NMI’s RESOURCE CENTER for musical theatre writers

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Welcome to the musical theatre writers’ Resource Center.

This is a FREE page hosted by New Musicals Inc.

As of September 1, 2024, we are NO LONGER maintaining a list of Producers and Theatres, or a Contests Listing. We have found we are no longer able to keep those lists properly up-to-date.

BUT we encourage you to check out the offerings from our friends at MusicalWriters.Com who have a wealth of resources for musical theatre writers!

What you can still find on this page is:

an idea library of thousands of royalty-free public domain stories and plots
a glossary of musical theatre terms (with audio/video examples)
access to short videos filled with tips and advice from NMI staff
access to critical feedback options and format guidelines from NMI

Enjoy!

FORMAT LIKE A PRO

Watch this FREE video to learn how to implement the FORMAT GUIDELINES specifically designed by New Musicals Inc. Make sure your script and score look professional and are ready to go into development.

Want more tools to help you get your formatting right?

*** VISIT OUR FORMATTING PRODUCTS PAGE ***

LIBRARY OF IDEAS (Royalty Free)

FREE ACCESS to a library of 1000+ downloadable royalty-free stories, plays, plots and other inspiring indeas we’ve found in the public domain for you. There’s a brief excerpt of every item in the library, so you can take a quick glance to see whether or not you want to read the whole text. In addition, the NMI staff has made annotations and recommendations for many of the titles in the library about their potential to become musicals. Save hundreds of hours of research and reading!

Here are some random samples from our listings of story ideas in the public domain:

Asmund And Signy (by Andrew Lang)
The Broom of the Temple (by Ambrose Bierce)
A Protagonist of Silver (by Ambrose Bierce)
Friend Joseph (by Guy de Maupassant)
Our Letters (by Guy de Maupassant)

*** LINK TO COMPLETE LIBRARY OF IDEAS ***

IMPROVE YOUR CRAFT

New Musicals Inc. offers a whole series of professional online LABS for bookwriters, lyricists, and composers who are serious about improving their craft. This video is a FREE sample of one of the lecture videos from the all new Lyric Lab 1 - Fundamentals.

*** CHECK OUT ALL THE LABS ***

FREE PROGRESSION HANDOUT

NEED SOME FEEDBACK?

Have you written a musical? Are you working on one? NMI has smart, professional, detailed dramaturges who will help you make sure you are on the strongest path to fulfilling the promise of your work. From video and audio feedback packages to one-on-one dramaturgical sessions, we have what you need to take the next step forward. We even have an annual contest that results in a workshop and concert reading in Los Angeles.

"We really did appreciate all your help - you’ve got just the right tone to critique. It’s a matter of 'A Spoonful of Sugar Helps The Medicine Go Down'!”
~~George Stiles
(Mary Poppins, Honk, Soho Cinders)

*** Check out NMI's Feedback options ***

MUSICAL THEATRE ARCHIVES

Here's a sample of items from our vault of historical photos, and musical theatre trivia about events that happened THIS month in the past:

April 6, 1941 The theater community gathered in the Grand Ballroom of the Waldorf Astoria to pay homage to the recently deceased Antoinette Perry. The American Theatre Wing presented awards for achievement in the previous season. In recognition of Perry, they would come to be known as the Tony Awards. First year’s recipients included David Wayne and Michael Kidd for Finian’s Rainbow, Agnes de Mille for Brigadoon, and Kurt Weill for Street Scene.
April 28, 1941 Ann-Margaret was born today. She made her musical debut playing a R&H ingenue in the 1962 remake of State Fair. She also sexed it up in musicals like Viva Las Vegas and Bye Bye Birdie.
April 16, 1927 Edith ‘Edie’ Adams was born today. Adams won a Tony for Best Featured Actress as Daisy Mae in L’il Abner. Then, she played Julie Andrew’s Fairy Godmother in Rodgers and Hammerstein’s television version of Cinderella.

*** Click to access the full archives. ***

INSIDER TIPS AND ADVICE

Here is one of our videos with insider tips and advice:

*** VIEW MORE INSIDER TIPS AND ADVICE VIDEOS ***

GLOSSARY OF TERMS

Here are some samples from our Glossary of definitions of musical theatre terms. We will be adding to this over time - as well as adding actual sample scores and sound recordings. Check back often!

Chorus:
The Chorus is particular type of refrain, usually shorter than the traditional refrain, often bearing repetitive phrases, often designed for chorus (or audience) to sing along. The musical theatre chorus is distinguished from the chorus in pop music. In pop music, the structure is typically verse/chorus, verse/chorus…which is equivalent in musical theatre to verse/refrain, verse/refrain. The chorus in musical theatre is much shorter, and most closely resembles the “na na na na” section of a pop song (like “Hey Jude” or King George’s “ba da da” from “Hamilton”). Musical theatre songs with singalong chorus include: “You’ll Be Back” (Hamilton) and “Schmuel Song” (The Last Five Years).
Personification:
Investing abstractions or inanimate objects with human qualities or abilities. Such as:
The ground thirsts for rain.
The dew winked in the morning sun.
Ol’ Man River, he mus’ know sumpin’.
Tenor:
The highest male voice, generally lighter than other men’s voices. Often associated automatically with youth, romance. Changes timbre below about an E and above a G.
Proscenium theatre:
A theatre in which the audience directly faces the stage and views only one side of the scene. Typically raised higher than the audience. Proscenium” refers to the framing arch surrounding the opening of the stage, although an actual arch is not required in modern vernacular to use this term.
Alto:
The lowest female voice, generally heavier than other women’s voices. Often associated automatically with worldliness, power. Changes timbre below about G and above an A.

*** Click to access the full glossary. ***

The Lane Sisters (Vaudeville) . Location: The New York Public Library for the Performing Arts / Billy Rose Theatre Division .

Out on the ocean
Sailors can use a chart.
I’m on the ocean
Guided by just a lonely heart.

--Lorenz Hart