BWW Blog: Clarissa Moon - THEatre ACCELERATOR Part 5: Plot Elements of Musicals

This is the fifth post in my series about Apples and Oranges Studios' THEatre ACCELERATOR. THEatre ACCELERATOR utilizes new technology to develop musicals in a unique way. For a full explanation of THEatre ACCELERATOR, see my first post here.

In previous posts, we've talked about investors and how to pitch to them--things you think about after you've written your musical. What about the show itself? What about developing your story?

As part of the program, participants read The Secret Life of the American Musical: How Broadway Shows Are Built by Jack Viertel. The book provides a "blueprint" for musicals. Here are some key concepts Jack Viertel's book:

In the "I want" song, the main character expresses their wants and desires. At the end of the show, the character doesn't necessarily get what they want, but they get what they need. For example, "The Wizard and I" from WICKED is an "I want" song. At the end of the show, Elphaba doesn't get what she sang about. She doesn't get to work with the wizard. She isn't loved and accepted, but does she get what she needs--self-confidence and power.

"Noise" is a big production number that doesn't necessarily forward the plot. It's a big number for the sake of being a big number. For example, "Put On Your Sunday Clothes" from HELLO, DOLLY!

In addition to Viertel's book, Tim Kashani uses other sources to teach participants about plot, including Joseph Campbell's "the hero's journey" and Robert McKee's book Story.

"The hero's journey" is a basic narrative pattern found in mythology and many other stories, including musicals. One of the important parts of "the hero's journey" is "crossing the threshold." This is the moment where your main character makes a decision they cannot turn back from. After they make this decision, things can never go back to the way things used to be. In WICKED, Elphaba crosses the threshold when she refuses to help the wizard and flies away. After that, she becomes a fugitive--she can never go back to her old life.

Robert McKee's Story explains the art of screenwriting. In his book, McKee talks about the "emotional charge" of a scene--either positive or negative. (We'll get into more detail later about this next week.)

In my next post, we'll discuss how to analyze and start developing your musical.

If you've written a new musical and you're interested in developing it, consider applying for Apples and Oranges Studios' THEatre ACCELERATOR program. Applications are now open at nycoc.com/accelerator. For more information, check out Tim Kashani on Twitter at @TimKashani or on Facebook.

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