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The Musical Theatre Writer's Survival Guide |
Author: David Spencer
Published: 2005-07-01 |
List price: $19.95
Our price: $17.95
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As of: November 21st, 2008 04:34:56 PM
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Customer comments on this selection.
 Masterpiece of applicable advice, thank you Spencer
Rare it is to find a guide so well crafted by a writer successful in his own right. I found this the perfect abridged bible for anyone with a career or contemplating a career in the musical theater. David Spencer's frank tone tears down the dream and shows the true reality of the business. With diligent and witty writing, Spencer's guide is as fun as it is rigorous. The author includes bits of his own writing process mingled with very generous advice on what works and what does not. It's reading list alone would recommend it. This book will make many a musical theater writer conscious of the hidden pitfalls prevalent in the business and so will, with an increase of its readership, increase the quantity as well as quality of musical authorship on and off-Broadway, a deed most needed.
You get the feeling the author cares about the reader's survival through life as well as on the perilous if rewarding journey of musical theater writing. The book is surprisingly also a brilliant textbook for navigating professional and private relationships as Spencer is of the clever opinion that success in any field requires such skill. Theater-goers may benefit as well from its clear picture of the creative process behind the large shows. No one interested in musical theater should be without this book.
An Invaluable Resource
David Spencer's book is without question the most comprehensive, concise and informative book on writing contemporary musical theatre I've found on the market to date. An astonishingly quick (and entertaining) read, the book covers all of the bases of writing shows, from the creative process to dealing with the business end of getting an original musical produced. It is also jam-packed with useful information regarding the 'knit-picky' details of standard conventions (such as formatting scripts, creating and distributing demos, etc) that are worth the price of purchase alone.
The book is well-structured into concise, easy to read sections that are easy to refer to when necessary. Appropriately titled a "Survival Guide," Spencer makes no attempt to create an 'everything-you-need-to-know-to-write-a-musical' guide; instead, he provides brief (but considerably detailed) insight into each topic.
This is not a book for a beginner who is looking to learn how to write songs, but rather for ambitious young artists who are serious about creating new musical theatre. There are entire books that deal with the considerations posed by individual chapters (such as musical forms, rhyme, characterization, etc) that supplant the information in this book; his list of suggested readings is very helpful. Consider this book to be the 'study-guide' for the test; there is no other book on the market that covers so much terrain with such detail in such a small volume. It truly has become my survival guide - thank you David Spencer!
Excellent!
I have read some books on writing Broadway Musicals which were quite good but this one has a direct clarity that demystify's the process of creating a musical. Good advice is given in every important area from story to page layout and fonts to the politics involved in collaboration. An invaluable tool for a writer that's seasoned or just starting out.
 Simply essential
THE MUSICAL THEATRE WRITER'S SURVIVAL GUIDE is, one the whole, an excellent and much-needed resource. This is not so much a book about how to write a musical, but what to do with it once you have written it. The most valuable parts for me were the sections dealing with collaboration. Author David Spencer discusses not only how to deal with writing partners, but also with the other collaborators, like the director, the producer and the designer. He also gives practical advice about the most effective way of presenting the reading and making the demo recording. He goes into great detail about what any material that you send out should look like. These parts of the book alone make it worth owning.
I felt that Spencer jumped the track toward the end with a lengthy discussion of setting up one's own recording studio, which would have been much better as an appendix, rather than in the main body of the book. My other quibbles with the book are the rather gag-inducing Sondheim worship and the author's frequent tooting of this own horn. (I found the section dealing with awards and grants depressing because it only pointed up the unlikelihood that material by a maverick like me would ever be considered.) There are a couple of minor errors (such as when he says that William Redfield played Rosencrantz in Burton's HAMLET, when in reality he played Guildenstern) and there is a glaring use of "principle" as an adjective, rather than "principal." But in general, I found this an invaluable book that absolutely needed to be written. Every serious musical theatre writer should have his own copy. This one is simply essential.
Indispensable, Unique Reference for Musical Theatre Writers
I am an aspiring musical theatre writer with no real experience yet, but reading this makes me feel like I have twenty years of experience under my belt! It seems that Mr. Spencer has thoughtfully included, out of his own widespread experience in the biz, absolutely every thought, information, helpful tidbit or advice that I think EVERY new or seasoned musical theatre writer will find very, very helpful. He is very intentional about sharing stories and information to help young writers avoid pitfalls and mistakes he once made, or is familiar with. Every chapter flows well, is thorough, well-structured, & intriguing to read. I am sure I will continue looking back to this for frequent reference as I continue pursuing this career. Thank you, Mr. Spencer, for this invaluable resource!! It is worth more than every penny!
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