Musical theatre nationally may be struggling, but at Tulane University, Laura London Waringer is working to revitalize the art form. As coordinator of the musical theatre concentration, Waringer wants to better prepare students for an evolving entertainment industry. Her teaching is informed by her Ph.D. dissertation on musical theatre training.
Waringer joined the Tulane faculty in 2024, stepping into a role that had been without permanent leadership for several years. Before coming to Tulane, she spent five years at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte, where she founded the school’s musical theatre program.
“There is a lot that the training here in America does really well, and I think there are ways that the training can be serving young artists a little bit better in accordance with the changes to the professional industry,” Waringer said.
With the rise of social media and other technologies, Waringer said she believes the definition of success in musical theatre is evolving.
“Technology has democratized everything. People can just get famous from their stuff on TikTok and Instagram and be discovered that way,” Waringer said. “One of my big beliefs about fine arts training in general is that we need to be equipping students with transferable skills that’s not solely focused on the acting, singing, and dancing.”
In her upcoming book “Triple Threat: A Study of American Musical Theatre Training,” Waringer argues that students need to be learning more than just the artistry, like advocacy and entrepreneurship.
Whether acting, singing or dancing, Waringer said it is important artists can advocate “for yourself as an artist and [work] toward a more just and equitable industry.” It is about “learning how to be your own business.”
At Tulane, Waringer’s first step to improve the musical theatre program was to update the curriculum. She aimed for a conservatory-style structure while still allowing space for students to double major — something she considers integral to Tulane’s identity as a university.
Waringer also said she prioritizes connecting students with both national industry networks and the local New Orleans arts community. “If you can get young artists connected with people in the industry as soon as possible and they can start building those relationships, that’s a big part of the industry.”
Waringer is also working to bridge the gap between the theatre major and the musical theatre concentration within the BFA in music. She has brought more theatre courses into the curriculum and is producing “Little Women” with the theatre department — her first mainstage show at Tulane, running April 15 to 20.
Strengthening the program also means raising selectivity. This year, due to increased interest, Waringer launched a pilot admissions process where prospective students auditioned for the musical theatre program after gaining academic admission to Tulane. The musical theatre program will now host auditions every fall for existing Tulane students interested in the program as well.
Waringer said recruitment matters because it helps students “know that they have a place here… it’s a legitimate program that can support both their artistic and academic goals.”
Beyond rebuilding the BFA, Waringer is working to revive the long-dormant MFA program. She is restructuring the curriculum and hopes to relaunch it by 2027 as an MFA in musical theatre collaboration. This prospective program would provide graduate students with the opportunity to create original musicals — projects that will include opportunities for undergraduates to participate as well.
“Live theatre is something that can never be replicated … It will never be the same performance twice in a row because it’s live and that is sort of the magic of theatre,” Waringer said. “Specifically musical theatre … communicates what the spoken word can’t.”