How Writer, Playwright, Director, and Theatre Critic Lisa Monde Is Preserving Musical Theatre History

I highly value the opinions of the professional community, which is why I decided to submit my work to the competition. Winning is, of course, incredibly inspiring and motivates me to keep moving forward.

I realized very early on that musical theatre was my passion. That is why I studied dance and singing from a young age and received a strong musical education. I have been performing on the musical theatre stage since I was 14, and as a composer and librettist, I have written several musicals. I have also explored directing, bringing musical productions to life from behind the scenes as well as on stage.

That background makes it easy for me to interview musical theatre creators and performers—we speak the same language. When I joined the cast of the renowned rock opera Jesus Christ Superstar many years ago, I never imagined that one day I would have the opportunity to discuss its creation with Tim Rice himself, or talk with Alan Menken about various productions of Aladdin, including school productions. As an educator, I have also directed school versions of several well-known musicals.

I hope that the knowledge and experience I have gained throughout my career—and that I am fortunate to share with my students, readers, and viewers—will contribute to the continued growth and appreciation of my favorite theatrical genre: the musical.

I believe my work stands out through its relevance, clear thematic focus, professionalism, and high-quality presentation.

The main challenge for me is the lack of time and technical support, as I do not have a team of assistants. At the same time, this has allowed me to expand my skills in research, content development, and publication preparation, including sourcing and managing photos and videos.

I hope that more people will learn about me and my work, in part thanks to this interview. I also hope that some will become interested in the topic, decide to read my articles, and discover the wonderful The Theatre Times Digital Portal for themselves.

I believe that winning prestigious awards like the NY Digital Awards gives me and my team at The Theatre Times greater credibility, and that more musical theatre gurus will soon agree to collaborate with us.

I am very pleased that The Theatre Times, the online portal that published my article series, "Legendary Musicals Around the World: Creation and Evolution," which won a Silver Medal at the NY Digital Awards, warmly congratulated me on my victory by posting a press release in the Awards section of the website.

I have an answer to this question, and it is always the same: keep moving forward, and never stop! Success is the "art of small steps," as Antoine de Saint-Exupéry put it. Hard work always pays off! Never stop believing in yourself!

I'm very curious about the development of musical theatre as an industry. It is a living organism that continues to evolve, and as I observe this process, I analyze it and share my insights with readers.

There are aspects I appreciate and others I question. I am not afraid to discuss them openly in my interviews with experienced creators of successful musicals from around the world, particularly when it comes to how musicals exist and thrive in the digital space.

America is the land of great opportunities. Of course, the creative path in any field of art is often complex and unpredictable. But everyone has the opportunity to test their abilities and find their calling. The key is having the desire and courage to listen to the feedback of others—colleagues and audiences alike. I have long maintained the practice of surveying audiences after my shows.

The responses provide me with so much information and insight that I can confidently offer this advice to aspiring artists: do not neglect the opinions of your primary audience. And it does not matter whether it is a showcase or a full-fledged production. It is all valuable information that you can build upon.

The support of my colleagues is very important to me. I always look forward to seeing them at my performances and greatly value their opinions. Unfortunately, my journalistic work does not generate much feedback, so I can only track its reception through various rankings and mentions.

Exchanging opinions with theatre critics about productions and the development of musical theatre would be valuable for reviewers, essayists, and fans of the genre alike. If such an opportunity were organized by marketers and advertising professionals, I would gladly participate.

I'd like to once again thank everyone who kindly agreed to be interviewed, proofread and edit the transcripts, and share photos from their personal archives. This is incredibly valuable to both our readers and me. I am grateful to The Theatre Times for its long-standing collaboration and support.

Remember the legends of musical theatre—not just on their anniversary dates! You have the opportunity to learn firsthand about the creation and enduring success of famous musicals from around the world. Don't miss out!

My immediate plans include launching a podcast series about musicals around the world. I also hope to complete my monograph, "All Around the Musical," in the coming years, a project I have been working on for decades. I am desperately short on time.

Sometimes, I find myself thinking about writing a play on how to increase the number of hours in a day!