Krysta Rodriguez singing "Out of Sight/Out of Mind (The Buddy Song)"
Annie Golden singing "Spin Those Records"
Wednesday, August 8, 2012
Fresh Iconis
Figure since I've been listening to them obsessively for the past week that I would share the two new songs Joe presented at his last show with the family at 54th Below:
Happy listening!
Wednesday, August 1, 2012
Are you Spandex Material?
Earlier this year, I received an invitation for a reading of a new musical called Spandex by Daniel F. Levin and Annie Grunow. Telling the story of eclectic characters and the competitive world of aerobics in the 80s, Spandex is a quirky and energetic piece about achieving greatness. Here to talk about the journey in getting Spandex off the ground, what the creative team took from the most recent reading, and where the show is going from here, Daniel F. Levin contributed the following hilarious and candid piece in his own words as a part of our guest post series.
"No one would undertake the intricate, painful, gargantuan, hysterical task of putting on a musical play unless he had more enthusiasm than most people have about anything." --Brooks Atkinson, The New York Times Drama Critic, 1924-1960
I felt like I had paid my dues. I wrote a Holocaust musical. I also had written Hee-Haw: It’s a Wonderful Li_e, where Sam Wainwright challenges the heroism of George Bailey. At the show’s end (spoiler alert), when Sam’s guardian angel has shown him his life if he had never been born, Sam finally follows through on one thing better than George Bailey: he kills himself.
This is why, when Annie came to me and showed me the youtube clip of the 1987 Crystal Light National Aerobic Competition, hosted by Alan Thicke, I said, “Yes, Annie, that would be a great musical!” No suicides, genocide, or other “ides.” No battle to the death at the end of the show. Lots of headbands, leg warmers, waxed bodies, gelled hair and white teeth, plus the star of TV’s growing pains, Alan Thicke. Annie and I watched the clip over and over. The Miami Vice décor, the dazzling aerobics moves, culminating in the great circle wheel of push-ups--all of the elements just seemed to be in place.
And so Spandex the Musical was born. Annie is an archivist whose last show, according to her bio, was “All My Laundry…co-written and produced with the Sullivan and Francis children and performed in the Francis’ basement on New Years’ Eve 1991.” I’m a musical theater writer whose work, as noted, has trended more towards Les Miz-style shows, only with more people dying, and who has never done aerobics. We dove in.
Like the 1980’s conference call technology we were exploring, we used the power of the Google Docs to share the script. We laughed over terrible jokes. We called the show “a Palimpsest in Two Acts.” We wrote an original opening number on the train featuring the line, “Spandex Spandex, you can wash it on medium warm/ Spandex Spandex, it can fit any physical form,” and highlighting the fact that Spandex is an anagram for “Expands.” Research! Before we had written three scenes, we started imagining an all African-American sequel to the show called Black Spandex. This is how exuberant you get at the beginning of a new show.
We pushed through a sophomore slump, continuing our regular meetings at the Muff (Connecticut Muffin), the Sauce (now-defunct Boerum-Hill coffee shop Flying Saucer) and the Bucks. We reassured each other that our Montague-street Starbucks would one day have a plaque for us. That Starbucks later shuttered and moved down the street.
By the Spring of 2011, it was time for our first reading. We invited loyal friends to our apartment. Annie brought cheap wine and my girlfriend, Casey, and I ordered pizza. I cast my friend Mike E. as Shmitty, the closeted, tough-as-nails aerobicizer who spent time in the clink. Annie and I thought the character was hilarious and couldn’t wait to hear him brought to life. It turns out that despite being very prominent in the stage directions, Shmitty only had four lines. Mike E. felt slighted. But other parts worked. My friend Dan G. used a horrendous accent to play Israeli fitness guru, Dov Yisrael, but despite this he made the character come to life--funny and full of heart. By the second reading, that Fall, the character of Trip Allen, evil pusher of Instathin diet pills, elicited the proper boos and hisses.
In addition to a central love story between Lorraine, (an aerobics instructor) and Dov, we had a secondary love story between Bob and Linda. All the great shows have a secondary love story! Linda is a plump housewife who, now that the kids are a little older, starts aerobicizing. Her husband is a Reagan administration employee who can’t handle her newfound independence. It all seemed so harmless. But something went wrong. Our reading critiquers couldn’t tell who they were supposed to focus on: Lorraine and Dov or Bob and Linda. Our subplot had metathesized and was now eating up the main plot! Annie and I went back to the Muff and recalibrated. I fought for some scenes--I can get precious; Annie wanted to use a chainsaw--she’s ruthless!.
"No one would undertake the intricate, painful, gargantuan, hysterical task of putting on a musical play unless he had more enthusiasm than most people have about anything." --Brooks Atkinson, The New York Times Drama Critic, 1924-1960
I felt like I had paid my dues. I wrote a Holocaust musical. I also had written Hee-Haw: It’s a Wonderful Li_e, where Sam Wainwright challenges the heroism of George Bailey. At the show’s end (spoiler alert), when Sam’s guardian angel has shown him his life if he had never been born, Sam finally follows through on one thing better than George Bailey: he kills himself.
This is why, when Annie came to me and showed me the youtube clip of the 1987 Crystal Light National Aerobic Competition, hosted by Alan Thicke, I said, “Yes, Annie, that would be a great musical!” No suicides, genocide, or other “ides.” No battle to the death at the end of the show. Lots of headbands, leg warmers, waxed bodies, gelled hair and white teeth, plus the star of TV’s growing pains, Alan Thicke. Annie and I watched the clip over and over. The Miami Vice décor, the dazzling aerobics moves, culminating in the great circle wheel of push-ups--all of the elements just seemed to be in place.
And so Spandex the Musical was born. Annie is an archivist whose last show, according to her bio, was “All My Laundry…co-written and produced with the Sullivan and Francis children and performed in the Francis’ basement on New Years’ Eve 1991.” I’m a musical theater writer whose work, as noted, has trended more towards Les Miz-style shows, only with more people dying, and who has never done aerobics. We dove in.
Like the 1980’s conference call technology we were exploring, we used the power of the Google Docs to share the script. We laughed over terrible jokes. We called the show “a Palimpsest in Two Acts.” We wrote an original opening number on the train featuring the line, “Spandex Spandex, you can wash it on medium warm/ Spandex Spandex, it can fit any physical form,” and highlighting the fact that Spandex is an anagram for “Expands.” Research! Before we had written three scenes, we started imagining an all African-American sequel to the show called Black Spandex. This is how exuberant you get at the beginning of a new show.
We pushed through a sophomore slump, continuing our regular meetings at the Muff (Connecticut Muffin), the Sauce (now-defunct Boerum-Hill coffee shop Flying Saucer) and the Bucks. We reassured each other that our Montague-street Starbucks would one day have a plaque for us. That Starbucks later shuttered and moved down the street.
By the Spring of 2011, it was time for our first reading. We invited loyal friends to our apartment. Annie brought cheap wine and my girlfriend, Casey, and I ordered pizza. I cast my friend Mike E. as Shmitty, the closeted, tough-as-nails aerobicizer who spent time in the clink. Annie and I thought the character was hilarious and couldn’t wait to hear him brought to life. It turns out that despite being very prominent in the stage directions, Shmitty only had four lines. Mike E. felt slighted. But other parts worked. My friend Dan G. used a horrendous accent to play Israeli fitness guru, Dov Yisrael, but despite this he made the character come to life--funny and full of heart. By the second reading, that Fall, the character of Trip Allen, evil pusher of Instathin diet pills, elicited the proper boos and hisses.
In addition to a central love story between Lorraine, (an aerobics instructor) and Dov, we had a secondary love story between Bob and Linda. All the great shows have a secondary love story! Linda is a plump housewife who, now that the kids are a little older, starts aerobicizing. Her husband is a Reagan administration employee who can’t handle her newfound independence. It all seemed so harmless. But something went wrong. Our reading critiquers couldn’t tell who they were supposed to focus on: Lorraine and Dov or Bob and Linda. Our subplot had metathesized and was now eating up the main plot! Annie and I went back to the Muff and recalibrated. I fought for some scenes--I can get precious; Annie wanted to use a chainsaw--she’s ruthless!.
Friday, July 27, 2012
Being A Part Of It All
Unfortunately, it's been a pretty chaotic month, and my schedule was not going to permit me to see very many of the NYMF shows this year (I'm thinking that might need to reworked in the future... I might be in search of contributors/interns in the near future, and if you think you might be interested, drop me a line). So, rather than having to choose from all the great full productions, many of which participated in the 5-question interview series, I decided that I would see the up-and-coming composer concerts to start scoping out the talented that will undoubtedly be making appearances on this blog and perhaps even in the festival in the future.
Up first was Cutting Edge Composers, an event whose first 2 incantations have featured the music of writers like Joe Iconis, Kerrigan and Lowdermilk, Tysen and Miller, RSO, and so many more familiar faces. On Monday night, there were also a lot of familiar names: Joey Contreras, Anna Dagmar, Colleen Dauncey and Akiva Romer-Segal, Kevin Fogarty, Drew Fornarola, Drew Gasparini, Michael Kooman and Christopher Dimond, Peter Lerman, Paul Loesel and Scott Burkell, Virginia Pike, Will Reynolds, Zoe Sarnak, Ben Velez, Michael Patrick Walker, and Zack Zadek. You can read up on all their bios here.
The evening was quite a lot of fun, and there was no shortage of talent in the performers whose credits were all impressive and often Broadway-full. It was very exciting to see an audience so enraptured by new work, and it was also great to hear a little from the writers themselves about the context of their songs and how they got started. Everyone's work was solid, but here were a few highlights of the evening for me (videos aren't up of the concert, but I'll add a video to some rendition or other where I can):
Up first was Cutting Edge Composers, an event whose first 2 incantations have featured the music of writers like Joe Iconis, Kerrigan and Lowdermilk, Tysen and Miller, RSO, and so many more familiar faces. On Monday night, there were also a lot of familiar names: Joey Contreras, Anna Dagmar, Colleen Dauncey and Akiva Romer-Segal, Kevin Fogarty, Drew Fornarola, Drew Gasparini, Michael Kooman and Christopher Dimond, Peter Lerman, Paul Loesel and Scott Burkell, Virginia Pike, Will Reynolds, Zoe Sarnak, Ben Velez, Michael Patrick Walker, and Zack Zadek. You can read up on all their bios here.
The evening was quite a lot of fun, and there was no shortage of talent in the performers whose credits were all impressive and often Broadway-full. It was very exciting to see an audience so enraptured by new work, and it was also great to hear a little from the writers themselves about the context of their songs and how they got started. Everyone's work was solid, but here were a few highlights of the evening for me (videos aren't up of the concert, but I'll add a video to some rendition or other where I can):
- Drew Gasparini wrote a new song specifically for this concert titled "The Whistler," which really showed off some beautiful male harmonies in a haunting tune about miners.
- Zack Zadek's tune "Just Me" was a nonstop delight when sung by the infectious Emma Hunton near the end of the evening. The song is the closing number from his show 6, which also received a concert performance as a part of NYMF.
- Will Reyonold's "I Knew a Boy" was a deceptively simple tune that was so precise with its language that it was hard not to relate to this song about a relationship, once good, gone bad.
- Last but certainly not least, Anna Dagmar's song "We Were Children" was the song of the night for me. Again with a memorable performance by Emma Hunton, this gorgeous song is from the songwriter's latest musical about a child soldier in Africa.
This week, I also had the privilege of seeing the 10:00pm show of Part Of It All, a concert of work from up-and-coming college-aged composers who had their music performed by college-aged actors. It was wonderful to get such an early glimpse into these writers' works, and it was clear that there was a ton of potential in the room. A lot of the songs, understandably, reflected early 20-something sentiments and ambitions, and I would be very interested to see how their music evolves over time and changes within the context of their full shows. The writers who presented their works at my show were Berkley Todd, Landon Braverman, Alexander Sage Oyen, Patrick Sulken, and Alex Ratner, but you can find a full list of the participants here (there was a different group of writers and performers for the earlier 7:00 show).
As a closing note, can I also just point out what a perfect host Drew Gasparini was for a college audience? Poop jokes, sarcasm, self-deprication, and a final performance that made everyone in the room swoon? Like taking candy from a baby.
Tuesday, July 24, 2012
5-Question NYMF Interviews: LE CABARET GRIMM
I love me a good cabaret, and a good story/concept tying the whole thing together can make for a powerhouse evening of theatre. Enter Le Cabaret Grimm, a punk cabaret inspired by The Tales of the Brothers Grimm-- but these aren't your Disney-fied sweet, glossy fairytales. Instead, the show, with book and lyrics by Jason Slavick and music by Cassandra Marsh, delights in the darker aspects of these classic tales, adding a contemporary spin and edgy flare. Performances started yesterday, so be sure to check this one out while you can. In the meantime, Jason and Cassandra share more about their journey in getting this show to NYMF:
Me: How would you describe your show in one sentence?
Jason Slavick: Le Cabaret Grimm is a punk cabaret sashay through dark tales of loss and love.
Cassandra Marsh: It’s an edgy punk cabaret with interesting characters telling a story of journey with music of many genres.
Me: What inspired you to write Le Cabaret Grimm?
Jason: The Tales of the Brothers Grimm are awesome source material. They’re dark, moving and archetypal, so even though they’re old folk tales they hit a contemporary nerve. And their fantastical tone gives them a ton of room for imagination. I had recently seen several punk cabaret and contemporary vaudeville shows, so I was excited to play with those stories through the punk cabaret style. It all just came together.
Cassandra: Jason and I originally created this piece for a theatre camp program before it evolved into the Boston production. So, initially my inspiration came from the spirit of the students and the immediate creative connection that Jason and I had. We share similar musical influences and creative visions, which like the show, grew into the production we have today. The collaborative nature of this project is very inspiring and I would also say that that spark of creation certainly comes from my love and passion for music. The Lark has surely been my Muse.
Me: What has it been like for Jason to also direct the show?
Jason: Directing and writing are one process for me. I build my shows around the actors, using their improvisations, character choices, dialogue choices and actions. I propose situations, watch them respond, record it and then shape it. It’s very much like directing – you pose the questions and guide everyone else’s responses. I come to rehearsals prepared, but I also respond to what happens and make changes to the script as we’re going. It’s empowering to me and everyone in the room, because when something doesn’t work we get to fix it right there on the spot. Even though this show has been previously produced we’re making changes to the script.
Cassandra: I think it has been a great advantage to have the writer also direct. As the writer, Jason knows the tone of the piece and this gives him a great eye as a director. Having the writer present during a collaborative project is great for the process. Adjustments and changes are much easier to figure out when the authors are present. As the composer and musical director I would say the same about the musical part of Le Cabaret Grimm. I think it’s exciting for everyone involved to have the authors on hand.
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Me: How has the show evolved since the Boston premiere, and what has it been like bringing it to New York?
Cassandra: Each inception of this show has evolved with each new creative member. The show becomes shaped around the voices of the actors and musicians which lends itself to finding new ways to sing/say it, and creates an atmosphere of new discoveries. I have found that very exciting and energizing. We are lucky to have such an amazing company of people bringing Le Cabaret Grimm to NYMF. It’s a wonderful, magical collaboration.
Jason: In Boston we discovered some scenes were too long, other scenes were missing and certain moments needed to be clarified. This has been a great opportunity to revisit the show and address all those issues. We rewrote a scene and added a new scene entirely, along with trimming along the way. The feedback from the NYMF staff was crucial guidance. Meanwhile, the requirements of the festival have been great for demanding discipline. They force us to keep everything lean and tight. I like it.
Me: What are you most looking forward to about NYMF?
Jason: I love the excitement of a festival. I love the frenzy and the speed. We load in, the audience arrives, we hit it hard, it’s over, they leave, we strike. Boom. Done. Repeat. It’s great energy and fun. And there is so much going on with so many things to taste. In the festival, we get to be part of a wide and varied experience for an audience.
Cassandra: I would say that what I’m most looking forward to is playing keyboard with the Grimm band and sharing the music I wrote with a wider audience. And we’re performing our show in New York City at NYMF! I’m beyond excited for the journey we’ve embarked upon.
Me: How would you describe your show in one sentence?
Jason Slavick: Le Cabaret Grimm is a punk cabaret sashay through dark tales of loss and love.
Cassandra Marsh: It’s an edgy punk cabaret with interesting characters telling a story of journey with music of many genres.
Me: What inspired you to write Le Cabaret Grimm?
Jason: The Tales of the Brothers Grimm are awesome source material. They’re dark, moving and archetypal, so even though they’re old folk tales they hit a contemporary nerve. And their fantastical tone gives them a ton of room for imagination. I had recently seen several punk cabaret and contemporary vaudeville shows, so I was excited to play with those stories through the punk cabaret style. It all just came together.
Cassandra: Jason and I originally created this piece for a theatre camp program before it evolved into the Boston production. So, initially my inspiration came from the spirit of the students and the immediate creative connection that Jason and I had. We share similar musical influences and creative visions, which like the show, grew into the production we have today. The collaborative nature of this project is very inspiring and I would also say that that spark of creation certainly comes from my love and passion for music. The Lark has surely been my Muse.
Me: What has it been like for Jason to also direct the show?
Jason: Directing and writing are one process for me. I build my shows around the actors, using their improvisations, character choices, dialogue choices and actions. I propose situations, watch them respond, record it and then shape it. It’s very much like directing – you pose the questions and guide everyone else’s responses. I come to rehearsals prepared, but I also respond to what happens and make changes to the script as we’re going. It’s empowering to me and everyone in the room, because when something doesn’t work we get to fix it right there on the spot. Even though this show has been previously produced we’re making changes to the script.
Cassandra: I think it has been a great advantage to have the writer also direct. As the writer, Jason knows the tone of the piece and this gives him a great eye as a director. Having the writer present during a collaborative project is great for the process. Adjustments and changes are much easier to figure out when the authors are present. As the composer and musical director I would say the same about the musical part of Le Cabaret Grimm. I think it’s exciting for everyone involved to have the authors on hand.
.jpg)
Haley Selmon (Photo courtesy John Capo Public Relations)
Me: How has the show evolved since the Boston premiere, and what has it been like bringing it to New York?
Cassandra: Each inception of this show has evolved with each new creative member. The show becomes shaped around the voices of the actors and musicians which lends itself to finding new ways to sing/say it, and creates an atmosphere of new discoveries. I have found that very exciting and energizing. We are lucky to have such an amazing company of people bringing Le Cabaret Grimm to NYMF. It’s a wonderful, magical collaboration.
Jason: In Boston we discovered some scenes were too long, other scenes were missing and certain moments needed to be clarified. This has been a great opportunity to revisit the show and address all those issues. We rewrote a scene and added a new scene entirely, along with trimming along the way. The feedback from the NYMF staff was crucial guidance. Meanwhile, the requirements of the festival have been great for demanding discipline. They force us to keep everything lean and tight. I like it.
Me: What are you most looking forward to about NYMF?
Jason: I love the excitement of a festival. I love the frenzy and the speed. We load in, the audience arrives, we hit it hard, it’s over, they leave, we strike. Boom. Done. Repeat. It’s great energy and fun. And there is so much going on with so many things to taste. In the festival, we get to be part of a wide and varied experience for an audience.
Cassandra: I would say that what I’m most looking forward to is playing keyboard with the Grimm band and sharing the music I wrote with a wider audience. And we’re performing our show in New York City at NYMF! I’m beyond excited for the journey we’ve embarked upon.
For more information on
Le Cabaret Grimm, check out the show's official website, like them on Facebook, or follow them on Twitter.
Friday, July 20, 2012
5-Question NYMF Interviews: ARNIE THE DOUGHNUT
I've added a note to the post below, but the good news is that there will be one more performance of Flambé Dreams tonight at 11pm! You can purchase your tickets here.
In speaking of final performances, tomorrow with be the final day to catch Arnie the Doughnut, a deliciously zany family musical with a book by Frances Limoncelli and music and lyrics by George Howe, based on the story by Laurie Keller. I was first introduced to these writers' work with their musical The Emperor's Groovy New Clothes, and Arnie, the tale of a doughnut and its new bakery owner, promises to be fun fare for all. The final two performances will be tomorrow, Saturday, July 21st at 11:00 am and 2:00 pm. If you need any more convincing, read on to learn more about the show.
Me: How would you describe your show in one sentence?
Frances Limoncelli and George Howe: A silly, tuneful, delicious family musical that strives to redefine human/doughnut relations.
Me: You guys have collaborated on a couple of projects. How did your writing partnership begin?
Frances: George and I met in January of 1986 when I was a freshman in college and playing Mame in a production of the same name. I had 16 lightning fast costume changes and no dresser. George had just dropped out of school and was hanging around watching rehearsal. Everyone else I knew was already in the show and busy, so I walked out into the seats during our tech and asked him to be my dresser. He came backstage, I took off my clothes, and the rest is history. I think I said something like “Get used to these, you’re going to see a lot of them.” That what he claims, anyway.
When I got out of school I started doing summer stock at the same place George did – the infamous Weston Playhouse in Vermont, the one that we held the benefit for last fall. It was there that we started occasionally writing and/or performing in sketches or with parody lyrics to songs for their after-hours cabaret. Highlights include Bovinian Rhapsody, Vermont-themed opera parodies like Madame Buttermilk and The Magic Fudge, and a series of musical take-offs starring George’s version of Ethel Merman: The Sound of Merman, The Little Merman, and Ethel Merman is Peter Pan.
George and I both moved to NY (Brooklyn, actually) after I graduated college. After a year I moved to Chicago and he followed three months later. My boyfriend at the time used to say to me, “I guess it’s love you, love George.” True.
Me: What has the process been like bringing the show from Chicago to New York?
Frances and George: We had a great experience developing Arnie in Chicago for the theatre that commissioned it: Lifeline Theatre, for whom we have written many shows. We struggled for weeks trying to decide how much of the Chicago production could transfer to the festival. When we finally accepted the fact that it was just too expensive and complicated to transfer anything, we started anew in New York, and we’re really happy with that decision. It’s been so exciting to return to New York, where our theatre careers began and where we have our roots. It’s a sort of homecoming. And it has reunited us with so many of our New York theatre industry friends.
Me: What is your approach for writing a show that is good for both an adult and child audience?
Frances and George: That’s easy – we write what we like. Maybe that makes us 8 year olds on the inside, but that’s what we do. We don’t believe in talking down to kids. We find no difference in writing for children than for adults. Either way we just write what makes us laugh, or what touches us. That’s why grownups are always surprised how much they enjoy our family shows – they assume that it’ll be dumbed down or over simplified. We find that our material works on many levels so that a 4 year old can be entranced by color, sound, and silliness, while a 10 year old gets the character conflict and loves the catchy tunes, and the adults appreciate how sophisticated the music is and the wit of the script. They also pick up on all the references we have sprinkled throughout.
Me: What are you most looking forward to about NYMF?
Frances and George: We are thrilled for our work to be seen by New York theatre audiences and by industry leaders who could give the show a life in the future. We would love for Arnie the Doughnut to be seen by families all over the world. And we hope that, as a writing team, we get a career boost that will open doors for us as a writing team.
In speaking of final performances, tomorrow with be the final day to catch Arnie the Doughnut, a deliciously zany family musical with a book by Frances Limoncelli and music and lyrics by George Howe, based on the story by Laurie Keller. I was first introduced to these writers' work with their musical The Emperor's Groovy New Clothes, and Arnie, the tale of a doughnut and its new bakery owner, promises to be fun fare for all. The final two performances will be tomorrow, Saturday, July 21st at 11:00 am and 2:00 pm. If you need any more convincing, read on to learn more about the show.
Frances Limoncelli and George Howe: A silly, tuneful, delicious family musical that strives to redefine human/doughnut relations.
Me: You guys have collaborated on a couple of projects. How did your writing partnership begin?
Frances: George and I met in January of 1986 when I was a freshman in college and playing Mame in a production of the same name. I had 16 lightning fast costume changes and no dresser. George had just dropped out of school and was hanging around watching rehearsal. Everyone else I knew was already in the show and busy, so I walked out into the seats during our tech and asked him to be my dresser. He came backstage, I took off my clothes, and the rest is history. I think I said something like “Get used to these, you’re going to see a lot of them.” That what he claims, anyway.
When I got out of school I started doing summer stock at the same place George did – the infamous Weston Playhouse in Vermont, the one that we held the benefit for last fall. It was there that we started occasionally writing and/or performing in sketches or with parody lyrics to songs for their after-hours cabaret. Highlights include Bovinian Rhapsody, Vermont-themed opera parodies like Madame Buttermilk and The Magic Fudge, and a series of musical take-offs starring George’s version of Ethel Merman: The Sound of Merman, The Little Merman, and Ethel Merman is Peter Pan.
George and I both moved to NY (Brooklyn, actually) after I graduated college. After a year I moved to Chicago and he followed three months later. My boyfriend at the time used to say to me, “I guess it’s love you, love George.” True.
Me: What has the process been like bringing the show from Chicago to New York?
Frances and George: We had a great experience developing Arnie in Chicago for the theatre that commissioned it: Lifeline Theatre, for whom we have written many shows. We struggled for weeks trying to decide how much of the Chicago production could transfer to the festival. When we finally accepted the fact that it was just too expensive and complicated to transfer anything, we started anew in New York, and we’re really happy with that decision. It’s been so exciting to return to New York, where our theatre careers began and where we have our roots. It’s a sort of homecoming. And it has reunited us with so many of our New York theatre industry friends.
Me: What is your approach for writing a show that is good for both an adult and child audience?
Frances and George: That’s easy – we write what we like. Maybe that makes us 8 year olds on the inside, but that’s what we do. We don’t believe in talking down to kids. We find no difference in writing for children than for adults. Either way we just write what makes us laugh, or what touches us. That’s why grownups are always surprised how much they enjoy our family shows – they assume that it’ll be dumbed down or over simplified. We find that our material works on many levels so that a 4 year old can be entranced by color, sound, and silliness, while a 10 year old gets the character conflict and loves the catchy tunes, and the adults appreciate how sophisticated the music is and the wit of the script. They also pick up on all the references we have sprinkled throughout.
Me: What are you most looking forward to about NYMF?
Frances and George: We are thrilled for our work to be seen by New York theatre audiences and by industry leaders who could give the show a life in the future. We would love for Arnie the Doughnut to be seen by families all over the world. And we hope that, as a writing team, we get a career boost that will open doors for us as a writing team.
For more information on Arnie the Doughnut, check out the show's official website, like them on Facebook, or follow them on Twitter.
Thursday, July 19, 2012
5-Question NYMF Interviews: FLAMBE DREAMS
*EDIT: The writers have actually informed me that there has been an added performance for the show! So you can still catch it tomorrow night, July 20th, at 11 pm. Get your tickets here. And now, back to the original interview post...
I am the WORST, guys. In scheduling all of these interviews, I unfortunately did not get to share this one from Matthew Hardy and Randy Klein's Flambé Dreams until now, after they've concluded their NYMF run. This sweet musical comedy tells the story of a man with big dreams of working in the food industry, following in the footsteps of his deceased father and winning the love of a beautiful girl. The show received some nice reviews during its run, and it was especially important to me to share this interview since this show has been development for some time and has even participated in the Finger Lakes Musical Festival's The PITCH. So, to share more about their show, Matthew and Randy answered the following questions about Flambé Dreams:
I am the WORST, guys. In scheduling all of these interviews, I unfortunately did not get to share this one from Matthew Hardy and Randy Klein's Flambé Dreams until now, after they've concluded their NYMF run. This sweet musical comedy tells the story of a man with big dreams of working in the food industry, following in the footsteps of his deceased father and winning the love of a beautiful girl. The show received some nice reviews during its run, and it was especially important to me to share this interview since this show has been development for some time and has even participated in the Finger Lakes Musical Festival's The PITCH. So, to share more about their show, Matthew and Randy answered the following questions about Flambé Dreams:
Me: How would you describe your show in one sentence?
Randy Klein: Flambé Dreams is a show that entertains audiences and makes them laugh!
Matthew Hardy: Flambé Dreams is a hilarious yet poignant new musical about a young man who dreams of becoming a great Maitre d' like his father who was killed in a freak flaming Bananas foster accident.
Me: How did you two begin collaborating together?
Matthew: Randy was recommended to me as a music director for a cabaret act called "Songs for the Dysfunctional" that I was developing. Randy liked my parody lyrics and suggested we write original material.Randy: We began collaborating when Matthew was performing his cabaret act and I was his accompanist. Matt was writing lyrics to other songs and I suggested he write his own songs. The cabaret act developed into Flambé Dreams.
Me: What is it about aspiring to be a maitre d’ that makes for a good musical?
Randy: The theme is that anyone can live their dream, no matter how silly it may seem to others. If you believe in yourself, your dream can come true.
Matthew: It's original! We've all seen musicals about characters with dreams of becoming great actors, singers, musicians etc. but have we seen a musical about making it in the food and beverage industry? Plus you get dancing waiters and flaming desserts!
Me: You guys were one of the first teams to present Flambé Dreams at The PITCH at the Finger Lakes Musical Theatre Festival. Since we just talked to Ed Sayles about the program, can you talk a little about the experience?
Matthew: We had a great time in Auburn. Theater Mack is a beautiful new theater/cabaret space and we were honored to be the first show to tread the boards. It was a great exercise for us to whittle the show down to a three person, 45-minute presentation that still captured the show’s heart and charm. The audiences were very appreciative and gave some excellent feedback.
Randy: The experience was wonderful. The folks at the Finger Lakes Musical Theatre Festival are great to work with. It is a super professional operation producing some wonderful musical theatre. Ed Sayles is a true supporter of the art form.
Me: What are you most looking forward to about NYMF?
Matthew: Watching six performances of Flambé Dreams and hearing the laughter from the NYMF audiences! I'm looking forward to the future opportunities that the exposure from NYMF can provide. I'm also excited to join a community of creative people who have come before us and see the shows of my fellow 2012 NYMF participants!
Randy: Hearing audiences laughing and applauding to our work. The show has been in development for 7 or 8 years and to see it in front of a live audience is a great reward. We look forward to moving it to the next level of production after NYMF.
Randy Klein: Flambé Dreams is a show that entertains audiences and makes them laugh!
Matthew Hardy: Flambé Dreams is a hilarious yet poignant new musical about a young man who dreams of becoming a great Maitre d' like his father who was killed in a freak flaming Bananas foster accident.
Me: How did you two begin collaborating together?
Matthew: Randy was recommended to me as a music director for a cabaret act called "Songs for the Dysfunctional" that I was developing. Randy liked my parody lyrics and suggested we write original material.Randy: We began collaborating when Matthew was performing his cabaret act and I was his accompanist. Matt was writing lyrics to other songs and I suggested he write his own songs. The cabaret act developed into Flambé Dreams.
Me: What is it about aspiring to be a maitre d’ that makes for a good musical?
Randy: The theme is that anyone can live their dream, no matter how silly it may seem to others. If you believe in yourself, your dream can come true.
Matthew: It's original! We've all seen musicals about characters with dreams of becoming great actors, singers, musicians etc. but have we seen a musical about making it in the food and beverage industry? Plus you get dancing waiters and flaming desserts!
Me: You guys were one of the first teams to present Flambé Dreams at The PITCH at the Finger Lakes Musical Theatre Festival. Since we just talked to Ed Sayles about the program, can you talk a little about the experience?
Matthew: We had a great time in Auburn. Theater Mack is a beautiful new theater/cabaret space and we were honored to be the first show to tread the boards. It was a great exercise for us to whittle the show down to a three person, 45-minute presentation that still captured the show’s heart and charm. The audiences were very appreciative and gave some excellent feedback.
Randy: The experience was wonderful. The folks at the Finger Lakes Musical Theatre Festival are great to work with. It is a super professional operation producing some wonderful musical theatre. Ed Sayles is a true supporter of the art form.
Me: What are you most looking forward to about NYMF?
Matthew: Watching six performances of Flambé Dreams and hearing the laughter from the NYMF audiences! I'm looking forward to the future opportunities that the exposure from NYMF can provide. I'm also excited to join a community of creative people who have come before us and see the shows of my fellow 2012 NYMF participants!
Randy: Hearing audiences laughing and applauding to our work. The show has been in development for 7 or 8 years and to see it in front of a live audience is a great reward. We look forward to moving it to the next level of production after NYMF.
For more information on Flambé Dreams, check out the show's official website.
Wednesday, July 18, 2012
5-Question NYMF Interviews: TROUBLE
The coming-of-age stories of teenagers is not new fodder for the stage, but not many of them can boast warnings of sexual content and nudity. 13, this is not. Still, behind the disclaimer on the NYMF website for Trouble (book by Michael Alvarez, music and lyrics by Ella Grace) lies a raw tale of modern teenage relationships and one crazy night where teens explore their innermost passions. Read on to learn more about Trouble (which has one more performance today), straight from writers Michael and Ella themselves:
Ella Grace: A “grow-up-face -your-demons-life-goes-on-all-there-is-is-love” view of the world told through the hearts and minds of a group of young, glorious people.
Michael Alvarez: The show is a look at 8 teenagers and the relationships, sorrow, love, sex and joy that young love brings.
Me: How did you two become collaborators? For Michael, what was it like also directing the show?
Michael: I met Ella at a musical theatre networking event in London. I saw her from across the room and had instant butterflies and fireworks—I knew she was the one, artistically, I was meant to meet! It was kismet. I started on Trouble as the director, but then realized that I should also write the book as well.
Directing the show has been a great experience and opportunity to continue developing the characters and storylines. When you prepare a script as a director you dissect the script differently as you would a writer. I found as I was dissecting the script from a director’s point of view a lot of new layers and little things about the characters I didn’t realize I’d written. Some I liked, some I didn’t; but I had the freedom to change them as I saw fit. As I worked through scenes with actors I have been able to cut, tighten and focus to make the scenes stronger and more concise. A week into rehearsal I practically changed a whole story line! I love directing and I love writing, so put them together and it is theatrical bliss!
Me: The aesthetic for some of promotional materials reminds me a little of the British program Skins. Where do you think Trouble falls in the pantheon of works about teens and coming of age?
Ella: Trouble’s contribution to the teen story is a little Skins in subject matter, a little Dawson's Creek in character with a few magical Narnian elements provided by our show’s star crossed lovers. We all, regardless of age, can feel isolated by our seemingly overwhelming circumstances. I hope Trouble is a piece that will touch and encourage people, that will show we are all united in life’s fun fair. Sometimes things are bumpy, sometimes exhilarating, sometimes scary but it’s one hell of a ride and quoting the High School Musical line “We’re all in this together.”
Michael: I think we really explore what it is to be young and in love. It is sexy and scary and overwhelming and exciting and new and all these things! It may not always work out in your favor, but in the end it makes you who you are. The show looks at how relationships, with your parents, friends, lovers and self can shape you and make you become who you are. I think we have the sexy and edgy side of Skins, the drama of 90210, the heart and innocence of Dawson’s Creek and a fashion-forward sense like Gossip Girl.
Me: How did you develop the sound of the show/score?
Michael: By Ella’s genius!
Ella: The music has changed a lot as I’ve been growing up with the show. Initially the sound was very Paramore/Linkin Park to go with the dark angry mood of the story.
As the story has developed, the feel of the piece has changed a lot bringing a whole host of contrasting moments to play with. Overall, the music has arrived at a pop-ier, more musical theatre sound. For Trouble, I wanted the music to be simple and direct to communicate honestly the stories of the young people.
Me: What are you most looking forward to about NYMF?
Ella: Meeting all the amazing crew and cast members who have been working their butts off to make this all possible, getting to see Michael after waiting a whole year and getting to spend 10 straight days with my amazing sister in one of the best cities in the world. I am nervous to venture into rehearsals as I know these people are going to blow my socks off!
Michael: Seeing the show come to life on its feet with this incredible cast and team! And being able to share this experience with Ella.
For more information on Trouble, check out the show's official website, like them on Facebook, or follow them on Twitter.
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