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Snyder has identified 10 different types of story, each with a key set of rules that can be adapted but not abandoned without peril. He calls them “genres” but not in the sense that we usually think of the term. This isn’t a distinction between RomComs and Action stories. It’s a differentiation between the key elements that drive a conflict and how a fulfilling end can be reached. If you’re interested, you can learn about all 10 genres here.

At a time when Broadway is struggling to turn a profit on new musicals, Wicked: For Good is breaking box office records. And with good reason.  At this writing, I’ve seen the movie twice. I think I could watch it 5 more times and still see something new each time. I found it gorgeously crafted, flawlessly performed, and powerfully moving. There were many times when I wanted to burst into applause in the middle of the movie. I thought it was that good. 

Derek Black Today is Part II of Derek Black’s transformation story, from leader in the white nationalist movement to someone who is actively working to make America a place where everyone has a seat at the table, regardless of race or any other differences. It’s a powerful story that highlights courage, both in those who reached out to him in love, and in Derek himself to confront his own misbeliefs and then to publicly break with his past, at great personal cost. I’m sharing

A friendly and influential white supremacist goes incognito to a progressive liberal arts college where he’s outed and treated as a pariah until an orthodox Jew offers genuine friendship that will dismantle his entire worldview. 

Organic Acting invited him to brush his ego aside and center the needs of the cast, both individually and as a whole, in a way that opens the door to the deep authenticity onstage that can pull in an audience, every time.

Auditions are not about the director. They are an opportunity to discover “good actors that have not yet discovered they’re good actors.” Greeted with gentleness and treated with care, they can be molded into actors that deeply connect with their work. “The environment where things grow has to be cordial and kind and gentle.” 

There’s tremendous power and resonance in the skillful blending of music and drama to convey a story that revolves around the divine, as in Joseph King of Dreams and the 1998 version of Prince of Egypt. But it’s also exceedingly difficult to treat a subject on which people anchor their faith in a manner that is both inspirational and dramatically satisfying. Here are some tips on how to approach such stories effectively. 

This is a musical about a woman who reaches after something that seems entirely frivolous  (a dress that’s fit for a princess), at the same time that it shows her deepening in substance, laying claim to an innate royalty that has nothing to do with how someone dresses.

Neverland: Wendy's Story was the beginning of the Summit Stages dream. It was proof to my heart and others that musical theatre can bridge deep and contentious divides, if we approach it intentionally. That collaboration works magic in bringing people together. And that staging stories with powerful messages can literally change people’s lives for good. Those principles are what drive our mission today.

Today I’m addressing Save the Cat's beats 1, 2 and 15, because they are all so closely connected that it's pretty much impossible to do them justice separately. Beats 1 and 15 are the opening and closing image and music. There needs to be a contrast between them that highlighs the journey of our protagonist. And we’re also discussing Beat 2, the introduction of the unifying theme, because the theme is what the contrast between Beats 1 and 15 needs to highlight.

Deaths from despair in my own community plus high-profile hate-driven killings have slammed home the necessity of making a difference and building peace in this world, however daunting the task may seem.  And in the middle of all of this, Alexander emailed me the studio video of her newest release, “Conversation on a Train.” It’s a duet by two women, both heading home from a rally/protest where they faced off against each other on one of our society’s most contentious issues:

A Showcase of Songs; part of the feedback-gathering process for Meet Me There - the Interfaith Musical This week, I’m doing another...

Rumi is lead singer in a pop-superstar trio whose secret mission is to hunt and kill soul-sucking demons and eventually sing into being the Honmoon, while hiding the tell-tale patterns on her own skin that mark her as worthy of death. And the patterns are beginning to spread, just as a super-hot demon boy-ba

Guinevere Govea as Finley (center) with much of the Metro production cast. Photo by Jennifer A Lin. Today, we’re taking a peek at the...

Javert and Jean Valjean: The protagonist and antagonist are key components of a logline This week, I’m continuing the Building Blocks of...

Save the Cat has not yet been adapted to musicals. Maybe that’s because musicals have not always been about telling a great story. But modern audiences are accustomed to tightly-woven and fulfilling stories, and the story of a Summit Stages musical needs to do more than just entertain; it needs to inspire audiences in a way that builds the Beloved Community. That’s why I’m working on adapting Snyder’s model to musicals. 

Fourteen years in the bureaucracy-bound Chicago public school system taught Marva Collins that there had to be a better way to teach children. And peddling a Broadway musical, Marva!, has taught John Kunich a similar lesson: there has to be a better way to bring transformative stories to the stage. 

Common Ground Songwriters sing together I’m writing today from Bethel, New York, where I’m part of the Music for Peace Summit at the site...

Aaron, Miriam, Moses and Tzipporah, with the freed Hebrews in the background, West End Production As promised, this week, I’m giving a...

Sometimes, the magic ingredient that makes a great musical is the creator’s love for the story. You can feel that love in James and the Giant Peach. It oozes through every scene (“oozes” is more apropos than “glitters” because this tale involves slithering crocodile tongues, a six-foot tall earthworm and other human-sized creepy crawlies).