Musical - Play with music -- What's the Difference?

For my new show, NOW I GET IT, the difference is something I’ve learned through the staging of the reading we did in October of last year, in Las Vegas; and the rehearsals for the workshop we’ll be doing in Las Vegas, at The Charleston Heights Arts Center, in June. FYI…we’ll be announcing that date late next week.

At first, I thought I thought I had written a musical, BUT… during rehearsals for the reading we staged in October of last year, and the current rehearsals. Dumb guy, here, realized that unlike most “musicals”, the “songs” in my show are not stand alone entities in the telling of the story. They are an extension of the dialog that tells the story…as is evidenced by the conversational style of the lyrics, and the continual back and forth from singing to speaking.

Hope that made sense. Now that I’ve read that explanation… it’s far more wordy that what I was trying to put across – lol!

One of the actors recognized it right from the git-go…and I knew he was probably right. It just took me some time to fully wrap my brain around it.

Thank you, Stu Chaikin, for, besides your acting talent, doing what you do so well…you keep me out of my own way.

It certainly makes for an interesting challenge for the actors, because they continually have to be aware of the time signature so that they start talking and singing (and vice versa) when they’re supposed to.

I’ve written a story that needs music, BUT… its better told if the music doesn’t get in the way of “telling” the story.

That is what has taught this sometimes, thick headed, playwright the difference between a “musical”, and a “play with music”.

Thanks for reading my blog!

Loren