How Are Musicals Made?

From the same website as the last post there is an article on how Broadway shows were inspired and created. This is actually really interesting because, well, I was wondering how people come up with those stories, yeah? For some people it just comes to them (J.K. Rowling and her train) but apparently in the musical industry nothing actually gets written until a contract is signed and a commitment is made, which financially makes sense, I suppose. But either a producer gets an idea for a show and gets a creative team to expand on it, or a creative team will come up with an idea and find a producer to support it. Jon Kenrick then here gives examples of musicals that came into being and how so. Some producers came up with an idea and brought it to Broadway, sometimes performers had ideas that they pitched to producers. And then there's the traditional ideas that come from writers, composers, and directors.

But then, once you have the story, how do you get it onto the stage? No producer ever gambles millions backing new projects by unproven talents, but even well established names have trouble getting their creations staged. It takes years nowadays for a project to be finished to the point where it will be produced into something profitable, and then the odds are stacked very high against new projects coming to fruition.  John Kenrick pulls from his own experience as assistant to several Broadway producers, writing 'gently worded' rejection letters and seeing the vast majority get nowhere, although apparently it is fair, since the majority were terrible.

So what then does one do to get a musical in the works to work? Put it in a workshop, which can vary from a fully equipped theatre for full scale productions to a dusty rehearsal hall produced by the writers themselves. Workshops are used to build the creative team; directors might have colleagues to work with them on a regular basis that they'd like to use, but as the musical develops, so does the staff. That oft heard excuse of 'artistic differences' for cause of leaving is in fact often true, because if the team cannot get along the friction will hinder the process. They can also cast known actors or unknowns, known actors preventing them from having to train and deal with uncertain actors. Then Mr. Kenrick goes on and explains more ways that workshops get staged and how they benefit the production, so on and on.

Well it's interesting to see how these things are made. A musical might be the brain child of one person, but it takes a whole team to bring it about into something workable, because it seems that when just one person comes up with a potential musical, and submits it to a producer, chances are it's just not doable yet (or just really bad) because one person can only contribute so much. I don't think I really understood just how much effort and work and resources go into a musical. Seems to be a lot.
1) Do you think having so many ideas rejected by producers hurts a lot of potential chances for good, even great musicals?



Kenrick, J. (2000). Making a broadway musical. Retrieved from http://www.musicals101.com/make2.htm

A Rose by Any Other Name

-does not smell as sweet when you're busy scowling and being grumpy. It seems I find articles with information, only to later find pages that summarize it in simpler words that make more sense. It seems life is conspiring to keep my inference skills up to date, or whatever. Thank you, life, and kindly go take you care elsewhere.
Though I'm pretty sure I've covered most of what is in this page by John Kenrick, some things are worded differently, giving them a new spin, and others are new altogether.

He starts with the definition of musical theatre, which refers to a production using pop-style songs, dialogue optional (I thought dialogue was required...), to tell a story (book musicals) or showcase the talent in the cast or writers. They go by many names, too, too many to list here again, but enough to demonstrate how wide the variety reaches and how far their history extends.

So whereas I've been reliably informed previously that a musical consists of three things, being the book, music, and lyrics, Mr. Kenrick instead says a musical has three things, being brains, heart and courage.

Excuse me, Mr. Kenrick. Were you talking about a knight, or something else, perhaps?

He further elaborates that brains means 'intelligence and style', heart is 'genuine and believable emotion', and courage is the 'guts to do something creative'. It does indeed sound like the makings of a musical. Never mind.

Now apparently the ancient Greeks performed musicals as well. I knew they performed plays, but musicals? They incorporated song and dance, apparently, as early as 5th Century B.C. Some playwrights like Aeschylus and Sophocles made their own, but others might have used existing songs. They incorporated anything, really, to 'entertain the masses'. Jugglers, acrobats? Political and social satire and not unlike today, sexual humour.
The Romans of course copied them, like they did with many things, and then expanded further upon it. Whatever points they lost for copying the Greeks they made up by coming up with the first tap shoes, little metal chips called 'sabilla' that attacked to their footwear. The 3rd Century B.C. comedies by Plautus had orchestral accompaniments to their song and dance. And though they lacked the open air amphitheaters of the Greeks, instead performing in enclosed wooden structures, they 'stressed spectacle and special effects', which modern theatre echoes.

These musicals didn't really affect how modern musicals came into being, but rather just prove how long they've been around.

Fast forward, oh look, you're in the Middle Ages now, where some troupes travel to perform their light hearted comedy. 12th and 13th centuries there were religious dramas. In the Renaissance clowns were introduced to theatre, becoming stock characters, personas that were used in Western stage for centuries.

And them something I have heard about, the question of whether musicals are descended from operas. Seems strange, almost, considering one evokes majestic halls of grandeur and vibrating voices powerful enough to shatter glass, and the other bright flirty dances set to upbeat pop music. According to Mr. Kenrick, "contemporary musical theatre and film are not direct descendants of grand opera." Opera does come from classical theatre, though. Due to being part of the musical movement that occurred in the 1800s and 1900s, it did leave an impression in the musicals that would follow. Operas themselves were created when the Renaissance Italians tried to copy the Greeks, mistakenly thinking they were 'sung through', which would make operas the descendants of musicals, then!




And so, in analysis, I'm not really sure what there is to analyze. It's... pretty self explanatory... Although it seems people tend to repeat themselves throughout history... nice to know even back then they enjoyed sexual humour. That was sarcasm. But it's interesting to hear another's take on what constitutes a musical, and how it came to be (a nice abridged version). Considering they didn't have the technology modern day society has, they seemed to be pretty good at working their way around these handicaps. Of course, that was to lead into what has become modern forms of dance and theatre, but. So perhaps...


1) If possible, what kinds of workarounds could be created for things taken for granted, or necessary, even! Maybe having things so readily to us has made our minds lazy, so why not try to come up with ways to do things simply?
2) I had another question, but it's not coming to me. I'll come back to this later.
3) Do you think the author is right when he says what he says about operas and musicals and the like and what descends from what? I wouldn't know, and should probably look it up (is it even relevant?), but it sounded kinda... nevermind.
4) Greeks or Romans.


Kenrick, J. (Between, 1996 and 2003 sometime). A history of the musical: What is a musical?. Retrieved from http://www.musicals101.com/musical.htm

Web Resource - Peter and the Starcatchers

In my efforts to find something about what makes musicals musicals that hasn't been rehashed probably at least twice by me, I defaulted to the NYTimes paper. Little bit sad, yes, but there's interesting stuff on there. Here I happened across of a review of Peter and the Starcatchers, based on a book which I read many, many moons ago, and so I was intrigued. (Let me note, I have a horrible memory and pretty much forget everything in my life if it was not some huge event, so I do not really recall the plot, just vague elements of the story.)

Based on the book by Ridley Pearson and Dave Barry, adapted by Ricke Elice, it is the story of how one angst-riddled Boy (which is what he was called since he had no name) became the Peter Pan of J.M. Barrie's legend, as well as 'an enchanted anatomy of the primal human urge to defy gravity'. 

The review first comments on the airborne aspect of the musical, and while having someone suspended in midair is not a new thing, the crew of Peter and the Starcatchers do it without all the modern mechanics, and look even more confortable doing it. In fact, they have about the span of equipment that you might find in a theatre 150 years ago.

There are some anachronisms where 21st century locutions (read: speech style, phrases or idioms) are used but it holds the effect of a steampunk theatre, the Brooks Atkinson proscenium decked up to resemble something Victorian. It brings the simplistic 'and perhaps fuller magic wrought by its artistic ancestors. This does not make the story telling distant or weak, though, for all it is a 'cozy bedtime story', with ocean voyages and shipwrecks, mermaids and orphans. And yes, being about adolescent boys means there is the puns and flatulence jokes that are eye rolling and groan inducing. 'But there's infectious art in how these cast members convey the primal joy we take in such idiocy.' 

The actors have a level of synchronicity 'associated with master ballet troupes' as they take turns 'delivering the narrative'. It requires some selflessness but they do get their chances to swing into the spotlight. Each cast member gets a turn to bring the humour from low to high, keeping it silly as a story about flying boys should. 

So in analysis, it brought to life a children's story for everyone, it seems, while keeping it simplistic and childishly enjoyable. In a world that's growing up very fast (depending on your version of growing up), I happen to feel that's something everybody needs. A musical provides entertainment and escape into different worlds for the audience, and allows them to be someone else, somewhere else for a moment. It doesn't just have to be a form of escape, though, often times they do address serious issues.

1) How do musicals affect people? Emotionally, with compelling stories, probably, right? No?

Brantley, B. (2012, April 16). Effortless flights of fancy.The New York Times. Retrieved from http://theater.nytimes.com/2012/04/16/theater/reviews/peter-and-the-starcatcher-with-christian-borle.html

Podcast (audio broadcast) - Idina Menzel Interview

So for video or audio resource I found some podcasts, or The UK's Independant Musical Theatre Podcast, to be specific.  I quite frankly didn't have the attention span required to sit through forty-ish minutes of interviews and specific musical talks from people I had no clue about anbout stuff, but one certain interview caught my attention, as it was something I actually knew a shred about: an interview with Idina Menzel, who performed in the musical Wicked, the movie Rent, and the television show Glee. As a bonus, it was half the time of the forty minute podcasts I was seeing.

She was asked about and talked about a variety of things, one being her famous role in the popular musical Wicked, and another being the movie Rent. In Rent she said she juggled with the naivete and first time feelings of the character, later having better technique but still trying to keep the freshness. When asked about whether or not she disliked singing the same songs over and over again she said she liked to find new nuances in them as a vocalist and interpreter, and so they never really got old. Professionalism came into play during an incident she recalled where she had to sing Defying Gravity...on the ground, because the machine that was supposed to lift her into the air wasn't working.  Glee is mentioned, also, and her role in it as well.

In addition to her career though, she discussed a summer camp for girls she helped create. In her own childhood she attended a sleep away camp that was a wonderful, beneficial experience. After realizing that not many girls were afforded the opportunity to attend summer camps, she provided about thirty city girls, aged eleven-ish the chance to hang out in the country for eight weeks with her and other professionals, who helped them put together their own musical, based on their experiences.

In analysis, theatre has provided Ms. Menzel with lots of opportunities, and the opportunity to give others opportunities. Her love for her craft is evident, and she does not seem an overly pretentious person even with all her talent, instead choosing to give back in a way she can. It provided a way to connect with a group of young girls whom she says probably didn't really know who she was, and help foster the growth of confidence that will lead to well balanced young adults.

So, how else can musical theatre provide ways to give back to the community? Are there opportunities it can provide that only theatre can provide? How else can engaging in theatre activities encourage the growth of individuals?

Hutson, N. (Performer) (n.d.). Idina menzel interview.Musical Talk. [Audio podcast]. Retrieved from http://www.musicaltalk.co.uk/