#1: How to Organize the Reading of a Musical

Having a reading of a musical can tell you how your project is going both by hearing it read and by getting other people’s comments. That is why I wanted to put on a reading of my latest show, The Gentlemen’s Ploy. Just an informal reading in my living room using a pre-recorded accompaniment for the songs, with just enough performers to cover the parts and maybe a couple of observers to provide comments.

Now, if you want to put on a reading of a musical without singing, here is what you must do prior to assembling the performers:

 complete the libretto (the libretto being all the parts but the music).

However, if you want a reading of a musical with singing, here is what you must do prior to assembling the performers:

 complete the book (i.e., the dialog),

 complete the lyrics,

 complete the music,

 assemble the book and lyrics into a libretto,

 prepare sheet music,

 check that the lyrics in the sheet music match those in the libretto,

 check that the music cues in the libretto match the sheet music,

 record demos of all the songs with voice and piano so that the performers can learn them,

 record demos of the piano accompaniments of the songs so the performers can practice singing without the vocal tracks,

 check that the demos match the sheet music, and

 using Adobe Acrobat, insert each piece of sheet music into the libretto at the point that that specific song is sung.

Once I had complete that I needed to assemble the performers.

I don’t know a lot of actors, but I contacted those that I do know and those that friends recommended, and friends of friends, and somehow I found four men and four women who were all free on the same day and willing to participate.

Then I sent out all the parts. The libretto-with-sheet-music was easy as that was a single PDF. However, the demo recordings were each individual MP3 files and were large enough that only two or three could be sent in one email. There were 21 songs and reprises and eight performers, so that was a heck of a lot of emails. But I got them all sent out and everything was fine.

Then one of the men dropped out.

I had already run through my list of actors and had no one else to ask, but I figured I could switch his part with that of another actor’s and then I could split that part with a composer friend (who, like me, is not an actor, but was already going to be there) and we would be off and running. I sent off another blizzard of emails and everything was fine.

Then two days before the reading two men got sick.

In desperation I sent out an S.O.S. to everyone who was coming asking if they could think of anyone who could step in. Miraculously, we were able to come up with two available actors. And out went more emails.

But one of the sick men wasn’t actually sick. He was getting over covid, but (according to the latest CDC guidelines) he was already safe to appear in public. I told him that if he felt up to it and thought he could have fun, he could read my part. He agreed and everything was fine.

Then the morning of the reading one of the replacement actors got sick.

I quickly wrote to the post-covid actor asking if he would read his original part. He agreed to do whatever was needed. At least I didn’t have to send out any more emails!

The actual reading went smoothly. It was a congenial group and everyone seemed to have a good time. Afterwards, as we ate pizza, I got a lot of good feedback, and so have a lot of things to work on.

But organizing it was nerve-wracking. People have told me that now I have such a long list of actors the next one should be easier, but I don’t know; I don’t think I can take the strain. I think if I want to put on another one of these I will find someone to do it all for me. I think that is the way to organize the reading of a musical.