Master the Art and Business of Musical Theatre
NMI’s Essential Musical Theatre Textbooks
Based on the renowned curriculum of New Musicals Inc., this definitive four-volume collection provides expert guidance on every facet of creating, formatting, and navigating the musical theatre industry for you and your musical.
Elevate your skills with “A Crash Course in Musical Theatre,” “The Craft of Writing Musicals,” “The Business of Musical Theatre,” and “Format Guidelines for Musical Theatre” – your complete resources for mastering the craft of musical theatre.
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From the reviews:
“A comprehensive and indispensable guide.”
“A systematic and helpful latticework for any creative to anchor their artistic vision.”
“If you are a writer, lyricist, or composer, you will find helpfully bold and actionable guidance to shape your vision while helping you avoid the many, many pitfalls that beset aspiring musical creators.”
“Do yourself a favor and buy this book.”
“Very well-organized and thought out.”
“A ‘must have’ book for every musical theatre writer’s library.”
“Hands down, The Craft of Writing Musical Theatre is the most comprehensive book on the ‘how to’ aspect of writing musicals.”
“This book has been an indispensable tool that I turn to for problem solving, expanding my understanding of the craft, and to refresh my memory on aspects of the craft that I need to review.”
“Highly recommend.”
About The Books
A Crash Course in Musical Theatre: Your fast track from idea to stage essentials. Designed to be binged in a single afternoon or weekend, this compact guide offers a quick, engaging overview of the core concepts—from outlining and song spotting to basic formatting and business steps. Perfect for writers with deadlines, collaborators needing a quick study, or anyone seeking a foundational understanding in just a few hours. (Pairs ideally with NMI’s online video course of the same name!)
The Craft of Writing Musicals: The ultimate deep dive into writing book, music, and lyrics. Twenty years in the making, this comprehensive 500-page textbook covers dramatic structure, character development, song progressions, lyric techniques, music theory essentials, and advanced masterclass topics. An indispensable reference for serious students, educators, and developing writers aiming for professional mastery.
The Business of Musical Theatre: Navigate the industry like a pro. This essential handbook demystifies the world beyond the writing desk, covering collaboration agreements, copyright, underlying rights, pitching to producers, finding agents, understanding development paths, and avoiding common pitfalls. Equip yourself with the knowledge to get your musical seen, supported, and produced.
Format Guidelines for Musical Theatre: Ensure your work meets professional standards. This detailed technical manual provides industry-standard formatting rules and examples for scripts, scores, lead sheets, and lyrics. Make your musical readable, producible, and submission-ready with clear templates and best practices crucial for collaboration and evaluation.
A Crash Course in Writing Musicals
Summarizing the prestigious Academy for New Musical Theatre’s two-year curriculum, this compact textbook is your guide from a blank page to the stage. Immerse yourself in intensive overview of bookwriting, lyrics, and song integration.
The Craft of Writing Musical Theatre
Master bookwriting, music, lyrics. Explore theatre structure, lyric, song writing. Essential guide for musical storytellers of every level.
The Business of Musical Theatre
Essential insights on collaboration, copyrights, pitching, and crafting compelling musical ideas for writers.
Format Guidelines for Musical Theatre
Industry standards for formatting a musical. Includes a wealth of examples, as well as a sample script/score, with and without annotations.
- Get writing right away with A Crash Course in Writing Musicals
- Perfect your craft and sharpen your skills with The Craft of Writing Musical Theatre
- Be ready to meet producers with The Business of Musical Theatre
- Format like a professional with Format Guidelines for Musical Theatre
“Unlock the full spectrum of musical theatre artistry.”
“Elevate your story-telling skills.”
“Exactly what every musical theatre writer needs. At last!”
The Craft of Writing Musical Theatre
What’s inside
Bookwriting
Outlining, plot, dialogue, exposition, rough draft, feedback, final draft, &c.
Composing the score
Ballads, comedy songs, ensemble songs, musical scenes, writing for piano, vocal ranges, etc.
Toolbox
Format score, script, and lyrics. 168 pages of examples and annotations.
Lyric writing
Structure, rhyme, progression, prosody, song-spotting, metaphor, list songs, &c.
The Biz
Rights, agreements, copyright, marketing, approaching producers, &c.
And more!
Insider tips, format guidelines, idea-generators, “Five Musicals (Most) Every Musical Makes” &c.
topics in the index
Pages
“It took ANMT to lead me through the steps to learn the craft, develop the skills, and ultimatley find my own voice as a writer.” (Robin Share, Windjammers.)
“We can’t imagine how we would produce an original musical again without NMI.” (Tim Dang, East West Players.)
“For the person interested in musical theatre, there are few places greater at bringing together support, critique, and artistic collaboration than The Academy of New Musical Theatre.” (Sachi Oyama, IMELDA.)
Excerpt from the section on bookwriting
Excerpt from the section on lyric writing.
Excerpt from the section on composition
"The Craft of Writing Musical Theatre"
A professional guide for the serious musical theatre writer.
Whether you’re a student, educator, or aspiring writer, The Craft of Writing Musicals is a comprehensive roadmap to developing a strong, theatrical, and original musical. Covering every aspect of the process—from dramatic structure to lyric construction, character arcs to scene design—this 500-page textbook distills decades of practical teaching into a highly accessible curriculum.
Originally developed for New Musicals Inc. (NMI), this resource has been tested and refined over years of classroom use. Its structured modules make it ideal for self-study, undergraduate and graduate instruction, or professional development workshops.
What’s Inside:
- 44 chapters, including “Writing the Book,” “Musical Theatre Structure,” “Spottnig Songs: the Marriage of Book, Music, and Lyrics,” “Writing the Lyrics,” “Writing the Score.”
- In-depth exploration of premise, structure, character, conflict, lyrics, music, and adaptation
- Clear examples and exercises to strengthen your writing craft
- Useful whether you’re starting from scratch or revising an existing show
Also included: Dozens of examples from sample scripts, lyrics, outlines, and lyric worksheets to support your learning.
"The Business of Musical Theatre"
What every musical theatre writer needs to know about the business side of the industry.
You’ve written a show—now what? The Business of Musical Theatre guides writers through the often-overlooked world of what happens after the script is done. From development paths to legal agreements, submissions to producers, this book is your go-to resource for navigating the professional musical theatre landscape.
Based on New Musicals Inc.’s decades of experience developing and producing new work, this 148-page handbook demystifies the process of getting your musical seen, supported, and staged.
What’s Inside:
- The journey from first draft to full production
- The roles of producers, directors, dramaturgs, and presenters
- Tips for submitting to festivals, grants, and development programs
- Insights on royalties, contracts, rights, and intellectual property
- Strategies for networking, pitching, and promoting your work
Also included: Sample contracts, submission guidelines, and checklists to help you prepare your show for the professional world.
"A Crash Course in Writing Musicals"
A compact introduction to the craft and business of writing musicals.
Whether you’re curious about writing musicals or need a refresher on the essentials, A Crash Course in Writing Musicals offers a fast-paced, engaging overview of the creative and practical sides of the industry. Designed to be read in just a couple of hours, this 47-page guide is packed with key concepts and actionable insights for writers at any stage.
Perfect for writers up against a deadline, producers evaluating material, or instructors introducing the field, this book distills the core lessons from New Musicals Inc.’s professional curriculum into a clear, readable format.
What’s Inside:
- The structure and process of developing a musical from idea to stage
- An overview of musical components: book, lyrics, and music
- Introduction to character, conflict, and scene structure
- Common song types and their dramatic functions
- Basics of the business: submissions, collaborations, and next steps
Also included: Checklists, tips, and links to further resources for deeper learning. Want a deeper dive with video instruction? This guide is designed to complement the comprehensive “Crash Course in Musical Theatre” online video course offered by New Musicals Inc. (NMI). Search for it online to learn more.
Whether you’re diving into your first draft or deciding whether musical theatre is for you, A Crash Course in Writing Musicals provides a solid foundation in the art and business of the form.
Format Guidelines for Musical Theatre
The definitive guide to formatting scripts, scores, and lyrics for the musical theatre stage.
Professional formatting isn’t just about looking polished—it’s about making your work readable, producible, and submission-ready. Format Guidelines for Musical Theatre is the industry’s most detailed manual on the technical side of script and score preparation, offering clear rules, examples, and best practices for writers, composers, and educators.
Developed through years of work at New Musicals Inc., this guide ensures your materials meet the standards of producers, festivals, readers, and collaborators.
What’s Inside:
- Proper formatting for libretti (scripts), lyrics, lead sheets, piano/vocal scores, and demos
- Guidelines for numbering songs, scenes, and pages
- Tips for clear communication between writers and production teams
- Detailed templates and style conventions for consistency and professionalism
- detailed annotate sample script/score
Also included: Dozens of examples, sample pages, and formatting templates for immediate use.
Whether you’re submitting to a festival, publishing your work, or collaborating with a team, Format Guidelines for Musical Theatre will help your musical stand out for all the right reasons.
About the author.
SCOTT GUY
Scott has been actively involved as a writer and producer in both theatre and television. He has six Emmy nominations, and over 100 produced television scripts for Warner Bros., FOX-TV, Disney, Discovery Channel, PBS, etc. Scott is the Executive Director of New Musicals Inc. where he supervises the development of musicals for live and digital platforms. He created the Lyric Lab over fifteen years ago and has supervised the development of hundreds of musicals. He has been Winner/Finalist for the Richard Rodgers Award, Eugene O’Neill Musical Theatre Award, four-time winner for Stages Musical Theatre Festival, and many other accolades. His theatre scripts, including The Fish Whisperer, The Maltese Falcon Musical Nightmare, Just-So Stories, Der Strunkenwhitenlieder, and Rootabaga Stories have had multiple productions throughout the United States.
THE ACADEMY FOR NEW MUSICAL THEATRE
ANMT was founded over 40 years ago. Under its parent organization, New Musicals Inc., The Academy continues to offer a comprehensive, multi-year musical theatre curriculum for bookwriters, lyricists and composers (the Core Curriculum), as well as an on-going writers’ workshop. ANMT develops several dozen musicals each year for producers and writers all around the country through table readings, workshops, concerts, and occasional productions.
Scott Guy