Musical Theatre Acting

Musical Theatre Acting: A Practical Guide serves as a guide to the beginning musical theatre artist, the student, or the professional who needs a refresher on how to hone and sharpen their skills while honoring the material and their interpretation of it. Drawing on the teaching techniques of JV Mercanti, who has trained countless emerging performers in Pace University’s acclaimed Musical Theatre program, it takes readers through a journey of mind, body, and spirit in order to engage the full self when it comes to creating a performance. Covering everything from script analysis and character research to auditions and rehearsals, this is a long-overdue roadmap for the performer who knows that success in musical theatre means a lot more than just singing well.

JV Mercanti is a tenured associate professor in Pace University’s Musical Theatre BFA program. In the professional Broadway community has worked as a casting director, casting the Broadway revivals of Cyrano de Bergerac (starring Kevin Kline and Jennifer Garner) and Romeo & Juliet (starring Orlando Bloom and Condola Rashad); as the associate director on the 2022 Emmy-winning TV production of Jesus Christ Superstar Live; and as the current associate director on the Britney Spears jukebox musical Once Upon a One More Time.