NMI’s RESOURCE CENTER for musical theatre writers

insider tips

glosssary of terms

FREE format video

public domain ideas

FREE curriculum video

theatre archives

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:

      • Colonel Starbottle For The Plaintiff (by Bret Harte)
      • Autumn Fires (by Gustav Wied)
      • Trial by Jury (by W.S. Gilbert)
      • Two of the Damned (by Ambrose Bierce)
      • The Believing Husbands (by Andrew Lang)

      *** 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.

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:

      • October 17, 1967     Hair opened at The Public Theatre for a brief Off-Broadway run of 50 performances, prior to a Broadway transfer a few months later.
      • October 25, 1927     Barbara Cook, star of the original productions of Candide, The Music Man, and She Loves Me, was born today.
      • October 20, 1935     Jerry Orbach, star of the original productions of The Fantasticks, Carnival!, Promises, Promises, Chicago, and 42nd Street – as well as revivals of Guys and Dolls and Annie Get Your Gun – was born today.

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


INSIDER TIPS AND ADVICE


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


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!

      • Ensemble song:

        A song in which more than two singers sing, usually simultaneously, but perhaps in counterpoint.

      • Stage Directions Format:

        Tips on formatting stage directions and asides.

      • Dance break:

        Music composed for moments when dialogue stops and action is expressed through dance.

      • Professionalism:

        At NMI, we try to treat our members as professionals. Some would say that the difference between a professional and an amateur is a paycheck. But here are some more useful ways of thinking about the differences:

        Professionals arrive for rehearsals a few minutes ahead of time; amateurs allow themselves to be late.

        Professionals show up prepared; amateurs show up unprepared.

        Professionals take responsibility for their work ethic and creative process; amateurs often look for someone to blame.

        Professionals seek out constructive feedback; amateurs get defensive and think of feedback as criticism and judgment.

        (etc.  You get the idea.)

      • ANMT:

        Academy for New Musical Theatre. The academic branch of New Musicals Inc. They offer classes, workshops, readings and other support for writers studying the craft of musical theatre.

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


Anna Held featured in the musical “Papa’s Wife,” presented at the Manhattan Theatre in 1899. From the Collections of the Museum of the City of New York.


I hate men.

--Cole Porter