Preproduction: the period of time during which work is done on a show prior to the first rehearsal.
Before going further, perhaps some definitions would come in handy. First an explanation of who's involved. Some of these people may not actually make an appearance until after the show is in rehearsal, however. In smaller productions some of these roles are combined.
Arranger: see Orchestrator, Vocal Arranger, Dance Arranger.
Audition Accompanist: Plays for the singers' audition.
Bookwriter: aka Librettist. Writes the scenes, dialogue, etc.
Casting Director: Schedules auditions, arranges for audition space and time, solicits actors to audition, creates the audition advertisement ("breakdown") which is sent to agents, managers, and trade papers.
Choreographer: aka Musical Stager. Creates the dances for a show, and/or directs the movement in musical numbers.
Company Manager: Usually works for the General Manager. Acts as liaison with the cast, crew, musicians, etc.
Composer: Writes the tunes. (May be responsible for arranging chores as well.)
Conductor: Leads the orchestra in performance; runs orchestra rehearsals. May also be the Musical Director.
Copyist: Generates the actual sheets of music used by the players (Music Preparation). This person will receive the orchestral scores from the orchestrator and create separate parts for the individual instruments. May also create the rehearsal piano and/or piano-conductor parts. Traditionally done in pen and ink, now often done on computer.
Costume Designer, Costumer: Designs, purchases, rents, and/or borrows costume elements.
Dance Arranger: Works with the choreographer to create music to accompany dance sections of a show, usually based on themes from other parts of the show or from within the number containing the dance.
Director: Oversees and guides the production from an artistic standpoint. May be involved in a dramaturgical manner (see Dramaturg).
Dramaturg: Advises the writers on research and artistic issues. Not used on all or even many shows.
General Manager: Oversees the production, usually from a financial point of view.
Librettist: see Bookwriter.
Lighting Designer: Makes decisions about the number of lighting instruments needed and their placement to achieve the desired artistic effect. May also be involved in the creation of special effects.
Lyricist: Writes the words for the songs.
Musical Director: Oversees the musical elements of a show. Usually involved in the rehearsal process. May or may not eventually become the conductor when the show is performed. May also have other duties (eg. vocal arrangements, underscoring, etc.).
Orchestrator: Takes the (hopefully) final rehearsal piano arrangements and creates a full orchestral arrangement.
Producer: The person who raises the money for a production, or causes the money to be raised.
Production Manager: Oversees the construction of the set. May also be responsible for building/finding props.
Publicist: Hired to create or oversee the creation of promotional
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