Oh Dear....
Oh Dear....
Unknown User
Joined: 12/31/69
#0Oh Dear....
Posted: 10/7/04 at 3:27pm
New Need for advice everyone.. once again id like to thank anyone that helped me with my now very successful school newspaper theater column, however, i now have a bigger project. This year for GT I have to complete a project, that I will go into greater detail with next year. My teacher thinks i should write a musical this year, and next year put music/ costumes. etc. to it and actually put it on at the high school...Now this is a VERY challenging task, but i know i can do it. HOWEVER..i am not sure what to make it about..what would YOU all enjoy watching? Any ideas you wished could be put together that havent been?-Thanks!!
#1re: Oh Dear....
Posted: 10/7/04 at 3:29pmThe BWW message board musical that dissapeard off of the off-topic board, would be great. LOL
#2re: Oh Dear....
Posted: 10/7/04 at 3:29pm
My suggestion write something you know about. It comes much easier to draw on your expeirences then for your first show to be something completely obscure. So either write about a life experience you had, or take a book you thouroughly enjoy and convert it into a musical. Please don't base it on a movie though that is starting to get tiresome.
Good luck with the project.
"Watching a frat boy realize just what he put his d!ck in...ex's getting std's...schadenfruede" ~ Ave Q
"when dangers near, exploit their fear" ~ Reefer Madness the Musical
Mary_Ethel
Broadway Legend Joined: 10/6/04
#3re: Oh Dear....
Posted: 10/7/04 at 3:31pm
Take a lesson from Rodgers & Hammerstein, Lerner & Loewe; and David Merrick.
BASE YOUR MUSICAL ON AN ALREADY ESTABLISHED PLAY, BOOK, STORY OR FILM.
Reason? Because one part of production is ALREADY a known commodity.
You may want to check "What Movies Would Make Good Musicals" post for some ideas.
Good Luck!!! :)
#4re: Oh Dear....
Posted: 10/7/04 at 3:31pm
An idea we used in our Devised piece in my final year at Uni was a flashback through the life of a music therapist looking at his family, his friends, his relationships, his pupils and his relationship with himself. It was fascinating (if a bit too arty for my ex, who actually LAY DOWN on the free chairs next to him & went to sleep! (And people wonder why he's my ex)).
I won't give anymore details than that (unless you'd like them), but it was a very interesting subject to explore & I think gives a lot of scope.
MargoChanning
Broadway Legend Joined: 4/5/04
#5re: Oh Dear....
Posted: 10/7/04 at 3:36pmMary Ethel's advice is exactly what they tell aspiring composers in the BMI Lehmann Workshop -- choose an established piece to musicalize when you're first attempting to write a musical. Working with an original book is several times more difficult to pull off.
Mary_Ethel
Broadway Legend Joined: 10/6/04
#6re: Oh Dear....
Posted: 10/7/04 at 3:59pm
Thanks Margo! :)
If you keep this up, I'll start to sing "Mutual Admiration Society"
Guillermo Ugarte
Featured Actor Joined: 9/16/04
#7re: Oh Dear....
Posted: 10/8/04 at 3:15pm
You might focus on a children's book that has yet to be set to music. Characters and songs can be more one dimensional and will be less likely to fall flat. You can also bring a simple humor to this that may work well on the high school level with double entendre thrown in to make the audience feel more sophisticated.
There are many ways to go with this but try to keep it simple. Writing a musical is no small chore and the simpler the plot and characters are, the easier it will be to flesh it out and make it work.
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