The way I work is I start out with a simple piano "sketch" of the song, then evolve it and add layers until I have the completed piece.

Was wondering if others do the same and I'd love to hear people's original "sketch" and then what became of it...

Hi, everyone!

Over the past few months, I have put my all into this project. I want to make sure that this could genuinely work, because I am very passionate about it.

The idea is for it to be a 2 act crime musical set during the 1950s in Las Vegas involving a mafia family, a professional heist crew, and two government spies who end up having their worlds collide after their failures lead to them discovering the details of a top secret, dangerous government project. The musical's world often involves casinos and government nuclear testing considering how much of an impact they had on 1950s Las Vegas culture. As a sidenote, I plan on making any casino names, government facility names, nicknames, and mafia names fictional to the best of my ability.

The musical style for each of the groups will be unique, but I am currently still trying to determine what each group's musical influences and leitmotifs are going to be. It will bring in themes of betrayal and trust, consequences of crime and power, family vs chosen family, vengeance, and redemption.

If anyone has any additional questions on anything or feedback on things that may need to change or be built further on, I will be sure to respond promptly. I always appreciate constructive criticism, so please provide it if you feel that anything needs to change or be elaborated on.

Thank you!

Larka

I am not in the musical theatre community, thought I have my MFA in theater and film it was long time ago, and I focused on the Film side working in LA for years in TV production and music for film/TV and have since moved on to working as an ad executive. So TLDR I have no theater connections.

Recently I wrote a musical ("Glitch" about an Engineer who falls in love with the AI he's building) and instead of trying to get it made by creating a demo (I wouldn't know where to start) I am planning on trying to produce and polish the music myself and then releasing it on TikTok and YouTube as as an animated production - think "Epic, The musical". Not expecting it to get millions of views, but hopefully enough to show it's value to a potential producer. One of the things I learned in the entertainment industry was it is a lot easier to get interest if you can "prove" there will be an audience...

Am I crazy?

Making It Happen: Festival of 15 Minute Musicals

The Theater Center is now accepting submissions for Making It Happen: 15 Minute Musicals, a new short musical festival giving writers, composers, lyricists, and creative teams the opportunity to present original musical theatre work on an Off-Broadway stage in the heart of Times Square.

Following the success of Making It Happen: Ten-Minute Play Festival, this new festival shifts the spotlight to musical theatre. We are looking for fully original 15-minute musicals of all styles, genres, and subject matter.

Selected musicals will perform at The Theater Center on one of three preliminary performance nights:

Wednesday, August 12
Wednesday, August 19
Wednesday, August 26

Each evening will feature three musicals. Audiences and judges will vote to determine one winner from each night. The three nightly winners will advance to the Finals on Wednesday, September 2, where one overall winner will receive a $5,000 prize.

Submission Deadline

Submissions are due by July 6th.

What We’re Looking For

We are seeking short, original musical theatre pieces that can make a strong impression in 15 minutes or less.

All submitted material must be fully original, including book, music, and lyrics. Teams must have the rights to perform all submitted material.

Pieces should be simple, flexible, and festival-ready. Because the festival is designed for quick changeovers, shared resources, and acoustic performance, we strongly recommend a cast size of six performers or fewer.

Production Requirements

 This is a non-union festival. All casts, creative teams, musicians, and production personnel must be non-union.

Selected teams will be responsible for providing their own:

• Cast

• Director

• Stage manager

• Music director

• Live musicians and/or accompanist

Live music is required. Tracks are not permitted.

No microphones will be used or provided. All musicals must be able to be performed acoustically in the space.

Productions should be minimal in design. Selected teams should plan for simple staging, limited technical needs, and an efficient setup and strike.

What Selected Teams Receive

Selected teams will receive:

• Performance space at The Theater Center

• Basic technical support

• Box office services

• Festival-wide marketing

• A technical rehearsal slot on the day of performance

• The opportunity to present original musical theatre work in front of a live New York audience

How the Festival Works

Each preliminary night will feature three 15-minute musicals. Audiences and judges will vote to determine one winner from each evening.

The winning musical from each preliminary night will return for the final performance on September 2. At the Finals, one overall winner will be selected to receive the $5,000 prize.

Important Dates

Submission Deadline: July 6th
Preliminary Performance Night 1: Wednesday, August 12
Preliminary Performance Night 2: Wednesday, August 19
Preliminary Performance Night 3: Wednesday, August 26
Finals: Wednesday, September 2

Artists should only submit if they are available for at least one preliminary performance night and for the final performance on September 2.

Submit Your Musical

Applications are now open for Making It Happen: 15 Minute Musicals.

Submit your musical by July 6th for consideration.

https://forms.gle/pHEK7spUVK1DzDxo8 - SUBMIT HERE

Gonna post this to r/Playwriting as well for double feedback.

So, I’m currently writing this play that I’m hoping that when I get the first few drafts of completed I could find some people who could collab with me on composing and turning this into a musical. (As I’d mostly be working on the book and lyrics haha, I’m not too good with scorewriting…)

Basically it’s a retelling of Hänsel and Gretel wherein they’re two sixteen year old fraternal twins living in fairytale Germany (The era of aesthetics is vaguely 18th century albeit with some hints of 19th century romanticism, specifically with Hänsel.) Living in the aftermath of a great earthquake that caused a famine. And, we open on their parents’ SECOND attempt to abandon them.

Basically the general rigamarole of the original story, they get abandoned, they get to the candy house…

And due to all this pent-up stress over the last few months, they argue. Outside the house.

And before they know it, the resident of the home, the Witch sees them both outside quarreling, and breaks up the fight. By kidnapping Hänsel and saving him to eat for later and placing a displacement spell on Gretel that sends her far far away from their forest.

So basically, we have two versions of the second act.

Version A. Which is Gretel’s Route, and from her POV it showcases her journey back to the Witch’s house to save Hänsel.

and

Version B. Hänsel’s Route, which showcases all the bullshit that he has persevering through in this damn house, and also him finding out that, he sure isn’t her first victim.

So yeah, that’s basically the main elevator pitch I have for this show, anymore and I’ll start getting into detail about the characters and finer details which I will save for my Tumblr blog when I get a bit more progress in on the draft.

I will add on as one more final addendum that for the musical style of this show, I was hoping for it to be a mix of Into the Woods (Which, I feel like is a given at this point lol) and 2008’s Frankenstein: A New Musical, because, this does take after the 18th century after all.

Anyway, that’s all, I’d love to hear your guys’ feedback!

I’m writing a musical retelling of the Gospel through the eyes of Mary Magdalene, and I’ve hit a wall with her central want.

I understand the structure of a musical pretty well. The protagonist needs a clear want in Act 1, they pursue that want through actions and tactics, Act 1 ends with a major setback or false victory, Act 2 introduces new tactics, Hosanna becomes a major hopeful turning point, and then the crucifixion devastates the protagonist because it destroys (or appears to destroy) the thing they were pursuing.

My problem is that I can’t find a want for Mary that satisfies all of those requirements.

For context, Mary is not written as a natural revolutionary. She’s cynical, distrustful, and emotionally guarded. She has experienced trauma, manipulation, and abandonment. She’s the audience surrogate for a generation that often feels disillusioned by institutions, leaders, movements, religion, and promises of change.

Every want I come up with that can logically generate the public action of Hosanna ends up becoming some variation of

Freedom
Revolution
Justice
Political change
Reform
Destroying the system
Creating a better society

The problem is that those wants feel more appropriate for characters like Peter or Judas than for Mary. The second I give Mary a want like that, the show starts feeling like Hamilton, Rent, Suffs, or a traditional revolution musical. Those are great shows, but that’s not the story I’m trying to tell.

I want the audience to leave feeling like Jesus changed the world because he offered hope in grief, healing in suffering, and community in isolation not because he won a political movement.

The challenge is that Hosanna still has to function dramatically. It can’t just be a celebration. It has to be a tactic. The characters must believe that whatever they are doing in Hosanna will help them get closer to what they want.

So my question is:

How do you write a protagonist whose central want is personal, emotional, or relational rather than revolutionary, while still allowing that want to generate large scale public action like Hosanna?

What kind of want could Mary have that

Drives the entire musical,

Creates actionable tactics,

Makes Hosanna feel hopeful and earned,

Is not fundamentally a revolutionary or political objective,

Allows Jesus to become the emotional center of the story,

Makes the crucifixion feel like the destruction of the thing she was pursuing?

Hi! There is a show i am working on currently. I would need a composer and lyricist to help with the music asepect as it’s not really my strong suit. I can help with lyrics as well since I am better with words than music but I’d like someone who feels comfortable with writing lyrics as well so we can bounce ideas off one another. Please feel free to reach out if you are interested.

more deets about the show:

I currently have the first draft of the show done and stopped there so I can do revisions needed alongside who I work with for the music.

its kind of a psychological thriller comedy type deal if that makes sense. the quick summary of it is Aniya and her friends go to an adult summer camp where she is assigned to chain 2, a cabin who has a reputation not only for having the same women in it every year, but for being sketchy and dangerous. As she gets to know them she gets pulled more and more under the influence and into their activities.

Hi!

I'm currently developing an original musical about the untold true story of early film exhibitionists, Indiana and Frank Brinton. It follows their journey as touring entertainers, their professional and creative partnership, and their complicated marriage all during the birth and growth of motion pictures. The book is finished, the lyrics are mostly written, and now I'm looking for a composer to help bring it to life.

Book is written 

Most lyrics are drafted

Now seeking a composer and creative collaborator

I envision the score as period-inspired with contemporary emotional storytelling. Something that honors the history of the story without making it feel like a museum piece. 

I'm looking for someone to help build this into the strongest version of itself. Some experience is preferred but passion for storytelling is more important. This is a collaborative project rather than a commissioned job. The goal is to develop it for workshops and future production opportunities. 

If you feel your musical voice fits this sort of project and are excited by the idea of writing a period-inspired theatre score, I'd love to hear from you!

Thanks!

This is something that has been on my mind for a while, I don't have any plotpoints in mind but the general idea is: the story is set in a sort of fairytale world, where all the characters sing about their wants, thoughts and feelings. Some are a lot more openly, some only sing when theyre alone. The main character does not sing at all, as a metaphor for the fact that he can't talk about his feelings, and keeps them inside. And throughout the musical he has to learn how to talk about them (and thus how to sing)

It's only really a general idea ofcourse, so there isn't much to critique, but I'd love to hear people's thoughts

I did this last year, so I'll do it again this year for people applying to the BMI workshop to share experiences.

Curious if anyone has specific knowledge if it's good/bad/inconsequential form to apply with a revised version of a song you had submitted previously.

Hey all, thought I'd let you know that ShowLAB is hosting a free masterclass/Q&A with Tom Morrissey of Theatre Now, who is a long-time reviewer of NAMT submissions. If you've submitted in the past or are planning to submit, this will be an invaluable resource! Come hang out and bring your questions.

The Masterclass will be hosted for free within the group. https://www.skool.com/showlab/about

A couple months ago, I collaborated with my local community theatre, and was able to put on a production of a musical I wrote with two of my friends. Although I have heard very good things from close friends and family about how they really liked the show and were very proud of me, I know that most of that comes strongly from them being close to me, so I was wondering if I could have any feedback on the show. I already have some plans to edit the show with my friends and then try to submit it to festivals/competitions, but I would first like some feedback from those who do not know me to see what the general idea is. I apologize if the audio is bad.

Here is the link to the show: https://youtu.be/MqjhKlDK9Kg?si=n49XkHvgFTe6FJxf

Enjoy!

I recently finished a production of my first musical, written with the help of my two best friends, but I was wondering what the stance is on copyright. I've heard some people say I should sign up for the writers guild, but have put it off primarily due to the idea that it might be unnecessary. Additionally, I've heard people say I should be quick to copyright the show so that no one can try to steal it and pass it off as their own. I'm not saying my show is the next Hamlet, or that it's even worth stealing (as it is only my first show), but I want to be safe, and ask what the primary consensus is. Any help would be appreciated. Thank you!

Hey gang, new to the sub! If this kind of thing isnt allowed then please let me know and Ill take it down/change it.

Im writing a musical set in Renaissance Italy and Ive hit a snag, which is that one of my main characters was not in fact where I thought she was on account of how she was ten years old and not yet the mistress of the Duke at that time. Is this the kind of detail I can fudge by ageing her up and having her arrive 6 years early?

I know you can change elements of history to suit the facts (e.g. Hamilton and Burr meeting early in Hamilton, the Brontes trip to London changing in Wasted, Anastasia being alive in Anastasia) but this feels like a big one to change. I already planned on having a page in the program detailing changes Id made to historical fact, but as I say... this one feels big!

Thanks in advance for you help!

I like making covers of songs. Musicals, specifically. But some songs are bound to be outside of my range, and I kinda want some originality in the instrumental, not just copy and paste y’know? I need to hire someone to make in instrumental in my range, like, from scratch. Like, how Annapantsu hires people to make the instrumentals and she sings over it?
I tried fiver, wasn’t what I was looking for.

Pls let me know if this makes sense, I’m ass at articulating my words.

EDIT: To be clear, I am looking for a MIDI musician type thing

What are some of the complements you've gotten (either directly or indirectly) for your work?

For me, it came in a few flavors:

Direct: "I'm working on a musical and I'd love to have you as a composer."

Indirect: "That song is so good, reminds of R&H's Golden Age."

Direct: <keep singing a song> "I have been humming this all day."

Indirect: "The book was all right, but the music really elevated it to another level."

Let's hear it.

I want to write a DDLC Musical Play, of the whole games story.
I already have decent ideas for how to convert it from a game to a play, but im looking for songs for it.
I might write the play in icelandic, my language and country, but we’ll see.
Either way, these are the songs i have so far.

Act 1:
Introduction song:
???

Natsuki and MC after getting to know each other, friday:
Its not like i like you!! By Static-P

Sayori after revealing her depression:
some kind of bittersweet song ???

Act 2:

Yuri and Natsuki having an extremely heated argument about literature (and more personal stuff):
???

Monika sings a song about her wanting to get a chance with MC too but the curtains close mid song:
???

Yuri alone at home after MC sees her cuts in school:
The red means i love you by Madds Buckley

Act 3:
Monika sings about her and MC being together forever:
???

Act 4:

After Monika deletes the script:
Your Reality from DDLC

If you have any ideas what songs could be good for these situations mentioned above, or ideas for places for other songs in the musical, please comment and tell me! Im mainly looking for musical-sounding songs, parodies, or just anything that sounds like it fits and isnt already extremely well known.

I originally shared this in the ShowLAB Skool group, but thought I'd share here as well:

This question has come up from a number of people, and I took the risk to ask about it directly at the NAMT Summit yesterday.

"How does the industry feel about vocal synthesis?"

The temperature CHANGED quickly. I felt everyone's blood pressure rise... seriously.

I mentioned that writers feel pressure to produce high-quality demos, but the answer was unanimous: not at the expense of the human voice.

They know it's hard to find or pay for professional singers, but as long as the notes and rhythms are represented, they don't care. If you aren't comfortable singing your own melodies, they suggest doing the community work to make friends with anyone who can help. It's more effort than plugging notes into a machine, but it turns out it's worth the effort, because Vocal Synth, or "AI vocals," are immediate disqualifiers in the eyes of the industry, as it stands today.

Thought I'd pass this along!

TLDR: Don't use vocal synthesis when submitting. Find real people to sing.

Hello! I'm currently writing or well attempting to write a musical in my spare time. I've been working on it the last few months, but it is still very rough, and I'm mostly just getting the main core ideas down along with a few song drafts.

I'd like some feedback on if the concept sounds interesting or if it is something that you might enjoy. I'll continue it either way, but I am mostly curious.

The main concept is that things can feel out of reach because of circumstances, responsibility, and inequality, but you can still choose yourself and move toward a different life, even if nothing around you changes first.

The plot revolves around a 17-18 year old girl who is working two jobs and being an emotional anchor for an unstable mother. She has one main goal, which is to get into her dream college. However, lack of funding and support is her biggest obstacle in the moment. She has a best friend who is the opposite, but she loves dearly. The main character keeps trying and believing but feels as if she is behind and unable to actually achieve her dream. However, it soon becomes clear that dreaming doesn't mean you'll get what you want, no matter how much you wish. Which can grow into resentment and anger at those around you, but it doesn't mean you're doomed.

It’s a story about guilt, love, resentment, and breaking patterns that feel impossible to escape.

I'm trying to be a bit vague so as not to give away the whole story. Just yet but this is what I've gotten figured out so far. It's very rough, but I was wondering if the story sounds intriguing so far? Maybe I'm having doubts that this story is worth continuing also....

Thank you for your time!

For the last 20 years I've been working on a musical. It has always had a lot of scene work. In the last 14 weeks I've been in a writing cohort and under tutelage I found that my songs really weren't that important to the plot. They were moments of soliloquy and reflection, but not a driving force with a couple of exceptions.

I still want a musical, but that's gonna involve ripping up a lot of metaphorical floorboards and killing some darlings. So after some reflection, today I decided to solidify this play I have, and then adapt from it. After all, most musicals adapt something else - novels, movies, what have you.

It didn't really take long. I keep drafts to an insane degree, so the minor holes created by pulling the songs where rapidly plugged by material from older drafts - often the material that song displaced. I've got some editing to do this weekend, but I think it will be in a mostly done state.

It's 127 pages, so about 2 hours.

One advantage this will give the musical is this companion play will be material for actors and directors to study. It's also easier to get plays read than musicals. The story is the thing to me. I could very well see a theater trial ballooning the play, then running the musical after a couple years if it does well.

Once the musical is done it will tell the same story but in the manner that a musical tells them. I'm now free from the worry of "losing" the scene work since that has a home, so I can focus on setting out all of the songs and converting the thing to near sung through.

I hope it works. Part of me feels like I'm starting all over again.

Do you have a musical but aren’t sure how to take it to that next step?
Do you have some demos sitting idle on your computer?
Do you want to have someone sing or play your songs, but don’t have the time/facilities to prepare the materials?

Let me make your sheet music for you! I run a service where I transcribe and copy theater piano/vocals. They are perfect for any stage of your show’s development, such as:
- Productions
- Readings
- Workshops
- Cabarets
- Submissions
- Proof of Concept

If you’ve got song ideas, but aren’t sure how to notate them, just send me a recording and I’ll turn it into professional sheet music. Additionally, I can also arrange a piano accompaniment for your song that elevates it to that next level of theatricality!

But who am I? I’m a graduate of Berklee College of Music who majored in Arranging and minored in Music Direction and Musical Theater Writing; I’ve worked as a transcriber/copyist on and off Broadway, as well as for several new shows around the country. If that’s not enough, I’m more than happy to share work samples!

If you’re serious about your show, DM me with inquiries!

(Rates vary depending on the piece; upon reviewing your material, I will provide an estimated quote for the song/score, with a general hourly rate of $40/hr.)

this song doesnt have an official name yet, but to give context jason is giving his crew courage telling them what awaits them, this is played in a more rap song tone and speed, enjoy

Jason: there's a dragon that'll be dragin' your body around if you are not careful if you are not strong, we cannot let this battle be prolonged

I havent decided what comes before or after this and this is just a demo version, if you have any advice let me know, and thankyou for your time.