Making Musicals - An Informal Introduction to the World of Musical Theater (Paperback, 1st Limelight ed)

The lyricist/librettist of The Fantasticks, the longest-running show in the history of the American theatre, here takes on a new role as guide through the magical world of the stage musical. He begins his tour with a brief history, tracing the musical's origins to the variety shows and operettas of the early 1900s, from which gradually emerged the works of such masters as Kern, Berlin, Gershwin and Porter, and a tradition best exemplified by the mid-century classics of Rodgers and Hammerstein. A break-up of that tradition, reflecting the immense changes in every aspect of postwar American life, was inevitable. So, gradually new forms evolved, and today we have the "Dance Musical", the "Concept Musical", the "Rock Musical" and the "Sung-Through Musical", all running alongside shows, some hugely successful, that revive or try to reinvent the past. How to create a musical, whatever its style, is Tom Jones's concern in the longer second part of this book. He draws generously upon his own experiences, with composer Harvey Schmidt, in creating not only The Fantasticks but all their other shows. Together these musicals become a constant frame of reference as Jones explains how to get started, how to work with composers, set designers and other collaborators, how to find the spark for an effective lyric, how to create a musical rather than a play with music and how to go about getting produced.

General

Imprint:	Limelight Editions
Country of origin:	United States
Series:	Limelight
Release date:	1998
First published:	1998
Authors:	Tom Jones
Dimensions:	216 x 140 x 13mm (L x W x T)
Format:	Paperback - Trade
Pages:	189
Edition:	1st Limelight ed
ISBN-13:	978-0-87910-095-7
Categories:	Books > Arts & Architecture > Performing arts > Theatre, drama > Musical theatre
LSN:	0-87910-095-8
Barcode:	9780879100957

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