A section for any performance that combines singing, dancing and acting, from a cabaret-style number or a Broadway extract to a vocal ensemble piece or an experimental musical play, entered by individuals in three school-age categories.
Music theatre is the section of South Africa’s national eisteddfod for performances that need three skills at once: singing, dancing and acting. It is Part 12 of the festival’s prospectus, and the festival’s public definition is short and broad. Any performance that involves singing, dancing and acting belongs here, and the examples it gives are a cabaret-style production, vocal ensemble productions (including the “serenade” and “glee” styles), extracts from Broadway musicals, musical theatre productions and experimental musical plays. The full rules are released only to registered users, so this page describes the section from that public definition and leaves the fine print, such as time limits and programme rules, to the entry notice you write.
What makes it different from a song section is that the song is only one third of the picture. A singer in the vocal section is judged on how the song sounds. A music theatre entrant has to sing the same song while moving to it and playing a character, and the three have to feel like one performance rather than a song with some gestures added. A typical entry is a song from a stage musical, performed with the staging, movement and facial expression that tell the audience who is singing and why. A cabaret number leans on personality and direct contact with the room; a Broadway extract leans on character and story; an experimental piece may bend the rules entirely, which is why the festival’s definition names it separately.
A round is one short live performance in front of an adjudicator, who gives spoken and written feedback. The festival describes itself as a non-competitive, developmental platform, so entrants are not ranked against each other. Each performance is rated against the level expected at that stage of learning and translated into a Diploma, Gold, Silver or Bronze award, with a Junior Diploma for Grades 0 to 3. On eTalenter the item is a single Individual item, open to both genders, offered in three categories: Entry Level (Grades 0 to 3), Junior (Grades 4 to 7) and Senior (Grade 8 and above), in English. It is scored out of 100 on a working scale and sets no time limit, because the festival’s public pages publish neither a limit nor a marks scheme for this section.
Organisers add a music theatre section because it gives a home to the children who love the stage but do not fit a single-skill class: the dancer who also sings, the actor who can hold a tune, the choir member who wants a solo with some drama in it. It asks for a little more of the venue than a song class, since the performer needs room to move, a way to play a backing track or live accompaniment, and a stage rather than a corner of the hall, but it needs no sets or costume changes. If you want groups or duets as well as soloists, say so in your entry notice, since the template carries one Individual item.
Where Music – Music Theatre is run
On eTalenter this item appears in one template, the one modelled on South Africa’s national eisteddfod, where it runs in all three entry categories. The three skills, the three categories and the feedback-first awards are that festival’s own. Other festivals around the world run musical theatre as its own class too, often split by age, by solo or ensemble, or by style, so use this page as a description of one festival’s section and write your own rules into the entry notice.
- South Africa
Key facts
- An Individual item in the template, open to both genders, in English, offered in the Entry Level (Grades 0 to 3), Junior (Grades 4 to 7) and Senior (Grade 8 and above) categories
- The festival’s public definition: any performance that involves singing, dancing and acting, including cabaret-style productions, vocal ensemble pieces (“serenade” and “glee”), Broadway musical extracts, musical theatre productions and experimental musical plays
- The festival rates each performance against the level expected at that stage rather than ranking entrants; awards are Diploma, Gold, Silver and Bronze, with a Junior Diploma for Grades 0 to 3
- The template scores out of 100 on a working scale and sets no time limit; programme length, accompaniment and costume rules are in the registration-gated prospectus, so state them in your entry notice
- All three skills count: a strong voice with no movement or character is only part of the item
- Idea, not a rule: ask each entrant to name the show or style of the piece on the entry form, so the adjudicator knows the story before the first note
On eTalenter, Music – Music Theatre is filed under On Stage and typically scored with Marks. It appears in 1 ready-made event templates — each one can adjust its time limit, age-group assignment and scoring setup independently.
Across the templates that use it, Music – Music Theatre is most often entered as an Individual competition, typically scored out of 100.
What judges look at in Music – Music Theatre
What a Music – Music Theatre panel is actually weighing up, and where the marks are usually won or lost:
- Singing: secure pitch, a steady tempo with the accompaniment, clear words and a voice that is not strained by the dancing or the acting
- Acting and character: the audience should know who is singing and what they want from the first line, with the song treated as the character’s speech rather than a recital
- Movement and staging: steps and gestures that suit the song and the performer’s grade, used to tell the story and not to fill the gaps between lines
- Putting the three together: the performance should feel like one piece, with breathing, movement and acting working together rather than the singer stopping to dance or the dancer stopping to sing
- Choice of material: a song and style that fits the performer’s age, voice and ability, played with confidence, scores better than a showpiece that is too big for the performer
- Stage presence and finish: a clear entrance and first moment, energy held to the end, and a definite ending that is held before the performer relaxes
Treat these as the judging focus, not a fixed rubric: publish your own weighted criteria for Music – Music Theatre under Scoring Setup, or start from song competition judging criteria.
How to prepare for Music – Music Theatre
How entrants and their teachers usually get Music – Music Theatre right on the day:
- Choose the song first, then the character: read the lyrics aloud as speech, decide who is speaking and to whom, and write one sentence about what the character wants
- Learn the song so well that the voice is automatic, then add the movement in small stages: first only the gestures, then the steps, then both together at full tempo
- Keep the choreography to what the performer can do while singing a full line; if the breath runs out at the same point in the same step on every run-through, simplify that step
- Rehearse on a space the size of the stage, marking where the performer starts, where each big moment happens and where the performance ends, and use the same backing track or accompanist each time
- Record a run-through every week and watch it with the sound off to see whether the story still reads, then with the sound only to hear whether the singing held up
- Sort the practicalities before the day: a clean backing track or a rehearsed accompanist, a simple costume or prop that can be put on in seconds, and shoes that are safe to dance in
- Rehearse the whole performance from the walk on to the walk off, including the first moment before the music and the stillness after the last note
- After the day, read the written comment together and choose one of the three skills to improve first, whichever the comments return to most often
Ready-made event templates that include Music – Music Theatre
Open any template to preview it in eTalenter and install it as a live, editable event.
| Template | Category | Score label | Competitions |
|---|---|---|---|
| National Eisteddfod of South Africa (NEA) | On Stage | Marks | 3 |
Frequently asked questions
Is Music – Music Theatre judged individually or as a team?
Across eTalenter’s templates it’s most often run as an Individual entry, though an organiser can set either participation type when assigning the item to an age group.
What is the difference between Music – Music Theatre and Music – Vocal?
The vocal section is judged mainly on the singing. Music theatre is for performances that also involve dancing and acting, so the song is delivered with movement and a character. A singer who stands and sings should enter the vocal section; a performer who stages the song as a scene should enter music theatre.
What kind of material can be entered?
The festival’s public definition lists cabaret-style productions, vocal ensemble productions (including “serenade” and “glee”), extracts from Broadway musicals, musical theatre productions and experimental musical plays. Anything that combines singing, dancing and acting fits the idea. The prospectus carries the detailed rules, so write your own limits into the entry notice.
Does it have to be a full show?
No. An extract or a single number is the usual entry, as the festival’s “extracts from Broadway musicals” example shows. The festival’s public pages give no length for this section, so set a time limit in your entry notice and use the warning bell setting in eTalenter if you want a cue before it.
Will the adjudicator rank the performers and announce a winner?
Under the festival’s own approach, no. Performers are not compared with each other; each performance is rated against the level expected for that stage and the adjudicator gives feedback. If your event wants placings, use the 100-mark scale on eTalenter and say so in your notice.
Can a performer use a backing track?
The festival’s public pages do not state a rule for this section. Decide it in your entry notice and say whether you supply a sound system and an operator, and whether live accompaniment is allowed.
Want the full judging picture? Read song competition judging criteria, or browse every on stage competition item.
Try Music – Music Theatre in eTalenter
See every ready-made template that runs Music – Music Theatre, and install one as a live event — age groups, rules and scoring included.
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