1. The book (the script)
2. The Songs (the music)
3. The Songs (the lyrics)
For most individuals, their strength falls into either The Book or The Songs. It isn't uncommon for composers to also be lyricists and vice-versa.
It is much less common for bookwriters to also be songwriters/lyricists... but it is possible.
The biggest drawback in "doing it all" is being able to create equally good material for each of the three parts of the musical. Experts and professionals in the musical theatre field don't believe that the majority of writers possess strong enough skills in ALL areas and the general concensus is that one person should not write the entire musical and all of its parts.
So where do you stack up?
Let's look at what is required in each of the basic elements of a musical:
THE BOOK
This is simply another word for "the script" and just like a play (non- musical), the script must contain solid characters, believable dialogue and a plot to develop and manipulate these characters.
Musicals are often accused of shallow characters and "fairy tale" plots because critics believe the focus of many musicals is the music rather than the story. Perhaps this can be said of some of the classic musicals like "The Music Man", "South Pacific", "Seven Brides for Seven Brothers" and other such fare but perhaps the light nature of the plots is the perfect partner to the fanciful singing and dancing.
Musicals, for the most part, are much more than light fare. From the biographical stories of characters like Gypsy Rose Lee (Gypsy) to the heart-wrenching "Miss Saigon", or the literary works developed into musicals ("The Phantom of the Opera"/"Les Miserables"), the musical can have as much substance as any play.
So let us look at the parts of the "book" which must include:
1. Plot
2. Characters
3. Dialogue
PLOT: The story must evolve and present challenges or obstacles for the characters to overcome. Even the lightest love story will contain a "love triangle" or some other such roadblock that makes the characters have to grow and develop as they try to rise above their adversity.
CHARACTERS: Even villains must give us a reason to care about their circumstances. Can you create "believable" characters who are three- dimensional people? (Try describing each character with one word that sets that person apart from all the others in the story.)
DIALOGUE: For most writers, this is the most difficult part of writing for the stage. All characters cannot speak with the "writer's" voice. Characters must have their own expressions, quirks and/or mannerisms, and often remind us of someone we know from our own life's experiences.
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