A useful way through
- Choose a specific production and programme edition. For this example, use the Public Theater’s final April 2025 Goddess programme, not an earlier announcement.
- Make three columns: story and words, musical materials, and production leadership. Copy each exact role before adding a name.
- Keep closely related jobs separate. An orchestration credit concerns musical setting; music supervision and music direction are separate credits in this programme.
- Check your summary against the programme. Attach the edition date so a later reader can distinguish a change in credits from a mistake.
Read the map as text
LISTENING MAP · 01 · Name the · production edition · 02 · Copy the exact · roles · 03 · Separate the music · jobs · 04 · Keep the source · and date
- Name the production edition
- Copy the exact roles
- Separate the music jobs
- Keep the source and date
Put it into practice
A completed credit note for Goddess: music, lyrics and orchestrations — Michael Thurber; book and direction — Saheem Ali; additional book material — James Ijames; choreography — Darrell Grand Moultrie; music supervision — Marco Paguia; music direction — Paul Byssainthe Jr. These credits belong to the Public Theater programme dated April 2025, rather than every version of the musical.
Illustrative example, not a reported client project or test.
Your take-away checklist
Who makes a musical? Read the Goddess credits
- □ Name the production edition: ____________________
- □ Copy the exact roles: ____________________
- □ Separate the music jobs: ____________________
- □ Keep the source and date: ____________________
Before you act
Use the linked artist, publisher or presenter for exact credits and current availability. These listening and planning exercises are editorial additions, not quotations from a lesson by Michael Thurber.
Sources & context
The Public Theater’s 24-page April 2025 programme supplies the production credits and participant biographies. Its title page credits Michael Thurber’s music, lyrics and orchestrations. Earlier publicity can describe an earlier development stage; the final programme is the source for this worked example.
Two editions, two credit records
MCC Theater’s Songlab page describes a one-night reading on 18 November 2019: conceived and directed by Saheem Ali, music and lyrics by Michael Thurber, book by Jocelyn Bioh, additional lyrics by Mkhululi Z. Mabija. The 2025 programme names Thurber for music, lyrics and orchestrations, Saheem Ali for book and direction, and James Ijames for additional book. Keep each credit attached to its edition; these records alone do not explain why the credits changed.
Use an edition-aware credit sheet
Record production title, presenter, event date, source page or programme, role and credited name. When comparing two versions, create a new dated row rather than overwriting the earlier one. This preserves the contribution documented at each stage.