Customer Reviews

Making Musicals: An Informal Introduction to the World of Musical Theater

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Finally, an insider has published a book giving a first hand account of the process of writing a musical. While the first half of the book covers the history of the American Musical very nicely, the second half does a superb job of guiding us through the difficulties in writing a musical.

Tom Jones leads us through what makes a musical, what the difference between lyrics and poetry is in song writing, and makes suggestions regarding how to find a collaborative partner and how to get your work produced.

I consider this to be a required text for anyone considering a collaboration on a musical.

Tom Jones' MAKING MUSICALS is taken from a series of lectures Jones gave for a class in writing musicals. I found this little book very interesting and full of good advice. Jones doesn't pretend to tell you everything you need to know to write a musical or give specific techniques to write a hit. He's merely passing on what he has learned in his very long career as a writer of musicals. (He started in the 50s writing nightclub revues before hitting paydirt with the American theatre's longevity champ, THE FANTASTICKS, which ran an astounding 42 years.) He gives a brief overview of the history of musical comedy and some basics about getting started on writing your own musical. A lot of this information is available in other books, but what really sets Jones' book apart is the chapter on collaboration. Mr. Jones ought to know a thing or two about collaboration since he and composer Harvey Schmidt had a collaboration that lasted from the 1950s into the 21st Century, when Schmidt chose to retire. Jones tells how to choose a collaborator as well as how to make a good collaboration last. This chapter ought to be mandatory for all aspiring collaborators. (I wish I had read it before my own ill fated attempt at collaboration!) While hardly comprehensive, this is an excellent little book. Four stars.

Everything which is written in that book of Tom Jones is completely and utterly true. It is somehow consoling to read that everybody in this "bloody" business has to go through the same scenario, every time over and over again. Facing this fact it is the only way that you will take all your energy together and start all over again with a new project. When you are many years in showbusiness you can only confirm what is written in this book. When you are just starting, then it might happen that young people rather tend to think they can do better and avoid some of the bad experience. But, as in life, you have to go through bad experience and bump you head against the wall, too, in order to learn.
We are actually in a new project now. There are people with experience in this project and younger people with less experience. With the help of this book and in workshops we try to convince the young ones that the principles of making a musical project and the procedures are always the same and must not be neglected otherwise you will fail.