Directing: launching a musical

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launching a musical

Printed From: Community Theater Green Room
Category: Producing Theater
Forum Name: Directing
Forum Discription: For questions about handling shows, actors, crew, board members, children ...or do we repeat ourselves?
URL: http://www.communitytheater.org/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=2420
Printed Date: 11/23/24 at 6:08pm
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Topic: launching a musical

Posted By: Firace
Subject: launching a musical
Date Posted: 5/24/07 at 12:18pm

Hello Fellow directors/writers.countrymen-

I have written a musical and currently operate a CT. I would like to launch this musical and am wondering if anyone out there has any advice on how to go about it? I would like to have a rough recording of the music compiled on a CD to hand to those who audition. Then after I have chosen the cast, have the band play it live on performance nights or have a better piped in version playing. The music was written by my partner and he seems to feel we need a keyboard? I think we can do it with drums, acoustic, possibly bass....Any thoughts?

Replies:

Posted By: P&M Sales
Date Posted: 5/24/07 at 1:46pm

My advice as a publisher & rights-holder and also as someone who has seen the CT process from soup to nuts is this ...

Auditioning : Don't bother with giving out the music from your own musical. Nobody knows it, so it will be more difficult for the auditioners to learn and perform than other well known pieces. You could ask them to select music and text (I assume you will be testing their acting as well as singing skills?) in the style of your musical which would help to guage their suitability.

Production : Point #1 - Assuming you want to see the musical produced by others after your premiere, make sure that you get a DVD of the entire show (from which you can also make an audio CD). This will be invaluable to potential publishers when you get to the point of trying to get them to take it into their catalogue. a script/libretto and vocal score is OK, but "a picture speaks a thousand words"!! If possible video two performances so that you can choose the better of the two.

Point #2 - get lots of 'interesting' digital images taken of the dress rehearsal for the same reason as above.

For Points #1 and #2 make sure you get agreement from all actors, directors, designers, choreographers and musicians that recordings of their performance(s) can be used for marketing purposes by your publisher & rights-holder.

Point #3 - "Piped-in music" ??? If you can afford to have live musicians, go for it every time. Recordings are great if you don't have access to a live band, but from the point of view of an actor and also the sound tech, they can be a nightmare. Mis-cues, too loud, too soft, no empathy with the state of the singer(s) - the recording plows on regardless!

Book & Music : Inevitably, your production will reveal to you and your composer partner several areas for improvement - things you thought were great, but in fact your audience or cast (or crew) thought were not so great. Don't delay after the last night. Get down to it straightaway and make the changes (even though the revised written material will be different to the show captured on DVD) - don't let months pass or your enthusaiam will slip.

Orchestrations : It sounds like you don't yet know what arrangments will support the production. Nail it down asap and get the parts written down in Sibelius or Finale. If you're going to direct the piece, you need to know in your mind what the performance will sound like. Will it be a single mechanical piano, or a keyboard, or a small band or a large band ... each will give the production a unique sound which your actors have to support or combat!

Promotion/Marketing : a new musical is the hardest thing to get off the ground - even if you have a 'tame' audience that supports you whatever you put on. Capitalise on 'World Premiere' - anything with a 'wow' factor must be helpful. If you live near a publisher & rights-holder write/e-mail them and ask if they would like complimentary tickets to see a new show.

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best regards

David
http://www.stagescripts.com - http://www.stagescripts.com

Posted By: Firace
Date Posted: 7/19/07 at 12:06pm

Thanks David...I appreciate the advice!!!

Posted By: Firace
Date Posted: 7/19/07 at 12:07pm

thanks david. i appreciate the advice.

Posted By: P&M Sales
Date Posted: 7/19/07 at 2:06pm

Firace,

Glad to have been of some assistance. I'm surprised that you didn't get any other comments/suggestions though!

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best regards

David
http://www.stagescripts.com - http://www.stagescripts.com