Sep 28, 2009

Michael calls himself a ‘story architect’ because he thinks that building a solid structure is his most important job in a drama...

Sep 27, 2009

I was curious about Michael Kunze’s motivation to move away from a highly-successful pop producer’s career and enter a somewhat risky enterprise – reinventing a popular and established genre – the musical. Michael said, “Jesus Christ Superstar by Andrew Lloyd Webber changed everything!” How about a trip down “Memory...

Sep 21, 2009

Michael Kunze’s fascination with Daphne Du Maurier’s world-famous novel Rebecca began when he was only 15 years old. Decades later, after falling in love with this story all over again, he approached the late author’s son for the rights to create a Drama Musical about Rebecca. A viewing of Elisabeth convinced this gentleman that the Team...

Facts about Marie Antoinette with as close as possible historical accuracy… Author’s Preface: “Few women have excited greater interest than the unfortunate daughter of the Imperial house of Austria, who, when only a child of fifteen, was taken from her native land to occupy such an important post in the corrupt court of France. Her life has...

Sep 6, 2009

Elisabeth, Empress of Austria and Queen of Hungary A fascinating account of Elisabeth’s life in a historical novel by Clara Tschudi, here in an authorized translation from the Norwegian by E. M. Cope. From the translator’s preface: The sketch of the chequered career of Elizabeth of Austria-Hungary cannot fail to interest, and to the many who know...

Aug 30, 2009

Of course – Drama Musicals and the Russian’s love for emotional musical masterpieces are a perfect match. It comes as no surprise that Russian workshop ensembles have embraced Rebecca The Musical in a number of small but ambitious (and always sold-out) productions. Here are two videos from these amazing events. But first, let’s brush up on...

Aug 30, 2009

Michael’s Drama Musicals masterclass introduced us so far to the topics of conception, idea analysis and conflict potential. Three more special elements are examined closely during the search for the perfect Drama Musical story. 1. The penetration of the “fourth wall” Similar to the engaging solo performance of a theater darling, the musical...

Aug 30, 2009

In Part1 and Part 2 of this Drama Musical masterclass series, Michael Kunze talked about his method of finding and choosing a suitable idea for a dramatic musical work. In Part 3 he explains another highly important aspect in the story selection process – the potential for conflict. When the main character strives for a certain goal, and everything in his...