What I liked
Like I said at intro, I have a background strictly in Plawrighting and I have directed several of my projects as well. But my writing style tends to have a rhythm-based, lyrical quality that I’ve felt might blend well over into musical theatre.
While I never before (the ast 2-3 years in reading articles by lyricists, coposers, etc in “DRAMATIST” mag, have I found drawn to those articles, instinctively sort of understanding the complexity of what they were explaining as if I knew it all along.. (As an analogy, I’ve always been able to skim through tax law, like it’s candy…able to comprehend instantly what’s “there,” what’s not (while understanding it’s complex jibberish to most. (Thugh I never wanted to be an accountant, however…it does show one’s natural understanding of eclectic things others find incomprehensible in the mechanics of.
While I have no “strengths” YET that I know of about other areas of Musical Theatre, it is my understanding that “a good solid Book” is the basis for a highly successful Musical, around which the other collaborators work. As a playwright who has always written my strongest piieces with an extra rhythem, lyric quality., I feel this might lean me towards a potentially good “Book” writer. I also work well with other creative people. And as a Director./ Playwright, find actors think of me Maternally.
Plus I do think I ws in the same building off Lankershim (in NoHo) (not Burbank as I stated the other day)…a little over 10 yrs ago, when I worked as Pllayreading Chair for (then Women In Theatre), often reading scripts in the building on the same floor I thought that I hear classes down the hall in Musical Theatre were going on. Also took a Playwrighting class about 10 years ago, in which i(is it Danny Elfman’s mom also took), and in it she tried for the first time in her life, to write a Musical. As a middle-aged woman, she under-estimated her natural incliniations, as I recall. Obviously her son’s notarity in Musical writing in Entertainment Industry was passed through her genes. Her first effort which she thought was minimal, wow-ed everyone in the class, as I recall.
Beyond that, enjoyed the Instructors/People in charge of NMI as both OBVIOUSLY creatively witty, quick in timing, and quite insightful of the strengths of those in the room.
As far as taking classes soon, I’m just re-acclimating to LA, after 10 year hiatus in Oregon…and need to learn to “budget” UP to LA costs (and sales tax…yikes!) soon. I’’m still a bit doggy-paddling in the disparity on cost of living I’d forgotten about…which has only increased greatly since i left.
But we’ll see. For now, the cost of class (while extremely reasonable in its scope)…Is beyond my budget for now. But worth the starting to “consider”.
Thanks for your time. (No extra flattery aside, but it was my favorite part of Fringe…as it wasnt JUST theatre. I learned a lot. Many thanks.
Alexandra
What I didn't like
Nothing. Covered overall aspects of class, and NMI direction, instruction and goals in concise,entertaining summary.
Felt ALL enjoyed and energetically particiated.
A+
My overall impression
Found it VERY INFORMATIVE, concise. Found the ‘energy" of both instructors, AND already enrolled students in program actually expanded my interest in NMI’s training…in that almost all cases, students mentioned enteriing program with ONE emphasis in mind, and ended up expanding (encouraged to expand to other entirely different areas of training. The extremely “tight” collaborative nature of Musical Theatre to me was particularly intriguing, as in regular theatre, we work together, form a sort of artistic family for each project. But Musical Theatre people seem to bond and grow TOGETHER cumulatively with each project…often forming life-long collaborative partners.
