How to Review a Broadway Musical
Any time a musical appears on Broadway, dozens if not hundreds of reviews of the show appear in magazines and newspapers around the country. Most mid-size (or smaller) cities support newspapers with theater critics who routinely make junkets to New York City to give readers at home their impressions of what is being presented on the Great White Way. No review is worth a reader’s time, however, unless the critic invests some solid research before taking on the responsibility of giving an opinion about an evening of entertainment for which theatergoers make a sizable investment.
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Instructions
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Begin by doing your homework. Find out the names of the composer, lyricist and book writer (the person who wrote the script). Then research what other shows each has been involved with, so that you will have a point of comparison from that aspect. Also determine whether the show has a totally original script or if it has been adapted from something else—and know what that something else is. For example, recent Broadway musicals have been based on everything from old movies to classic books to cartoon characters. This information should find its way (albeit briefly) into your review.
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Write about the believability and clarity of the book—that is, you will want to say how well the script is written, how solidly the story comes across and how involved the audience becomes in the story. Believability does not mean fantasy cannot be involved; the suspension of disbelief allows audience members to immerse themselves in a story of any kind if a script is well written. A story that is compelling and engaging can carry a musical that is weak in other areas.
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Discuss the music. If you are not knowledgeable in this area, ask for insight from musicians. Begin by talking about the kind of music included in the show, such as ballads, rap, salsa and so on. Talk about the balance of the music discussing whether there was variety or if all the numbers sounded alike. Discuss how melodic the songs were (could you indeed hum something as you left the theater). Include some insight into the orchestration; you’ll want to let your readers know if there was only a keyboard player on stage or if there was a full orchestra in the pit. Talk about whether the orchestration enhances the musical or whether it seems overpowering.
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Make some comments about the lyrics. Good lyrics generally move along the action of the play and help us learn more about the characters. In addition, although lyrics can be enjoyably clever, they can also sound as though someone had a little bit too much fun with their rhyming dictionary at the expense of meaning. Also, this might be a good place in the review to mention whether the lyrics could be clearly understood.
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Discuss the strong and weak points of the main actors in the production. You might mention another show in which an actor has appeared if it makes for a good comparison. Characters in main roles tend to be written in a way in which (if the actor does a strong job) makes the audience able to see changes in the character as the play develops. Because the show is a musical, it’s also important to discuss how well the actors delivered the songs. If someone delivers a showstopper, that should definitely be included in the review.
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Remember to include pertinent information on the technical aspects of the show. You will want to give a brief description of the set, explaining whether it was a full-fledged realistic representation of a time and place, or whether there were merely set elements placed on the stage representational of a larger idea; you will, of course, want to give your opinion of the set as well. Costumes, makeup and lighting are other areas usually only discussed in a review when they make a particular contribution to the production or detract from it.
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Tips & Warnings
Write your review, if possible, after you have seen the musical twice. Study review of shows from previous seasons written by well known critics.
Refrain from reading reviews by other critics before you write your own.
