Has anyone here ever actually written their own musical?

[Cruel_Sandwich]

Posted: 9/9/09 at 6:58am

I ask because I'm in the planning stages of one of my own. Have any of you written your own? What sort of songs did you have, or was it all more of a traditional musical theater piece?

[Texas Yankee]

Posted: 9/9/09 at 10:24am

I've been tinkering with a few ideas on and off for the past 20 years, but nothing ever really came to fruition. I can't really say if the melodies I've come up with can fall into any sort of traditional musical theater category because it's hard to define what is traditional nowadays.

I do not follow any structured process to songwriting though. It's more putting the melodies I hear in my head to the keyboard and fleshing out full songs through trial and error.

I used to write a lot of poetry in the past as well and I have taken to molding some of them into lyrics to go along with the tunes taking shape, while at the same time making a go at forming them into plot devices (which is a little difficult for me to do without a book in mind).

I always wondered what came first in this scenario...the book or the songs. I guess I need to do a little more research.

With that being said, it's great to see other like minded individuals expressing their creativity, whether you intend it for public display or utilize it as an outlet as I do.

Best of luck to you!

[Cruel_Sandwich]

Posted: 9/9/09 at 11:03am

Thanks! I probably should have mentioned that the one I'm doing is not for the stage but for film, and will be a mix of puppetry and animation. I'm really excited thus far. I've only written maybe two songs before in the past but I am excited to take on this challenge.

[BroadwayAbridged]

Posted: 9/9/09 at 11:06am

I'd say Book First. If you have a basic storyline in mind it's possible to get a handful of songs written without having the book written. But after that, it's much easier to have a book in at least a first-draft form so that you know where the songs go.

I highly suggest these two books for a little help on the process, the overlap is surprisingly little:

http://www.amazon.com/Making-Musicals-Informal-Introduction-Musical/dp/0879100958/ref=sr_1_6?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1252509142&sr=8-6
http://www.amazon.com/Musical-Theatre-Writers-Survival-Guide/dp/0325007861/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1252509142&sr=8-3

Spencer gave me some advice (I don't remember if he actually put it in the book or not) that I've been making use of lately: since I write book and lyrics, what I do nowadays is write the book first straight out, and where I suspect there'll be a song I overwrite the dialogue (or write overly-long monologues). Then I go back later and cannibalize my own writing for lyrics. I'm sure that this wouldn't have worked, however, if Jason Robert Brown tried to use this method to write Last Five Years.

Good luck!

[Texas Yankee]

Posted: 9/9/09 at 11:17am

All great ideas. Thank you for the book suggestions!

[roquat]

Posted: 9/9/09 at 12:49pm

Yes, I have. The outline and song placement came first of all (music theatre lives or dies on its transitions). Several melodies had already been written before I joined the project, and I wrote lyrics to them (which I find much easier) but I also wrote verses for other songs which the composer then set. (I find this much more challenging, yet inspiring as well.)

[peerrjb]

Posted: 9/9/09 at 2:12pm

Yes. A number of them. Produced in small venues like LA's Equity-Waiver.Most recent one produced in LA and in Richmond, Virginia. (LA prod was super, the VA not so much). I've also "ghosted" and rearranged a couple by other people for their various attempts to be produced. In any case, as a composer/lyricist/librettist, I would agree that the book (or the majority of it) has to be in place first. Also, remember that DIALOGUE can (and will, and should) be changed during the process, but the STRUCTURE of your piece has got to be in place ALL the time. For some classic suggestions (albeit with a definite bias) you might want to check out Lehman Engel's book WORDS WITH MUSIC. He was a multi-Tony-winning conductor who also founded and for years taught the BMI Musical Theatre Workshop. It's oldschool, but the basics are the basics. Also, a more recent book, THE GREAT AMERICAN BOOK MUSICAL, by Denny Martin Flinn. It's a look through the great shows, with an eye on what made them "work". Both are in paperback and both are useful. (Though having known and worked with Lehman, I think his piece is FAR more in depth; though as I said, OPINIONATED!!!!!!)

And if you're looking towards a film, always remember that your songs will never have the luxury of being rehearsed and/or performed live with an audience, and so the sensibility of your lyric writing will have to be far more direct and impactful, idea-for-idea, since there won't be the "in-house" development as the piece goes along. And of course, the director will alter it, the editor recut the actual "shoot", and the producer try to yank the whole song!!!! Ah, the moooooovies!!!

Good luck, and remember "Musicals are not written...they are 'gotten up'!!"

[Cruel_Sandwich]

Posted: 9/9/09 at 2:53pm

Thanks to all with the suggestions. I am really getting excited about this.

[wdwfreak]

Posted: 9/9/09 at 4:08pm

Well my cousin's uncle writes musicals. I am actually going to the reading next month. It's based off a movie, but I can't remember it, but I am so excited.

[The Glorious Ones]

Posted: 9/9/09 at 4:12pm

Another vote for the book first, because those songs you labored over to get the rhymes and harmonies won't matter once you cut the scene they're in because it makes no sense.