Musical Improv 3 takes all the skills mastered in levels 1 and 2 and puts them into practice in the form of a fully improvised rock opera. This class is about unleashing the big emotional and musical choices of rock opera, learning how to craft songs rooted in angst, love, anger, sadness and joy.

Throughout this class, we’ll explore the different elements within a RENT-inspired rock opera form, including opening and closing numbers; establishing factions; revolution numbers, chaos sequences and lovers duets. We’ll also unlock the unique musicality of rock opera, including recitative, recurring motifs and complex layered fugueing. And we’ll incorporate many of the popular music styles and genre tropes covered in level 2, including rock, blues, country, pop and freestyle rap.

Each week, students will also work their scenic improv muscles as they learn the art of “earning” a song–making choices within scenes that will help lead to satisfying songs we’re excited to sing. Earning songs is a core skill for any musical improviser’s toolbelt and essential for longform musical improv.

The class culminates with a performance of a complete improvised rock opera, giving students the chance to throw on some eye-shadow, tap into their angstiest vibes and rock out.

All students enrolling in this class must have completed Musical Improv 1 and 2 at All Out Comedy, as we will be working with specific skills and concepts from those courses that are not commonly taught at other theaters in the bay area.

Details

Dates: Thursdays, 7:00pm-9:30pm, May 2-June 20

Requirements: Musical Improv 2 at All Out Comedy Theater

Location: All Out Comedy Theater, 2550 Telegraph Avenue, Oakland CA 94612

Registration: $344

The Instructor: Jed Levine

Jed is an All Out Comedy main stage cast member with nearly a decade of experience as a musical improviser, coach and teacher. He is a graduate of the Second City Musical Improv Conservatory in Chicago and is an alumni of the critically-acclaimed musical improv company Baby Wants Candy. Jed is currently a guest player for improvised musicals at BATS Improv and teaches musical improv at Leela in San Francisco where he also coaches the musical improv team Noteworthy.

The Musical Director: Jared Hauser

Jared has spent the past 10 years in Seattle, fronting several local rock bands as singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist. Blending his love of late-60s psychedelia with mid-70s jangle-rock, Jared has graced stages around the Northwest and beyond. Recently, Jared relocated to California, setting up his home base in the east bay. Jared’s instruments include: guitar, piano, mandolin, lap steel, sitar, melodica, autoharp, and many more. As a rule of thumb, if it has strings and frets Jared can probably jam on it.