Author Archives: boz

Essential Musicals: My Fair Lady

Posted on May 8, 2020 by boz

My Fair Lady has been called “the perfect musical,” but it took several decades and several attempts before George Bernard Shaw’s 1913 play Pygmalion eventually found its singing voice. The journey began in the 1930s with a chance encounter between … Continue reading →

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Essential Musicals: Guys and Dolls

Posted on May 7, 2020 by boz

From the Mississippi River banks to the Oklahoma plains, and beyond, the best musicals effectively evoke their settings. Guys and Dolls was the first (and so far best) Broadway musical to bring Broadway to life — not the Broadway of … Continue reading →

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Essential Musicals: Oklahoma!

Posted on May 6, 2020 by boz

I called Show Boat the most influential American musical, but historian Thomas Hischak argues, “Not only is Oklahoma! the most important of the Rodgers and Hammerstein musicals, it is also the single most influential work in the American musical theater.” … Continue reading →

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2020 Pulitzer Prize for Drama

Posted on May 4, 2020 by boz

This afternoon, award administrator Dana Canedy announced the 104th class of Pulitzer Prize winners. The prize for drama, given “for a distinguished play by an American author, preferably original in its source and dealing with American life,” also includes a $15,000 … Continue reading →

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Essential Musicals: Show Boat

Posted on May 4, 2020 by boz

To learn the functional basics about any subject and to accumulate a working vocabulary of that field, you should know something about its history. Even artistic revolutionaries like Picasso studied the Old Masters. You wouldn’t drive forward into moving traffic … Continue reading →

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2020 Lucille Lortel Awards

Posted on May 4, 2020 by boz

Last night, Mario Cantone hosted the Lucille Lortel Award ceremony online. The big musical winner of the night was Octet, which was named Outstanding Musical of the 2019-20 Off-Broadway season. The production also picked up honors for Annie Tippe as … Continue reading →

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Making Musicals: Finding Your Next Idea

Posted on May 2, 2020 by boz

As soon as you’ve completed one musical, start the next. Don’t wait for a reading or a production — or anything. Of course, continue to pursue those avenues, but particularly if you’re a new writer, you need to keep your … Continue reading →

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2020 Drama League Nominees

Posted on May 1, 2020 by boz

During the Gratitude Awards livestream ceremony on April 30, actors Alex Brightman and Leslie Rodriguez Kritzer announced the nominees for the 86th annual Drama League Awards. The winners of this year’s special awards include James Lapine (Distinguished Achievement in Musical … Continue reading →

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Making Musicals: Where to Send Your Work

Posted on April 30, 2020 by boz

Once you have a finished script of your short musical, what next? Well, let the world know about it. There are hundreds of opportunities for your work to be noticed. Below is just a sampling of those with a long … Continue reading →

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Making Musicals: Workshops and Productions

Posted on April 29, 2020 by boz

After a series of private, closed, and open readings, you will probably be anxious to see your musical on stage. Before you rush to book a theater, though, it’s a good idea (creatively and financially) to take one more step … Continue reading →

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