So What Are We Doing Here, Anyway?

We are building a musical from nothing!

1)      I’m going to ask you to brainstorm for ideas.

2)      We’re going to discuss the possibilities in each idea.

3)      We’re going to vote for our favorites.

4)      I’m going to compose the songs and scenes.

5)      I’m going to present them here.

6)      We’re going to discuss them.

7)      I’m going to refine them.

8)      We’re going to cast the roles and workshop the musical.

9)      We’re going to see where this goes.

10)   You’re going to be my teachers. You’re going to teach me about Broadway musicals because I am not familiar enough with them. My mother loved the Rodgers & Hammerstein musicals, so I know those. Due to teaching voice lessons, singing with the Orlando Gay Chorus, and having so many talented friends and colleagues, I am somewhat familiar with some modern shows, but I have an awful lot to learn! I also need to learn about all aspects of theatre—about acting, stage tech, story, character development, orchestration, and things of which I am not yet aware. Look for a blog thread dedicated to this topic just below.

So, without further ado, Step One! What’s this musical about? The sky’s the limit with this step. It can be a comedy, a tragedy, a comedy/tragedy hybrid. Maybe it’s sci-fi; maybe it’s historic. Perhaps it’s derived from a book. Perhaps it’s about politics or modern culture. Maybe there’s a news story. Maybe one person will give me a person’s name (a famous person’s or something your brain invented), and another will throw out the name of a city (real or imaginary). Let’s have a good time and see where this goes.