GREEN GALLY ROSE - New Musical

[chaplin]

Posted: 7/8/22 at 2:05pm

I could sure use some advice for getting my musical comedy Green Gally Rose in the hands of someone who can help/produce or guide me.

Green Gally Rose tells the story about the rise and fall of Rose: a saloon singer who nefariously “loses” her voice and job thanks to a bitter old rival and a young upstart singer. With a new love, Rose battles her way to get back on the stage to sing one last time with the help of the most unlikeliest of allies.

Green Gally Rose has elements of hope, envy, redemption, humor, regret, humility and love while telling a story through twenty-one songs.

I’ve sent dozens of emails to producers and theater companies, but it seems very difficult to get a response.

I know it’s a long shot but I love the songs and I am so proud of the work I want to share this with the community so any help will be greatly appreciated…thank you.

[chaplin]

Posted: 7/14/22 at 6:29pm

Is any attempt to have an original musical comedy produced just futile? It seems new musicals are based on either a famous personality or a movie or tv show.

[ljay889]

Posted: 7/20/22 at 9:41pm

Congratulations on your musical. Don’t give up. The trend seems to be personality driven musicals. I think there's always a  producer looking for something original. Hopefully someone, maybe on this board knows someone who will take a look and listen to your musical. Best of luck.

 

[HogansHero]

Posted: 7/20/22 at 9:58pm

Produced where? Where are you? Who are you? (not literally but generically)

It sounds like you are talking about Broadway. If so, and if I am correct you have not been produced before, you are aiming too high right now. Theatre gets made through relationships. Find a place you can build relationships. Become involved. Sending producers scripts by email is not how this happens. 

Tell us more and maybe we can help you more, but based on what you are saying, this is how I would suggest you proceed. Also, there are lots of plays that are not based on something. Don't carry that notion around on your shoulder; it's self-defeating. I guarantee if you were emailing about a tv or movie adaptation, you'd get the same tepid response.

Keep at it. Good luck.

[chaplin]

Posted: 7/20/22 at 11:36pm

Hey HogansHero,

First off, thank you for the response. You are correct, Green Gally Rose has not been produced. I’ve written 21 songs and I’ve written the script. I’ve also written a play, a comedy and have the same problem with getting any responses. Apparently, I’m not so good at creating relationships as you suggest.

I’m based in South Jersey. I’ve written songs for years along with screenplays…again with no luck. I’ve always loved writing and I wanted to test myself in writing for the stage.

I love this musical and I want to make a contribution to the arts but I see the odds are against me.

If you need any other information, please let me know because whatever I’m doing, I’m doing wrong. I really appreciate the words of encouragement. Thank you so much.

[HogansHero]

Posted: 7/21/22 at 12:36am

re creating relationships, I don't think I'd call it being bad at it, I think you need to network. Go meet people, go to meetups, go to seminars, go to theatres, make friends. You have enthusiasm, let it show. Hopefully others will give you some specific ideas, maybe pretty close to home. 

Remember, theatre is one of the few art forms that requires showing up. You can't make theatre digitally. That counts on the development side too.

Updated On: 7/21/22 at 12:36 AM

[chaplin]

Posted: 7/21/22 at 1:04am

“You can't make theatre digitally”…now that’s some sage advice.

Do you think South Jersey is so off the beaten path that the only way to get my foot in the door is being in New York?

I’ve read about musicals that are developed from basic concept to completion by theater companies who have faith in the project. That's been a dead end as well.

There are investors out there who would love to bring something new to Broadway. There’s an investment group (name escapes me) who I contacted, and as you can guess, no response.

That’s the frustrating part: no response. You’d think there would be someone out there who would be interested enough to at least read the script or take a look at the sheet music.

The funny thing is of the few replies I’ve gotten, two were from London companies who were very sympathetic while telling me they already have projects in development.

Again, I can’t tell you how I appreciate you taking time to help.

[Fan123]

Posted: 7/21/22 at 6:40am

I'm certainly no expert, but from casual observation it seems that a lot of creators who break through and get major companies interested in their work, have already established themselves in a smaller/less prestigious part of the scene, such as regional or indie theatre, often having established relationships with other ambitious up-and-comers at a similar level to themselves. If one person from their particular niche 'rises', they may bring others along with them.

For example, if you developed relationships with some ambitious but less-established performers, some might be interested in recording demos of your songs (for a reasonable fee). You would both get something out of it: them, a job and the opportunity to premiere a song; and you, a demo track that you can use to publicise your work on social media or wherever else. In the future, if you ever do get that mainstream interest in your show, you might be able to give them a role in a full production; or if they break through, they might bring more attention back to your work by singing your songs at a cabaret.

I suppose look into success stories and see how others' trajectories have played out as well.

[bholtzinger544]

Posted: 7/21/22 at 9:58am

Looking at current trends, I'd try to get featured at some place like 54 Below or Green Room. They often have new shows read through and workshopped there. I believe both even do series of new writers presenting works in progress which often just feature 1 song per show. Getting anything out there and seen my an audience will help you fine tune it and grow as a writer. Joe Iconis got his start premiering shows at places like Joe's Pub, NAMT Festival, Barrington, Two Rivers, and Goodspeed Festival for New Artists. In the last two years, some shows have started premiering things on TikTok. There's a lot of ways to get seen, don't give up yet.

[chaplin]

Posted: 7/21/22 at 11:49am

Hello Fan123 and thank you for the response.

Fan123 said: "it seems that a lot of creators who break through and get major companies interested in their work, have already established themselves in a smaller/less prestigious part of the scene."

Green Gally Rose is a full production and I think too ambitious for an indie group. It’s primarily female driven (six female singing/speaking parts, two male singing/speaking parts)

Fan123 said: "if you developed relationships with some ambitious but less-established performers, some might be interested in recording demos of your songs."

Funny you should say that. I had two co-workers: one who has won multiple singing contests and another who was doing musicals everytime you turned around. I sent them piano files and went over just a couple of songs with them. It seems I heard the phrase “Gimme two more weeks” more times than I care. Of course, they turned out to be unreliable.

Hello bholtziner544 and thank you for the response.

bholtzinger544 said: "Getting anything out there and seen my an audience will help you fine tune it and grow as a writer."

That does sound like an option. Currently, I have sheet music with chords, lyrics and melody. I’m considering maybe giving myself a better chance by orchestrating all twenty-one songs. Of course, it’ll take some time, but to have a full blown score with professional singers might be an enticement for someone, possibly a producer to take a listen.

Again, thank you both for your help.

 

[DooWahDiddy]

Posted: 7/21/22 at 3:33pm

You'll forgive me, but it sounds like you're rather green in this industry. So some of what I say might be hard to hear, but I'm only trying to help.

"Green Gally Rose is a full production and I think too ambitious for an indie group. It’s primarily female driven."

I'm not sure I understand this. Why is it too ambitious? Because it's female driven? What difference does that make? Listen, if your show is any good it will work just as well with eight music stands as it will with a full production. Your show has to be able to stand on its feet, not rely on effects or a full orchestra. Get some money together, rent a room at Michiko or Shetler in the city, and get an audience to come see a free reading, with 8 people reading from a script accompanied by a piano player.

"I sent them piano files and went over just a couple of songs with them."

This makes it sound like you don't have demos of the songs. If that's true, get thee to a studio and make some. Or make some from home; it's not that hard these days. Nobody wants to hear an instrumental version of a vocal song; they need to hear someone singing the song.

"Currently, I have sheet music with chords, lyrics and melody."

This makes it sound like you have lead sheets, which is not good enough. You need to have a fully-realized piano part. If you don't play piano, find someone who does and pay them to create one. Then you can use those charts to create the demos and accompany your reading; the final orchestration for band or orchestra will come later, don't worry about that right now.

The title is a tough sell; what does it mean? I had to look up "gally"; are you using it to mean "to frighten or terrify"? I don't get it.

It's a tough road to try to get your show produced. But you have to start by having a solid demo. The advice others have given is good; get someone to sing one of the songs at Birdland's open mic night, or do a "concert" version at 54 Below. At the very, very least, if money is short, use Garageband to record the piano part, then send it to actors to record the vocals in their home studio; most of them have one these days.

[RippedMan]

Posted: 7/21/22 at 6:17pm

There's a ton of festivals to submit to. Or produce a concert production. 

Get some established singers to sing the songs - pay them - and then use that to promote. 

Check out Playbill.com/jobs

[chaplin]

Posted: 7/21/22 at 7:25pm

Hello DooWahDiddy

DooWahDiddy said: "You'll forgive me, but it sounds like you're rather green in this industry. So some of what I say might be hard to hear, but I'm only trying to help.”

If you change “rather” to “incredibly” you’d be far more accurate. And I sincerely appreciate you making the effort to help.

"Green Gally Rose is a full production and I think too ambitious for an indie group. It’s primarily female driven." I'm not sure I understand this. Why is it too ambitious? Because it's female driven? What difference does that make?

Not because it’s female driven, I just think it’ll be a large cast. While I’m not a set designer, The main set is a saloon where there will be a stage for the main performer to sing several songs. Picture the saloon in Blazing Saddles, something like that with patrons sitting by the stage.

"I sent them piano files and went over just a couple of songs with them." This makes it sound like you don't have demos of the songs. You need to have a fully-realized piano part.

I recorded all twenty-one songs as rough demos (emphasis on rough) just me singing with a piano. Of course, a guy singing a female part is not ideal. I had to change a couple of keys to better accommodate my range. I played block chords for the most part. Is that okay, or is a professional pianist the proper route?

The title is a tough sell; what does it mean? I had to look up "gally"; are you using it to mean "to frighten or terrify"? I don't get it.

Green Gally is the name of the saloon where the story takes place. Rose is the star attraction.

It's a tough road to try to get your show produced.

That has become abundantly clear, you’ve given excellent insight and I thank you for your advice and time.

Hello RippedMan

Get some established singers to sing the songs - pay them - and then use that to promote.  Check out Playbill.com/jobs

That seems to be the way to go. Gotta use some professionals. Thank you for your input.

[darquegk]

Posted: 7/21/22 at 9:39pm

Let me give you some advice from someone only a step or two above you in terms of experience. I had one Off-Broadway show (sort of; it was a fully staged and produced production at NYMF that played Off-Broadway in 2016 for a limited run), and then I spent the pandemic writing and composing a new musical myself.

Two things you are going to want to know now, to make peace with and then overcome. First, "sucking at something is the first step towards being sort of good at something." Identify your strengths now, and identify your weaknesses. And then put some time into mastering those weaknesses. Creating a new musical requires two things: either money to pay someone to help you, or grunt work doing it all yourself. If you're not established, or independently wealthy, I'm guessing grunt work is the smarter choice. For me, my weakness was composing. So I spent two years studying not just cast recordings but scores, and working and working until I could write a more than passable piano-vocal score for an entire show.

Second, and this one hurts me even more than it hurts you: forget about the festival circuit if you're writing full-length shows. Between the COVID crisis and the demise of NYMF, there are very few musical festivals that accept full-length shows anymore; most ask for sixty minutes or less. And a lot of the venues that DO develop new musicals are looking for the cabaret/boutique musical theatre model of "less than five people, less than two hours." If your show fits those parameters already, congratulations: even though you've got a totally original piece with no name recognition, you've written something that's easily producible by any number of cabaret spaces.

But if not, it's time for you to get scrappy. Your show, in 2023, does not need to be on Broadway or Off-Broadway. It does not need to look good. Quite frankly, it does not need to BE good yet. What it needs, first and foremost, is to BE. You can waste your breath all day chasing down established producers or ambitious rising talent all day, God knows I did (and I probably have better connections than you at this phase) for all the good it did me. At this point, all you have is an IDEA. A concept of a show, no matter how much of it you've written. You don't have a PRODUCT yet.

Try this- it worked for me and maybe it'll work for you. Forget the twenty-first century Broadway production model, and experiment with the scrappy 1960s production model. Do a workshop, or a staged reading, all on your own for as close to free as you can get it. If you live in a town with a few colleges and universities, find out how much they charge to rent a rehearsal hall (you probably can't afford their actual stage or concert venue) for a weekend.

Then call up some performer friends of yours who will give you three weeks of rehearsal time for free or cheap. Need more than those friends? Look at your local community theatres or non-equity semi-pro companies. There are people in there who will perform for a stipend or just the thrill of doing new work, and many of them are quite good.

Now come the costs I guarantee you can't get around: a good music director, and copying of materials. You'll want someone versed in musical theatre and most likely jazz as well, since you have lead sheets with limited cues, not a full piano score. A lot of people will flat-out turn down a gig like that, so be aware that beggars can't be choosers. Put most of your budget, if you have one, towards getting a good MD/accompanist, then make print copies of the script and the vocal score for your cast.

You will probably be making changes throughout, so don't expect them, or even ask them, to go off book. Just say "it's a staged reading and a workshop." Play with the piece here: you're not just hearing it, you're seeing how it looks on its feet in rehearsal. Does it develop more of a personality than you thought, or does it have less? Many people in New York swear by "actors at podiums" staged readings until a producer is attached to the workshop, but I like the physicality of adding blocking and dance elements; my own show changed a LOT once it was on its feet instead of just Zoom readings or around the table. Costumes and props should be minimal. Sets should be a table and chairs as necessary. Anything more than that, and you're distracting yourself and spending money you don't have.

Finally, the performances. Go big! Invite any connections you have, but don't expect them to show up. Instead, invite two groups of people: people you know with good taste and insights, like other writers, directors, etc; and people who just love theatre and have no skin in this game. Do the show for them, see how the piece breathes, and note what an audience who aren't especially jaded city folk respond to and what they don't. Remember, after all, that it's regional theatres around the country, and not downtown NYC, where most theatre eventually gets its break.

Once you've done that, revise! Make cuts, changes, replacements, and don't be precious about your material. But you've got something now, a show that has been spoken and sung and breathed in. NOW you likely have audio and video clips, and maybe if you're lucky a little word of mouth. Start reaching out to small, medium and large theatre companies in YOUR area- worry about big city producers later. If you've proven that your show CAN be done, your next step is to make it actually BE done. From small things, big things come. Best of luck to you!

[Sutton Ross]

Posted: 7/21/22 at 9:50pm

Great name for a show! So, I have a lovely friend in the industry who moved to NYC when he was 18 and attended NYU. Since the first week he lived there, he has been making friends, being social, working connections to form new ones, and the list goes on. He worked his ass off doing that for decades, and now he is the Co-Writer of Broadway Vacation, which is aiming for Broadway (of course). But, they know they cannot start there which is why, after a decade of writing it, it's debuting across the country. However, it took tons of time, networking, and money to make that happen.

In essence, it's who you know and how much money you have. Also, you are aiming wayyyy too high since Broadway is the best theater district on the planet. Start very small, like community theater. Make connections, volunteer, befriend people. etc. It's a very long process and I wish you the best of luck! 

[chaplin]

Posted: 7/21/22 at 11:19pm

Hello darquegk

First off, it’s quite an accomplishment to have an Off-Broadway show. You must be incredibly proud.

Now, I can’t tell you how much I appreciate your comprehensive post. Every one who has posted on this thread has been so giving of their time and advice. This is a great community. There’s so much to digest. I see I’m at the bottom rung and just need to stop chasing producers.

Your show, in 2023, does not need to be on Broadway or Off-Broadway. It does not need to look good. Quite frankly, it does not need to BE good yet. What it needs, first and foremost, is to BE.

What a Zen-like statement…just fantastic!

Then call up some performer friends of yours who will give you three weeks of rehearsal time for free or cheap.

The two performer friends I had were an unreliable disappointment. It would be so much easier if I knew anyone. And yes, you have way better connections than I do.

Thank you for your well wishes and continued success with your writing.

Hello Sutton Ross,

Great name for a show!

YES, thank you, I’ve always liked it. I didn’t go into full detail in describing the whole story but thanks to DooWahDiddy the title of the saloon (The Green Gally) and the main performer (Rose) is now more clear.

it took tons of time, networking, and money to make that happen. In essence, it's who you know and how much money you have.

It seems it always comes down to that, especially MONEY!

I wish you the best of luck!

Thank you, I can use all the luck I can get…and as far as the money goes…