Question about writing musicals-

[fiyero8132]

Posted: 6/12/06 at 9:31pm

I'm starting my first musical next week. It's what I'd like to do for my career so I figured I had better start experimenting. I was reading a biography of Sondheim that discussed how he began writing and it said that he was given some direction by Oscar Hammerstein, his school-mate's father. Mr. Hammerstein assigned him the task of writing a short musical based on a novel and then on a play. Once he had finished those steps he had the knowledge required to do a completely original piece. I have decided this is process I am going to follow. It will be my summer project! So I have selected a classic novella that I am prepared to musicalize. I have scheduled June 22nd as my first day of writing. I'd rather not disclose the title of the book but it is a fairly well-known piece of literature that has had a couple of film adaptations over the years. The author is deceased. I am wondering now about the restrictions that might apply if my musical version were ever to be produced for the stage. In any event, I am still going to write it because it will be a great exercise in the art of musical theatre composition. Also, it would be great material for a personal portfolio. But could someone please answer my question if possible? Thanks!

[colleen_lee]

Posted: 6/12/06 at 9:34pm

It's pretty hard to answer that question without knowing the title.

You'll have to find out who owns the rights to the material or whether it has moved into public domain.

There is a great deal of information regarding public domain on the internet.

[fiyero8132]

Posted: 6/12/06 at 9:36pm

How might I look that up on a search engine? What would be some good key-words?

[FoscasBohemianDream]

Posted: 6/12/06 at 9:38pm

This is taken from the Library of Congress web site, they are in charge of the Copyrights Office:

"Works Originally Created on or after January 1, 1978
A work that is created (fixed in tangible form for the first time) on or after January 1, 1978, is automatically protected from the moment of its creation and is ordinarily given a term enduring for the author's life plus an additional 70 years after the author's death. In the case of "a joint work prepared by two or more authors who did not work for hire," the term lasts for 70 years after the last surviving author's death. For works made for hire, and for anonymous and pseudonymous works (unless the author's identity is revealed in Copyright Office records), the duration of copyright will be 95 years from publication or 120 years from creation, whichever is shorter.

Works Originally Created before January 1, 1978, But Not Published or Registered by That Date
These works have been automatically brought under the statute and are now given federal copyright protection. The duration of copyright in these works will generally be computed in the same way as for works created on or after January 1, 1978: the life-plus-70 or 95/120-year terms will apply to them as well. The law provides that in no case will the term of copyright for works in this category expire before December 31, 2002, and for works published on or before December 31, 2002, the term of copyright will not expire before December 31, 2047.

Works Originally Created and Published or Registered before January 1, 1978
Under the law in effect before 1978, copyright was secured either on the date a work was published with a copyright notice or on the date of registration if the work was registered in unpublished form. In either case, the copyright endured for a first term of 28 years from the date it was secured. During the last (28th) year of the first term, the copyright was eligible for renewal. The Copyright Act of 1976 extended the renewal term from 28 to 47 years for copyrights that were subsisting on January 1, 1978, or for pre-1978 copyrights restored under the Uruguay Round Agreements Act (URAA), making these works eligible for a total term of protection of 75 years. Public Law 105-298, enacted on October 27, 1998, further extended the renewal term of copyrights still subsisting on that date by an additional 20 years, providing for a renewal term of 67 years and a total term of protection of 95 years.

Public Law 102-307, enacted on June 26, 1992, amended the 1976 Copyright Act to provide for automatic renewal of the term of copyrights secured between January 1, 1964, and December 31, 1977. Although the renewal term is automatically provided, the Copyright Office does not issue a renewal certificate for these works unless a renewal application and fee are received and registered in the Copyright Office.

Public Law 102-307 makes renewal registration optional. Thus, filing for renewal registration is no longer required in order to extend the original 28-year copyright term to the full 95 years. However, some benefits accrue from making a renewal registration during the 28th year of the original term.

For more detailed information on renewal of copyright and the copyright term, request Circular 15, "Renewal of Copyright"; Circular 15a, "Duration of Copyright"; and Circular 15t, "Extension of Copyright Terms." "


Library of Congress

[fiyero8132]

Posted: 6/12/06 at 9:43pm

Okay, thanks very much for your help. But that's a lot of fancy talk... The novella that I want to musicalize was originally published in 1937. Could you help me interpret that information, please?

[fiyero8132]

Posted: 6/12/06 at 10:01pm

Bumpity bump. Sorry to be a bother. I'm just very anxious to get cracking on this and I'm wondering if it's just a waste of time...

Posted: 6/12/06 at 10:05pm

Maybe it's not a bad idea for you to write a musical. You certainly couldn't write a law brief

[fiyero8132]

Posted: 6/12/06 at 10:07pm

Haha! Well, thank you for that. It is not my intention to ever write a law brief.

[zwielight]

Posted: 6/12/06 at 10:09pm

If you're using this as an excercise, it wouldn't be a "waste of time" even if you can't, due to copyright restrictions, get it further produced. No writing is ever a waste if you're a serious composer. I think the attitude of writing for art vs. writing to sell is what separates someone like Sondheim from Lloyd Webber any day of the week... I guess it just depends on what category YOU'D like to fall under.

[MCfan2]

Posted: 6/12/06 at 10:10pm

I'm no lawyer either, but it sounds like you need to find out when the author died and whether he or she copyrighted the work.

[FoscasBohemianDream]

Posted: 6/12/06 at 10:13pm

From what I understand, if the copyrights weren't renewed, you're pretty much saved, but if they were then you probably need to get a license from whoever holds the copyrights of the novella to put on a production of the show. Of course if you meet with a lawyer who knows about copyrights you could figure out a way around it. I know for example that a copyright--unlike a patent--only protects the way an idea is presented, instead of the underlying idea itself; therefore, I'm sure you could change the names around, the location, arrange the plot in a different manner and you probably could get away with it. Arthur Laurents talks about how for Gypsy they needed June Havoc to sign some sort of release but she wanted some changes, when they all got fed up with her they decided to change the character's name, but she eventually signed the release and let them use the character of June.
Updated On: 6/12/06 at 10:13 PM

[fiyero8132]

Posted: 6/12/06 at 10:18pm

Thanks everyone. The author copyrighted it in 1937 and died in 1968. I'm going to run and check the inside cover of the book to see if it was republished.

[acrocksyo]

Posted: 6/12/06 at 10:18pm

You should start off writing something is public domain, that way you won't have to worry about breaking any copywright laws, because it looks like you are so worried about breaking one that you might do just that.
Or contact the publisher to see what the restrictions are. Or contact the author's estate as well because sometimes authors will their works to their estates so that thier families can continue to reap the fiscal rewards of the works of literature.

[fiyero8132]

Posted: 6/12/06 at 10:23pm

Good advice. I did contact an agent of the author's estate. Waiting for a response via email. For the record, the author renewed the copyright in 1965 and the publication of the book that I've got is by Penguin Books in 1993.

[acrocksyo]

Posted: 6/12/06 at 10:26pm

Good, I hope it works out for you! You sound enthused which is what a lot of musical theater composers are lacking these days.

[fiyero8132]

Posted: 6/12/06 at 10:31pm

I've had this idea in my head for some time. I'm only fifteen but I think it's time to start practicing since I want to make it my career. Last night when I watched the Tonys, I made myself a promise: I am going to do whatever it takes to win the best original score tony some day. Big dream. But I need to do it.

[Roninjoey]

Posted: 6/12/06 at 10:33pm

This is just a shot in the dark but are you musicalizing a certain novel by a certain Mr. Steinbeck about angry fruits?

[fiyero8132]

Posted: 6/12/06 at 10:35pm

Thanks for your interest but I'm keeping the title of the novella to myself for the moment. But just out of curiosity, what are "angry fruits"?

[aspiringactress]

Posted: 6/12/06 at 10:36pm

It's word play.

[acrocksyo]

Posted: 6/12/06 at 10:37pm

I wonder what it could be! I wonder I wonder!

[fiyero8132]

Posted: 6/12/06 at 10:39pm

I'm still in the dark here! Could someone clarify the so-called word play?

[acrocksyo]

Posted: 6/12/06 at 10:40pm

The Grapes(fruit) of Wrath(anger)

Ta-Da!

Updated On: 6/12/06 at 10:40 PM

[aspiringactress]

Posted: 6/12/06 at 10:41pm

lol.

[fiyero8132]

Posted: 6/12/06 at 10:43pm

Oh! I'm silly. Nope. Incorrect. It's not The Grapes Of Wrath. But I'd rather cut the guessing game if that's okay. Thanks for your help though.

[Roninjoey]

Posted: 6/12/06 at 10:44pm

Updated On: 6/12/06 at 10:44 PM