TEACHING STATEMENT:
“The best way to develop and strengthen your work is up on-your-feet. Insights, understanding and revelations come by doing, and it is important that every student get up and present their work each class ~ and twice when time allows. The focus of our practice is for you to expand your range and depth and to reveal what is unique about you as a singing~actor. Added to this is the intent to build a great book of songs from the musical theatre repertoire to have ready to go for your auditions.”
BIO:
Director, dramaturge and teacher, Robert McQueen, has worked across the United States, Canada and internationally.
On Broadway Robert was the Associate Director of MAMMA MIA and directed the US National, Las Vegas, Mexico City, Sao Paulo and Buenos Aires companies of the show. Robert was also the Resident Director on the National Tour of the Hal Prince and Susan Stroman production of SHOWBOAT.
Robert is the Director of New Musical Development for The Musical Stage Company; a Toronto based company who commission and develop new works from Canadian and American musical theatre writers.
This past season for Musical Stage Company Robert directed the premiere production of LIFE AFTER, which was pro-produced by Canadian Stage and for which he won the 2018 Dora Mavor Moore Award for Outstanding Direction of a Musical. Additionally, Robert directed the Musical Stage Company/Mirvish Productions co-production of FUN HOME, for which he was awarded the 2018 Toronto Theatre Critics Award for Outstanding Direction of a Musical. For Musical Stage Company Robert has also directed productions of THE LIGHT IN THE PIAZZA, CAROLINE, OR CHANGE, FALSETTOS, THE WILD PARTY as well as the company’s premiere productions of REFRAMED, 3 one act musicals inspired by paintings from the Art Gallery of Ontario collection and YOU ARE HERE; a new work by the writers Neil Bartram and Brian Hill (Broadway; THE STORY OF MY LIFE). Other recent theatre production includes directing THE MAN OF LA MANCHA for the Stratford Festival of Canada, FOREST BOY, for the New York Musical Festival, as well as regional productions of PAL JOEY, AS YOU LIKE IT, I AM MY OWN WIFE, THE CRADLE WILL ROCK and YOU CAN’T TAKE IT WITH YOU.
Internationally, Robert’s work includes direction and dramaturgy of a new music theatre piece entitled WHERE ELEPHANTS WEEP, which had it’s world premiere at the Chenla Theatre, Phnom Penh, Cambodia as well as directing a Tokyo based creative team and acting company in a Japanese language production of the Rogers and Hammerstein musical CAROUSEL at the Galaxy Theatre in Tokyo.
Recent opera productions include Vancouver Opera’s THE MAGIC FLUTE for which Robert served as director and dramaturge as well as creating the libretto adaptation. The project, developed over a three year period, was a collaboration between a 15 member creative team of Canadian Aboriginal and non-Native visual artists and theatre makers.
Robert’s opera production includes: CAPRICIO, for Pacific Opera, LA BOHEME for the Canadian Opera Company, TURANDOT and IL BARBIERE DI SIVIGLIA for Arizona Opera as well as Associate Direction on FAUST for Cincinnati Opera.
In addition to the development work Robert is doing with Musical Stage Company he has worked on new musicals and operas in both Canada and the US for companies including The O’Neill Centre, CAP21, Yonge Street Theatricals, Vancouver Opera and the Canadian Opera Company and Sheridan University’s Canadian Musical Theatre Project.
Robert has been invited to teach his master classes in both opera and theatre with Vancouver Opera, The Canadian Opera Company, Pacific Opera Victoria, Cincinnati Opera and at Capilano University, Vancouver, Studio 58 Langara College, Vancouver, The Shanghai Academy, ArteStudio and Teatro Mejor, Mexico City, Horipro Productions, Tokyo, Cambodia Living Arts, Phnom Penh and T4F, Buenos Aires Argentina.