Michael Elliott
Associate Professor of Theatre and Dance
Musical Theatre, Voice
Additional Information:
Teaching Areas: Musical Theatre coordinator, Voice
Tenure Track faculty
Date of Hire: August 2011
Biography
As coordinator for the Musical Theatre program within Ball State University’s Department of Theatre and Dance, Michael Elliott teaches individual voice lessons and repertoire, conducts master classes, oversees curriculum development, and music directs various productions within the department’s season.
In fall 2013, Elliott composed and conducted the score for an original adaptation of Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, which enjoyed sold-out crowds throughout its run at Ball State. The musical was selected to perform at Kennedy Center’s 2014 American College Theatre Festival, during which Elliott received a Certificate of Merit for Excellence in Composition for the haunting score. In fall 2015, Elliott received Ball State University’s Creative Endeavor Award for the work.
This fall, Elliott is directing and music directing Stephen Sondheim’s almost forgotten gem, Merrily We Roll Along. He has also music directed Spring Awakening (2012), the unapologetically gory Evil Dead: The Musical (2011), and assisted with production of The Drowsy Chaperone (2012). Elliott serves as musical director for the annual New York Showcase, connecting students with casting agents, directors, and other theatre professionals.
The Missouri native has worked as an actor, music director, and vocal instructor throughout the country. His professional acting experience includes National Tour performances of I Love You, You’re Perfect, Now Change and the San Diego premier of the three-person opera Bed and Sofa. He music directed the world premiere of Alice at the Christian Youth Theatre in San Diego, and most recently The Threepenny Opera at the Clarence Brown Theatre in Knoxville, Tennessee. This fall, Elliott performed in The Fantasticks at the Actors Theatre of Indiana in Carmel, Indiana. From 2006-11 and in 2013, Elliott directed, music directed, conducted, and performed with Peach State Summer Theatre, Georgia’s official musical theatre.
Prior to Ball State, Elliott served as an Assistant Professor of Musical Theatre Voice at Valdosta State University in Georgia, where he taught musical theatre voice and repertoire, musical theatre performance, beginning acting, and audition techniques, musical theatre history, theatre appreciation, and sight singing. He directed and music directed a range of main stage productions and annual events, including the Valdosta State University Musical Theatre Showcase, which Elliott established in 2009 to highlight seniors’ growth and contributions to the arts. A member of the National Association of Teachers of Singing (NATS), Elliott has presented workshops about Healthy Vocal Techniques and Audition Techniques at various conferences, including the Southeastern Theatre Conference (SETC).
Elliott earned a Master of Fine Arts in Musical Theatre from San Diego State University and a bachelor’s degree in vocal education from the University of Missouri—Columbia. He lives in Muncie with his wife, Kate, daughter, Rose, and son, William.