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re: I just noticed that this article doesn't mention who wrote the book for the musical

Posted by: ryhog 12:04 pm EDT 08/14/14
In reply to: I just noticed that this article doesn't mention who wrote the book for the musical - Michael_Portantiere 11:47 am EDT 08/14/14

I think you are reading more into it than warranted. My guess is that it was not deemed newsworthy, just as there was also no mention of the designers.


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re: I just noticed that this article doesn't mention who wrote the book for the musical

Posted by: Michael_Portantiere 12:20 pm EDT 08/14/14
In reply to: re: I just noticed that this article doesn't mention who wrote the book for the musical - ryhog 12:04 pm EDT 08/14/14

I was mostly joking :-)

I think you're right, but I still find it odd for an article about a new musical to state who wrote the songs but not mention who wrote the book, especially in the case of a show that has had major changes in the creative team.


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re: I just noticed that this article doesn't mention who wrote the book for the musical

Posted by: mikem 12:32 pm EDT 08/14/14
In reply to: re: I just noticed that this article doesn't mention who wrote the book for the musical - Michael_Portantiere 12:20 pm EDT 08/14/14

It's a little strange, but not much different than referring to a Sondheim musical without mentioning the bookwriter, which happens pretty often. And Neverland's bookwriter has little name recognition in the US.


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re: I just noticed that this article doesn't mention who wrote the book for the musical

Posted by: ryhog 01:04 pm EDT 08/14/14
In reply to: re: I just noticed that this article doesn't mention who wrote the book for the musical - mikem 12:32 pm EDT 08/14/14

It is also worth considering that Harvey may well be paying the bookwriter in the fashion of screenwriters, and that he is not considered important. The whole Sondheim bookwriter thing is really about Sondheim wanting to show respect for his collaborators. Whether, in a given show, the bookwriter is critical creatively is not static. Oftentimes it is the director driving the book, or even the songwriters. It is interesting that one would not be surprised that the orchestrator is not mentioned, even though the contribution may in some cases loom very large.


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re: I just noticed that this article doesn't mention who wrote the book for the musical

Posted by: Michael_Portantiere 02:27 pm EDT 08/14/14
In reply to: re: I just noticed that this article doesn't mention who wrote the book for the musical - ryhog 01:04 pm EDT 08/14/14

"It is interesting that one would not be surprised that the orchestrator is not mentioned, even though the contribution may in some cases loom very large."

Well, yes, but in the case of a new musical, I think it's generally considered that the writing of the songs and the book is a greater and more newsworthy contribution than the orchestrations.

I do agree with the poster who suggested the reason why James Graham, the book writer of NEVERLAND, was not mentioned in the Times article is that he has very little name recognition in the U.S., but I guess I'd say the fact that he's a relatively low profile figure is in itself somewhat newsworthy.


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re: I just noticed that this article doesn't mention who wrote the book for the musical

Posted by: ryhog 05:41 pm EDT 08/14/14
In reply to: re: I just noticed that this article doesn't mention who wrote the book for the musical - Michael_Portantiere 02:27 pm EDT 08/14/14

my only point is that, sometimes, the orchestrations are a greater contribution than in others, and sometimes the book is of a lesser contribution than in other cases, and that, just as there are shows where the orchestrator is deservedly discussed front and center, so too there can be shows where the book writer's contribution is little more than clerical.


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re: I just noticed that this article doesn't mention who wrote the book for the musical

Posted by: Michael_Portantiere 12:10 pm EDT 08/15/14
In reply to: re: I just noticed that this article doesn't mention who wrote the book for the musical - ryhog 05:41 pm EDT 08/14/14

I absolutely agree, but in the case of FINDING NEVERLAND (for example), I would say the sheer fact that a non-musical film is being adapted as a stage musical would have to mean that the book writer's contribution is far more than clerical, even if it's a very close adaptation.


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re: I just noticed that this article doesn't mention who wrote the book for the musical

Posted by: ryhog 01:18 pm EDT 08/15/14
In reply to: re: I just noticed that this article doesn't mention who wrote the book for the musical - Michael_Portantiere 12:10 pm EDT 08/15/14

Having not seen it, I can't say. There are, however, situations where someone other than the bookwriter (whether the original source or the director) has assumed the laboring oar, just as there are situations where an orchestrator gets a well thought out and fully formed score and is really just going through the paces, whereas there are other cases (take Mel Brooks as an example) where the task is quite a bit mire significant. In between there are cases where an orchestration makes a decent score into a monumental one. Not sure any of this relates to this particular show, but there are so many cases where credit is not always due where the opening night credits would suggest.


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re: I just noticed that this article doesn't mention who wrote the book for the musical

Posted by: lowwriter 12:31 pm EDT 08/14/14
In reply to: re: I just noticed that this article doesn't mention who wrote the book for the musical - Michael_Portantiere 12:20 pm EDT 08/14/14

I just listened to Julien Overden singing one of the songs from the first version in the UK and I really liked it. Though I like Jeremy Jordan in the show, it's a shame Overden isn't coming over here to do the Broadway version. I hope Harvey keeps him in mind for another project.


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