A shakeup is under way in the world of music theater education in Northeast Ohio, with the longtime director of Baldwin Wallace University's program heading to start a new program at Oberlin College and Conservatory.
Baldwin Wallace Music Theatre Program Director Victoria Bussert, who has directed major theatrical productions internationally, nationally and regionally in addition to working at the university for more than two decades, will be heading to Oberlin at the end of the academic year. Baldwin Wallace Assistant Professors Matthew Webb and Laura Walsh Berg are also leaving.
Listening sessions will be conducted in September to determine the future direction of the program, said Susan Van Vorst, dean of the Baldwin Wallace University Conservatory of Performing Arts, in a press release Monday.
“BW’s Music Theatre program is nationally recognized because of the collective efforts of our entire talented faculty and staff who, in collaboration with our alumni, partners in Cleveland, New York City and across the country, work tirelessly to prepare our students for successful careers in music theatre,” Van Vorst said. “We will use this opportunity to engage those individuals – and our music theatre students, alumni and stakeholders – to shape the future of our program. Our vision is simply this: Ensure that BW’s Music Theatre program continues to stand out as an exemplary and effective training ground for students wishing to succeed as performing artists.”
Baldwin Wallace's music theater program has sent several graduates to Broadway and London's West End.
Meanwhile, Oberlin announced in a separate press release its new music theater program will launch in fall 2025 with Bussert at the helm.
“Music theater is one of America’s great artistic traditions,” said William Quillen, dean of the Conservatory of Music. “It’s also a distinctive Oberlin tradition, as evidenced by the numerous Oberlin alumni over the years—conservatory and college alike—who have helped shape this art form while enjoying distinguished careers on Broadway and stages around the globe.”
The release noted Oberlin has produced prominent graduates like composer John Kander, who wrote the score for "Cabaret," and director Julie Taymor, who adapted "The Lion King" to the stage.
The college will offer a bachelor of music degree in music theater and the program will be housed in a "newly created, fully customized facility" designed for music theater education, the release added, noting the role of Oberlin's Conservatory of Music.
"Those studying music theater will benefit from being students in the (music) conservatory, participating in the world-class artistic training it provides," the release stated.
Bussert and professors Webb and Walsh Berg will stay on at Baldwin Wallace through mid-May. Meanwhile, the university has hired national arts consultant Neeki Bey to identify future directions for the music theater program.
Bussert has directed shows for Great Lakes Theatre, the Idaho Shakespeare Festival and the Lake Tahoe Shakespeare Festival. Credits listed on her biography website include European premieres of shows like "Lizzie" and "Avenue Q" and national tours of shows like "Into the Woods" and "Guys and Dolls."
