European hit-musical author Michael Kunze explains 9 essential elements of a good drama musical. For a more in-depth study, please visit his website at: http://www.musicalworkshop.org

1. how to write a
musical drama
9 essential elements of a drama musical
Friday, October 21, 2011

2. story idea
It’s a long and rocky road from the inception
to the premiere...
make sure you are passionately fascinated
by your story idea.
Don’t follow trends...follow your heart!
You dream about seeing it on stage, and you
can’t wait to share it with an audience.
Friday, October 21, 2011

3. story selection
Your initial attraction to
the material becomes the
inspiration for all
further development.
Select story ideas that
offer themselves for
musical interpretation -
where melodies may reveal
a “secret garden” of
hidden realities.
Friday, October 21, 2011

4. Conflict
Conflict does it!
The protagonist must have a strong
desire to reach a certain goal.
Powerful antagonistic forces try
to stop him, chiefly among them his
own character flaws.
Friday, October 21, 2011

5. Epiphany
Only through a
dramatic learning
experience -
epiphany and
character change
can the protagonist
in the end become a
better person than
in the beginning of
the story.
Friday, October 21, 2011

6. special
elements
Special elements of
the musical theatre
include dance scenes,
multiple locations,
and a break-down of
the “Fourth Wall”
between stage and
audience.
Friday, October 21, 2011

7. dramatic turning points
Dramatic turning points between the three
acts (exposition, confrontation, solution)
mark the protagonist’s character changes.
More turning points may occur during key
scenes and key songs within the acts.
Friday, October 21, 2011

8. the antagonist
The more dangerous and powerful the
antagonist, the greater the drama of the
protagonist’s struggle.
Both may have similar, respectable goals
(and deserve our empathy), but only one
of them can win.
Friday, October 21, 2011

9. Friday, October 21, 2011

10. additional characters
Additional characters may support a more in-
depth exploration of the story.
Allies may become enemies, and vice versa.
“Mirrors” may find themselves in similar
conflict situations as the main characters,
but they pursue alternate solutions.
Friday, October 21, 2011

11. colliding values
In a great drama musical, both protagonist
and antagonist are convinced of their own
righteousness.
their conflict is not of a personal nature;
their different value systems collide.
The audience should experience conflicting
sympathies. A simple evil witch is boring.
Friday, October 21, 2011

12. MusicalWorkshop.org
Dr. Michael Kunze
Author of:
REBECCA (The Musical)
on Broadway: April 22, 2012
mozart!
Elisabeth
marie antoinette
dance of the vampires
Friday, October 21, 2011