Books | MusicalWriters.com

26 Musical Theatre Books, Librettos, and Biographies You can Borrow for FREE (save $468)

As a musical theatre writer, your craft is both an art and a science. You need to have a strong...

Book Review: Working on a Song: The Lyrics of HADESTOWN

Anais Mitchell’s “Working on a Song: The Lyrics of Hadestown” gives insights into lyric-writing, book-writing and story-crafting.

Clambake: Curtain Up Act Two

The audience has stretched their legs, endured the line to the loo, and checked their email and the likes on their selfie with the night’s Playbill. The lights dim, and it’s time for Curtain Up: Act Two.

La Vie Bohéme – Curtain, Act One

If the audience is allowed to push the pause button and re-enter the reality—and mental hijack—of crowds, bathroom lines, and social media updates, then the creative team better have a carefully devised plan on how to keep at least a little hook in an audience member’s brain during intermission.

Adelaide’s Lament: Broadway Stars

Stars are great for marketing and can sell a show—as long as they’re in it. Write your show to stand on its own, and let the stars come looking for you!

Bushwhacking: Second Couples, Villains & the Multiplot

We have established our “normal world” (time, place, characters, and rules of said world), identified our hero, defined his/her clear “want,” and entertained the audience a little as well. Now what?

Put On Your Sunday Clothes: “The Noise” (Production Numbers)

In a musical, big, showy production numbers are present for pure enjoyment and a reward for the audience staying with you thus far.

“If I Loved You” – Conditional Love Songs

Not every show has a love story at its core, but most do. It can take the form of romantic love, familial love, friendly love, or passion for life, but (in a good story) the heart of the protagonist is always on fire for someone or something.

The Wizard and I – The “I Want” Song

The “I Want” song, usually the second number in a show, tells us who the story is about and the thing they’re willing to risk everything to pursue.

Curtain Up, Light the Lights – Writing Opening Numbers

When constructing “curtain up” moments and opening numbers, you must be clear, clever, and able to convince the audience to stay with you for the ride.

Review: Stephen Schwartz Biography “Defying Gravity” Looks Behind the Scenes

An aspiring theater composer myself, I looked to Carol de Giere’s Defying Gravity, (2nd ed.) for insight on Schwartz’s creative process, a history of his entire career, and details on “the musical theater business.” But that is just a sampling of what awaits the reader.

Release of Updated Edition of Defying Gravity

Just in time for Wicked’s 15th anniversary of opening on Broadway! The only book-length biography of Stephen Schwartz, covering his legendary career up through 2018, written by MusicalWriters.com founder Carol de Giere.

Book Review: The Musical Theatre Writer’s Survival Guide by David Spencer

‘Making Musicals’ is book writer and lyricist Tom Jones’ intimate introduction to the business that he and composer Harvey Schmidt have been associated with since their first collaboration at the University of Texas in the late 1940’s. ‘Making Musicals’ is a very readable work. Genial wisdom tumbles out of the author like apples from an overturned basket. Jones relates the struggles of other well-known writers with a been-there-done-that sense of kinship. “The best a ‘teacher’ can do,” he states modestly, “Is to point out the problems and possibilities.” And so he does.

Book Review: Writing the Broadway Musical by Aaron Frankel

‘Making Musicals’ is book writer and lyricist Tom Jones’ intimate introduction to the business that he and composer Harvey Schmidt have been associated with since their first collaboration at the University of Texas in the late 1940’s. ‘Making Musicals’ is a very readable work. Genial wisdom tumbles out of the author like apples from an overturned basket. Jones relates the struggles of other well-known writers with a been-there-done-that sense of kinship. “The best a ‘teacher’ can do,” he states modestly, “Is to point out the problems and possibilities.” And so he does.