Bridgetown Conservatory of Musical Theatre
Triple-Threat Musical Theatre Training from Musical Theatre Professionals! Become Your Potential!
what is bridgetown conservatory?
COLLEGE PREP
TRIPLE-THREAT TRAINING
TRIPLE-THREAT TRAINING
GET ACCEPTED.
Training and tools for graduating high school seniors,
targeted at successful
COLLEGE MUSICAL THEATRE AUDITION SUCCESS!
Our students receive offers!
TRIPLE-THREAT TRAINING
TRIPLE-THREAT TRAINING
TRIPLE-THREAT TRAINING
The Ultimate in Triple-Threat professional musical theatre training. Taught by industry professionals (Broadway, Off-Broadway, National Tours, and more).
DANCE, ACTING and VOCAL PERFORMANCE.
PERFORMANCES
TRIPLE-THREAT TRAINING
PERFORMANCES
A season of musicals and performances focused on young performers portraying young characters -- not "junior" productions of established adult musicals.
(Casting defers to Bridgetown students when possible.)
RENTALS
TRIPLE-THREAT TRAINING
PERFORMANCES
Bridgetown Conservatory is located in the heart of Portland, on the ground level of The Tiffany Center, a landmark building built in 1929 by the Neighbors of Woodcraft.
We offer hourly/daily/weekly/monthly rentals of our:
Black Box Theatre . Rehearsal/Practice Rooms . Beall Dance Studio . and more.
how did bridgetown come to be?
The history of Bridgetown's Triple-threat training program
Bridgetown Conservatory of Musical Theatre was launched in 2017 to fill a need that became obvious in the private vocal studio of Rick Lewis, the resident music director for Portland Center Stage. In 1993 Rick moved to Portland, after 15 years of working professionally in New York City, as a music director/pianist/arranger. His credits include numerous Off-Broadway and cabaret performances (music director and pianist), SUNDAY IN THE PARK WITH GEORGE (pre-Broadway workshop with Sondheim and Lapine), casting pianist; THE LIFE (pre-Broadway workshop with Cy Coleman) - assistant music director/vocal director; THE BEST OF DISNEY (Disney Live Theatrical), Macy*s Thanksgiving Parade, American Hawaii Cruises, American Classic Voyages cruise lines, and writer/arranger of the hit Off-Broadway musical THE TAFFETAS and more.
Around 2011, graduating high school students from various Portland musical theater programs sought the help and guidance of Rick Lewis to gain entrance into college musical theater programs. It was an eye-opening experience for Rick. These students had no book (a collection of the musical repertoire for auditions), no monologues that suited them and were clueless as to the direction to take to get accepted! These are the basics that any musical theater student should have in hand.
After recovering from a stroke in 2016, Rick knew it was time to launch a musical theater program that would provide young performers with the tool set needed to follow their dreams. During his stroke rehabilitation, Rick began developing the ideas for Bridgetown Conservatory of Musical Theatre. It would be a school for students aged 12 to 19, focusing on all three elements of “triple-threat” performance: Acting, Dance and Vocal Performance. It was the FIRST professional triple-threat program for young performers in the Portland area. Instructors all came with Broadway and National Tour credits.
In 2016, Bridgetown Conservatory presented its first Broadway musical theater vocal performance workshop with Broadway star, Shoshana Bean. It was a packed house. In 2017, Bridgetown opened its doors on the first term of full triple-threat training. In 2021 Bridgetown created a triple-threat program focused on adults. The same program for teens, but with adults in mind. The adult triple-threat class is open to adults ages 20 and up.
Hundreds of young performers have trained with Bridgetown Conservatory over the past several years. It is generally considered that 33% of all students auditioning for college musical theater programs gain entrance into those programs. Bridgetown has a proven 95% acceptance rate to top tier college musical theater programs around the world; most of our students receive 3 to 7 offers from college MT programs.
Bridgetown has helped over 80 graduating high school students gain entrance into top tier college musical theater programs around the world, such as:
AMDA
Boston Conservatory
Chapman University
Five Towns College
Harvard
Kenyon College
Manhattan School of Music
Marymount Manhattan
Molloy College/CAP21
Nazareth University
Northern Arizona University
NYU Steinhardt
NYU Tisch
Oklahoma City University
Pace University
Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts (London)
Royal Central School of Speech and Drama
Royal Conservatoire of Scotland
SCU
SMU
Stanford University
UCLA
University of Arizona
University of Evansville
University of San Francisco
and more!
Musical theater productions and performances became an additional facet of Bridgetown during 2024. A full season of musicals was presented, beginning with the world premiere of Ludlow Ladd: the Poor Little Orphan Boy - a reworked version of the 1979 Off-Broadway operetta spoof (December 2023). The 2024 season was sprinkled with musical revues such as Rodgers and Hammerstein II’s A GRAND NIGHT FOR SINGING, the SONDHEIM TRIBUTE REVUE and Pasek and Paul’s DOGFIGHT, a successful sold-out venture for Bridgetown! A TASTE OF BROADWAY, a 5-day triple-threat workshop with working Broadway professionals launched in August 2024.
Salem, Oregon presented itself as Bridgetown’s latest venture. With the dissolution of Enlightened Theatrics in February 2024, Bridgetown was invited to “fill the education and performance void” left by the Enlightened departure. After a summer of monthly workshops focusing on aspects of triple-threat performance, Bridgetown launched the Salem Bridgetown Conservatory of Musical Theatre in September 2024. Triple-threat training for teens (ages 12-19) and adults (20+) are almost to capacity. Salem will receive its first Bridgetown musical theater production in December with Rick Lewis’ holiday revue, G.I. HOLIDAY JUKEBOX at the Verona Studio Theatre in the historic Reed Opera House.
During 2025, a series of classes and musical theater productions are in the works for both Portland and Salem. Salem classes mirror the schedule and format of the Portland triple-threat training. Musical theater productions run one week in Portland and another week in Salem, and vice-versa.
With Bridgetown’s motto of “Become Your Potential,” we are excited to face the future and see what comes our way! What’s next?
Who knows. But we’re ready!
Rick Lewis, Founder of Bridgetown Conservatory of Musical Theatre
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