Musical Theatre For Dummies (For Dummies (Music)) 9781119889502, 9781119889519, 9781119889526, 1119889502
Discover what goes on behind the curtains of your favorite musical Do you want to know more about the fascinating histo
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English Pages 416 [419]
Table of contents :
Title Page
Copyright Page
Table of Contents
Introduction
About This Book
Foolish Assumptions
Icons Used in This Book
Beyond This Book
Where to Go from Here
Part 1 Getting Started with Musical Theatre
Chapter 1 Before the Curtain Rises: Just the Basics about Musical Theatre
“What Is This Thing Called Love*?”
Music
Lyrics
Book
Dance
Recognizing the Types of Musicals
Musical comedies
Golden Age musicals
Jukebox musicals
Rock musicals
Sung-thru musicals
Identifying the Important People That Make Musicals Happen
Behind the scenes
Onstage
Test Your Broadway Knowledge
Chapter 2 The History of Musical Theatre (in “only” 100 pages!)
“Let’s Start at the Very Beginning” — Before Show Boat Sailed to Broadway
A lighter shade of opera
Operettas
Gilbert & Sullivan (or, as insiders/nerds call them, G&S)
The crowd pleasers
Once I was a schleppa . . . The rise of burlesque
There I was in Mr. Orpheum’s office
Mr. Ziegfeld! Mr. Ziegfeld!
It’s a musical-ish
Before Cats, there was The Black Crook
Give your regards to George M. Cohan
The Gershwins . . . making America sing
Shuffle Along — a forgotten hit
The Birth of the Musical As It’s Known Today
Music + lyrics + book = musical
Show Boat (1927)
Girl Crazy (1930)
Of Thee I Sing (1931)
Anything Goes (1934)
Music + lyrics + book + dance = Oklahoma!
Shining the Spotlight on the Golden Age
What made this age so golden
The shows that defined the Golden Age
On the Town (1944)
Kiss Me, Kate (1948)
South Pacific (1949)
Guys and Dolls (1950)
The King and I (1951)
Can-Can (1953)
The Pajama Game (1954)
Damn Yankees (1955)
The Most Happy Fella (1956)
My Fair Lady (1956)
Jamaica (1957)
The Music Man (1957)
West Side Story (1957)
Gypsy (1959)
The Sound of Music (1959)
Moving into a New Era — The Post Golden Years (the 1960s)
How the ’60s changed musical theatre
The shows that defined the ’60s
Bye Bye Birdie (1960)
Camelot (1960)
How to Succeed at Business without Really Trying (1961)
A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum (1962)
No Strings (1962)
Oliver! (1963)
She Loves Me (1963)
Fiddler on the Roof (1964)
Hello, Dolly! (1964)
Cabaret (1966)
Mame (1966)
Sweet Charity (1966)
Hair (1968)
Promises, Promises (1968)
1776 (1969)
Please Hello! The ’70s and the Rise of Sondheim
Identifying the new sound of Broadway
The shows that defined the ’70s
Applause (1970)
Company (1970)
Jesus Christ Superstar (1971)
Godspell (1971)
Grease (1972)
Pippin (1972)
Chicago (1975)
A Chorus Line (1975)
The Wiz (1975)
Annie (1977)
Sweeney Todd (1979)
Evita (1979)
Cor Blimey! The British Invasion of the 1980s
From musical to MEGA-musical
Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat (1982)
Cats (1982)
Starlight Express (1987)
Les Misérables (1987)
The Phantom of the Opera (1988)
Miss Saigon (1991)
The shows that defined the ’80s
42nd Street (1980)
Dreamgirls (1981)
La Cage Aux Folles (1983)
Sunday in the Park with George (1984)
The Mystery of Edwin Drood (1985)
Into the Woods (1987)
Jerome Robbins’ Broadway (1989)
City of Angels (1989)
525,6000 minutes of the 1990s
The shows that defined the ’90s
Once on This Island (1990)
Tommy (1993)
Kiss of the Spider Woman (1993)
Sunset Boulevard (1994)
Victor/Victoria (1995)
Rent (1996)
Ragtime (1998)
Revivals — Everything old is still old again
Guys and Dolls
Grease!!!
Chicago
How to Succeed in Business without Really Trying
Cabaret
The King and I
Disney is here to stay
Beauty and the Beast (1994)
The Lion King (1997)
Aida (2000)
Looking Closer at Musical Theatre in the 21st Century
The film turned musical
The Full Monty (2000)
The Producers (2001)
Thoroughly Modern Millie (2002)
Hairspray (2002)
Wicked (2003)
Spamalot (2005)
Legally Blonde (2007)
Xanadu (2007)
Billy Elliot (2008)
The jukebox hits of the 2000s
Mamma Mia! (2001)
Movin’ Out (2002)
Jersey Boys (2005)
Musicals not based on a film or full of songs from a jukebox
Avenue Q (2003)
Spring Awakening (2006)
In the Heights (2008)
Next to Normal (2009)
“A Whole New World” — 2010s
Not Hamilton — Other musical greats of the 2010s
The Book of Mormon (2011)
Beautiful: The Carole King Musical (2014)
Once (2012)
Kinky Boots (2013)
Fun Home (2015)
Waitress (2016)
Dear Evan Hansen (2016)
Jagged Little Pill (2019)
Moulin Rouge (2019)
Hamilton (2015)
Covid Hits: The Great Shutdown of 2020
Defying Covid — 2021 to Now
Chapter 3 Finally . . . the Anatomy of a Musical
Act One — Telling the First Part of the Story
The overture — Y’all! The show’s starting!
The opening number — Introducing the show’s theme
“I want” song — Stating the quest
“I am” song — Revealing a character’s traits
“In one” song — Obscuring the activity behind the drop
Scene change music — Covering a small set change
Dance break — Give them a chance in their wooly jazz pants!
Underscoring — Adding emotion to a scene
Uptempos and ballads — Expressing emotions on both ends of the spectrum
Duets, trios, quartets . . . Not a solo, not a group number
Group numbers — Mixing up the singing with most of the cast
Finale of Act One — Ending on a high note!
Intermission! Time to Stand Up and Stretch (or Go to the Restroom)
Act Two — Answering the Burning Questions
Entr’acte — Welcome back to the world of make believe
Reprise — Repeating a song for a new reason
11 o’clock number — Preparing to wrap things up
Finale of Act Two— Wrapping it up
Bows — Accepting the audience’s adoration
The megamix — Singing and dancing along
Exit music — So long, farewell
Chapter 4 Oklahoma, Chicago, Avenue Q: Where Musical Theatre Takes Place
Identifying the World Capitals of Theatre
Broadway in New York City
The number of Broadway theatres
The number of seats a theatre must have
The number of new shows
The number of patrons
Elsewhere in the United States
The West End in London
A closer look at the West End theatres
What the West End produces
Europe
Paris, France
Berlin, Germany
Vienna, Austria
Asia
Japan
China
Singapore
South Korea
South America
Africa
Australia
Introducing the Pros in Your Hometown
Preparing for a Broadway run — Out-of-town tryouts
The highs of out-of-town tryouts
The lowest of the low times
The highs and lows are worth it
Taking a show on the road — Touring productions
Providing professional talent to locals — Regional theatre
“We Open in Venice” (California) — Summer stock
Combining a show and food — Dinner theatre
Mixing thrills with song — Theme parks
“Sit Down, You’re Rocking the Boat” — Cruise ships
Meeting the Thespians in Your Neighborhood
Shining the spotlight on local performers — Community theatre
Training tomorrow’s Broadway stars — University productions
Teaching students the ways of theatre — K-12 school productions
Showcasing outside-the-mainstream productions — Fringe events
Chapter 5 Experiencing the Magic of Musical Theatre
Overture — What Happens before the Curtain Rises
“This Is All Very New to Me”
“Far from the Home I Love”
“Food, Glorious Food”
“Put on Your Sunday Clothes”
“Days and Days”
Understanding the Inside of a Theatre —Stage and Seating
Considering the type of stage
Identifying the best seats in the house
Sitting in the orchestra (No, not next to the violinists)
Getting a bird’s-eye view of the stage from the mezzanine
Sitting in the balcony
Getting Tickets to the Hottest Show in Town
Planning in advance: At the theatre’s website or box office
Taking a chance: At a TKTS booth
Playing the lottery and winning big
Buying from a reseller: When ya just gotta see it
A friend of a friend: Grabbing house seats
Knowing What to Expect When You Arrive at the Theatre
Getting in the door
Ticketing 101
Heading to the restroom
Checking out the lobby and the merch
Going into the theatre proper
Remembering important do’s and don’ts
Part 2 The People Who Make Musical Theatre Happen
Chapter 6 Making the Musical — The Creators
“Mr. Cellophane” — the Librettist
The librettist — The script writer
Identifying the best-ist librettist(s)
Oscar Hammerstein II
Arthur Laurents
Neil Simon
Joe Masteroff
Peter Stone
Tom Meehan
James Lapine
Marsha Norman
Terrence McNally
Joseph Stein
Harvey Fierstein
Michael R. Jackson
“I Feel a Song Coming On” — The Composer
“Words! Words! Words!” — The Lyricist
Focusing on what a lyricist does
Giving characters the words to sing and express their feelings
Recognizing the Very Best
Composer/lyricist teams
Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II
Jule Styne (teamed with various lyricists)
Andrew Lloyd Webber, Tim Rice, and Elton John
Alan Menken and Howard Ashman
Marc Shaiman and Scott Wittman
Composers with various partners
Cy Coleman
Tom Kitt
Robert Lopez (with Jeff Marx, Matt Stone and Trey Parker, and Kristen Anderson-Lopez)
Charles Strouse (with Lee Adams, Martin Charnin, Betty Comden and Adolph Green, and Stephen Schwartz)
Jeanine Tesori (with Dick Scanlon, Lisa Kron, Brian Crawley, David Lindsay-Abaire)
Stephen Flaherty and Lynn Ahrens
Alan Jay Lerner and Frederick Loewe
John Kander and Fred Ebb
Benj Pasek and Justin Paul
Richard Rodgers and Lorenz Hart
Alain Boublil and Claude-Michel Schonberg
Richard Maltby Jr. and David Shire
Henry Krieger and Tom Eyen
Dorothy Fields, lyricist and librettist
Betty Comden and Adolph Green, lyricists and librettists
The composer/lyricist
Irving Berlin
Cole Porter
Sara Bareilles
Lin-Manuel Miranda
Andrew Lippa
Michael John-LaChiusa
Jason Robert Brown
Frank Loesser
Jerry Herman
Meredith Willson
Stephen Sondheim
Chapter 7 Creating the Big Picture — “The Room Where It Happens”
Finding the Talent — The Casting Director
Leading the Creative Vision — The Director
Collaborating with everyone
Librettist/composer/lyricist
Set and lighting designer
Choreographer and fight director
Costume, wig, and other designers
Figuring out what a show needs and making it happen
“Dancing through Life” — Choreographers
Handling the Money and So Much More — Producers
Money Makes the World Go Round
Crafting the idea and assembling the players
Making the plan to get on Broadway
“The Music of the Night” — The Music Team
Chapter 8 Delivering the Details — The Creatives
Who Are You Wearing? — Costume Designers
Recognizing what costume designers do
Identifying memorable costume moments in Broadway history
Making the Physical Scenery — Set Designers
Eyeing the different types — From painted backdrops to mechanized sets
Spotting what set designers do
Illuminating the Stage — What Lighting Designers Do
“The Sweetest Sounds” — Sound Designers
Comprehending what sound designers do
Making sound board magic
Coifing the Do — Hair Designers
Knowing what hair designers do
Peeking behind the lace-front curtain
Chapter 9 “Being Alive” — The Performers
Naming the Leads and Featured Performers in Lights
Identifying the lead(s)
Being a lead or featured performer
The awards
The dressing rooms
The applause — Entrance and bows
Introducing the Ensemble — Side by Side
“So many people in the world” (of a musical)
Recognizing who’s in the ensemble
When the Show Must Go On: Understudies, Standbys, and More
Understudies — “I know it! I can go on!”
Informing the audience
The life of an understudy
Standbys — The Vera Charles of understudies (“I was never in the chorus”)
Alternates — Guaranteed two shows a week
Swings — So many parts!
Swings must mind their numbers
Three things that can go wrong for swings
Orchestral and backstage understudies
Chapter 10 Introducing the People Who Work the Show Night after Night
“Another (Almost) Hundred People” — The Backstage Crew
Keeping track of props — The prop crew
The Sound of Music — The sound crew and sound board operator
Shining the spot — The spotlight operator
Handling set changes — On- and offstage crew members
Flying in lights, scenery, and more — The fly rail crew
Odd crew job example 1: Onstage
Odd crew job examples 2 and 3: Under the stage
Odd crew job example 4: Side of stage
“Go into Your Dance” — The Dance Captain
“Dress Has Always Been My Strongest Suit” — The Costumes Crew
Taking care of show underwear and cleanings
Helping with the quick change
Dressing the star
“Long Beautiful Hair” —The Hair Supervisor and Hairdressers
“You Can Always Count on Me” — The Stage Manager
Introducing the stage managers
Managing everything during rehearsals
Taping the stage
Scheduling everything
Keeping detailed notes
Keeping to the director’s vision
Setting the Performance’s Tone — The Conductor
Keeping track of cues
Setting the tempo
“76 Trombones” — The Orchestra
Wearing all black in the pit
Living in the pit
Being in a community
Part 3 The Blood, Sweat, and Tears of Theatre Life
Chapter 11 Understanding How an Idea Becomes Broadway Gold
Finding Inspiration for Musicals
The Bible — Talk about old school
Shakespeare
Other plays
Films and TV shows
Mythology and fairy tales
History and biographies
Books
Jukeboxes
Illustrations (cartoons and animation)
Moving from the Page to the Stage — The Birthing of a Show
Readings — “I See Possibilities”
Workshops — Much more than readings
Labs — A new (controversial) version of workshops
The post-reading, pre-Broadway world
Hiring the creative team
Hiring the general manager
Finding a Theatre
Narrowing down theatre options
Picking the right time to open
Recognizing What Happens Way before Opening Night
Auditions — Finalizing the cast
Offers — Negotiating . . . and signing on the dotted line
Rehearsing for six to eight weeks
Tech rehearsal — Working in the actual theatre
The sitzprobe
The 10 out of 12s
The run-through — Including everything
Previews — Having a live audience
Being Ready — Right before Opening
Freezing a show
Preparing for critics
Finally, opening night
Chapter 12 “Hi-Ho, the Glamorous Life” (of a Broadway Performer)
Rehearsal Makes Perfect
Diving deeper into the nitty-gritty of rehearsals
Brushing up — “Put ’Em Back The Way They Was”
“Welcome to Our House on Maple Avenue” — Put-ins
Focusing on the understudies
Arriving for the Big Show
Showing up — Half-hour call
Rehearsing the fisticuffs — Fight call
Getting all dolled up — wig/makeup call
Setting That Alarm for TV Appearances
Participating in One-Night-Only Events
The Red Bucket Follies/The Easter Bonnet Competition
MCC’s Miscast
Concert versions of musicals
Waiting on Pins and Needles for Awards Season
The Tony
Olivier
Obie
Outer Critics/Drama Desk
Drama League
The Grammy
The Pulitzer Prize
Legacy Robe
Chapter 13 Landing a Role (Paying or Not!)
Identifying Skills You Need to be Onstage
“The Music of the Night” — Singing (Yes! You can sing!)
Discovering your natural voice
Developing other parts of your voice
Taking voice lessons to “protect the gift”
“Doin’ What Comes Natur’lly” — Acting (There’s a reason why it’s called a play)
Using your voice effectively
Speaking with an accent
Discovering comic timing
Acting while singing
“I Could Have Danced All Night” — Dancing (Don’t skip!)
“I Hope I Get It” — Auditioning
Peeking inside the audition room
Focusing on these tips for auditioning
Being nice — The most important skill
Talking like an Insider
“I’m the Greatest Star” — How Broadway Actors Become Stars
Getting a degree
Is Broadway the only place I can make “Money Money Money”?
Summer stock
National tours
Regional theatre
Theme parks
Industrials
“Another Opening, Another Show” — Performing for the Love of Theatre
Joining community theatre
Putting together a cabaret act
Reading through scripts with friends
Volunteering at your local fill-in-the-blank
Going Pro
Getting an agent
Becoming a member of Equity
Working a side job
Part 4 The Part of Tens
Chapter 14 Ten (Plus) Songs You Didn’t Realize Came from Musical Theatre
“My Funny Valentine”
“All the Things You Are”
“Edelweiss”
“As Time Goes By”
“I’ll Never Fall in Love Again”
“And I Am Telling You”
“Send in the Clowns”
“Aquarius”/“Let the Sunshine In”
“Come Rain or Come Shine”
“Til There Was You” . . . and a Few More
Chapter 15 Ten Celebs Who Started in Musical Theatre
Nancy Walker
Valerie Harper
Christian Slater
Sara Ramirez
Sarah Jessica Parker
John Travolta
Ariana Grande
Nick Jonas
Hair: The Show, Not a Performer
Fun Reveal: An Almost Was
Index
EULA
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