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This week, I’m struck by what an incredible blessing it is to live in a place and a time that offers us both the power to make a difference and enough of the necessities of life that we can even turn our attention to entertainment and building bridges across our divides. Today, I'm celebrating that, and treasuring the hope that we can indeed make a difference at a time when domestic and international friendships are being strained.

The big question that’s been running through my mind and heart for about the last month is whether creating music with AI is cheating. And writing this newsletter is part of how I’m hoping to get to an answer. Here’s my story, and the questions I’m still grappling with. I’d love your thoughts if you’re willing to weigh in. 

EPIC is a gorgeous musical. I just wish its message matched. What I'm hearing is that, in order to succeed, you need to grow into the capacity to be at least somewhat ruthless. There’s also a nod to the idea that it’s unfortunate that this is how the world is set up. But that’s a problem for the uber-powerful to work through. Our job is to do what we must so we can secure what matters to us. 

The director’s job is not to micromanage in order to bring their exact vision to the stage, but to guide the actors, giving adequate direction so that they can embrace their characters and create something great themselves.

They may be detached and self-serving; resentful, treacherous and conniving; carried away by the praise of others; or bound down in false beliefs. They may be so far gone that there’s no way to redeem them in the story. But they are people. And creators who give them the dignity of well-rounded treatment help us to see and respect the humanity of those we see as antagonists in our own lives. Such villains also enrich the show. 

Gunnar Michael Andersen Today’s post is a bit of a departure from my normal. I’m introducing you to Gunnar Michael Andersen, a composer...

It’s impossible to separate the sounds that we call “music” from the processes of creation and their social impact. So Zork uses “musicking” to describe the whole parcel. It's a term that sums up his daily life. And his song, "The Sound of Us" encapsulates his collaborative and inclusive philosophy.

Gilbert and Sullivan had the courage to disrupt the status quo in Victorian theatre life, and we are all their beneficiaries. Now, here's an outline for a classic Broadway musical, to the tune of Modern Major General.

The Great Gatsby explores a society running from what they lost during WWI, with parties that never end. There is a frenzy, a freneticism to drown out the confusion. Under the confetti and sparkle is a dirty floor.

This is Part II in a brief overview of the framework for a classic musical, as illustrated by Beauty and the Beast. We'll discuss a tried-and-true pattern for keeping the audience invested and entertained all the way from the Entr'acte to the Finale.

An overview of the key components that were common to musicals during Broadway’s golden age. Even then, not all musicals had all of them. But most of the successful ones generally followed this outline (and many modern smash hits still follow it today).

Simon of Cyrene: The Musical was to reach Black people and help them see themselves in the story of Jesus’ suffering, crucifixion and resurrection. Its writer wanted “to demonstrate to other Black boys and men how God works miracles to turn circumstances and situations into God-honoring destinies.” But just the trailer choked me up and helped me connect with the story in a way that deepens my understanding and grief about racial relations

Mind the Gap participants enact an ideological tug-of-war Collaboration across all sorts of divides is one of Summit Stages’ core...

Evan Hansen: alone and okay Last July, I wrote a post Evan Hansen Deserves Forgiveness , arguing that the near-perfect musical would be...

Our shared stories unite us across generations and cultures After I praised Disney’s new version of Snow White in last week’s...

I think I have a critic’s eye for what works and what doesn’t in a musical. I tend to be highly attuned to problematic messages that...

This is a glimpse at the story of my conversion from a culture warrior to an aspiring peace maker.  

Fiddler on the Roof's "To Life" What do “ Put on Your Sunday Clothes ”, “ With A Little Bit of Luck ,” “ Seventy-Six Trombones ,” and “...

A bit of burlesque is standard fare in a Broadway show, because sex sells and keeps the audience awake. But is this device worth the price?

Hold an elephant-eating party! Last week, I wrote about my goal to launch a global, intentional and organized movement to build the...