American Musical and Dramatic Academy

The American Musical and Dramatic Academy (AMDA), is a college conservatory for the performing arts located New York City, New York, and in Los Angeles, California. The school is a two-year, Certificate in Professional Performance- granting conservatory with stringent auditions for admittance. Beginning in the fall of 2008, AMDA Los Angeles will also be offering its own Bachelor of Fine Arts degree programs in both Musical Theatre and Acting.

AMDA is an accredited institution of the National Association of Schools of Theatre. Many great performing arts specialists serve as instructors, and the school offers two programs of study: Integrated (Musical Theatre) and Studio (Theater/Film).

History

AMDA was founded in 1964 by Phillip Burton along with other prominent people from the New York theatre community to provide practical training for the actor. Mr. Burton was an acting teacher and is best known as having trained his adopted son, Richard Burton. AMDA's conservatory program is designed to prepare students to work professionally as an actor in theatre, musical theatre, film and television.

Campuses

The New York City campus is lcoated on the Upper West Side of Manhattan. The principal facility is lcoated at 211 West 61st Street, directly behind Lincoln Center.

The Los Angeles campus is located in the heart of the Hollywood Entertainment District, one block north of Hollywood Blvd. and Vine Street, adjacent to the Capitol Records Tower, with its principal facility in the historic Vine Tower Building.

Notable alumni

AMDA has a distinguished record of training students for careers in the performing arts. Among its most notable graduates are:

• Tyne Daly (Cagney & Lacey, Judging Amy)
• Paul Sorvino (GoodFellas, Law & Order)
• Marissa Jaret Winokur (Hairspray, Stacked)
• Christopher Sieber (''Spamalot, Chicago)
• Caissie Levy (Wicked, Rent, Hairspray)
• Brad Bass (Wicked)
• Jesse Tyler Ferguson (The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, The Class)
• Gretchen Mol (3:10 to Yuma, The Shape of Things)
• Angela Bettis (Girl, Interrupted, Bless the Child)
• Natalie Zea (Dirty Sexy Money, Boys Don't Cry)
• Chryssie Whitehead (A Chorus Line, Grey's Anatomy)
• Soara-Joye Ross (Les Misérables)
• James Stevenson (Passions)
• Meredith Patterson (42nd Street)
• Jason Mraz (Singer-songwriter)
• Lee Tergesen (Oz (TV series),Weird Science (TV series))
• Lee Tergesen
• Tiffany Engen (Legally Blonde (musical))

The American Musical and Dramatic Academy (AMDA), is a college conservatory for the performing arts located New York City, New York, and in Los Angeles, California. The school is a two-year, Certificate in Professional Performance- granting conservatory with stringent auditions for admittance. Beginning in the fall of 2008, AMDA Los Angeles will also be offering its own Bachelor of Fine Arts degree programs in both Musical Theatre and Acting.