David Shamburger

Biography

David teaches in the Musical Theatre program within the School of Music at Belmont.  He holds a Master of Fine Arts in Musical Theatre from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas.  After spending some time in New York, David returned to teach in the Undergraduate and Graduate programs at UNLV.   After returning for a short stay in New York, his love for teaching drew him to the University System of Georgia where he taught Theatre at Middle Georgia College for five years while continuing to perform and direct in the region.   David left Georgia to become Director of Performance Studies in the Department of Theatre at Huntington University, Indiana where he eventually became Chair of the department.  Though his area of emphasis is Voice and Movement, he has a wide knowledge of performing and teaching Shakespeare and makes little distinction between the acting demands of the Musical and that of Classical Theatre.  

The acting and voice technique he teaches is based on the Linklater approach to freeing the voice along with influences from F. M. Alexander, Rudolph Laban, Constantine Stanislavsky, and the external method of Susanna Bloch's, Alba Emoting.  

David has been a resident member of the Granbury Opera House in Texas, the Horse Cave Repertory Theatre in Kentucky, Clinton Area Showboat Theatre (CAST) in Iowa, McLeod Summer Playhouse in Illinois, and Saint Michael's Playhouse in Vermont.  

Some of his favorite musical theatre experiences  include roles in  GYPSY, ANYTHING GOES, KISS ME KATE, FOREVER PLAID, 1940'S RADIO HOUR, DAMN YANKEES, CRAZY FOR YOU, MAN OF LAMANCHA, 110 IN THE SHADE, INTO THE WOODS, I DO! I DO!, and JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR.  David also enjoys teaching, performing and directing Shakespeare.  His experience includes KING JOHN, A MIDSUMMER NIGHT'S DREAM, JULIUS CAESAR, ROMEO AND JULIET, and AS YOU LIKE IT.  Other performance credits include THE CRUCIBLE, YOU CAN'T TAKE IT WITH YOU, NOISES OFF, WAIT UNTIL DARK, TARTUFFE, THE CHERRY ORCHARD. He was also in the original cast of AND THE ANGELS SING, A NEW MUSICAL REVIEW, which premiered at the Odessy Theatre in Los Angeles, CA. In New York City, David worked as a performer, director, and composer. His musical Compositions have been performed and heard in several plays and Caberets across the country.

David is happily married to Kristi Brannon-Shamburger and they have four beautiful children, twins, Emma Jo and Charles Aubrey, Abigail Olivia, and Wesley Matthias.  He attributes his career to mentors Jack Wann, Tim Fink, and Michael Lugering for their invaluable teaching and owes all of his successes to God and his relationship with Jesus Christ.