Defeating a Big Bad Problem with Improvised Musicals

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Many long-form musicals suffer from a common illness – they get off to a great start, and then lose their way. The audience may still be entertained if the actors maintain wit and good cheer throughout, but no spectator will have that reaction we yearn for – the delighted, giddy sense of having seen a MIRACLE. It’s a tall order, I know. Poor me, I always feel regretful about a performance that doesn’t really “win the game.” Winning means creating a musical that holds together like the real thing, top to bottom. The most expert improvisation of solos, duets,

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An Impromptones Horror Story at Sea

Impromptones

Whether it’s an improvised song, a show comprised of songs (a revue) or a long-form musical – make it a priority to learn how much is enough, because too much can be deathly. As my composition and arranging teacher, Dick Grove, once said of songwriting, “The longer your song, the greater will be its tendency to suck.” The same is true of any form of entertainment – to report that a movie was “long” is almost as bad as saying that it was just horrible.

Well, there we were in the Mediterranean Sea – the Impromptones on Crystal Cruises.

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