From the script to the stage: the intense process of musical theatre production

Usually associated with fascinating stars performing on a stage along with all of its blinding lights and music, most people are actually not aware about the behind-the-scenes of broadway productions. In fact, it is actually a very intense process that is multilayered, which involves a lot of roles. Here, we would like to unfold each step of the process, from the pre-production to the script writing, musical directing and finally the stage performance.

First thing first: the idea. How does a producer derive their inspiration and ideas and decide the theme? Producer/Director of TEMAN Musicals Chriskevin Adefrid Wongsonegara shared his experience with TFR. He said that there might be two situations: whether they are about to plan for an original play or they are just going to adapt an existing script.

For the former, he usually starts by setting the goals and target of the show. This includes deciding the visions and missions of the show as well the target audience. Once set, they will proceed to the next step which is to decide the concept of the show. People involved in this creation process are not rigid, but most musical theatre productions have their own producer, director, playwright and composer.

“At TEMAN Musicals, we usually call this brainstorming session the ‘creation’ step, but other productions might have a different name. This creation process is considered as the ‘heart’ or ‘core’ of the show. Once we have done this, we will proceed to the audition and then to hire teams of designers and choreographers, for instance. It is followed by rehearsals,” he explained.

The rehearsal usually depends on the length of the show. A 2.5-hour live musical might take 30-40 days of intensive rehearsal. After the rehearsal is done, so does the pre-production process. The next step is the production process, or usually referred to as the “production week”.

“This is where we prepare the plotting, lighting, blocking and many more. Unlike in the rehearsal space where we are only able to mark the blocking here and there, during the production week we do the rehearsal in the theatre where the performance will be staged, so we make a lot of adjustments.”

Ivan Tangkulung, co-founder of TEMAN Musicals who is also an experienced musical director, shared that in musical theatres, the most important element is indeed the music.

“One thing for sure, in musical theatre, music is considered as the main motor or driving force. It is actually the main that tells the story. Unlike in films or movies where music will only be added during the post-production process, in musical theatres, music will always be included in the first step of the production.” he said.

He also explained how the process of making music for musicals differs from the music creation process in the music industry. The first thing that he noted is that the songs are the main tool for storytelling as they are the vessel of the story.

There are also specific formats to follow, “The first one is what we call ‘I want’ song, which is the song that tells about what the main character wants.” There is also the “eleven o'clock number”, i.e. the song that signals that the ending of the play is close. “Technically, this song displays high notes and tremendous vocal techniques,” he added.

In the case of musicals, playwrights will also have to get acquainted with lyrics writing. Even so, it is also not uncommon for playwrights in a musical production to focus only on the script for projects with separate lyricists. After the music making process is done, it is the music arranger’s turn to arrange the music. Music arranger is the one to ensure that all the musical aspects harmonise perfectly with specific arrangements that fulfill the needs of the production.

Ivan told TFR that he found it challenging “to interpret the music and to relay the final product to the casts”. He also found teaching and directing the casts on how to sing the song while maintaining their character to be quite stimulating. “As writers, when we finally meet the casts, we would have to adjust what we have in mind,” he explained, adding, “Maybe they are different from the characters in our mind or they have ideas we didn’t get to think of.”

Arawinda Kirana, the actress who plays Siti Nurbaya in “Musikal Nurbaya”, said something similar about the actors’ involvement in the production process aside from their role in acting. “It depends on the directors,” she said, “some can be inclusive, some limiting.”

She worked with Garin Nugroho who gave room for actors to “invent” the characters alongside the playwright, director and many others.

In her experience, a musical theatre production may range from two to six months. “Nurbaya” took two months and in the first two weeks, there was a music call where the actors were introduced to the songs. The first week was to determine each actor’s singing position and the second week was to perfect the singing. She also explained that the singing part comes first because the singing is their way to tell the story.

In the third and fourth weeks, they were introduced to the choreography which includes main choreography and small side choreography. The remaining time was used to combine all of the three elements and perfect it. “Every day started at 11 AM and ended at 11 PM,” she recounted.

Musical theatre actors are also required to be fluent at not only acting, but also singing and dancing. Being able to sing well is not enough as they also have to be able to read musical notes, understand rhythm and recognise chords. “As a musical actor, I think I am a better actor than I am a singer and a dancer, so that is a challenge for me,” Arawinda concluded.

Being a musical actor requires not only talent or skills, but also physical strength. The profession requires high discipline and consistency. They will also be required to maintain their creativity in interpreting and developing their characters, for example in case of plot holes in the character background.

Musical actors might also be required to do their own research to develop their character. In her experience with “Musikal Nurbaya”, Arawinda met and mingled with many Minang people to learn their dynamics as well as their views among men and women. “So aside from reading books and browsing the Internet, meeting real people really helps me,” she explained.

Musical theatre in Indonesia might still be in its infancy, but it is growing in its own way. Indonesia Menuju Broadway may be a way that artists and musicals enthusiasts alike can push it to develop further, especially today, when there is still no standardised approach to musicals in Indonesia.

In Adefrid’s opinion, Broadway does not need to be a standard in the local scene, but “one thing for sure is that it will make it easier for Indonesian musical practitioners to uphold a specific set of standards for musical theatre.”