How-to: Musical Rentals and Performance Permission

Stanton’s Sheet Music receives many inquiries from customers who “just got put in charge of the school musical” and want to know where to start. Although MANY choral/band directors and drama teachers are also expected to direct musicals, it seems that most college courses skip right over this topic. One of your first steps will be to decide upon the musical you’d like to stage. While Stanton’s does sell Broadway vocal collections, choral/band arrangements and other musical theater products including most Broadway Junior productions, we CANNOT contract the licensing rights that give you legal permission to perform the work—for that you must contact the appropriate licensing company. Some of the largest licensing companies are:

Musical Theater International
Since its founding in 1952, MTI has been supplying musical materials to theatres worldwide, whether it is the newest hit from the Broadway or London stage, or a timeless classic. MTI has been a driving force in cultivating new work and in extending the production life of the great American musicals such as Guys and Dolls, West Side Story, Fiddler On The Roof, Les Misérables, Annie, Damn Yankees, The Music Man, Godspell, Little Shop Of Horrors, and the musical theatre collection of Stephen Sondheim, among others.

Rogers and Hammerstein Organization
Founded by Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II more than 60 years ago, the R&H Organization represents a wide variety of entertainment copyrights and over 200 writers. In addition to Rodger & Hammerstein classics like The Sound of Music, Oklahoma!, The King and I, and South Pacific, they also offer a range of popular musicals including Annie Get Your Gun, The Light in the Piazza, Babes in Arms, and Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat.

Tams-Witmark Music Library, Inc
Tams-Witmark licensed the first high school production of a Broadway musical approximately 75 years ago. Today, thousands of schools and community theatres are presenting Tams-Witmark musicals each year, including A Chorus Line, Anything Goes, Bye Bye Birdie, The Wizard of Oz, You’re a Good Man Charlie Brown, Oliver, Hello Dolly, My Fair Lady, Cabaret, Crazy for You, Forty-Second Street, Camelot, Kiss Me Kate, Gypsy and Brigadoon.

Samuel French
With offices in New York City, London, Hollywood and Studio City, California, Samuel French has been representing playwrights since 1830. They began hosting the Samuel French Off Off Broadway Play Festival in 1975 which has resulted in the publishing of 181 new plays since. Some of their most popular offerings are: Anne of Green Gables, The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas, Chicago, Clue: The Musical,  Grease,  Kiss of the Spider Woman, The Mikado, Nunsense, Peter Pan, The Rocky Horror Show, and The Secret Garden.

All of these reputable companies offer script preview programs (similar to Stanton’s 21-Day Trial) and helpful websites to guide you through musical licensing procedures. Several variables determine how much money the performance rights will cost, and the only way to get a quote is to begin a dialogue with a licensing company. Stanton’s advises you to begin this process as far in advance as possible so that you have plenty of time to research and choose the best show for your particular situation.

Now all you have to do is cast the show, run rehearsals, build sets, sew/rent costumes, book a pit, and print programs. Simple, right?

“Christmas Lullaby” by Jason Robert Brown

Fans of Jason Robert Brown will be thrilled to find his music now appearing in choral repertoire.  Christmas Lullaby is from the memorable 1995 theatrical revue and album Songs for a New World, which put Brown on the musical map.  This exquisite choral is a reflection on the blessing of Mary and the miracle within us all.  It’s particularly powerful in the SSA voicing – “And I will be like Mother Mary with a blessing in my soul and the future of the world inside of me…”

Also available from Brown for choirs is Brand New You, from his new musical 13.  Packed with infectious energy, this Broadway powerhouse absolutely rocks with youthful spirit and humor!  A fantastic concert closer.

Contact us for more terrific recommendations for your choir!

Singer’s Library of Musical Theatre

If you or your students routinely perform songs from the Broadway repertoire, these books are for you!  Each book in the series of Singer’s Library of Musical Theatre  includes 2 CD’s of recorded piano accompaniment.
There are 2 volumes in each voice range: Soprano, Mezzo/Alto, Tenor, and Bass.
The fun thing about these books is the fact that the songs are in the same keys as in the original Broadway shows. The shows cover a wide time period, from the 1885 “Mikado”, to more recent shows like the Broadway production of  “Disney’s ” Beauty and the Beast”  and “The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee”. For more  information concerning these products please check our website at stantons.com.

How may I direct your call?

We’re always talking about our knowledgeable staff—you’ll find that very phrase on much of our printed advertising, as well as on our website. Stanton’s sales staff is separated into departments to ensure that each staff member is well informed about a specific area of the wide variety of music that we carry. So when you call and ask about music for trumpet, you’ll be speaking with someone who has first-hand knowledge of repertoire, not just a phone operator with no musical experience. Here’s what you’ll find in each department:

CHORAL DEPARTMENT (ex. 1)
Choral Music for School & Church
Elementary General Music
Classical Solo Vocal
Handbell

BAND DEPARTMENT (ex. 2)
Concert Band
Marching Band
Jazz Ensemble
Orchestra
Solos for all concert instruments
Instrumental Method Books
Music Software/Technology

POP/KEYBOARD (ex. 3)
Sacred & Secular Piano
Organ
Piano Method Books
Popular/Broadway Solo Vocal
Contemporary Christian Vocal
Guitar Solos and Methods
Music for Folk Instruments

You can direct emails to the exact department you need by clicking the links above, or press the appropriate extension when you call 1-800-42-MUSIC. If you’re unsure of which department to choose, we’re always happy to direct you to whoever can best address your needs. At Stanton’s, it is important to us that you receive the most educated answers to your questions and the finest music recommendations.

Happy Birthday Kristin Chenoweth!

Kristin Chenoweth, singer, musical theatre, film, and television actress was born today. Some of her best-known Broadway roles are Sally Brown in “You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown,” and Glinda in “Wicked.” On television, she most recently appeared in the role of Olive Snook on the ABC dramedy “Pushing Daisies” for which she received an Emmy nomination. She is slated to portray Dusty Springfield in an upcoming biopic, and will lend her unmistakable coloratura voice to the Disney animated film “Rapunzel.”

Request Your “21 Day Trial” TODAY!

Did you know that you can preview music from Stanton’s before you decide to buy? We know that it’s difficult to tell if a particular piece of music will fit your needs without actually reading it through, so similar to checking things out from a library, you can “borrow” resources from our store using the “21 Day Trial” program!

Each of Stanton’s departments has slightly different guidelines about what/how many items can be sent on “21 Day Trial,” but in general we can send printed sheet music that is currently in stock. You can request items for trial by phone, email, fax, online or in person—any of the ways that you can place a regular order—but make sure that you specify “21 Day Trial.” You can list the music you’d like to peruse, or you can give us some specifications (like “Christmas piano solos,” “SSA choral music on the theme of friendship,” or “new publications for 8th grade jazz band”) and Stanton’s knowledgeable staff will find some suggestions for you!

We require account or credit card information so that if you choose to keep the music we can charge you accordingly, or return the music within 21 days of your invoice date and you’ll never be charged! (You’ll just have to pay return shipping to get the music back to us.)

Contact us NOW in July when we have more time to spend considering your unique trial request. When all the other teachers are dragging themselves into the store first thing in the morning on a Saturday in August or September, you’ll continue to sleep soundly knowing that you’ve already received a package of music, specifically chosen for you, that will be waiting whenever you choose to wake up and read through it…

Feedback Friday: NPH hosts the Tony Awards on Sunday, June 7th!!

“Choral Songs from Wicked” Collections Now Available

Almost six years after its Broadway debut, Stephen Schwartz’s hit musical Wicked continues to thrill music lovers around the world!  Two brand new choral collections are now available for SATB and SSA choirs.  The value-packed Choral Songs from Wicked collections each feature five full choral arrangements, including three that have never before been released for choir – “No Good Deed” appears in both collections, the SATB book contains “Dear Old Shiz” and the SSA features “Thank Goodness.”  You can perform each arrangement separately, or combine them together for a full choral program.

Other titles available individually from Wicked include: Dancing Through Life, Defying Gravity, For Good, I’m Not That Girl, One Short Day, Popular, The Wizard and I, What Is This Feeling?, Songs of the Wizard (“A Sentimental Man” and “Wonderful”), and two medleys – one appropriate for high school and adult choirs, and one specifically designed for middle school singers.

And the newest publication: As Long as You’re Mine – a powerful anthem of love and longing (most appropriate for mature singers).

For younger singers, take a look at Let’s All Sing…Songs from Wicked.  The pieces in this collection have been arranged especially for young unison singers with optional harmonies for added fun!  The professionally-produced recordings are perfect for the classroom or the stage.

Contact us for these and more songs from great Broadway musicals for choirs!

Vocal Selections from Tony Award Nominees

The 2009 Tony Awards are on their way, and so are the vocal collections for many of the nominated musicals. Back in 2000, “Billy Elliot” the film was released in theaters to great reviews. Now, it has gone on to lead this year’s new musicals with 15 Tony nominations. A touching story about a boy who enjoys ballet more than boxing, this musical speaks of the power of our dreams in spite of difficult circumstances. “Billy Elliot, The Musical” is already available in a piano/vocal/guitar collection.

If you were watching the Today Show last week, you might have caught a glimpse of “Rock of Ages.” This new musical features songs from the glory years of MTV in the 1980’s and rock singers with long, bleached extensions. Interestingly enough, one of the leads is Constantine Maroulis who was on American Idol a few seasons back. The vocal collection for this show is not published yet, but is scheduled to come off the press by mid-July—contact us for availability.

There are already vocal collections available from the musical revivals that have been nominated: “Guys and Dolls,” “Hair,” “Pal Joey” and “West Side Story.” It should be noted that the “West Side Story” vocal selections book that is currently available is all in English (not partly in Spanish like the revival), but we’ve been told by Hal Leonard that they have an edition in the works that would reflect the new production. We also expect the vocal selections from “Shrek the Musical” to be in stock by the end of the summer.

Contact us for more information on these and other publications from Broadway musicals, and stay tuned for the 2009 Tony Awards on Sunday, June 7th at 8/7c on CBS.

Feedback Friday: Reader’s Choice