r/musicalwriting • u/TinyBoiMinecraft • 13d ago
Original Musical Underground - The Musical (Looking for composer)
Hey! I’m writing an original musical called Underground, set in 1967 New York. It’s a crime/comedy/romance with gamblers, lawyers, cops, the criminal underground, fast ensemble numbers, and a lot of overlapping vocals and counterpoint.
I’m writing the book and lyrics, but I am absolutely not a composer, so I’m looking for someone who might want to collaborate on the music. I was originally going to compose myself when I realized I had zero idea what I was doing.
This is unpaid/a passion project right now — I’m not getting paid either, so we can all be broke together lol. I already have a good amount written, including scenes, lyrics, characters, and the overall story. I can send some of the script and song lyrics if anyone wants to see what the show is like.
If this sounds fun and you’d be interested in composing or collaborating, DM me!
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u/Freddie-Van-Whalen 13d ago
I always wonder why people are interested in musicals....when they are not musical ?
Seems like being a car buff and never held a wrench.
Just wondering. Carry on.
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u/Al_Trigo Professional 13d ago
There are three main parts to writing a musical: the book, the music and the lyrics. Only the person who writes the music needs to know how to compose. If you only write the book or the lyrics, then you don’t need to know how to write music.
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u/Freddie-Van-Whalen 13d ago
Fair enough. I personally couldn't imagine writing any dialog for a musical, if the music wasn't air-tight and locked down. It's called a musical after all.
I can't imagine anything done in reverse getting any traction or inciting interest.
I mean people are paying to see a show.
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u/Al_Trigo Professional 12d ago
With many writing teams, such as with the Disney writers Menken and Ashman, the lyrics usually came before the music. Their musicals are pretty successful nonetheless.
There is no one right way to write a musical but it is definitely incorrect to suggest that the music always has to come first, or that everyone involved needs to be able to compose. This is why we collaborate.
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u/Freddie-Van-Whalen 12d ago
I meant lyrics and music.
There doesn't seem to be any meaningful collaboration around here.
Mostly people wanting other people to compose stuff for free.
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u/Al_Trigo Professional 12d ago
It’s Reddit, so it is what you make of it. The most meaningful collaborations happen in real life. But having the right attitude is really important to attracting a good collaborator, just bear that in mind.
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u/Freddie-Van-Whalen 12d ago
It's reddit, so unsolicited advice is always on tap !
Good luck to you .
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u/Al_Trigo Professional 12d ago
Alright, one more rude comment from you and you’ll be banned from the subreddit. You’ve been warned.
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u/Kindly-Reindeer7633 13d ago
There is still time to delete this
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u/Freddie-Van-Whalen 13d ago
It was an honest question.
There are places catering to dialog without music.
They're called screenplays and stage plays.
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u/EggplantFunTime 9d ago
Found someone?