The Musical from the Inside Out [Paperback]

Stephen Citron (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 1, 1997

Rarely is a book about the theatre as entertaining and informative as Stephen Citron's new guidebook to the creation of the musical. Filled with anecdotes, practical advice, and sparkling comments from the biggest Broadway insiders, The Musical from the Inside Out examines this major theatrical form from the creator's point of view. Mr. Citron takes the reader through basic training and onto finding and securing material, writing the libretto, adding the songs, auditioning the players, workshopping, rehearsals, previews, and the excitement of opening night. He reveals the secrets of success as well as some of the common pitfalls of failure. "There's never been a book like this," wrote a columnist from London's West End. Mr. Citron's bounty of information comes from his own vast experience; from interviews with well-known directors, producers, lyricists, composers, librettists, stage managers, and scenic artists; and from such luminaries as Stephen Sondheim, Andrew Lloyd Webber, Jerry Herman, Hal Prince, Jerome Robbins, Jerry Bock, Sheldon Harnick, John Kander, and Fred Ebb. The Musical From the Inside Out is an adventure for musical fans and required reading for professionals or amateurs involved in creating a musical.

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

Fledgling musical comedy writers and fans of the musical stage curious about how a musical is conceived, composed, and produced need look no further. Citron, himself the composer of two musicals, takes the reader from the selection of the property to its final financed and staged production, offering suggestions on where to include songs, how to deal with directors, and what to expect during auditions, workshops, and previews. Numerous footnotes and comments from practitioners and critics support Citron's ideas, which are always practical and right on target. Unfortunately, the index listing potential producers is sorely out of date. Nevertheless, there is much to recommend here, and most libraries will find this volume useful.
- Eric W. Johnson, Teikyo Post Univ. Lib., Waterbury, Ct.
Copyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Review

A good overview of the principle elements involved in getting a show on. (R. D. Johnson Choice )

An ambitious guidebook. (Patricia Grandjean New York Times )

Enjoyable...the flavor of musical theatre is in here. (Jeremy Gerard Variety )

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 305 pages
• Publisher: Ivan R Dee (October 1, 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1566631769
• ISBN-13: 978-1566631761
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 5.9 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #376,904 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

13 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Sloppy and inaccurate throughout, April 30, 2000

By 

Alan (New York, NY) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Musical from the Inside Out (Paperback)

Although the author has some degree of insight into the process of creating musicals, it is mostly very basic information. And apart from that, this book is so filled with factual errors as to almost completely invalidate from serious consideration as a text on musical theatre. I hate to think of the amount of misinformation that anyone who doesn't know much about musicals would come away with as a result of reading this book.

11 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Mediocre, March 7, 1999

By 

Scott E. Miller "author, director, composer" (St. Louis, MO USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Musical from the Inside Out (Paperback)

There is some good information in this book but it's also riddled with factual errors and a real misunderstanding of several important musicals. I don't know why this guy is writing a book about musical theatre, because he really doesn't understand the art form very well and many of the historical details are just wrong...

4.0 out of 5 stars Fun and Informative, February 11, 2002

By 

loesser "lbw22" (colonia, nj United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Musical from the Inside Out (Paperback)

An excellent text for the neophyte wishing to try his hand at the creation of a musical or for the amateur (like me) who is curious to know exactly how a musical is made. Full of quotes from famous pros and always readable. Highly recommended.