HOWTO

WRITEA
MUSICAL
Interview
Unsolicited
Testimonials

MAKE YOUR MUSICAL PRODUCIBLE

MYTHIRTYYEARSINMUSICALTHEATERWILLHELPYOU.
HARRYCOHEN
MusicCritic:LosAngelesTimes
TheaterCritic:L.A.HeraldExaminer
Agent:StageMusicalsandPlays
Playwright
Lyricist
Musician
Actor
Director
HOWTOWRITEAMUSICAL
Thiswebsiteisforplaywrights,composers,andlyricistswhoarewritingamusical,and
aspiretoseethemusicaltheyarewritingproducedonahighprofessionallevel.Inyearsof
workingwithmanyamusical,Ihaveseenfewthatwereproducibleassubmittedtome.
ButIhaveseenmanythatcouldhavebeenandweremadeproduciblewiththeproper
revisions.Evenamusicalwithnoweaknesseshasahardroadtofruitiononewithflaws
isdestinedforperpetuallimbo.Creativeartistswritingamusicalmustpresentthe
strongestandmostpolishedwritingpossible.
Ionlyworkwithmusicals.Idonotbelieveinwritingcritiquestheyoccasionallypointouta
fewthingsthatcouldbeimproved,butfailtotellyouhow.Instead,Idoanexhaustive
analysisofeveryaspectofwritingamusical:bookdialoguecharactertonestructure
andmore.Istudythemusicandlyricsofeverysong(uptoeight).Iwilldiscusswriting
musicandlyricsbelow.Thescriptisreadatleasttwicethrough.AfterIhavedoneallthis,
Iwillgiveyouspecificsuggestionsforrevisionstothemusicalyouarewriting,andgeneral
informationaboutwritingamusical.WhereIfeelrevisionwouldbebeneficial,Iwilltellyou
whyIfeelitisneeded,andexactlywhatneedstobedonetoeffectimprovement.
Aboutwritingtheatermusic.Ihaveheardalotoftheatermusicthatwasverygood,yetit
wasallwrongforthatparticularsong.Whatyousometimeshearcanbestbedescribedas
genericmusic.Acomposeroncesentmeamusicalthathadproblems,thoughthemusic
wasquitegood,butgeneric.Iranintoherafewyearslaterandinquiredaboutthe
musical.Shetoldmeshehadusedmostofthemusicforseveralothermusicalsshewas
writing.Thiswasonlypossiblebecausethemusicwasnotspecific.
Theaboveappliestowritinglyricsanddialogueaswell.OnemusicalIwasrepresentingis
anexcellentexample.Thiswasafairlyseriousdramaticpiece,andyetthelibrettisthad
hischaractersbeginnearlyeveryspeechwithsomekindofquiporwisecrack.Nowmostof
theseweresharpandfunny.Buttheywerewhollyincongruousandservedtodestroythe
toneofthemusical.Iwarnedhimwhatthecriticswouldsay.Itoldhimthatthesequips
were"irritating,"andfurthermorethat"theyrollalayerofFATontoeveryspeech."Here's
whatonecriticsaid:"ThebookisLARDEDwithcloyingwitticisms."Thatkindofwriting
couldhaveworkedinamusicallike"Grease"or"FunnyThing"forexample,butnotthere.
Awordofcautionaboutmarketingamusicalorplay.Bewareoftheatercompanies
engagedinthisprocesstheycall"playdevelopment,"whereintheyhavethegallto
actuallyrewritetheplaywright'swork,insteadofsimplyofferingsomeinsightsand
recommendationsforrevisions.Afterrailingagainstthisforyears,Ifinallygotfedupafter
readingthescornfulreviewofamusicalthathadbeensubjectedtothisprocess,andI
wrotethatlettertotheNewYorkTimesthatcausedsuchacontroversysomeyearsback.
ForthisIincurredthewrathofthenonprofits,butIreceivedaslewoflettersfrom
playwrightsthankingmeforwritingit.Belowisreproducedtheletter.Inreadingitnow

afteryears,itisasvalidandtrueasitwasthen.
TheNewYorkTimes
Arts&Leisure
January14,1990
Totheeditor:
ThearticleaboutJoePapp's"playdevelopment"ofWilliamFinn'smusical("ANew
MusicalFindsComedyandRomanceinHardTimes,"Dec.24)illustratesperfectlywhy
Americantheaterismoribund.Therehasbeenaninsidiousmovementbytheater
companiesawayfromtheirproperfunctionofperformingplaystowardagratuitousattempt
to"help"theplaywrightwritehisplay."Playdevelopment"issimplyaeuphemismforan
unwarrantedintrusionintotheplaywright'srightfuldomain,andreallyamountstoan
attempttowriteaplaybycommittee,withresultsthatareinvariablyexactlywhatone
mightexpect.Innootherartisitnotassumedandexpectedthattheartistiscapableof
creatingafullyformedworkofartonhisown.Imagineamuseumdirectorsayingtoa
painter,"PardonmeamomentwhileIjustaddafewbrushstrokeshere."
Theprofferedrationaleforthispracticeisthattheaterisacollaborativeprocess.Thetacit
andfalsepremisesuggestedbythishalftruthisthatallthecollaborators'effortsare
somehowequal.Withoutdenigratingthecontributionsmadebyothers,manyofwhomare
talentedintheirownfield,thefactremainsthattheircreativityisofaninterpretivenature.
Theyaregivenmaterialtoworkwiththescript.Onlythewritermustutilizeoriginal
creativity,inthathemustcreatefromnothingness.Withouttheplaywright,allthoseother
collaboratorswouldbeunemployed.Onlywhentheplaywright'suniquevisionisonceagain
allowedtostandorfallwilltheaterbereimbuedwiththevitalityitoncehad.
HarryCohen
Mamaroneck,N.Y.
(ThewriteristhepresidentofHarryCohenAgency,authors'representativesspecializingin
stageplaysandmusicals.)
IwouldliketosayImadeadifference,butunfortunatelysuchisnotthecase.The
situationwith"playdevelopment"isworsethanever,andthosewhoshouldbefightingit
arenot.TheDramatistsGuild,forexample,hasevenacquiescedtothedegreethatthey
actuallyrunarticlesintheirpublicationexplainingtoplaywrightshowtocomply.Thisfrom
theveryorganizationthatshouldbeinthevanguardofvigorousprotest,andoneofthe
entitiesthatmighthavehelpedtoputanendtothisperniciouspractice.
Myanalysiscanguideyoutomakeyourmusicalproducible.Myfeeforacomprehensive
analysisanddetailedblueprintforrevisionis$500.00.IfIfeelamusicalthatIhave
receivedandanalyzedisexceptionallygood,Iwillwaiveallfeesandsendarefund,then
continuetoconsultwiththeauthorsonhowtowriteamusical,andprovidemarketing
adviceaswell.
Ifyoufollowmysuggestions,youcanvastlyimprovethosefacetsofyourmusicalthat
needimprovement,tomakeitthebestitcanbe,subjectonlytoyourowndegreeofability
andtalent.
Allsubmissionsareacknowledgedviaemailimmediatelyuponreceipt.
Pleasecarefullyreadandfollowtheguidelinesbelowtoavoiddelays.Herearethe
guidelinesformailing:
*Onecompletescript(softbound)ofafulllengthmusical,withallsongs,lyrics,and
dialoguecompleted.Scriptmustbeinproperstageplayformat.EmailSamuelFrench
Inc.forformatguidelinesbooklet.samuelfrench@earthlink.net
*Alllyricsmustbeinallcaps.
*Thenameofthecharacterspeakingiscentered.
*Donotenclosesheetmusic.

*Aseparatepagewithalistofmaincharactersandageneralsynopsis,nottoodetailed.
*Atapeofuptoeightsongs.NohomeburnedCDsunlessaccompaniedbyatape.Send
whatyouconsidertobethemostimportantsongs.Songsonthetapeshouldbe
chronological.Ifyouwish,youmayalsoencloseaseparatetapeoftheentirescoreor
additionalsongs.
*Aseparatepagewiththeeightsongtitlesandcorrespondingpagenumbersinthescript.
*AnSASEisnotnecessary.
*Acheckormoneyorderfor$500.00payabletoHarryCohen.Foreigncountriesenclose
checkormoneyorderpayableinUSdollars.
*Mailto:
HarryCohen
Box211
NewYork,NY10471
USA
Responsetimeisapproximatelyfourtosixweeks.
Websiteaddress:www.MusicalsConsultant.com
email:MusicalsConsultant@yahoo.com
ThissiteisadministeredandmaintainedbyMr.Cohen'sExecutiveAssistant,Ms.Judith
Mirnah.PleaseaddressallemailtoMs.Mirnah'sattention.
Ifyouwouldlikeatelephoneconsultationongeneralquestionsabouthowtowritea
musical,marketingamusical,orifyouarewritingamusicalinprogress,pleaseleavevia
emailyourname,number,andbesttimetocall,andMr.Cohenwillcallastimepermits.
Thisassistanceisprobono.