Music Directors Need Tonys, Too

I totally agree that there should be a Tony for Best Ensemble. There are some shows that just don't have a clear-cut lead, and in those cases, more than usual, a stellar performance from one person requires stellar performances across the board. Aside from the plays mentioned in the article (weird it left out musicals), a show like SPELLING BEE or [title of show] perfectly makes the case for such an award.

It's hard to say if a Best Ensemble Tony will ever exist, or if it'll last. I love the Tonys to the point where I am bitter about decisions that were made before I was born, but Tony Logic is so fickle and unpredictable that most of the time I just have to laugh. The Best Replacement Tony was, in my opinion, not such a great idea, and I'm glad that ended up not happening, but I do strongly believe in a Special Theatrical Event Tony.

But the Tony Award that needs to exist above all other Tony Awards is one for Music Director (as the crazily talented Georgia Stitt pointed out on Twitter). How does this not exist?! I mean, seriously. Seriously?! Obviously the committee understands that music is really important and that a lot goes into it, since there's a Tony for Best Orchestrations and one for Sound Design (both of which I fully support). So not having a Music Direction Tony is ridiculous and incredibly disrespectful of the insane amounts of work music directors do. Spend ten minutes in rehearsal of a musical, and that becomes extremely clear. The Tony Awards should recognize and honor that.

Tearing Up The Slips of Paper: EVERYDAY RAPTURE

It's been about a month since I saw EVERYDAY RAPTURE, so I really should have written about it earlier (sorry!). But better late than never, right? I wanted some time to process it, anyway--there's a lot going on in the show, and it affected me a lot so I wanted to get a little distance.

Going into the show, I only knew that it was Sherie Rene Scott's one-woman show--that's it. I didn't realize it would be autobiographical at all, and I'm glad about that; it let me go into the show without any preconceptions. I generally prefer see shows as cold as possible, anyway, but I think it was important for me to do so in this case. I'm not the biggest fan of one-person shows, or autobiographical shows, for that matter (although I really enjoyed WISHFUL DRINKING).

EVERYDAY RAPTURE is much more than a autobiographical one-woman show, however. Sherie Rene Scott's childhood in Kansas and early experiences in New York provide the framework for the show, but for me it was much more of an exploration of faith and performance. How do you balance a belief that you are a speck of dust with the certainty that the world was created for you?

I didn't grow up a Mennonite, but I am a practicing Catholic so there's much in Scott's upbringing I relate to. My religious education and background wasn't nearly as extreme, and I didn't have the kind of community that Scott apparently did--even in high school, I was the token Catholic amongst my friends--but that grappling with humility is certainly something I recognize. Only for me, it's not "I am a speck of dust;" it's more like, "The Lord gives and the Lord takes away; blessed be the name of the Lord." Or even reconciling "Blessed are those who have not seen and still believe" with the very logical, science-based framework I grew up in (my parents are scientists, I was a high school debater, and I'm dating a med student).

I think the issue of integrating faith and religion into your daily life, is a really important one, especially when they're seemingly at odds with your career or with the way you life your life in general. It means a lot to see someone tackle that on Broadway. And honestly, it makes me so happy to see a Broadway show that takes Christianity and faith seriously. I have so much admiration for Kristin Chenoweth for publicly speaking about her Christianity and showing people that it's entirely possible to be a Christian and work in the New York arts scene and be liberal and love gay people. Not to say that Christians in New York theatre are oppressed, but being a Christian and being conservative, Republican, and/or close-minded have became the same thing for a lot of people in this part of the country, and it's unbelievably heartening to see people actively disprove that.

My hope is that audiences leave EVERYDAY RAPTURE with a deeper understanding of what a person's relationship with religion can be--or a relationship with any belief system, really. I'm going to force my non-theatre loving, culturally Buddhist boyfriend to see it in hopes it helps him better understand that side of me.

EVERYDAY RAPTURE is also about a lot of other things--there's a brilliantly funny/frightening sequence involving a fan on youtube that is packed with fascinating issues--but the crux of the show (as I see it, at least) is what stuck with me the most. I'm looking forward to going back.

But What We Are Is An Illusion

I saw the LA CAGE revival a little over a week ago, and it was basically what I expected, although I had no idea the material would hit as close to home for me as it did. Not that I am a gay man whose engaged son thinks I'm not "masculine" enough for his conservative finacee's parents, but I am going through something similar that definitely colored my experience of the show. Knowing the plot and a few of the songs, I never thought I would tear up at any point during LA CAGE--I'm not much of a Jerry Herman girl (though I am mildly obsessed with "I Won't Send Roses"). But obviously I underestimated how much the subject matter would affect me, and even though I felt a little ridiculous, I always love it when a show moves me in an unexpected way.

Having said that, I'm not much of a fan of the material itself, although I had a good time and I loved the performances (Kelsey Grammar's in particular, and I really enjoyed Robin de Jesus). My main issue with the show is that it feels so dated and not edgy anymore. I know in 1984, LA CAGE was groundbreaking, and I think it's exactly what audiences (and theatre people) needed at that particular time. But right now, when this is its second revival and when the political and social climate has changed, particularly regarding homosexuality, I wish the production had been more innovative. What Georges and Jean-Michel ask of Albin is devastating and horrifying; that Albin comes around to it is a huge display of love and trust that for me didn't come across. What I would really love to see in the show would be some non-traditional casting choices, which I feel would add another layer to the show and restore some of the edginess I'm sure it originally had. Being an infant during the original run, I can only go off what I've heard :)

Specifically, I would absolutely love to see an actor of Asian descent play Albin (B.D. Wong, anyone?). I think that would make a lot of scenes completely terrifying, especially the one in the second act where Albin tries to act more "masculine." With all the negative stereotypes about Asian men--many of which are very similar to negative stereotypes about gay men--that number would be not just about acting "masculine," but about acting "white." Granted, I'm probably more sensitive to the issue since my boyfriend is of Asian descent, but I think it's an important issue that isn't often seen on a Broadway stage. It would definitely make that scene a lot more uncomfortable for audiences, but it really bothered me that the scene was played for laughs. I found it just heartbreaking, and I think an Asian Albin would bring that element out, simply by his ethnicity.

Post-Show Update, SONDHEIM ON SONDHEIM, iPhone App!

My show this weekend went really well! Unfortunately my collaborator is still out of the country and couldn't be there, but from what I told her (and from the photos I took) she seemed happy with how the show turned out. When she gets back, we're going to work on it some more and possibly expand it--I think it could be a 90 minute show, instead of the 17 minute one it is now. Besides, working with Hailey is so amazing I want to write as many songs with her as possible.

Aside from being my first non-academic, open to the public, performance of a musical, JADE RABBIT is also my first professional piece, since I got paid for writing it. Not like, an exorbitant amount, but I got a check for writing a musical, which is pretty much the dream at this point in my career. It's funny, I actually almost forgot about that because getting a production alone is exciting enough. Anyway, it was a great way to start my post-Tisch writing career (even though my boyfriend was away at school and couldn't be there...sad face), and I'm glad I don't have to think about the moon landing and Korean folklore for a little while. Now onto modern China and the Cultural Revolution!

I saw SONDHEIM ON SONDHEIM a few weeks ago, and I really loved it. My favorite aspects were how the show really went out of its way to stress how human Sondheim is, particularly by having him talk about his writing process. As a writer myself, I found that especially fascinating, and there's something reassuring about hearing Sondheim say he likes to write lying down because it's easier to fall asleep (I fall asleep while writing too!) and how he writes with soft pencils because sharpening them frequently is a great excuse to procrastinate (I make up reasons to procrastinate that I can pretend are productive, too!). I was never someone who ran around idolizing Sondheim--I deeply love a fair number of his shows, but there are definitely some I don't care for--but it's comforting to know that even the man who redefined what musical theatre can do finds the art form difficult.

I also loved the parts of the show that re-created scenes from shows, especially from MERRILY WE ROLL ALONG. I almost cried when the show started with the MERRILY overture--I hadn't been expecting that at all, and I honestly never thought I'd ever hear that overture in a Broadway house. MERRILY is one of my favorite Sondheim shows and one of my favorite shows, period, so having so much MERRILY love in SONDHEIM ON SONDHEIM was incredible. I mean, Euan Morton's "Franklin Shepherd, Inc" is probably the best case for a MERRILY revival (please...make this happen). My only complaint about the show is that there wasn't even a mention of PACIFIC OVERTURES, which is another favorite show of mine, and "Someone In A Tree" is my favorite Sondheim song (sorry, the scores of SUNDAY IN THE PARK, COMPANY, and MERRILY). I feel a little spoiled complaining about this when there was that lovely revival a few years ago, but I was only able to see it once, and I miss it.

I actually volunteer ushered during the show, which was so interesting. I think it's really important for everyone working in theatre to experience as many different jobs as they can, and I'd never really ushered before. Handing out programs for general seating readings was the closest I'd gotten. It was really awesome to be in the house an hour before the show; theatres have a different vibe to them then.

I also loved being able to glimpse what ushers have to put up with from audiences. Not that anyone was rude to me, but it made me more mindful of how I treat ushers and how I can make their jobs easier, which I think is really valuable for anyone who goes to the theatre.

I want to write about ANYONE CAN WHISTLE and EVERYDAY RAPTURE, but I'll save that for later. Before I end this post, though, I just want to let everyone know that Theatermania has a new iPhone app that's available for free on iTunes. I don't have an iPhone myself, but the app looks really awesome. Try it out and let me know how it is!

Like Science and Flowers?

If you're free this Friday and Saturday and are looking for some good new theatre, check out my show! My show, JADE RABBIT, is part of THE LEGEND OF FLOWERS, which consists of four new original 15 minute musicals. The shows are all written by Tisch Graduate Musical Theatre Writing alums (all but one are classmates of mine), and they're all inspired by the Japanese space program project that sent cherry blossom seeds into space. Mine is about a high school girl trying to stop the 1969 moon landing, and Korean folklore plays a central part in the story.

Performances are Friday at 3:30 and 8 at Lincoln Center and at 2 and 3:30 Sunday at Queens Botanical Garden (mine is in the 3:30 performance on Sunday, but on Friday both performances include all the shows). You can find more information here. I hope you can come!

Scott Pilgrim & Kick-Ass Vs. The Movies

I have a deep love of the Scott Pilgrim books; it's actually one of the few stories I've read that I would love to musicalize. Of course, there was no way I'd get the rights to that even if there weren't a movie coming out, so instead I've had to content myself with re-reading the books every few months and daydreaming of the Scott Pilgrim tour of Toronto I will embark upon the next time I'm back there. (I've been in love with Toronto since I was there for barely 24 hours a year and a half ago, and Scott Pilgrim has only made it worse.)

But there IS a movie, and its official trailer was recently released and it looks awesome. There's so much going on in those books: there's the beautiful, genuine way the characters and their relationships are written; the way Bryan Lee O'Malley celebrates Toronto while establishing the city as a character; the fantastic yet natural use of video game and classic comic book conventions; the expert and delicate balance of Scott's straightforward mission (to defeat Ramona's 7 evil exes) with his more subtle mental journey and, similarly, with Ramona's own internal arc.

I was concerned that a lot of those things would get lost in a movie, causing it to end up as yet another indie romance. This trailer, however, has me confident that the movie won't disappoint. It's not always wise to judge a movie by its trailer, but there are so many little things in this one (such as the comic-book style sound effects and the integration of the video game elements) that to me are enough to show that the movie has got it right. The tone seems perfect; it's taking itself seriously, in that those weirder aspects aren't cartoonish and are taken in stride, but it's not by any means a heavy film, and watching the trailer is fun.

I don't want to get my hopes up, but it seems like the movie does full justice to one of my favorite series. I can't wait to see for myself.



I am also extremely excited/apprehensive about the Kick-Ass movie, for somewhat similar reasons. I love graphic violence in my comic books as much as the next person (...maybe a little more than the next person...I'm a big fan of Warren Ellis and Garth Ennis, after all...), but for me, Kick-Ass is more about...well, kicking-ass. It's about the role comics in general and superheroes in particular play in our lives; it's about the consuming loneliness that drives a high school kid to put on a wetsuit and face off against mobsters, even after being beaten to a pulp. It's about hating who you are so much only a mask lets you be who you want to be.

I hope all that's in the film. Letting the awesome action sequences and the premise overshadow the pain at the root of the story would be really too bad, and a missed opportunity.

Regardless, I'm thrilled that there have been so many comic book movies lately, especially since lately some of them have veered away from bigger, more mainstream ones. I never would have thought Scott Pilgrim or Kick-Ass would be adapted to film, so to have them both coming out so close to each other makes it even more amazing. And, like with musicals, anything that gets people to read comics is fine by me--even if it's not perfect.

Too Much Heaven On Their Minds

I didn't grow up with musical theatre, which is another post in itself, and my love for theatre came gradually, with a few show pushing me along until a weekend in New York six and a half years ago tipped the balance. The first musical I discovered on my own that I actually liked was JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR when I was in seventh grade.

My parents, who are neither into musicals nor into rock music, somehow had the concept album of JCS on record. I don't know which of them had bought it in the early 1970s--both being practicing Catholics, it could have been either of them, since I assume the title is what caught their attention--but it was there in the study amongst my dad's folk music records. Back then, my sisters shared a room and we kept our one computer in the study, so I that's where I wrote all my middle school and high school papers. We had dial-up until the early 2000s (late high school for me), but even though the internet wasn't really a distraction back then, music certainly was. There was a whole stereo system up there (and still is, when that room was converted to a bedroom for one of my sisters), complete with CD, cassette, and record player, so I used to search through my dad's CDs and records when I wanted new writing music. In seventh grade, I was starting to get into rock and heavy metal, so I would look through his record collection in hopes of finding an album by The Doors or Jimi Hendrix. Instead, I found an Andrew Lloyd Webber musical.

I don't remember why I tried listening to it--probably because of the title, since I certainly hadn't heard anything about it before--but when I did, I was floored. The only musicals I had heard up to that point were movies of a few Rodgers and Hammerstein (which were all right, but felt stuffy and unrelatable...except for THE SOUND OF MUSIC), HELLO, DOLLY (which I hated), Muppet movies, and Disney movies. JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR sounded nothing like any of those movies. It was rock music--early '70s rock, but rock nonetheless--and it put the gospels, which I had been reading my whole life, in an entirely new context. "Heaven On Their Minds" quickly became one of my favorite songs for how it concisely and beautifully depicted Judas as someone who did love Jesus, but whose concern for the bigger picture and persistence in viewing Him as simply another radical led to that Thursday night in the garden. I loved how it focused on Mary Magdalene and Simon Peter, two figures I'd always particularly liked for their sheer humanity. While I still don't really like "Gethsemane," I loved how the song gave voice to Jesus' doubt and reluctance to follow through with His crucifixation. And I loved how so many of the lyrics were directly from the Bible.

I was obsessed with that album, listening to it over and over every time I had to write a paper for school. I soon discovered that we had the movie version on VHS, which I loved for how deliciously campy it was. And for Carl Anderson's incredible performance as Judas (who honestly gets the best songs--I mean, "Heaven On Their Minds?" "Damned For All Time/Blood Money?" Seriously). Years later, when I was a freshman in college, I saw the tour with Carl Anderson a few months before he died. Seeing my favorite Judas in my first time seeing that show staged during Holy Week was tremendous. By that point, I'd also gotten the 1996 recording (with Zubin Varla, who I loved a Judas and would later love as Freddie in CHESS), and knew all the lyric differences between the tour, the '96 recording, the concept album, and the movie.

I don't listen to JCS that often, but I do listen to it every year during Holy Week, when I also usually watch the movie (and the video of the 2000 production). I have probably six recordings of JCS (my favorites are the '96 one for its completeness and for Zubin, and the Australian cast recording for its amazing, rocked out arrangements), which I cycle through during that week.

I'm much more of a Sondheim/LaChiusa fan now than a Lloyd Webber one (though there are some shows of his I love), but "Heaven On Their Minds" is still one of my favorite theatre songs--and once I started writing theatre myself, I realized just how complex that song really is. For one thing, there's no real hook. The structure is verse intro/AABAA/abbreviated A, but the As don't all share the same phrase--the same lyrical place to rest. Most, but not all the A sections start with "Listen, Jesus," but musically that's not a hook; it moves too fast and is too unresolved. That's pretty unusual, but it makes perfect sense given Judas' character and the tension he feels between his loyalty to Jesus and his deep concern that Jesus is attracting the wrong kind of attention. "I Don't Know How To Love Him" is a much more standard AABA song structurally and lyrically, with the hook in the first line of each A.

The other weird thing about "Heaven On Their Minds" (which is AWESOME) is the time signature. Most rock and pop music is in 4/4 (four beats per measure, with a quarter note getting one beat). Musical theatre songs are much more varied; A LITTLE NIGHT MUSIC is largely in 3/4, for instance. But "Heaven On Their Minds" is in 7/8--seven beats per measure, with an eighth note getting one beat. Writing lyrics to a song in 7/8 is a little crazy; I can't imagine what learning a song in that time signature must be like.

And of course, there's a lot going on lyrically, as Judas switches from addressing Jesus directly to talking about him ("Table, chair and oaken chest/Would have suited Jesus best"). Judas moves from expressing his fear that if the other apostles knew Jesus really was just a normal guy, not the Son of God, they'd turn on him, to his concern that the Roman authorities will think Jesus is a revolutionary and crack down on them. It's an honest, harried message that, though misguided, is clearly well-intentioned. Which is probably the only way you can introduce Judas, whose name has became to basically mean "traitor" over the past two thousand or so years.

So today and tomorrow, I'll be listening to a lot of JCS, and probably watching the movie. It wasn't the show that addicted me to theatre, but it cracked open the genre for me, so listening to it (in addition to having Easter significance) reminds me who I write theatre for: those kids growing up without really knowing what theatre is. If one of my shows can do for someone what JCS did for me, I'd know I'd done my job.