About

The American Dramatic and Musical Academy is a thriving institution and community which includes thousands of prominent alumni in every field of the entertainment industry; among the many are Christopher Jackson (original cast of Hamilton on Broadway), Anthony Ramos (original cast of Hamilton on Broadway), Caissie Levy (currently originating the role of Elsa in Frozen on Broadway), Jason Derulo (Billboard Top 10 Singer/Songwriter), Jesse Tyler Ferguson (Modern Family on ABC), as well as industry titans Tyne Daly and Paul Sorvino.  

Established by renowned theatre director, producer, teacher, and Shakespeare scholar Philip Burton in 1964, the New York-based American Musical and Dramatic Academy's programs were based on the idea that actors, singers, and dancers would receive the right foundation in performing arts by attending an intensive conservatory  program with an integrated, multi-disciplinary curriculum that has helped to set the standard in professional level training.  

After Philip Burton's retirement, David Martin and Jan Martin took the reins as Co-Presidents, taking AMDA to national prominence as one of the nation’s premier performing arts institutions. Under their leadership, AMDA grew exponentially in both size and scope, developing innovative programs of study while achieving national accreditation with the National Association of Schools of Theatre (NAST).

In 2003, the American Musical and Dramatic Academy opened its Los Angeles campus as AMDA College and Conservatory of the Performing Arts in the center of Hollywood. This fulfilled the Martins’ long-term vision for the school to be rooted in the two entertainment capitals of the world. The Los Angeles campus now offers four Bachelor of Fine Arts programs and three Associates of Occupational Studies programs. One of AMDA’s exclusive opportunities for its more than 1400 students is the Artist’s Laboratory, which provides them with the opportunity to create and perform original content for stage, media, and film in a faculty-mentored setting. Another cutting-edge program created by AMDA that has received great reviews is the BFA in Dance Theatre, which is the only one of its kind focusing on a combination of theatre dance and dance for film and television.

The American Musical and Dramatic Academy continues to provide world-class performing arts training with programs in Acting, Music Theatre, Dance Theatre, and Performing Arts.  From the moment students arrive until the day they graduate, AMDA provides emerging artists with training to leave their alma mater as professionals, ready to work in today's competitive industry.