NMI’s RESOURCE CENTER for musical theatre writers

GLOSSARY OF TERMS

• Revue:

  A musical show without a narrative storyline, usually without ongoing characters, which can contain scenes as well as songs.

• AABA:

  A refrain structure in which an initial A section is followed by a second A section of identical musical material, followed by a section of contrasting musical material, and concluded with a repetition of the initial A section. Lyrics change in each section, but there is usually a repeated lyric in the same location of each A section (e.g., lyric is repeated either the beginning or the end of the A sections). Generally this corresponds to a refrain of typically 8-bar sections. AABA refers to the structure of the Refrain, not the structure of the song.

• 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).

• Duet:

  A song in which two singers sing simultaneously, at least for a portion of the song.

• Thrust stage:

  A stage that extends into the performing area so that the audience is seated around three sides.

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