Optimistic (from "Lovers and Friends"): Piano/Vocal/Chords
Optimistic (from "Lovers and Friends") Sheet Music Preview

Optimistic (from "Lovers and Friends"): Piano/Vocal/Chords

Michael John LaChiusa

Item: 00-XS-0000338
Digital Download
$4.99

One moment…

Related Items

Tom (from "Hello Again"): Piano/Vocal/Chords

$5.99
View

Way Back to Paradise (from "Marie Christine"): Piano/Vocal/Chords

$5.99
View

Beautiful (from "Marie Christine"): Piano/Vocal/Chords

$4.99
View
Description
This first-ever Michael John LaChiusa sheet music collection contains 39 songs from one of the most distinctive and admired theatre composers of our time. More than 250 pages of music chronicle two decades of LaChiusa shows, from early 1990s breakouts First Lady Suite and Hello Again to celebrated favorites like The Wild Party, See What I Wanna See, and much more. The composer supplied a wealth of previously unpublished music for this collection, ensuring that even the most devoted LaChiusa fan will discover new and exciting songs among these pages. Titles: * Adela (from Bernarda Alba) * Beautiful (Marie Christine) * The Bed Was Not My Own (Hello Again) * By the Way (Little Fish) * The Christian Thing to Do (The Seven Deadly Sins) * Coffee (See What I Wanna See) * Curiosity (See What I Wanna See) * Eleanor Sleeps Here (First Lady Suite) * Fraud (Broken Sleep) * The Gift of You (The Nutcracker) * He Wanted a Girl (Giant) * Heaven (Hotel C'est l'Amour) * Hello Again (Hello Again) * Hello, Lover, Hello (Send (who are you? I love you) * The Highest Yellow (The Highest Yellow) * How Many Women in the World? (The Wild Party) * I Don't Hear the Ocean (Marie Christine) * I Ran (Little Fish) * Little Fish (Little Fish) * Martirio (Bernarda Alba) * Mistress of the Senator (Hello Again) * My Husband Was an Army Man (First Lady Suite) * The One I Love (Hello Again) * Optimistic (Lovers and Friends) * People Like Us (The Wild Party) * Private Property (Giant) * Remember Me (Little Fish) * See What I Wanna See (See What I Wanna See) * She Looked at Me (See What I Wanna See) * Simple Creature (Little Fish) * The Smallest Stream (Bernarda Alba) * The Smallest Thing (First Lady Suite) * A Stranger (Giant) * There Will Be a Miracle (See What I Wanna See) * Tom (Hello Again) * Tom Sawyer (Romance Language) * Way Back to Paradise (Marie Christine) * Welcome to My Party (The Wild Party) * When It Ends (The Wild Party).

Optimistic (from "Lovers and Friends"): Piano/Vocal/Chords isn't in MakeMusic Cloud just yet...but it could be. Let us know you'd like to see it, and you'll help shape what comes next. In the meantime, start a free trial and dive into thousands of interactive titles your students can play along with today.

Request This Title

Tell us you want it.

Start Your Free Trial

Explore everything that's ready to play right now.
Sample Audio
No sample audio found.
Sample Video
No sample videos found.
Additional Details
Publisher: Alfred Music
Page Count: 260
SKU: 00-XS-0000338

More about this title

About the Composer: Michael John LaChisua

Michael John LaChisua is a composer whose musical theatre works have shaped American musical dramaturgy since the 1990s. His scores merge sophisticated harmonies, intricate orchestrations, and emotionally precise character writing, earning him recognition as one of the most inventive voices in contemporary theatre composition.

Why we love this

LaChisua's harmonic language and melodic sophistication reward serious study and repeated listening. This collection grants access to decades of compositional mastery across a range of moods and dramatic contexts, making it invaluable for pianists and singers seeking material that challenges both technique and interpretation.

What to expect

These songs occupy the rich emotional territory between musical theatre convention and art song sophistication. The music feels conversational and intimate, yet harmonically adventurous, with each melody shaped by the specific dramatic moment from which it emerges.

Who it's for

This collection serves pianists and singers preparing material for advanced recitals, auditions, and vocal coaching. It is also ideal for music educators introducing students to contemporary musical theatre composition at the intermediate and advanced levels.

How to get the most out of it

  • Attend to LaChisua's dynamic markings and articulation carefully; his scoring often relies on precise control of attack and release to create the intended emotional arc.
  • Treat the piano part as a full musical voice rather than mere accompaniment. The harmonic density and textural detail demand the performer's full attention and interpretive engagement.
  • Allow yourself time to explore the harmonic language before performing. LaChisua's chromaticism and unexpected chord progressions become expressive tools when understood rather than stumbling blocks.

How to use it

Curate a recital around LaChisua's work to introduce audiences to contemporary theatre composition, or pair individual songs with classical or art song repertoire to demonstrate how modern musical theatre engages with concert traditions. This collection also serves as a resource for vocal coaching and private study.

Skills your students will build

  • Reading complex harmonic progressions with chromaticism and modal mixture
  • Sustaining legato line through varied phrase lengths
  • Balancing lyrical melody with intricate piano accompaniment
  • Interpreting character through vocal inflection and dynamic nuance
  • Understanding how theatrical context shapes musical interpretation

You May Also Like