Writing a Musical for Kids

One of the most enjoyable and fulfilling projects I, as a writer, can work on is material to be performed by and/or for children. Theatre is a wonderful medium for kids to express parts of themselves and other characters as well as a way to bring stories off of the page and right before their eyes.

Being a professional singer and musician, as well as a teacher, I work with performing arts students of all ages from the young 7 year olds to my wonderful senior adults and every conceivable age in between. Over the years, my writing has come to include material suitable for the students in my studio.

Children love to move and they love to “make believe”, so our musical theatre dramatix classes are extremely popular. The students are exposed to dance, music, singing and acting, culminating in a final performance at the end of the semester. Different numbers of students including varying combinations of boys and girls make choosing performance materials quite challenging. With this in mind, this writer decided to create musicals suited to those students participating in our musical dramatix classes. What better way to try out new material than with a willing group of real live kids!

When writing for children, many have the misconception that the finished product should be simple. That is not, however, the case. One doesn’t need to talk down to kids so that they will understand. Children enjoy stories with vibrant characters, lots of action and a plot that takes them by surprise and makes them think.

Consider talking to children before choosing a topic for your musical. Fairy tales; either adaptations of existing ones, new ones, or a twist on an existing fairy tale are all great places to start. Children also love circus stories, stories about beings from other planets or worlds and stories about kids like themselves.

Much children’s theatre falls under the one act category and most productions can be played out in entirety within less than an hour. Longer shows should offer lots of action, a variety of music and dance, and an intermission where kids can get up and move around. If they have to sit in one place for a long time, your material will have to be exceptionally entertaining.

Adding songs to a children’s musical is not a difficult task. Often, my music is just an extension of the character’s personality. If, for example, my character is a witch, then her song could be in a minor key, consisting of a simple melody that could be almost spoken in a witch-like voice. A palace guard, on the other hand, would likely sing a song with a very strict, march-like rhythm. If the heroine is a princess or beautiful maiden, a slower ballad with a beautiful, flowing melody and a slow, arpeggiated accompaniment could work. Listen to your songs as you sing and play them on tape to decide if they speak the language of your character.

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