Let’s Put on a Musical: How to Choose the Right Show for Your Theater, Revised & Expanded Edition
So you want to do Rent…at a senior-citizen home. So you want to do Wicked…with your kindergarten class. So you want to do Cats…for an audience of allergy sufferers. Those ideas won’t work. Let’s Put on a Musical gives you what will work, no matter how big the group, no matter how small, no matter how specialized the requirements. Limited budget? Way-too-huge stage? Leading man who can’t sing? Audience that can’t shut up? Renowned theater critic Peter Filicia looks at more than 200
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(out of 10 reviews)
List Price: $ 16.95
Price: $ 10.45
[wprebay kw="theater+shows" num="0" ebcat="1305"] [wprebay kw="theater+shows" num="1" ebcat="1305"]
Catherine Goltz said
July 8 2010 @ 4:19 pm
Review by Catherine Goltz for Let’s Put on a Musical: How to Choose the Right Show for Your Theater, Revised & Expanded Edition
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Some of the shows from the first volume have been omitted (since many younger people aren’t familiar with them) and what became of the advertising ideas? (eg. “Before Elvis there was another King” for “The
King and I” or “Candide hams” and “Candide fruits) Yet there still are some obscure titles (Drat! The Cat) that the author challenges theaters that want to put on shows that flopped. However the “Worth a Look” section is omitted (no On the Town, Chess, George M!…) And do we really need to know all those things from Beauty and the Beast?
Amber Kerestes said
July 8 2010 @ 5:16 pm
Review by Amber Kerestes for Let’s Put on a Musical: How to Choose the Right Show for Your Theater, Revised & Expanded Edition
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This really is a great reference to have. The only thing is that I have an earlier version of this book and it lists a little more information that I think is very helpful. For instance, it lists maximum and minimum players you can use for each show. It also omits musicals such as Pirates of Penzance, Quilters and Seven Brides for Seven Brothers to name a few. In the first addition the author might not have gone into great details on these musical but a little synopsis was written. Otherwise this is a great reference.
S. Percy said
July 8 2010 @ 6:14 pm
Review by S. Percy for Let’s Put on a Musical: How to Choose the Right Show for Your Theater, Revised & Expanded Edition
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Peter Filichia’s “Let’s Put on a Musical” is a great overview of musical theater for anyone or any organization wanting to put on a musical. It’s also a good read and a fun read. As a longtime theater critic, the author has seen a lot, remembered a lot and will remind you of a lot. This is not just for groups wanting to put on a musical. Anyone who has enjoyed musicals will enjoy this book. In our case, we are writing a musical and “Let’s Put on a Musical” has given us great perspective for speaking with our investors. They ask us questions such as, “How many musicians do you have in the pit orchestra compared to ‘Oklahoma’ or “How many songs do you have in your show compared to ‘Rent’ or ‘Little Shop of Horrors’?” Or “How many dances and of what kind are they compared to ‘West Side Story’?” Or “What are the liabilities of your show if other folks want to stage it in their town?” Peter Filichia’s text gives us the facts and the insights for responding to all these questions. It also gives the reader interesting background on each show. For theater groups wanting to stage a musical, each section ends with suggestions for how to effectively stage that show when they do not have a multi-million dollar budget. The book is arranged so that you can go directly to shows that will appeal to your surfeit of great sopranos or your abundance of fine dancers. This is a very good read that you can enjoy reading straight through or just frequently pull off the shelf.
W. Stanley said
July 8 2010 @ 6:54 pm
Review by W. Stanley for Let’s Put on a Musical: How to Choose the Right Show for Your Theater, Revised & Expanded Edition
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I spend most of my time researching musicals. And someday I hope to direct musicals. I love the idea this book has because it prepares you before you decide on a show. I do not like that there are some times in some shows where the author does not mention a really obvious “liability” or incorrectly reviews the story. At some points he make unneeded opinions. And one thing that I cannot stand it that he assumes everyone has heard of the Wizard of Oz (his paragraph for the story is: “How do I put this? ‘Girl hates home, girl leaves home, girl misses home, girl goes home’” That does NOT tell ANY of the story). So, yes it is a good book to have, but you should be cautious.
Elizabeth A. Kozek said
July 8 2010 @ 7:10 pm
Review by Elizabeth A. Kozek for Let’s Put on a Musical: How to Choose the Right Show for Your Theater, Revised & Expanded Edition
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I found this handbook to be exceptionally helpful when selecting the musicals I want to direct at my high school. It’s pretty accurate about the pitfalls and plusses of each show and it offers some helpful solutions to common problems. It is, however, missing a few shows that hopefully a future edition will cover. Highly recommended.