Performing in Contemporary Musicals

by David Sisco, Laura Josepher

Overview

Performing in Contemporary Musicals brings into sharp focus the skills performers must possess when tackling shows that are newly written, in development, or somewhere in between.

The authors bust myths about contemporary musical theatre and analyze the development timelines of musicals from around the world. They also explore how performers can become invaluable to a creative team by developing the skills needed to move a new musical forward including: contemporary acting and singing techniques, dramaturgy, quickly picking up new material, and collaboration. Each chapter features insightful industry interviews, recommended activities, an extensive reading list, and an online companion for further study.

This textbook is the only comprehensive resource that provides an overview of the development process of a new musical while guiding musical theatre performers to be fruitful collaborators in a new works scenario.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781032079851
Publisher:	Taylor & Francis
Publication date:	03/14/2022
Pages:	252
Product dimensions:	6.12(w) x 9.19(h) x (d)

About the Author

David Sisco (he/him) is Adjunct Voice Faculty at NYU Steinhardt and regularly lectures nationally and internationally. He is Founder and President of ContemporaryMusicalTheatre.com and co-authored Mastering College Musical Theatre Auditions with Laura Josepher. David is also an award-winning composer, music director and, every once in a while, takes the stage himself.

Laura Josepher (she/her) has been directing, teaching, and coaching professionally for over 30 years. Along with business partner David Sisco, she runs ContemporaryMusicalTheatre.com and co-authored the book Mastering College Musical Theatre Auditions. She is a member of the Stage Directors and Choreographers Society and the Lincoln Center Directors Lab.

Table of Contents

List of Figures xii

Libretto and Lyric Permissions xiii

Acknowledgments xv

Introduction 1

1 What Is Contemporary Musical Theatre? 3

Different Kinds of Musicals 3

Further Integrating Movement Into the Musical 11

The Demands on Performers 14

Developing and Producing Musicals 15

First Broadway, Then the World 17

Contemporary Musical Theatre: A Working Definition 19

2 The Varied World of Musical Development 23

United States 24

Canada 26

England 31

Australia 35

South Korea 39

The Producer Perspective 42

3 What You Need to Know About the New Works Process 51

29-Hour Readings and Workshops 51

The Players 53

The Actor's Rights and Responsibilities 63

Conclusion 68

4 Dramaturgy 70

Interpreting Text 70

Dissecting Language 71

Mapping the Story Arc 74

Story Arc in Contemporary Musicals 76

Mapping Character Arc 78

Musical Dramaturgy 82

The Different Kinds of Songs in a Musical 82

Song Structure 86

When Song Structure Is "Abandoned" 90

Rhyme Scheme 91

Putting It Together 95

Go See a Show! 99

Conclusion 100

5 Acting in Contemporary Musicals 102

Building a Character 103

Acting the Song 113

Stepping Into an Established Role 119

Flexibility 120

Working Quickly 121

Conclusion 122

6 Singing in Contemporary Musicals 124

Considering Today's Vocal Challenges 124

Why Technique Is Important 126

Three Modes of Singing 129

Applying Vocal Technique to Various Musical Styles 134

Translating Direction Into the Voice 146

The Rotunda 148

7 Auditioning for New Musicals 152

Reading a Casting Breakdown 153

Type vs. Essence 154

Understanding a Show's Musical Influences 157

Understanding a Musical's Tone 160

Researching Personnel 162

Choosing Material 163

The Audition Room 166

Dance Calls 168

Callbacks 171

Keeping Your Audition Material Fresh 172

Self-Taping 173

Conclusion 175

8 Picking Up New Material 177

Cold Reading 178

Sight Reading 184

A Note on Singing Harmony 190

Overcoming an Aversion to Sight Singing 192

Learning by Ear 193

Conclusion 194

9 Collaboration 196

The Basics 196

Working With Difficult People 202

Collaborating in a New Works Environment 204

Collaboration: A Parable 210

Conclusion 212

10 Working on Material That Isn't Fully Realized (Yet) 214

They Don't Write 'em Like They Used to 214

Why Work on Material That Isn't Fully Realized (Yet)? 217

Making It Work 220

When You Are Not Asked to Continue On 225

Conclusion 226

Index 228

Editorial Reviews

"Performing in Contemporary Musicals offers a comprehensive and highly informed view of the world of creating new musical theatre. Sisco and Josepher understand this world through long experience working closely with every part of the process. This book is an essential part of any serious theatre-makers’ library."

Joe Deer, Chair, Department of Theatre, Dance, and Motion Pictures at Wright State University

"Performing in Contemporary Musicals details the foundational skills necessary to approach new musical theatre works. The mastery of these skills will allow actors to bring their authentic selves to a new project and collaboratively serve the vision of the creative team. I will absolutely include this book on my syllabus!"

Michele Pawk, Tony Award winning actress and Associate Professor at Wagner College

"Working on a new piece of theater is an exciting but often nebulous process. David and Laura have taken their years of experience in developing new works and created a valuable resource for future generations of theater-makers to give shape to the sometimes-shapeless process of making new musicals."

Telly Leung, Broadway Veteran

"As an actor who has spent much of his career developing new work, it is so exciting to finally have a comprehensive book dedicated to the process of creating new musical theatre. It breaks down all the tools an actor needs to be an informed and prepared collaborator."

Jason Gotay, Broadway Veteran

"Musicals are like icebergs: we only admire the little part we see. Performing in Contemporary Musicals takes us below the water line, however, and gives us a glimpse into the entirety of what makes up the creation and collaborative nature necessary to the success of a new musical."

Jean-Paul Yovanoff, Founder of MusicalTheatreRadio.com

"David and Laura have their finger on the pulse of the industry as it's changing and understand how training must change as a result. In Performing in Contemporary Musicals, they are both meticulous and incredibly soulful about setting artists up for success."

Sheri Sanders, Founder & CEO of Rock the Audition

From the Publisher