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The book writer is the member of a musical's team who creates the book—the musical's plot, character development, and dramatic structure. Essentially, the book writer is the playwright of the musical, working very closely in collaboration with the lyricist and composer to create an integrated piece of drama.
Role
Unlike the playwright of a traditional stage play, the book writer of a musical has to leave ample room for musical numbers to be sung and danced. This typically means that characters cannot be fully developed as they would in a play, and dialogue is often kept very simple and concise.
There is a common misconception that the book writer merely creates the plot or scripts the dialogue between songs. On the contrary, the book writer is often also the musical's lyricist, composer, or director.
References
- ^ Kislan, Richard (1980). The Musical: A Look at the American Musical Theater. Englewood, New Jersey: Prentice-Hall. pp. 162–163. ISBN 0-13-608547-4.
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