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Rating: 
Summary: "Fantastick" book! A must for musical theater fans!
Review: Finally, an insider has published a book giving a first hand account of the process of writing a musical. While the first half of the book covers the history of the American Musical very nicely, the second half does a superb job of guiding us through the difficulties in writing a musical. Tom Jones leads us through what makes a musical, what the difference between lyrics and poetry is in song writing, and makes suggestions regarding how to find a collaborative partner and how to get your work produced. I consider this to be a required text for anyone considering a collaboration on a musical.
Rating:
Summary: "Fantastick" book! A must for musical theater fans!
Review: Finally, an insider has published a book giving a first hand account of the process of writing a musical. While the first half of the book covers the history of the American Musical very nicely, the second half does a superb job of guiding us through the difficulties in writing a musical. Tom Jones leads us through what makes a musical, what the difference between lyrics and poetry is in song writing, and makes suggestions regarding how to find a collaborative partner and how to get your work produced. I consider this to be a required text for anyone considering a collaboration on a musical.
Rating: 
Summary: Do not collaborate before reading this book
Review: Tom Jones' MAKING MUSICALS is taken from a series of lectures Jones gave for a class in writing musicals. I found this little book very interesting and full of good advice. Jones doesn't pretend to tell you everything you need to know to write a musical or give specific techniques to write a hit. He's merely passing on what he has learned in his very long career as a writer of musicals. (He started in the 50s writing nightclub revues before hitting paydirt with the American theatre's longevity champ, THE FANTASTICKS, which ran an astounding 42 years.) He gives a brief overview of the history of musical comedy and some basics about getting started on writing your own musical. A lot of this information is available in other books, but what really sets Jones' book apart is the chapter on collaboration. Mr. Jones ought to know a thing or two about collaboration since he and composer Harvey Schmidt had a collaboration that lasted from the 1950s into the 21st Century, when Schmidt chose to retire. Jones tells how to choose a collaborator as well as how to make a good collaboration last. This chapter ought to be mandatory for all aspiring collaborators. (I wish I had read it before my own ill fated attempt at collaboration!) While hardly comprehensive, this is an excellent little book. Four stars.
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