Acting in Musical Theatre: A Comprehensive Course

Cover
Half Title
Title Page
Copyright Page
Dedication
Table of Contents
List of Figures
Foreword to the third edition by Danny Burstein
Foreword to the second edition by Victoria Clark
Foreword to the first edition by Lynn Ahrens
Acknowledgements
Lyrics permissions
Introduction
	Training for the musical theatre
	Acting in Musical Theatre – the book
	How to use this book
	Welcome
SECTION I: Fundamentals of acting in musical theatre
	1 Acting basics – the foundation
		Unit 1.1 What makes good acting?
		Unit 1.2 Preparing to work
		Unit 1.3 Giving and taking feedback
			1.3.1 Taking feedback
			1.3.2 Giving feedback
			1.3.3 Asking for feedback
			Exercise 1A Creating a workbook
			1.3.4 Safe space
		Unit 1.4 Being an actor
			1.4.1 The Magic “IF”
			1.4.2 Believability and truth
			1.4.3 First time
			1.4.4 Public solitude and relishing exposure
			1.4.5 Acting is believing – the difference between acting and performing
			1.4.6 Playful work, disciplined play
			1.4.7 Theatricality
			1.4.8 Inside out/outside in
	2 Acting basics – step by step
		Unit 2.1 Acting fundamentals
		Unit 2.2 Given circumstances
			2.2.1 Facts of the world of your script
			Exercise 2A Bringing in your research
			2.2.2 Inferring given circumstances
			2.2.3 Worldview
			Exercise 2B What is my worldview?
		Unit 2.3 Relationships
			Exercise 2C List the relationships
			2.3.1 My world and welcome to it
			Exercise 2D Everything is mine
			2.3.2 Endowment
			Exercise 2E Endowing
			Exercise 2F The liars’ club
			2.3.3 Metaphoric relationships
			Exercise 2G Playing the relationships
			2.3.4 Relationships change
			Exercise 2H Metaphoric relationships
			2.3.5 Who am I, anyway?
		Unit 2.4 Objectives
			2.4.1 Why versus what for
			Exercise 2I Why versus what for
			2.4.2 Superobjective
			Exercise 2J Objective hierarchy
			2.4.3 Testing the objective
			2.4.4 Specific ideal outcome
			Exercise 2K Specific ideal outcome
		Unit 2.5 Beats
			2.5.1 Identifying beats
			Exercise 2L Finding the beat
			2.5.2 Fight only for what you want right now
		Unit 2.6 Obstacles
			2.6.1 External and internal obstacles
			Exercise 2M Identifying obstacles
			2.6.2 Physicalizing the struggle
			Exercise 2N Obstacles: what’s in your way?
			2.6.3 Emotions are obstacles (but in a good way)
			Exercise 2O Push-me-pull-you
		Unit 2.7 Strategy and tactics
			Exercise 2P Applying the concepts
		Unit 2.8 Evaluation, discovery, and adjustment
			2.8.1 The creative mood and preparation
		Unit 2.9 Text, subtext, and inner monologue
			Exercise 2Q Subtext and inner monologue
	3 Making it matter
		Exercise 3A Tell the truth; now live it large
		Unit 3.1 Raising the stakes
		Unit 3.2 Meeting the emotional demands of the music
			Exercise 3B Or else I’ll die
		Unit 3.3 Citizenship in the Land of IF – the creative state
SECTION II: Score and libretto analysis and structure
	4 Musical analysis – listening for clues
		Unit 4.1 Introduction
			4.1.1 Learn to listen
			4.1.2 The music never lies
		Unit 4.2 Kinds of musical information
			Exercise 4A Ways of listening
			Exercise 4B Easy listening
			4.2.1 Composer’s markings
			4.2.2 Emotional qualities
			Exercise 4C Emotional qualities
			4.2.3 Melodic shape
			Exercise 4D Melodic shape
			4.2.4 Tempo quality and changes
			Exercise 4E Tempo changes
			4.2.5 Rhythmic quality
			Exercise 4F Rhythmic styles
			4.2.6 Musical key
			4.2.7 Modulations
			Exercise 4G Changing keys
			4.2.8 Tension and release
			4.2.9 Musical accents
			Exercise 4H Using accents
			4.2.10 Musical dynamics
			Exercise 4I Dynamic changes
			4.2.11 Musical idiom
			4.2.12 Musical character quality
			4.2.13 The relationship between melody and accompaniment
			4.2.14 The relationship between dialogue and underscoring
			Exercise 4J Reunited … and it sounds so good
		Unit 4.3 Architecture of the traditional theatre song
			4.3.1 Introduction or “intro”
			4.3.2 Verse
			4.3.3 Chorus or refrain
			4.3.4 Playoff or ride-out
			Exercise 4K Naming of parts
		Unit 4.4 A closer look at the chorus
			Exercise 4L Learn your ABCs
		Unit 4.5 Contemporary variations
			Exercise 4M Identifying song structure
		Unit 4.6 The musical “voice” of a song and of a character
			4.6.1 Musical voice reveals character function
			4.6.2 Musical style reveals character status
			4.6.3 Voice type can reveal a character’s nature
		Unit 4.7 A final thought on musical analysis
	5 Working with words – the language of the lyric and libretto
		Unit 5.1 Acting through language
		Unit 5.2 Lyrics as poetry
			Exercise 5A Playing the poetry
		Unit 5.3 Poetry versus prose
			Exercise 5B Playing the Prose
		Unit 5.4 Lyric rhythm
			Exercise 5C Poem rhythm versus prose rhythm
		Unit 5.5 Rhyme
			Exercise 5D Rhyme scheme
		Unit 5.6 Alliteration and consonance
			Exercise 5E Catching the consonants/voicing the vowels
		Unit 5.7 Rhetoric
			Exercise 5F Simple sentences
			Exercise 5G Simple to complex sentences
		Unit 5.8 Simile and metaphor – telling you how I feel
			Exercise 5H I’m a metaphor (or like a simile)
		Unit 5.9 Changing lists into ladders
		Unit 5.10 If–then, either–or, yes–but, not this–but that
		Unit 5.11 Punctuation
		Unit 5.12 Period
	6 Elements of storytelling
		Unit 6.1 Know what story you’re telling
		Unit 6.2 Divide and conquer your text
			6.2.1 Story events
			6.2.2 French scenes
			6.2.3 Musical moments
			Exercise 6A Divide and conquer
		Unit 6.3 Plot
			Exercise 6B Plot outline
			Exercise 6C Fairytale-ing your story
			6.3.1 Events seen (and unseen)
			6.3.2 Your character’s events
			Exercise 6D My story
			6.3.3 Backstory
			Exercise 6E Backstory
			6.3.4 What happens?
			Exercise 6F Who does what to whom?
			6.3.5 What happens … to me?
			Exercise 6G My story, part 2
		Unit 6.4 Conflict
			6.4.1 Thematic conflict
			Exercise 6H Finding the thematic conflict
			6.4.2 Personal conflicts
			6.4.3 Conflict in musical comedies
		Unit 6.5 Characters carry the argument
			6.5.1 Characters embody values
			6.5.2 This I believe
		Unit 6.6 Dramatic function
			6.6.1 Why is it there?
			6.6.2 Dramatic function of reprises
			Exercise 6 I Musical moments
		Unit 6.7 Kinds of text
			6.7.1 Spoken and sung text
			6.7.2 Musical dialect
			6.7.3 Physical texts
		Unit 6.8 Location, location, location
		Unit 6.9 Time
		Unit 6.10 Visual elements – how design affects your performance
		Unit 6.11 A review
		Unit 6.12 How to use this information
	7 Character analysis
		Introdution
		Unit 7.1 Exposition
			7.1.1 Characters tell us about themselves
			7.1.2 Characters tell us about each other
			7.1.3 Authors tell us about characters
			7.1.4 The characters’ actions tell us about them
		Unit 7.2 Character facts
			Exercise 7A Grab bag character – part I
		Unit 7.3 Attitudes
			Exercise 7B Grab bag character – part II
		Unit 7.4 Ambitions
			Exercise 7C Grab bag character – part III
			Exercise 7D Grab bag character – part IV
			Exercise 7E Dating service
			Exercise 7F Eulogies
		Unit 7.5 Archetypes, stock characters, and character types
			7.5.1 Archetypal roots
			7.5.2 Ancient Greek drama
			7.5.3 Commedia dell’arte characters
			7.5.4 Nineteenth- and early twentieth-century comedy, melodrama, and minstrelsy
			7.5.5 Creating characters using archetypes
			Exercise 7G Identifying archetypes
			Exercise 7H Archetype matching
			Exercise 7I Name that archetype!
		Unit 7.6 The world of the musical
		Unit 7.7 Bringing all the character research together
			Exercise 7J Alike/different
			Exercise 7K Visual journal
			Exercise 7L Cartoon your character
		Unit 7.8 Selective reality of your show
SECTION III: The journey of the song
	8 The journey begins
		Unit 8.1 Four journeys
			Exercise 8A Mapping the trip
		Unit 8.2 A journey to where? Trip objectives
		Unit 8.3 Pursue objectives – don’t play moods or states of being
			Exercise 8B Moods into objectives
		Unit 8.4 Beat breakdowns
			Exercise 8C Breaking it into beats
		Unit 8.5 Beat objectives
			Exercise 8D Choosing objectives
			Exercise 8E Rehearsing with objectives
		Unit 8.6 Taking the journey in small steps
			8.6.1 Internal and external pressure
			Exercise 8F Under pressure
			8.6.2 Tactical actions – verbs to do by
			8.6.3 Verbs can hurt or heal
			Exercise 8G Intimidating or attracting with tactics
			8.6.4 Discovery
			Exercise 8H Planting and unearthing discoveries
			Exercise 8I What just happened?
			8.6.5 Evaluation and adjustment
			Exercise 8J Reacting and responding
	9 Working with relationships
		Unit 9.1 Specific relationships
			Exercise 9A Specifying relationships
			Exercise 9B When I look at you
		Unit 9.2 Changing relationships
			Exercise 9C I am changing
		Unit 9.3 Relationships as obstacles
			Exercise 9D You are in my way (and I’m in yours)
		Unit 9.4 Relationship goal – I want more
			Exercise 9E Upgrading relationships
		Unit 9.5 Relationship goal – love me as I want to be loved
			Exercise 9F How I want to be loved
		Unit 9.6 Power, control, and status
			Exercise 9G Playing to win
		Unit 9.7 Alone onstage
			9.7.1 Inner-directed songs
			9.7.2 Absent partner-directed songs
			9.7.3 Conversations with God
			9.7.4 Audience-directed songs
			Exercise 9H You, me, and God
	10 Intensifiers
		Unit 10.1 This is the moment
			Exercise 10A Now as never before
		Unit 10.2 Why must I sing this now?
			Exercise 10B Pressure to perform
		Unit 10.3 Backstory and frontloading
			Exercise 10C Using backstory and frontloading
			Exercise 10D Three through the door
		Unit 10.4 Invented memory
			Exercise 10E Creating a fantasy memory
			Exercise 10F Creative fantasy
		Unit 10.5 The cost of failure – what’s at stake?
			Exercise 10G Finding the stakes and raising them
SECTION IV: Making it a performance
	11 Discovering your phrasing
		Unit 11.1 Lyrics are dialogue
			Exercise 11A Listening for emphasis
		Unit 11.2 Monologuing the lyric
			Exercise 11B Reading the lyric
			Exercise 11C Meaning the lyric
			Exercise 11D Lyric as monologue
			Exercise 11E Speak – sing – speak
			Exercise 11F Emphatic words
		Unit 11.3 Returning to music
			Exercise 11G Returning to the music
		Unit 11.4 Singing ideas instead of notes and words
			Exercise 11H Singing your objective
		Unit 11.5 Phrasing with breath
			11.5.1 Using breathing to phrase ideas
		Unit 11.6 Front phrasing and back phrasing
			Exercise 11I Back phrasing
			Exercise 11J Front phrasing
			Exercise 11K Research phrasing styles
			Exercise 11L Impersonating phrasing
		Unit 11.7 It’s a musical, not a play-zical!
			Exercise 11M Vowels only
			Exercise 11N I’m an instrument
			Exercise 11O Scat singing
			Exercise 11P Remastering
	12 Staging your song
		Unit 12.1 A common language for working on the stage
			Exercise 12A Onstage Twister
		Unit 12.2 Body positions
		Unit 12.3 Stage positions and visual impact
			Exercise 12B Living tableau
		Unit 12.4 Staging terms
		Unit 12.5 Staging yourself
		Unit 12.6 An external expression of the inner journey
		Unit 12.7 Impulse leads to action
		Unit 12.8 Inhabiting gesture
		Unit 12.9 Illustration versus gesture
		Unit 12.10 Anchoring
			12.10.1 Anchoring things – a 3D map of your outer world
			Exercise 12C Giving directions
			Exercise 12D Picture it this way
			12.10.2 Anchoring ideas – a 3D map of your inner world
			Exercise 12E Find and anchor the argument, physically
		Unit 12.11 Playing multiple roles in the same song
		Unit 12.12 When to move
			Exercise 12F Action figure statues
		Unit 12.13 Relating actions to anchors
			Exercise 12G Action figures: the sequel
		Unit 12.14 Scoring your staging
		Unit 12.15 Dance movement
		Unit 12.16 Sharing your performance with the audience
		Unit 12.17 Scale
			Exercise 12H Calibrating the space
		Unit 12.18 What is a “button”?
	13 Rehearsal into performance
		Unit 13.1 Begin at the beginning
		Unit 13.2 Layering
		Unit 13.3 Setting goals
		Unit 13.4 Exploring and experimenting
		Unit 13.5 Room for failure
		Unit 13.6 Changing venues
		Unit 13.7 Adding elements
		Unit 13.8 Previews and opening night
		Unit 13.9 Advice
		Unit 13.10 Hits and flops
		Unit 13.11 Your evolving technique
			Exercise 13A Rehearsal journal
SECTION V: Style in musical theatre
	14 What is style?
		Unit 14.1 Evolving notions of style
		Unit 14.2 Audience awareness of style
		Unit 14.3 Contemporary musical acting style
			14.3.1 The human truth of style
		Unit 14.4 Fundamental assumptions about style
		Unit 14.5 Theatrical conventions
		Unit 14.6 Conventional behavior
		Unit 14.7 Analyzing the worldview of a style
			14.7.1 Value systems
			14.7.2 Romance and sex
			14.7.3 Relationship to authority
			14.7.4 Social ideal
			14.7.5 Identifying the social ideal
			14.7.6 Beauty and fashion
			14.7.7 Performance tradition and style
			14.7.8 Self-conscious use of performance traditions
			14.7.9 Historical accuracy and modern perceptions of style
	15 Style tags
		Exercise 15A Pop music style-go-round
		Unit 15.1 What are style tags?
			Exercise 15B Name the tags
		Unit 15.2 Vocal style tags
			15.2.1 Diction
			15.2.2 Tonality
			Exercise 15C Painting with vocal colors
			15.2.3 Vibrato versus straight tone
			Exercise 15D Rate of vibrato
			Exercise 15E Vibrato onset
			Exercise 15F Combining vibrato skills
			15.2.4 Phrasing
			15.2.5 Researching vocal styles
			Exercise 15G Break down
		Unit 15.3 Physical style tags
			15.3.1 Posture and silhouette
			15.3.2 Formality of movement
			15.3.3 Fashion and movement
			15.3.4 Gestural vocabulary
		Unit 15.4 Attitudes into actions
		Unit 15.5 Style and truth
	16 Style overviews
		Unit 16.1 European operetta
			16.1.1 Background and worldview
			16.1.2 Social ideals and values
			16.1.3 Romance and sex
			16.1.4 Beauty and fashion
			16.1.5 Relationship to authority
			16.1.6 Performance tradition
			16.1.7 Style tags
			16.1.8 Examples from the style/genre
			16.1.9 Research resources
		Unit 16.2 Gilbert and Sullivan operetta
			16.2.1 Background and worldview
			16.2.2 Social ideals and values
			16.2.3 Romance and sex
			16.2.4 Beauty and fashion
			16.2.5 Relationship to authority
			16.2.6 Performance tradition
			16.2.7 Style tags
			16.2.8 Examples from the style/genre
			16.2.9 Research resources
		Unit 16.3 Musical comedy
			16.3.1 Background and worldview
			16.3.2 Social ideals and values
			16.3.3 Romance and sex
			16.3.4 Beauty and fashion
			16.3.5 Relationship to authority
			16.3.6 Performance tradition
			16.3.7 Style tags
			16.3.8 Research resources
		Unit 16.4 Golden Age musical drama
			16.4.1 Background and worldview
			16.4.2 Social ideals and values
			16.4.3 Romance and sex
			16.4.4 Beauty and fashion
			16.4.5 Relationship to authority
			16.4.6 Performance tradition
			16.4.7 Style tags
			16.4.8 Examples from the style/genre
			16.4.9 Research resources
		Unit 16.5 Rock musicals
			16.5.1 Background and worldview
			16.5.2 Social ideals and values
			16.5.3 Romance and sex
			16.5.4 Beauty and fashion
			16.5.5 Relationship to authority
			16.5.6 Performance tradition
			16.5.7 Style tags
			16.5.8 Examples from the style/genre
			16.5.9 Research resources
		Unit 16.6 Popsicals and juke box musicals
			Unit 16.6.1 Background
			Unit 16.6.2 Juke box variations
			Unit 16.6.3 Biographical juke box musicals
			Unit 16.6.4 Using style tags in biographical juke box musicals
			Unit 16.6.5 Selecting and amplifying signature elements
			Unit 16.6.6 Digging deeper
			Unit 16.6.7 Acting in juke box book musicals and popsicals
			Unit 16.6.8 Case study: Mamma Mia!
			Exercise 16A In the manner of …
			Exercise 16B Have you heard the one about …
			Exercise 16C I am the very model
			Exercise 16D Sing with a prop
			Exercise 16E Look at my …
			Exercise 16F Performance tradition
			Exercise 16G I’ve got a little problem
			Exercise 16H Celebrity roast
			Exercise 16I Yo, baby! I love ya!
			Exercise 16J Anything you can do, I can do better
			Exercise 16K Archetypes in the style of …
			Exercise 16L I’m the greatest star
			Exercise 16M Style day
SECTION VI: The profession
	17 Do you have the stuff?
		Unit 17.1 Talent
			Exercise 17A How do you measure up?
		Unit 17.2 Charisma
		Unit 17.3 Castability and type
			Exercise 17B Your basic profile
			Exercise 17C Know your musical theatre type
			Exercise 17D You remind me of …
			Exercise 17E The sociology experiment
			Exercise 17F Typing and archetyping
			Exercise 17G Bringing it into focus
		Unit 17.4 Skills and know-how
			Exercise 17H Skills inventory
			Exercise 17I Can you act?
		Unit 17.5 Connections and an understanding of the market
			17.5.1 Planning and setting goals
			Exercise 17J Creating a business plan
		Unit 17.6 Market research
		Unit 17.7 Where the work is
			17.7.1 Children’s theatre
			17.7.2 Outdoor drama
			17.7.3 Theme parks
			17.7.4 Arena shows
			17.7.5 Cruise ships
			17.7.6 Summer stock
			17.7.7 Dinner theatre
			17.7.8 Industrial shows
			17.7.9 Regional theatre
			17.7.10 Non-union tours (America and Europe)
			17.7.11 Off-Broadway
			17.7.12 Equity national tours
			17.7.13 Broadway
			17.7.14 Showcases
			17.7.15 Workshops
			17.7.16 Cabarets
		Unit 17.8 Finding the auditions
		Unit 17.9 Assessing the job
		Unit 17.10 More than musicals
		Unit 17.11 Unions
		Unit 17.12 Agents and personal managers
		Unit 17.13 Personal networking and contacts
			Exercise 17K Managing your contacts
			Exercise 17L Refining your network
			Exercise 17M Developing your contact database
			Exercise 17N Activating your professional network
			Exercise 17O Making specific requests
			17.13.1 Other kinds of business communication
			Exercise 17P Thank you/acknowledgement cards
			17.13.2 The business letter
			Exercise 17Q The business letter
		Unit 17.14 Advertising tools – your résumé, headshot, demo, website
			17.14.1 Branding
		Unit 17.15 Theatrical résumés
			17.15.1 Functions
			17.15.2 Formatting
			17.15.3 Style
			17.15.4 Keep it current
		Unit 17.16 Internet marketing
			17.16.1 Website fundamentals
		Unit 17.17 Headshots
		Unit 17.18 Money jobs
	18 Auditioning
		Unit 18.1 Audition guidelines
		Unit 18.2 A few words of encouragement
		Unit 18.3 They’re on your side
		Unit 18.4 Your best self
		Unit 18.5 Appearance
		Unit 18.6 Audition material
		Unit 18.7 Audition portfolio of songs
			Exercise 18A Your audition song portfolio
		Unit 18.8 Preparation of sheet music
		Unit 18.9 Anatomy of the audition
		Unit 18.10 Audition “don’ts”
		Unit 18.11 Nerves
		Unit 18.12 When things go wrong
		Unit 18.13 Practice
			Exercise 18B Write it down and remember – the audition record
		Unit 18.14 It’s all about acting and singing well
	19 A winning attitude
		Unit 19.1 Focus on what you can control, not what you can’t
		Unit 19.2 Attitude and belief in yourself
		Unit 19.3 Habit 1: “I will”
			Exercise 19A Making success a practical reality
		Unit 19.4 Habit 2: respect
		Unit 19.5 Habit 3: commitment to the success of the project
		Unit 19.6 Habit 4: embracing criticism
		Unit 19.7 Habit 5: an ongoing commitment to training and tuning
		Unit 19.8 Habit 6: winners hang with winners
			Exercise 19B The workout buddy
		Unit 19.9 Habit 7: seeing the long term
		Unit 19.10 Luck
Subject index
Show, character, and song index