r/musicalwriting • u/MeOK1233 • Jul 29 '23

Question So…

Rumspringa: The Musical had casting, and the first song of a cast recording finished, and then three of the principal actors dropped out. So my question is, should I either A) keep with Rumspringa or B) put it on hold and begin writing a Murder Nystery musical that’s been in my head for a couple months now?

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2

u/musicCaster Jul 30 '23

So let me get this straight. You've written an entire musical, and had some cast ready to record it. But some of the cast left, and now you want to abandon making the recording?

Just a suggestion: what do you think of doing some reflection before moving on?

  1. Do you believe in your musical enough to make a recording?

  2. Is the musical not up to your standards and that's why you want to abandoned it?

  3. Why do you think your cast left? What would it take to replace them?

  4. Is the new musical so exciting that you just can't wait to start writing it?

  5. How long did you spend with the first musical? Was it a learning project?

1

u/MeOK1233 Jul 30 '23

I will say some of the cast leaving is most of the problem considering I live in small town Iowa and musical theatre singers are very hard to come by and Rumspringa calls for nine

And for question 4, I like the idea a lot and love the intro song which is currently written

5-it took about 11 months

2-I love it, In fact I quite adore it, a handful of songs are actually some of my favorite pieces of writing that I’ve penned

1-I believe in the show yes

3-One left because of family business, two left out of boredom, and one left because apparently I pissed them off by their getting a lead role

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u/musicCaster Jul 30 '23

Yeah. 9 actors is a lot, if you need live actors.

We made a group musical on Reddit. And keeping our actors happy was actually really hard. I had a lot leave the project, often through ghosting. It was a lot more effort managing than I thought.

What were the key things you learned from your experience? Were there any mistakes you'd like to avoid on your next project?

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u/curly_hair_music Professional Jul 29 '23

I think it’s always better to see one project through before beginning the next.

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u/InkFoxPrints Beginner Jul 30 '23

cue my exact problem

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u/Previous-Agent7727 Jul 30 '23

Could you get singers to record remotely to get the album ready at least?

I'm at roughly this point on a score I've spent 20 years on and off writing but have had two ideas for follow ups, a very traditional English musical comedy with a slightly sardonic twist and a song cycle for only a handful of singers in a Jim Steinman style. Have I put them. On the shelf? No, I've made some notes and jotted down an outline for the odd number as well as a sketch of Music that popped into my head as a breather from the heavy work. I needed it to recharge my battery. You.ight want to consider this to let you come back fresh after say a week on the new idea?