As the famous song goes, this wonderful step-by-step guidebook starts at the very beginning "€" selecting a musical, planning your rehearsal schedule, teaching theatrical basics, and introducing your chosen musical to the group. With great readability and helpful charts, forms, and photos, the text then guides both the novice and the experienced directors through the nuts and bolts of running a typical rehearsal and preparing for the many facets of the production: dialog scenes, song and dance numbers, costumes, makeup, scenery, props, lighting, sound, and more. This comprehensive aid assists the director right up to-and past-the final performance, with chapters on publicity, the final rehearsal, and "beyond the performances." An invaluable guide for teaching acting, singing, and dancing skills, the book focuses on working with musical scripts. Still, many of the ideas and much of the advice presented will be a great help to directors of straight plays as well.