People ask us when Straight Forward is opening, and honestly, we love that they ask. The real answer is that new musicals take a long time. We started writing it in 2015. It had its developmental run at Theatre Row in 2023. In between were a lot of readings, a lot of rewrites and a lot of late nights.
If you’re a writer, a producer, or someone who loves theatre and wonders what happens before opening night, here’s how it actually works. Or at least how it’s worked for us.
- 2015We start writing Straight Forward.
- 2021 to 2022A workshop reading, a staged reading and the New York Theatre Festival.
- 2023A developmental run at Theatre Row, Off Broadway.
- 2024An industry reading and a studio EP.
- 2025Workshop presentations.
Step one: the reading
Actors, music stands, a piano. No sets, no costumes. A reading is the cheapest way to find out what isn’t working, and something is always not working. You hear the joke that doesn’t land and the song that’s one verse too long. That’s the whole point. Better to find it in a rehearsal room than in front of a paying audience.
Step two: the workshop
A workshop gives the show more time and a bit more polish. More rehearsal, maybe some staging, usually a presentation for an invited audience. This is where you start to learn whether the show has a shape, not just some great moments.
Step three: festivals and staged readings
Festivals put the show in front of people who don’t know you and don’t owe you anything. For us, the New York Theatre Festival was a big one. A room full of strangers laughing (or not laughing) will teach you more than ten notes sessions.
Step four: a developmental run
A developmental production is a real run with a real audience, built so the team can keep learning. Our 2023 run at Theatre Row was exactly that. We kept working on the show while it was running. You’re allowed to. That’s what it’s for.
Step five: record the music
This step gets skipped a lot, and we think that’s a mistake. A good recording lets producers, theatres and fans hear the show without being in the room. In 2024 we recorded a five-track studio EP of Straight Forward with real musicians. If you write musicals, our advice is simple: get your songs recorded properly as soon as you can.
So why does it take so long?
Money and time, mostly. Each step costs more than the one before, and it needs the right people to be free at the same time. And the writing keeps changing, which is a good thing. A show that’s still changing is a show that’s still getting better.
Where producing comes in
That’s why we started SABERLE Productions: to take new musicals from these early steps to commercial stages, from Off Broadway to regional theatres. We’re developing our next one right now, a new musical adapted from a cult-classic film. We’ll be announcing it soon.
Want in on the next one?
Co-producers, investors and venues: tell us what you're looking for and we'll be in touch.