On Writing a Musical Part 2

The first thing I had to consider, even before I began the actual writing, was what my requirements and restrictions were going to be. I knew we would have many girls trying out, and just a hand full of guys, so I needed to have lots of girl parts and just a few guy roles. The plot would have to be engaging enough for high school students, not too risque for parents, not too controversial for administrators, and hopefully have some educational value. Above all, it had to be entertaining.

I started with the gender issue: a girls camp - no, too much like a tacky teen flick (and like my last musical!), a women's prison - no, sounded like a bad X rated film, a nunnery - no, church and state problems not to mention that the students would never buy it.

The setting I came up with doesn't sound any better - a home for wayward girls set in New York at the time of the great depression. But, given the current state of the economy, I thought people could relate to the depression. With my wife recently laid off and looming salary cuts, I certainly could relate to it! The "wayward girls" aspect was mildly suggestive, but could be sufficiently sanitized as to not offend.

In addition, I've always liked the music of the early jazz age, doing a period piece would allow for some educational tie-ins, and the acting style from that time allows for a certain playfulness.

As to the plot, I learned from my other musical that it needed to be simple, at least in its initial conception. Musicals are not novels and need to be direct. Once the writing begins, twists, developments, and motivational considerations can easily lead the clearest plot into a convoluted and complex quagmire. The point is to start simple and try not to be led too far astray. I also wanted something in keeping with the spirit of the plots of the era - again, fairly simple.

So, the story has a couple of love interests that must overcome problems before their ultimate success. The home for wayward girls has to overcome a couple of obstacles in order to survive. Throw in a politician who must be outsmarted and you get the picture. OK, originality takes a back seat to pragmatic considerations, but it seems to work.

It also got me thinking about how much I could layer on to this simple scaffold. A theme began to develop. Characters began to take on flesh. Possibilities began to suggest themselves.