Change of scenery: Martin exits stage left

New York, Boston, Oklahoma City, Phoenix and Carbondale, what’s a man to choose?

Michael Martin, senior from Florissant, Mo., is set to graduate in May and has been offered acceptance to multiple graduate musical theater performance programs.

“I have been accepted to the graduate musical theater performance programs at Oklahoma City University, Boston Conservatory, New York University, Arizona State University and Southern Illinois University Carbondale,” Martin said. “I am currently looking over the offers from each program. I have to make my final decision by April 15.”

Martin has been performing in stage productions since the age of 12.

“I was in my first stage production in the seventh grade,” Martin said. “I played Oliver Hix in ‘The Music Man.’”

Performing was something Martin loved to do in his free time. It was not until he was in high school when he realized what it is he really loved to do.

“I first started performing in choir in elementary school, and my love of music blossomed from there,” he said. “It wasn’t until my sophomore year of high school that I started to take performing seriously.”

Since then, Martin has been in 15 major theater productions including “The Nutcracker,” “Beauty and the Beast,” “Into the Woods,” “Grease” and “Oklahoma.” During is time at Murray State, he performed in 10 productions.

“My favorite role would have to be the baker in ‘Into The Woods’ by Stephen Sondheim here at Murray State,” Martin said. “If you love musical theater, you have to love Stephen Sondheim’s musicals. Personally, I love the complexity of his characters and music.”

Martin has been working at developing himself into a better actor and performer in hopes of one day landing his dream role.

“My dream role would be to play Coalhouse Walker in the musical ‘Ragtime,’” Martin said. “Coalhouse is a very prideful African American male who fights for what is right, no matter the consequence; I think that’s very admirable. Also, the music is fantastic.”

While musical performance is Martin’s absolute dream, he also would love to use his experience someday to teach others what he has learned throughout his career.

Currently, he is student teaching.

“Two years ago, I began teaching voice lessons to high school and middle school students in the community, and I have loved every minute of it,” Martin said. “While I love performing, and plan to make that my career after graduate school, I want to teach voice at the collegiate level someday.”

Martin says he’s excited to take the next steps in his musical theater career but wouldn’t be anywhere without the help of the music department at Murray State.

“While I’m excited to be moving on to this next step in my career, I’m sincerely going to miss this wonderful music department,” he said. “The voice faculty is amazing, and they really care for their students. Their unrelenting support and guidance has truly changed my life for the better, and I’m forever grateful.”

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Story by Savannah Sawyer, Assistant Features Editor.