Musical Theatre Dramaturgy: How Musicals Work: Story Structure, Song Functions, and the Architecture of Great Shows

Why do some musicals soar—while others never lift off?The secret isn’t luck.It’s structure.It’s song function.It’s dramaturgy.Today’s musicals are more structurally complex than ever—blending cinematic pacing, character-driven songs, and contemporary storytelling tools. To create (or teach) musicals in this landscape, you need more than intuition. You need dramaturgy.In this clear and highly practical guide, composer and dramaturg Tor Ingar Jakobsen breaks down the storytelling architecture behind the world’s most successful musicals. Whether you’re creating new work or trying to understand why great shows resonate so deeply, this book shows you how musicals actually work—from the inside out.What You’ll Learn• How the Opening Number builds world, tone, and audience contract• Why the “I Want” song is the emotional engine of the entire show• How Midpoint, All Is Lost, and Self-Revelation shape character transformation• Why song functions matter—and how they push the story forward• How structure, music, lyrics, and staging form a unified dramatic journey• The hidden patterns shared by classics and contemporary hits alikeWho This Book Is ForWriters. Directors. Actors. Choreographers. Dramaturgs. Teachers. Students. Musical theatre practitioners. Anyone who loves musical theatre—and wants to understand the craft behind it.Whether you're analyzing Hamilton, staging West Side Story, or developing a brand-new show, this book gives you the vocabulary, insight, and practical tools to build musicals that truly work.Why This Book Stands OutUnlike traditional theory books, Musical Theatre Dramaturgy bridges artistic intuition with practical structure. It shows not just what musicals do, but why they do it—and how you can apply these principles in your own creative work. Includes examples from both Golden Age classics and contemporary hits.If you make musicals, study them, or simply adore them…this book will deepen the way you see the entire art form. Read more