Can One Person Do It All?

Remembering that these lines will be executed by actors, reading dialogue aloud is a useful tool in diagnosing it's appeal.

THE MUSIC

Writing the score for a musical can be quite difficult. Songs can fall into three basic categories:

The song that moves the plot along

The emotional outpouring of a character in a song

The exuberant production number (usually involves a large number of chorus and cast members and includes dancing as well as singing)

Many musical theatre songs do not translate well "out of context" because of the specific nature of composing for a musical. Songs run the gamut of styles from classical to pop to contemporary to rock to techno and anything else that depicts the character and nature of the musical.

Composers for musical theatre must possess an arsenal of diverse musical styles and the ability to create "just the right music" for every situation.

Take a look at the score from any musical and you will find:

ballads

up-tempos

solos/duets

chorus/ensembles

instrumental

THE LYRICS

Think of the lyrics as an extension of the book, if you will. Often the songs in a musical replace areas where dialogue or monologue would be used in a regular stageplay. This means that the lyricist (and the composer) must be able to climb into the heads of the characters just as the writer has done so when creating the book.

Perhaps this is why many bookwriters are also the lyricists for their shows.

It is common to have collaborations between composers and lyricists and musical theatre has produced its share of popular duos; some of whom include:

Rodgers and Hammerstein

Kander and Ebb

Lerner and Loewe

Rodgers and Hart

Andrew Lloyd Webber and many different lyricists

Elton John and Tim Rice

Frank Wildhorn and Leslie Bricusse

There are, however, many talented individuals who combine writing both the music and the lyrics:

Stephen Sondheim

Cole Porter

William Finn

Dan Goggin

Irving Berlin

Meredith Wilson

Althought it is difficult to find those individuals who have managed to master it all, they do exist and these two gentlemen exemplify what it means to "do it all":

Andrew Lippa (Composer/lyricist/book writer/performer/arranger/producer) for "The Wild Party" - most outstanding off-broadway musical He also wrote the music and lyrics for 3 of the songs in the Broadway revival of "You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown"

Rupert Holmes (composer/lyricist/book writer) The Mystery of Edwin Drood) He also arranged and conducted a couple of Barbra Streisand's albums and has written two plays.

So - can you "do it all"?

If you have the ability to write a great book, compose wonderful music and create fabulous lyrics - then why not! I say: GO FOR IT!

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