Production and Composition
Recommended Books
The Music Collection includes several books on the direction, staging, composition, and orchestration of musical theatre. Many are classified in MT 67 (Composition) or MT 955 (Production) while other useful volumes are shelved in related areas. The recommended books below are sorted by their call numbers to ease browsing. Hover over the info icon to see a description of the book.
Sondheim on Music: Minor Details and Major Decisions by
Stephen Sondheim is widely regarded as the most important composer and lyricist of musical theater in the second half of the 20th century. Celebrating his 80th birthday, this new edition of Sondheim on Music finds him in these guided interviews expounding in great depth and detail on his craft. As a natural teacher, thoughtful and opinionated, Sondheim discusses the art of musical composition, lyric writing, the collaborative process of musical theater, and how he thinks about his own work. Where the first edition focused particularly on six shows--Passion, Assassins, Into the Woods, Sunday in the Park with George, Sweeney Todd, and Pacific Overtures--this second edition presents a new chapter that discusses Sondheim's entire career. Several shows that were not discussed previously are explored here, including A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum, Merrily We Roll Along, Company, Follies, Anyone Can Whistle, and A Little Night Music, as well as thoughts about the recent film adaptation of Sweeney Todd. The book also features an entire chapter on Bounce: the previous incarnation of his latest musical, Road Show. In addition to Sondheim's list of "Songs I Wish I'd Written," the songlisting and discography has been greatly expanded and updated to include all works composed and recorded over the last six years.
Call Number: ML410.S6872 H67 2010Publication Date: 2010
West Side Story, Gypsy, and the Art of Broadway Orchestration by
In this ground-breaking study, Paul Laird examines the process and effect of orchestration in West Side Story and Gypsy, two musicals that were among the most significant Broadway shows of the 1950s, and remain important in the modern repertory. Drawing on extensive archival research with original manuscripts, Laird provides a detailed account of the process of orchestration for these musicals, and their context in the history of Broadway orchestration. He argues that the orchestration plays a vital role in the characterization and plot development in each major musical number, opening a new avenue for analysis that deepens our understanding of the musical as an art form. The orchestration of the score in Broadway musicals deeply shapes their final soundscapes, but only recently has it begun to receive real attention. Linked by a shared orchestrator, in other ways West Side Story and Gypsy offer a study in contrasts. Breaking down how the two composers, Leonard Bernstein and Jules Styne, collaborated with orchestrators Sid Ramin, Irwin Kostal, and Robert Ginzler, Laird's study enables us to better understand both of these two iconic shows, and the importance of orchestration within musical theatre in general.
Call Number: ML455 .L35 2022Publication Date: 2022
The Sound of Broadway Music: A Book of Orchestrators and Orchestrations by
Broadway's top orchestrators - Robert Russell Bennett, Don Walker, Philip J. Lang, Jonathan Tunick - are names well known to musical theatre fans, but few people understand precisely what the orchestrator does. The Sound of Broadway Music is the first book ever written about these unsung stars of the Broadway musical whose work is so vital to each show's success. The book examines the careers of Broadway's major orchestrators and follows the song as it travels from the composer's piano to the orchestra pit. Steven Suskin has meticulously tracked down thousands of original orchestral scores, piecing together enigmatic notes and notations with long-forgotten documents and current interviews with dozens of composers, producers, conductors and arrangers. The information is separated into three main parts: a biographical section which gives a sense of the life and world of twelve major theatre orchestrators, as well as incorporating briefer sections on another thirty arrangers and conductors; a lively discussion of the art of orchestration, written for musical theatre enthusiasts (including those who do not read music); a biographical section which gives a sense of the life and world of twelve major theatre orchestrators, as well as incorporating briefer sections on another thirty arrangers and conductors; and an impressive show-by-show listing of more than seven hundred musicals, in many cases including a song-by-song listing of precisely who orchestrated what along with relevant comments from people involved with the productions. Stocked with intriguing facts and juicy anecdotes, many of which have never before appeared in print, The Sound of Broadway Music brings fascinating and often surprising new insight into the world of musical theatre.
Call Number: ML455 .S87 2009Publication Date: 2009
Music Theory for Musical Theatre by
Music Theory for Musical Theatre is a textbook designed to demystify music theory and analysis to make it more accessible to the musical theatre student. It aims to equip the student with a basic skill set that he or she can directly apply to the art form. John Bell and Steven R. Chicurel explore how musical theatre composers use basic principles of music theory to help illuminate characters and tell stories, while helping the student understand the form, structure, and dramatic power of musical theatre repertoire. The material is presented in three parts. Part I breaks down key concepts in the rudiments of music theory, including melody, rhythm, harmony, and form, while using excerpts from musical theatre literature to illustrate these ideas. Part II offers full analyses of musical theatre songs, presenting a model for singing actors on how to use musical analysis as an aid in performance. The workbook in Part III provides hands-on drills and exercises that the reader can use to facilitate skill development of the ideas presented in part one. Published with a lay-flat binding for easy use in the classroom and concluding with a glossary that reinforces important terminology, this textbook fills a long-neglected need in musical theatre study that will be beneficial to beginning and advanced students alike.
Call Number: MT7 .B42 2008Publication Date: 2008
Composing for Voice: Exploring Voice, Language, and Music by
Composing for Voice: Exploring Voice, Language and Music, Second Edition, elucidates how language and music function together from the perspectives of composers, singers and actors, providing an understanding of the complex functions of the voice pedagogically, musicologically and dramatically. Composing for Voice examines the voice across a wide range of musical genres (including pop, jazz, folk, classical, opera and the musical) and explores the fusion of language and music that is unique to song. This second edition is enlarged to attract a wider readership amongst all music and theatre professionals and educators, whilst also engaging an international audience with the introduction of new co-author Maria Huesca. New to the second edition: A review of the history of singing An overview of the development of melisma A chapter to help performers understand each other, as singers and actors often receive disparate educations Case studies and qualitative research around song, lyric and meaning A discussion of the synthetic voice An introduction to the concept of embodied composition Interviews with composers and singers Summaries of various vocal styles A website with links to performances discussed, as well as related workshops: www.composingforvoice.com. Composing for Voice: Exploring Voice, Language and Music, Second Edition, articulates possibilities for the practical exploration of language, music and voice by composers, singers and actors.
Call Number: MT64.V63 B57 2018Publication Date: 2018
Writing Musical Theater by
This guide to the modern musical covers the entire process of creating a show, from finding and working out the initial idea, through to the ways in which writers can market a finished show and get it produced. For the interested theatregoer and writers, it is written in a lively and user-friendly style and illustrated with numerous examples.
Call Number: MT67 .C6 2006Publication Date: 2006
The Musical from the Inside Out by
An entertaining and informative new guidebook to the creation of the musical show, filled with anecdotes, practical advice, and sparkling commentary from the biggest Broadway insiders.
Call Number: MT67 .C54 1992Publication Date: 1992
Writing the Broadway Musical by
Brimming with advice and techniques, this essential reference for book- and songwriters clearly explains the fundamentals of the three crafts of a musical--book, music, and lyrics. Using copious examples from classic shows, Frankel has created the quintessential musical writers' how-to. Among the topics: definitions of musical theater; differences between musical books and straight plays and between poetry and lyrics; what a score is and how it develops; how to write for the voice; and how to audition musicals for producers. With a new introduction and revised text, Frankel's work is ready to guide a new generation of aspiring writers.
Call Number: MT67 .F78 2000Publication Date: 2000
Music Direction for the Stage: A View from the Podium by
Theater music directors must draw on a remarkably broad range of musical skills. Not only do they conduct during rehearsals and performances, but they must also be adept arrangers, choral directors, vocal coaches, and accompanists. Like a record producer, the successful music director must have the flexibility to adjust as needed to a multifaceted job description, one which changes with each production and often with each performer. In Music Direction for the Stage, veteran music director and instructor Joseph Church demystifies the job in a book that offers aspiring and practicing music directors the practical tips and instruction they need in order to mount a successful musical production. Church, one of Broadway's foremost music directors, emerges from the orchestra pit to tell how the music is put into a musical show. He gives particular attention to the music itself, explaining how a music director can best plan the task of learning, analyzing, and teaching each new piece. Based on his years of professional experience, he offers a practical discussion of a music director's methods of analyzing, learning, and practicing a score, thoroughly illustrated by examples from the repertoire. The book also describes how a music director can effectively approach dramatic and choreographic rehearsals, including key tips on cueing music to dialogue and staging, determining incidental music and underscoring, making musical adjustments and revisions in rehearsal, and adjusting style and tempo to performers' needs. A key theme of the book is effective collaboration with other professionals, from the production team to the creative team to the performers themselves, all grounded in Church's real-world experience with professional, amateur, and even student performances. He concludes with a look at music direction as a career, offering invaluable advice on how the enterprising music director can find work and gain standing in the field.
Call Number: MT955 .C59 2015Publication Date: 2015
Producing Musicals: A Practical Guide by
Producing Musicals is a step-by-step guide through the exciting process of producing a show for the stage, from the earliest planning to the last performance. The principles and procedures described can be applied to shows of any size and complexity, from one-off cabaret entertainments to large-scale multi-media extravaganzas. The key roles of the producer, director, creative team and staging departments · Tips on researching and realizing your production effectively · Analysis of the different requirements of plays and musicals · Suggested approaches for producing, directing, designing and casting shows · Breakdown of the rehearsal process with suggestions for working with amateurs, students and professionals · Analysis of moving a production from the rehearsal room into the theatre, and getting the curtain up on time AUTHOR: John Gardyne is a director, writer and producer with twenty years' experience. He has produced and directed shows in the West End. He is an award-winning playwright, and has worked as a librettist and lyricist with many leading composers. He regularly teaches and directs at drama schools and music colleges in the UK and abroad. 137 b/w photos
Call Number: MT955 .G37 2004Publication Date: 2004
Staging Musical Theatre by
Includes production time lines, the duties of key people, information about notable musicals, a list of best musical numbers, suggestions for sets, costumes, and instrumentation, and more.
Call Number: MT955 .N75 1996Publication Date: 1996
Way Off Broadway: A Complete Guide to Producing Musicals with School and Community Groups by
A practical detailed, musical theater how-to for the director, producer, choreographer, designer, stage manager, conductor, actor, singer, dancer or audience member. This often humorous guide is the product of the author's 20 years of experience with school and community groups. Planning, organizing, financing, promoting, casting, designing, blocking, choreographing, and rehearsing are all covered in the book. Also included are chapters concerning the technical aspects of the musical theater--wardrobe, make-up, location, lighting, and sound. The final chapter provides a pre- and post-production checklist, designed to ensure a successful production. Appendices address rehearsal tips, obtaining performance rights, a sample audition packet and a glossary of stage terms.
Call Number: MT955 .S63 1991Publication Date: 1991
Interlibrary Loan
Users are encouraged to search for items beyond University Libraries' catalog via RILM Abstracts of Music Literature and WorldCat. Materials not available in print or online may be requested through Interlibrary Loan. Please allow up to seven days for electronic delivery and up to fourteen days for delivery of physical items.