Building Blocks

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).

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?

Sky Masterson pursues Sarah Brown with "I'll Know" Not every musical tells a love story. But a huge number of successful ones do. This is...

Elphaba sings "The Wizard and I" While the opening numbers of a musical give us a taste of what’s coming and get us oriented to the world...

Opening of The Music Man by the Washington Park Playhouse in Albany, NY This is the first post in my Building Blocks of a Musical series,...

Finding a solid pattern is the first step to a newbie making an impressive cake How does one create a great musical?  That’s a question...