Good musicals, a strange world, seem so easy. People say, 'Ohhh, it's magic.' Nothing's magic. A thing doesn't jell. Adapt. Change the rhythm. Shorten the scene. Rewrite the character. Maneuver the waters. Seeming easy is why so many shows aren't… — James Lapine Copy Share Image
Fairy tales, which teach a moral lesson, are about ourselves. Myth deals with forces greater than ourselves. — James Lapine Copy Share Image
I really enjoyed writing the adaptation of 'Into The Woods.' I thought it was wonderful to not be the director, frankly. I really enjoyed… — James Lapine Copy Share Image
I'm a hippie child of the '60s. What drives me crazy about mass media entertainment is that it's so often devoid of any ideas. — James Lapine Copy Share Image
I'm never so into the three-act movie thing. I know that's the form that people talk about, but it seems to me, in the… — James Lapine Copy Share Image
I just don't really think of career. I've never been driven by career. — James Lapine Copy Share Image
Good musicals, a strange world, seem so easy. People say, 'Ohhh, it's magic.' Nothing's magic. A thing doesn't jell. Adapt. Change the rhythm. Shorten… — James Lapine Copy Share Image
I did 'Impromptu,' which was a thrill and a horror all at once - my first movie and having to do it in Paris,… — James Lapine Copy Share Image
I designed a theater magazine that was full of plays and essays about the theater, and then I worked at a theater school. By… — James Lapine Copy Share Image
I love the visual aspect of the theater. But I like what people have to say, too. — James Lapine Copy Share Image
I've grown more and more appreciative of good writing, and I now really hope I can become a better and better writer. — James Lapine Copy Share Image
If you're like me and nosy, you're always eavesdropping on other people's conversations. — James Lapine Copy Share Image
The music is the emotional substance of the show; the book just sets it up. Nobody goes to a musical to hear the book.… — James Lapine Copy Share Image
