Assignment
Choose a "Property"*. This can be a film, a short story, a novel, a play, a painting... Any pre-existing work of art.
Describe this "property". Explain why you have chosen this "property", why it excites you, and why you think it will make a good musical. Why do you think it sings?
Choose a Composer, Lyricist, and book-writer to write this project. For each of these three artists, explain:
What is it about his/her past work that makes them appropriate for this project: style, their use of form, language, etc.
What is it about their lives that makes them appropriate for this project?
Choose a director and choreographer (or director/choreographer). For each, explain:
What is it about his/her past work that makes them appropriate for this project: style, their use of form, language, etc.
What is it about their lives that makes them appropriate for this project?
Choose a lead Producer.
What is it about his/her past work that makes them appropriate for this project: Marketing expertise? Grand vision? Understanding of artistic elements and artistic process?
What is it about their lives that makes them appropriate for this project?
Choose set, costume, and lighting designers.
What is it about their past work that makes them appropriate for this project: style, their use of form, language, etc.
Choose principal actors.
What is it about their past work that makes them appropriate for this project?
This is a research project so you must read an actual book, and you must read NY Times reviews of some of these people's original productions, especially the Director and Authors. Bibliography and footnotes required in MLA or Chicago format. See the mid-term and final review forms for lists of significant artists. Mine your memory for interesting productions you have seen.
*You may not adapt existing musical work. No "Jukebox Musicals". You may not adapt an existing music "album" e.g. American Idiot. All artist and cast members must have significant stage musical theatre experience.
Hint - Action movies do not make great musicals.
Resources:
I have published number of research resources on Blackboard including a link to a surprisingly useful (if opinionated) website: and its' extensive bibliography.
Don't forget the New York Times archive www.nytimes.com (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site. which is available as a database through the Sprague Library website.
Text 1995- Present
NY TIMES HISTORICAL- PDF 1851-Present
If you have trouble finding something, try the nytimes.com website directly. It has better search capability but it's not free, find the article you want, then put the information you need e.g. author and date into the free database on the MSU library site.
Internet Broadway Database.