Musical Theater Program: IESA arts&culture and Stage Entertainment France Join Forces
IESA arts&culture and Stage Entertainment France, producer of the musicals at the Mogador Theater, are joining forces to train the future professionals of musical theater. First outcome of this partnership: starting in March 2027, IESA will open a Company Manager specialization within its Musical Theater track of the Production Manager program.
Why a partnership dedicated to musical theater careers?
Musical theater requires specific professions, often little known and still little trained in France. To meet this need, Stage Entertainment France created the Stage Academy: professional training brought into the heart of production, as close to the stage as possible.
IESA arts&culture, a leading school for culture careers, is joining this initiative by contributing its teaching expertise in cultural production and by awarding a level 5 RNCP-certified title (RNCP42865). It contributes its training expertise in production roles and awards an RNCP-certified title. Stage Entertainment France brings to this partnership more than twenty years of experience in creating and producing musicals.
The Stage Academy: Seven Tracks for Musical Theater Careers
The Stage Academy brings together seven training tracks, each devoted to a musical theater career:
- Company Manager, the track developed with IESA arts&culture;
- Stage Manager;
- the Open Class, run with Cours Florent;
- the Lion King School;
- stagehand training;
- front-of-house careers;
- makeup, coming soon.
Stage Entertainment France, producer of musicals at the Mogador Theater
Since 2005, Stage Entertainment France has brought musical theater to life at the Mogador Theater by producing shows in French with orchestra, presented in long-running engagements.
A few key figures:
- 6.5 million spectators welcomed in 20 years;
- 5,600 performances in 20 years, and 350 to 400 each year;
- 71% average occupancy rate over 20 years;
- 350 employees in 2026, including 300 freelance performing arts workers;
- 7 Molières won.
The Musical Theater Market in France, in Full Growth
Musical theater drew 6.8 million spectators in France in 2025, 26% more than in 2024. The number of musicals on stage has quadrupled since 2016. The genre has become the 4th favorite type of show among the French, after concerts, comedy and theater.
The audience is young: 47% of theater spectators are under 35. Between major imported titles and French creations, the offering is multiplying. More shows means more troupes to manage, and therefore a growing need for trained professionals.
Sources: Médiamétrie for ASTP 2025, Ministry of Culture 2024, Ekhoscènes barometer and Toluna Harris Interactive 2025.
What the Partnership Brings to Students
IESA arts&culture and Stage Entertainment France are jointly committed to training the future company managers.
In this context, Stage Entertainment France contributes directly to the training path:
- Stage professionals teach within the courses and take part in evaluation juries;
- learners benefit from a 7-hour immersion in the heart of a production at the Mogador Theater;
- the class gains access to a privileged network of musical theater professionals, fostering exchanges, internship opportunities and career entry.
Program, admission, schedule: find the details in our article Becoming a Company Manager in Musical Theater. More content will follow, including a filmed round table at Stage and portraits of the people behind the project.
Frequently Asked Questions
What Is the Stage Academy?
It is the professional training program created by Stage Entertainment France for musical theater careers. It includes seven tracks, including the company manager track run with IESA arts&culture.
When Does the Company Manager Program Begin?
The first class starts in March 2027, for four months of training through June 2027.
Where Does the Program Take Place?
On the IESA arts&culture Le Delta campus, 16 rue Claude Bernard in Paris 5th, and at partner cultural venues.
Meet Us at the Open Day
Come discover the program at the IESA arts&culture Open Day, on November 7 from 13:00 to 17:00.