Blake Whyte

Visiting Assistant Professor of Musical Theatre

Blake Whyte is beyond excited to be collaborating with the students, faculty and staff at Oakland University! 

Blake has played principal roles in the Broadway productions of hit shows, such as “Wicked” and “Mamma Mia!” He has had the pleasure of working for some of the great songwriters and storytellers of our time, including Tony and Pulitzer Prize winner Michael R. Jackson, Stephen Schwartz, Craig Carnelia, Rona Siddiqui, Liz Suggs, Julianne Wick Davis and Rachel Peters. He was also seen on the web series “Submissions Only” as Josh Clark. His solo show at New York’s legendary Joe’s Pub was NY-1’s Pick of the Week.

At New York University Steinhardt’s Songwriting Program, Blake was named Program Assistant. He spent two years co-directing the innovative Songwriting/Vocal Performance Collaborative Project. At NYU, he received a Diversity and Inclusion Award, a Distinguished Service Award to the Songwriting Program, and most recently, the Music and Performing Arts Professions Departmental Award for outstanding commitment, achievement and service to the program and community. 

He is a songwriter, film composer, arranger, orchestrator, producer and instrumentalist, who has worked in many diverse areas of music. He co-produced his debut album, More Like Myself, with Jeffrey Lee Campbell (Sting’s guitarist). His single release, Let Me Fly, sparked a collaboration with prolific mixer/engineer Adam Hawkins. And as an artist, Blake has toured all over the United States. A true lover of songwriting and theater communities, Blake was selected to participate in the Johnny Mercer Songwriters Project, the Banff Centre’s Music Residency, and a unique lyric intensive with Rosanne Cash at NYU. He is also the recipient of the ASCAP Plus Award. 

Starting August 2023, Blake was named Visiting Assistant Professor of Theatre - Musical Theatre at Oakland University. He has been a guest-teaching artist at Michigan State University, Interlochen Arts Camp, Denison University and Kalamazoo College. He holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Musical Theater from Syracuse University and a Masters of Songwriting from New York University.

Blake is an avid conservationist, and is currently writing a musical about the founding of Acadia National Park. He is also in the works of creating a ‘Baby Musical’ with his wife Deanna Whyte. He is excited to move to Rochester with his wife and their finest co-creations to-date, daughter Kya and son Haven.