MSVMA - Musical Theatre S&E Festival

Musical Theatre Solo & Ensemble Festival

MSVMA welcomes middle and high school students to participate in its Musical Theatre Solo and Ensemble Festivals. Participants must be in 7th-12th grade, enrolled and in good standing in their school's vocal music program.

Student's school must be a member of MSVMA.

Registration & Payment

Registration Instructions

Festival Scheduler

Login Instructions

Registration opens September 12.
Fees are $35 for soloists, $50 for duets, and $80 for ensembles (3-20 participants).
Deadline for registration and payment is October 3

For registration questions, contact State Events Scheduling Coordinator Julia Holt or Megan Sinclair, Director of Specialized Festivals

Payment can be made by:

School, booster, or director’s personal check payable to MSVMA
Credit card on the scheduling website or by calling 231.592.9344
Purchase order submitted by the postmark deadline

Your events will not be scheduled unless we receive your payment or PO postmarked by the deadline. If the PO payment has not been received by the first day of the festival, your events will not perform.

Fees are non-refundable. Returned checks are subject to a $25 fee. Late registration will be available with a $50/event fee for choral festival or a $20/event fee for S&E for seven days after the deadline but must be paid by credit card only.

Musical Theatre Festival medals will be available for purchase for $5 at the Festival for those students who receive final determinations of Excellent (I) or Good (II).

Checks for fees payable to MSVMA should be mailed to:

MSVMA
P.O. Box 1131
Big Rapids, MI 49307

MSVMA recognizes one large ensemble from each site to perform at MSVMA All-State Festival in May. This selection is made by the adjudicator of the Large Ensemble room on the day of the Festival and communicated to the Festival Coordinator and Director of Specialized Festivals.

Performers

Soloists, duets, and ensembles (up to 20 performers) are eligible to participate.
Ensembles will be invited to participate in the Music Theatre Solo and Ensemble Festival; utilizing the same registration rules as classic S&E with a maximum of 20 singers per ensemble.
Events will be allotted a maximum of 15 minutes which includes entry and exit to and from the performance room and time for oral comments from the adjudicator. The actual performance time should not exceed 8 minutes.
The MSVMA S&E rubrics will be used for this event.

Performers are expected to present a convincing musical performance. Cautious use of belt and using a more mixed tone is encouraged.
Each event must perform two selections of contrasting styles that contrast in style and decade (10 years apart) of composition. Music must be memorized.
Recommended composers include: Harold Arlen, Irving Berlin, Hoagy Carmichael, Vernon Duke, Duke Ellington, George and Ira Gershwin, Jerome Kern, Cole Porter, Rodgers and Hart, Rodgers and Hammerstein, Hart and Loewe, Arthur Schwartz, Jule Styne, Jimmy VanHeusen, Vincent Youmans, early Stephen Sondheim, early Leonard Bernstein, Kurt Weill
There are no required "books" for this event.
Participants at events must use copyright compliant scores of music. Each adjudicator must be presented with a copyright compliant score. Directors will be required upon registration to certify that the legally required number of original copies have been purchased or secured for performance at this event.
Any changes in the literature must be changed online one week prior to the Festival.
When performing music requiring accompaniment, live accompaniment must be used.
Ensembles may perform published choral arrangements of Broadway tunes.
The use of costumes, choreography, or other elements that evoke the story or characters of a legitimate stage musical work is prohibited in the absence of a performance license. However, facial expression and physical involvement that is appropriate to the text and style of the music is encouraged.

Directors

The director who is the school membership representative will complete the online student applications.
Directors are encouraged to give careful consideration to the age appropriateness of the literature.
All questions should be directed to the Festival Supervisor.
In signing the registration form, the principal and the director agree supervise the students from their school to ensure proper conduct at the festival. Improper student conduct may result in sanctions being imposed by the MSVMA Board of Directors.

Accompanists

Each accompanist only may play for 10 events.

Festival Code of Ethics

Each festival participant and director is expected to conform to rules of good conduct, i.e., observance of care of property, behavior patterns, and adherence to all rules. Directors will show courtesy to all festival workers and ensure that proper adult supervision is present for their students at all events. Appropriate audience behavior and exhibiting undivided attention are to expected in all auditoriums and performance rooms. Students should show respect for other performers and give them the attention they would want themselves as performers.

Communications regarding events are to be between MSVMA members and event supervisors only. Parents and students are not to contact event supervisors. Event applications and adjudication forms are to be completed only by directors.

Directors will adhere to the schedule and leave the warm-up area when asked. Directors should use their ratings in an educational manner and not misrepresent them to the students or the public. Directors or festival participants will not attempt to influence the judges. At no time will anyone other than the event supervisor approach or contact an adjudicator regarding a rating or student‘s performance. Concerns are to be addressed to the supervisor or written on the adjudicator evaluation form. If, in the opinion of the event supervisor, a serious infraction has occurred, the MSVMA Board of Directors is to be informed by letter. The Board of Directors will take appropriate action which may result in the disqualification from participation in future festivals for a period of time not to exceed two years.

Student Conduct

In submitting the registration form, the principal and the director agree to supervise the students from their school to ensure proper conduct at the Festival. Sanctions may be imposed by the MSVMA Board of Directors upon schools whose students' behavior is inappropriate.

Missed Event Policy

The purpose of the Missed Event Policy is to allow flexibility for students who missed their solo performance time due to circumstances beyond their control which occurred on the date/time of their scheduled performance (dangerous weather, late bus, accompanist no-show or weather-delayed.) Other scheduling conflicts do not qualify for Missed Event consideration.
No requests for Missed Event consideration may be made until after the student actually missed their event, and only for circumstances as described above. Please make every effort to have students perform as scheduled.
The Missed Event Policy may not be used to request scheduling changes. Scheduling conflicts must be addressed by the member/director of the school by communicating with the scheduler in advance of the deadline.
The student's director is the only person that can ask for a change to the schedule. No parents or students are allowed in the headquarters. If the student's director is not there, the student has no option to be rescheduled.
The individual in charge of the master schedule will work with the director to determine if an opening is available that will accommodate the student and the accompanist.
A fee of $10 shall be paid at the acceptance of the rescheduled opening or the event will not perform. Payment will be made by cash or director's check payable to MSVMA.

Megan Sinclair

Director of Specialized Festivals

megansinclair@msvma.org

Julia Holt

East Musical Theatre Festival Scheduler

juliaholt@msvma.org

Brian Leduc

Central & West Musical Theatre Festivals Scheduler

brianleduc@msvma.org

Registration Opens:

September 12, 2025

Registration Deadline:

October 3, 2025 - Note Early Registration Changes!

NEW - Central Site

November 1, 2025

Charlotte Middle School

Luke Timmer

Hosts

timmerl@charlottenet.org

Carli Tower

Coordinator

carlitower@msvma.org

East Site

November 8, 2025

Oxford High School

Leo Humbach

Host

leohumbach@msvma.org

Tyler Dargis

Coordinator

tylerdargis@msvma.org

West Site

November 15, 2025

Wayland Union Middle School

Ricci Sabin

Host

sabinr@waylandunion.org

Thomas Larner

Coordinator

larnert@rapsk12.net

Michigan School Vocal Music Association

P.O. Box 1131

Big Rapids, MI 49307-1131

(231) 592 - 9344