Chart-Toppers to Showstoppers: Pop Artists Scoring the Broadway Stage

In recent years, pop artists and other non-traditional musical theatre song writers have been crossing over to write for the musical theatre with increasing regularity. This chapter considers the various reasons artists who are successful in other areas of the music industry might transition to writing for the musical theatre stage. Artists may be invited by producers to contribute to a score, or they may be seeking new artistic endeavours. However, there are numerous challenges that pop artists face while working within a form that requires song to function dramaturgically in the service of character and plot. The chapter draws on reflections of the artists themselves to help build a comprehensive picture of their experiences writing within a collaborative narrative medium. Finally, the chapter considers how these writers remain authentic to their own style and voice, whilst working to create an authentic musical theatre experience.