Was I enjoying myself or just wasting time?

Due to a work commitment, I'm pretty bummed that I won't be able to make Gaby Alter and Tommy Newman's concert for 29: A New Musical tonight at Joe's Pub. But if you have an open evening, you totally should. You can listen to the awesome music at Tommy Newman's site, and I can only imagine it will sound better live.

Here is a performance of one of my favorite songs, "Twenty-One," performed by NYU Tisch:

Concerts and Clips

It's definitely my bed time after a long week, but I happened upon these freshly uploaded videos from Michael R. Jackson's concert at Joe's Pub this past Monday (which I would have given anything to go to, were I not stuck on a plane) titled So Fucking Gay: A Michael R. Jackson Song Thing.

These videos are really striking to me for a few reasons. First of all, it reminds me that I should really mention some of the amazing concerts coming up in the next month in New York from some composers who I have mentioned on the blog and am absolutely loving discovering their music right now. Some of the old favorites are doing shows (Joe Iconis is having his Halloween Special on 10/31 at the Laurie Beechman and a performance of his musical ReWrite will be at Joe's Pub on 11/6; The Civilians are doing their Let Us Ascertain You at Joe's Pub on 11/4), but I'm especially excited to see some live performances for the first time from some other writers. The three shows in particular I'm hoping to get out to are: Astronauts, Bedbugs & Other Killers, the music of Paul Leschen and Fred Sauter at the Laurie Beechman on 10/27, Peter Lerman's New York debut concert at the Laurie Beechman on 11/1, and Tommy Newman and Gaby Alter's 29 at Joe's Pub on 11/8. I highly recommend any of these and will definitely be trying to get out to as many as I can.

The other reason these Michael R. Jackson videos are also keeping me up is that I'm just so captivated by his style and the intricacies of his work. Not only does he create a uniquely personal snapshot in every song, but I also find it amazing that the more detailed and complicated the characters in his songs get, the more universal their experiences seem. He's not afraid to shock or pit characters against each other, themselves, or the music, which occasionally gets messy but always pulses of something true.

Anyway, please enjoy two of my favorites and keep up with new songs through his youtube channel found here.

"Memory Song" sung by James Jackson:

"Secretly Hoping" sung by Molly Hager (when this song transcends words, it takes things to another level):

Some things worth checking out...

There are a bunch of great things that have come up over the last couple of days that I would love to highlight:

First of all, Joe Iconis will be giving a free performance on June 21st at 10:00 a.m. as a part of Make Music New York, sponsored by Joe’s Pub. A free 40 minutes of music will be presented al fresco, right at the Astor Place cube at the corner of Lafayette and Cooper Square. It should be a great time, and the price is right for a perfect summer morning of entertainment.

In speaking of Joe and free, another must this summer is to get tickets to We The People: America Rocks! at the Lucille Lortel theatre as a part of Theatreworks’ summer shows. Joe wrote the book, but the songs are provided by a number of fantastic composers including Ryan Scott Oliver, Tommy Newman, Sam Forman and Eli Bolin, and Joe Iconis himself.

If you’re in Connecticut and want to see a great show, be sure to catch the last week of performances of Gaby Alter, Gordon Greenberg (who is also directing We The People), Tommy Newman, and Mark Allen’s Band Geeks! at Goodspeed Musicals. Also be sure to check out some of the media on their site (which includes song clips and a great video introducing you to the band).

If you’re looking for a good read, Ryan Scott Oliver’s latest post on crazytownblog.com is an absolutely wonderful read. Not only an educational examination of the mechanics of music, especially in the context of musical theatre, it also illuminates the trends of contemporary songwriters by examining the simple concept of the “button” in a song. Whether you agree with Ryan’s arguments or not, it does bring up interesting perspectives of where musical theatre is heading and how form and function connect in the context of the genre. I highly recommend reading it, as it brings to light one of the reasons I created this blog: to discuss what exactly is contemporary musical theatre and why.

Lastly, Dougal Irvine, who has been mentioned in passing both in a comment on this blog, as well as in reference to his musical Departure Lounge, is the Playwright Profile in the latest edition of the SPF newsletter. Be sure to check out his interview here, and enjoy this video clip of his song “Left Spain” from last summer’s Composer Exposure:

The One Thing We Agree on Is We Don't Have Very Long...

It’s amazing to me that there hasn’t been a major hit marching band musical that has made its way into every high school in America, but I have high hopes for Band Geeks!, a smart, infectious musical comedy about a small rag tag group of band nerds in Cuyahoga Falls who hope to actually compete in a competition. Written by Tommy Newman, Gordon Greenberg, Gaby Alter, and Mark Allen, the show features incredibly catchy and telling songs about the camaraderie and ambitions of young students who find confidence and understanding in their ability to make music. I saw a reading of this at this year’s NAMT festival, and I can assure you it’s as clever as it is delightful. There are demo songs available on Tommy Newman’s website (there are other songs/versions also available on the websites of the rest of the creative team), as well as this gem from Joe Iconis' Secret Show (notice Jason “Sweet Tooth” Williams and Lauren Marcus giving earnest, lovely performances):



The reason I bring up Band Geeks!, aside from my love of this show, is because I wanted to highlight the music of Gaby Alter. While Band Geeks! seems to be a rather seamless collaborative effort, Gaby’s work as a composer and lyricist has a contagious life of its own. Most of his musical theatre projects involve Tommy Newman, but I was first introduced to Gaby’s music when I stumbled across this gem:



There’s something about the combination of really engrossing, tuneful music mixed with simple narrative lyrics that really makes for an understated but meaningful piece. The little conclusions that often come over the course of a song pack an emotional punch in the simple way they reveal themselves. They seem to be truths that the character knows all along and eventually realizes is too hard to avoid. This is especially true for songs like “Twirler Girl,” “All Amateur Anapolis Marathon,” “The Argument,” “Deep in February,” among others. His musical 29 (written with Newman) particularly hits these marks. His understanding of humor is adept and precise in the way humor presents itself in the music, a perfect example being “The Princess and the Co-op,” but his more harmonic works also demonstrate an ability to evoke intimacy in even the barest moments like in “Orphan Thanksgiving.”



Aside from his work in theatre, he’s also written pop music, as well as music for children’s television, radio, video games, and a documentary. With a solid career going for him, I have no doubt that any endeavor of his will be effortless and fruitful, and Band Geeks! in particular looks like it’s off to a good start. More than anything, I find comfort in all of his works, proof that a strong, confident narrative voice can reveal truth and humor in the simplest of terms.