, Dec 7, & 14

  Winter: Jan 4, 11, 18, 25, Feb 1, 8, 22 & Mar 8, 15

  Spring:  March 22, 29, Apr 12, 19, 26, May 3, 17, 24 (optional), 31

  June 7: Showcase Dress Rehearsal – 4p to 9p

  Saturday, June 12: Studio Showcases – Two performances, 3p and 7p

Students auditioning for STUDIO should email Kelly Sauter to request a spot in a second choice class in order to guarantee a spot in a class in the event they are not selected for STUDIO. Instructions for registration will be sent once decisions have been made.

2026-2027 Tuition and Fees

*Payments are split automatically by CircleUp based on when registration is completed.  Contact the office with any questions.

*Students must turn 13 by September 1st in order to be eligible to audition.

Musical Theater Studio Instructor: Chelsea Nicole Lapp

Chelsea is an award-winning choreographer from San Diego who relocated to Vancouver. Having grown up in the theatre world since age 4, Chelsea has performed in over 80 shows and tour groups, and at the age of 14 began choreographing and teaching dance classes for a national children’s theatre company. Since 2007, Chelsea has choreographed both professional and non-professional shows all over the United States, as well as Uganda. Her training includes places like Broadway Dance Center in NYC and Academy of Performing Arts in San Diego, she is also an alumnus of the Pulse Teacher Workshop and the Stage Door Connections Workshop with Andy Blankenbuehler. Chelsea is a recipient of the Portland Area Musical Theatre Award, Inland Theatre League, National Youth Arts, and Director’s Choice Award.

Musical Theater Studio Instructor: Erin Moro

A native of Vancouver, WA, Erin spent 14 years in the San Francisco Bay Area working as a teacher and a professional actor on stage, films, commercials, and television. She ran the drama and musical theater departments at the Marin School of the Arts and has directed over 25 student plays and musicals. Erin has been blessed to have performed in great shows, including Annie Get Your Gun, Quilters, Godspell, Seussical, Proof, The Crucible, Lovesong, Macbeth and many more. Erin has a BA in Education from Concordia University, a Masters in Counseling from San Jose State, and supplemental authorizations in history and theater education.