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Musical Improv Level 4: Cinema Studies

Musical Improv Level 4: Cinema Studies with Frank Spitznagel and Nikita Burdein

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Check below to see the full schedule for each session, see if your class skips a week for a holiday, and check out the date and time of your class show(s).

Class Description

This course is for people who like movies but also love Musical Improv! Students will build on their previous training where they learned to improvise musicals and build a narrative. This advanced training will focus on performing more cinematic, genre-driven musicals. Inspired by the Movie form, students will work within Hollywood genres to create characters, plot points, special effects and stage pictures. And then for the best part -- this class will culminate in a 4-week run of class shows. Prerequisite: Musical Improv Level Three.

Application Deadline: noon on 6/13
Notification Date: 6/20

Instructor: Frank Spitznagel

Frank Spitznagel is the Musical Director at Magnet Theater and a piano accompanist who frequently plays for such improv groups as I Eat Pandas, Veal, The Made-Up Musical, Gusto, and many others. He is a graduate of the Boston Conservatory of Music, where he studied piano performance. His work can be heard on several studio recordings. Frank has composed for Comedy Central and the Aspen Comedy Festival. He accompanied Itzhak Perlman in an original jazz composition by Benny Golson at Lincoln Center. He also played the American premiere of The Hired Man Off-Broadway. He has been musical director for productions such as Nunsense (all incarnations), A Chorus Line, Chicago City Limits, and several original musicals.

Instructor: Nikita Burdein

Born in Ukraine, raised in Chicago, and now in NYC, Nikita is an improviser, video producer, theater maker, and other multi-hyphenate (son, brother, friend, etc.)

He trained at the Magnet Theater and Upright Citizens Brigade Theater before becoming a house performer at both theaters and a teacher at the Magnet of Musical Improv. He can be seen Fridays at the Magnet Theater's Premiere: the Improvised Musical (the longest running weekly Musical Improv show in NYC!) Nikita can also be seen at the UCB Theater on Harold Night with this team, The Prophecy. He also performs regularly with Baby Wants Candy, Shamilton, and with Shitzprobe, with monthly shows all around NYC.

Full Session Schedule

Session Schedule*

  1. Jun 29, 2024, 1:00pm - 3:00pm
    at Ripley Grier (520 8th Ave, 16th fl)
    (btw 36th & 37th Sts)
  2. Jul 13, 2024, 1:00pm - 3:00pm
    at Ripley Grier (520 8th Ave, 16th fl)
    (btw 36th & 37th Sts)
  3. Jul 20, 2024, 1:00pm - 3:00pm
    at Ripley Grier (520 8th Ave, 16th fl)
    (btw 36th & 37th Sts)
  4. Jul 27, 2024, 1:00pm - 3:00pm
    at Ripley Grier (520 8th Ave, 16th fl)
    (btw 36th & 37th Sts)
  5. Aug 3, 2024, 1:00pm - 3:00pm
    at Ripley Grier (520 8th Ave, 16th fl)
    (btw 36th & 37th Sts)
  6. Aug 10, 2024, 1:00pm - 3:00pm
    at Ripley Grier (520 8th Ave, 16th fl)
    (btw 36th & 37th Sts)
  7. Aug 17, 2024, 1:00pm - 3:00pm
    at Magnet Theater
    (254 W. 29th Street)
  8. Aug 24, 2024, 1:00pm - 3:00pm
    at Magnet Theater
    (254 W. 29th Street)

Show Schedule*

  1. Aug 17, 2024, 4:30 PM
    at Magnet Theater
    (254 W. 29th Street)
  2. Aug 24, 2024, 6:00 PM
    at Magnet Theater
    (254 W. 29th Street)
  3. Aug 27, 2024, 7:00 PM
    at Magnet Theater
    (254 W. 29th Street)
  4. Sep 7, 2024, 4:30 PM
    at Magnet Theater
    (254 W. 29th Street)
    5. *scheduling subject to change