You can't be theoretical when you're building a musical.

James Lapine

Categorized in : You Musical Building Theoretical

I need an audience to look at what I've done so I can understand it, so I can step back and watch them respond and figure out what they're understanding about what I'm trying to do and what they're confused about.

step understand look confused

That's the thing about dreams - they're ineffable. If you can get to the bottom of it, it's not a dream.

get dreams you dream

The music is the emotional substance of the show; the book just sets it up. Nobody goes to a musical to hear the book. That's the way it works.

nobody music book way

Most musicals are real crowd pleasers.

musicals crowd most real

I have nothing to hide.

hide nothing

I like the stage challenges of having somebody literally falling apart before your very eyes.

your eyes stage challenges

If you're like me and nosy, you're always eavesdropping on other people's conversations.

me you always people

I'd like to just say that there's nothing darker than 'Old Yeller' and 'Bambi' and some of the early Disney stuff.

old say nothing like

Fairy tales, which teach a moral lesson, are about ourselves. Myth deals with forces greater than ourselves.

lesson teach moral fairy

I've grown more and more appreciative of good writing, and I now really hope I can become a better and better writer.

better good i-can hope

I really enjoyed writing the adaptation of 'Into The Woods.' I thought it was wonderful to not be the director, frankly. I really enjoyed that aspect of it.

thought woods writing wonderful

I'm drawn to dreams.

drawn dreams

I'm a very laid-back person.

person very

I like to keep a low profile.

low keep like profile

I love photography... I'd like to write a show about photography.

write like photography love

When you're young, you envision happiness in such an idealized way.

you young happiness way

As you get older, you realize happiness involves a lot of problems.

realize problems you happiness

There are certain images that always haunt me.

haunt images me always

I love the visual aspect of the theater. But I like what people have to say, too.

say like love people

The one thing you don't want to do is go off and keep rewriting. If something's not quite right, it's often about modulating what's already there.

something go you want