How to Get a Musical Produced by a Local Theater

 

You finally finished your musical and are ready to showcase it to the world. Here comes the hard part. Do you know how to get a musical produced? Don’t feel bad if you don’t. A lot of talented people don’t know how to get a musical produced. They do know there is a lot of competition. Here are some things you can do to get your musical produced.

Spread The Word

One of the easiest ways to learn about how to get a musical produced is to get some professional attention for your musical. How do you get professional attention and interest in your musical? Easily market your musical. That’s right, treat your musical like a business. If your sights are set on producing your musical at your local theater, you must get the theater community behind you. You can do this by making connections in the industry by branding yourself and advertising in person. People love to know who they are being asked to support. So don’t be surprised if people want to ask you many questions about yourself and the type of work you do.

One of the things to remember about how to get a musical produced is that no one does it alone. Using a digital marketing agency to get some interest for your musical is an investment that pays off. Digital marketing is ‘word of mouth’ advertising for the 21st century. Spreading the word about your musical will get the attention and interest you need from the local theater company to push for production.

Most local theaters have a board of trustees and other stakeholders; reaching their ears is essential in producing your musical. Professional marketing can help reach your intended audience and get people talking about your interesting new musical. In other words, you can push to have your musical produced through consumer demand. Getting production started will be easy if enough people get on board with the idea that your music will be a hit.

Renovate The Venue

Okay, this is not a glamorous approach, but rolling up your sleeves and improving the venue will pay you back, promise. There is no sense in learning how to get a musical produced if your local venue is not up to par. Making renovations to the venue and then unveiling your musical as the ‘grand reopening debut show’ will draw the crowds.

Theater supporters are not too fussy about the venue, but let’s face facts, they enjoy the air conditioning. No one wants to sit through several acts and an intermission without AC, no matter how great the music is. Get AC repairs to ensure all the focus is on the show and not on the discomfort of the venue. A workable AC system will help viewers stay calm and relaxed while watching the show.

Get the place cleaned up. Set up good sanitation practices after the clean-up to ensure that the venue is maintained properly and that theatergoers will fully enjoy their experience. No one wants their feet to stick to the floors as they shuffle their seats. Enlist volunteers to clean up the venue.

Make infrastructure repairs and improvements. You don’t want to have lighting issues during the musical. Make sure electrical service and wiring are up to standards. This is also an important safety issue. You don’t want your music to be remembered as the musical that brought the house down (in a fire).

Gather Costumes

Once you get the go-ahead, you should start to get your costumes together. A lot of legwork is involved in getting a musical produced. You will need costumes ready to go for rehearsals and opening night. Gathering the costumes and accessories you need can take some time.

Luckily, there are plenty of online resources you can tap for your costume needs today. For example, glasses for men are readily available online to complete your character’s attire. Glasses are a great costume accessory. They make people ‘look’ smarter, older, more trustworthy, and more. Glasses can help your actors get into character.

Of course costumes would not be complete without a slew of costume jewelry. The best jewelry store will have various costume jewelry options that are hard to tell from the real thing. The costume jewelry’s realism will help convey the story you are trying to tell about your characters.

It can take months to collect the necessary costumes, so it is best to get an early start. Enlist the help of local artisans to create one-of-a-kind costumes. Some of the steps you need to take to learn how to get a musical produced may seem mundane, but ultimately, they will prepare you to become a professional producer. You must take on as many roles as possible in the early stages of production to learn all that you need to know about how to get a musical produced and the amount of work it takes.

Shop for Sets and Props

Sets and props are essential for any musical. You may have a lot of shopping to find all the props and sets you need for your musical. Plants are always a favorite because they bring color and life to the stage but are not the only essential prop you need.

Ultimately, it depends on what your music is about and the theme that will decide which props and sets you need. For example, the musical State Fair uses antique signs to convey the era and period of this musical. Some sets require simple props to convey the message. Other sets require more elaborate props.

Some sets require kids bunk beds, while others require elaborate, ornate beds. It all depends on what you are trying to convey and what props and sets you need. No matter your message, it is best to get started early with set design and prop purchase. There are plenty of options for renting props and purchasing them outright.

Many local theaters also have a wealth of props in their storage rooms waiting to be used. Pick through the storage rooms at the theater to see if you can recycle some of the props that are already on hand.

The thrift stores are another great place to look for props. Local thrift stores have a wealth of goods from ceramic goods to furniture and lighting, that can be used as props. The beauty of shopping at a local thrift shop is you get to support a good cause, recycle some goods, and save money.

There are a lot of ways that you can save on props. You need to get creative. As a new production, the budget may be tight. One of the tips you will find on getting a musical produced is not to invest a lot of your money. Shopping for props with savings in mind is an easy way to keep costs down.

Cast Furry Friends

Everyone loves a four-legged actor. Cast your furry stars by speaking with local dog trainers. Dog trainers are a great resource when you are searching for four-legged actors. They will know a wealth of pups that are right for the job and highly trained.

When using pets in your productions, you must take certain precautions. While you and your actors may be very excited about working with a dog, not everyone who comes to the theater may feel the same way.

Dogs and other furry friends should be vetted to ensure that they have their rabies shots, that they are healthy (a vet can provide a health certificate), and that they are highly trained. No one wants a furry friend to be unruly on stage. It takes a lot of training to ensure that an animal is ready for stage lights and action.

you must ensure that you choose an animal that has a history of performing on demand and that is well-controlled. We all think of the pup from Little Orphan Annie, the lovely rescue that outperformed all the other actors. However, much training went into that pup before he was ready for the stage.

Where Will Funding Come From?

Most actors in local theaters do not get paid, or if they do, it is such a small amount that it doesn’t count. However, there are other costs that you need to consider when considering how to get a musical produced. You may have to pay out of pocket for the pup you include in the show. You will have to pay for costumes, props, potentially hair and makeup, and other things for the show.

How will you cover the costs? Does your local theater pick up most of the tab? If not, are there grants and other programs that can cover at least part of the costs? You must have a budget, a proposal, and options for how the costs will be covered.

It is not cheap to get a musical produced. However, in many cases, many of the costs are offset by ticket sales, so you must connect with a digital marketing firm to help get donors and others on board with financing.

There is nothing wrong with looking for support from the community. Sponsorship is very popular in local theater. For example, your local hometown bank may be willing to sponsor the show if you offer to hang a banner and give them credit as ‘presenters’ of the musical. It never hurts to start asking community members and businesses early on if they would be willing to support a new musical production at the local theater.

Don’t Give Up

One of the key mistakes talented people make is that they give up on learning how to get a musical produced because they hear a few ‘no’s’ along the way. You inevitably will run into a few roadblocks, but don’t let them stop you. If you believe in your production, keep pushing to get it done.

Tenacity and perseverance pay off in the play production industry. Imagine if Shakespeare walked away because someone told him Romeo and Juliet was folly, and no one would ever see it. You have to keep moving forward and continue to follow the steps even when those steps require you to step over some obstacles.

The best way to get your musical produced in your local theater is to become a valued theater company member. Get to know people and contribute to the community. Remember, if you are learning how to get a musical produced, the best thing to keep in mind is that no one gets a musical produced on their own. It takes a team.

Final Words

Local theaters are a great place to showcase your work. Local theaters support the artistic community and provide entertainment. Getting your musical produced in your local theater can be a stepping stone to bigger and better things. Think about all the great theater works that came out of the local theater. In recent years we have seen a new respect for local theater companies and their work.

Showcasing your production in your local theater will help to get you the exposure that you need to climb up the ladder and get closer to the lights on Broadway. Following the tips you found here will help you to get exposure and build a show you can be proud of. It is an accomplishment to get your first musical produced that you will value forever.

Support your local theater and encourage others to do the same. A lot of value comes out of the local theater from bringing the community together to highlighting local talent. Take your turn at the table and push to get your musical produced at your local theater. You may be surprised by the results. Go break a leg.