The musical cover

The musical

by Richard Kislan

Kislan explains all the basic principles, materials and techniques that go into the major elements of a musical production - the book, lyrics, score, dance and set design. He traces the musical's evolution through the colorful eras of minstrels, vaudeville, burlesque, revue, and comic opera up to the present day. He discusses the lives, techniques, and contributions of such great 20th-century composers and lyricists as Jerome Kern, Rodgers and Hammerstein, and Stephen Sondheim.

Chappie’s discussion starters

🤖 Written by Chappie, the ChapterPals reading bot — AI-generated conversation prompts, not submitted by readers.

  1. Which character stayed with you after you turned the last page, and why?
  2. Was there a moment where you disagreed with a character’s choice? What would you have done?
  3. What theme did this book keep circling back to — and did it earn its ending?
  4. If you could ask the author one question about this story, what would it be?
  5. Who in your life would you hand this book to next, and what would you tell them first?