Tag Archive: Broadway

1. Georgia Stitt – An All Round Musical Wonder

   August 10, 2012 10:34 pm Leave a Comment

   For those of you that have been following me on Twitter you would no doubt be aware of An Evening with the Composers, a concert at the London Hippodrome on 19^th August 2012. Georgia Stitt is one of the three composers showcasing their work with the help of five West End theatre stars. 

   As you read through, you will notice segments of Georgia’s biography interspersed with the interview.

   GEORGIA STITT is a composer and a lyricist. Her musicals include Big Red Sun (NAMT Festival 2010, Harold Arlen Award in 2005 and written with playwright John Jiler); The Water (winner of the 2008 ANMT Search for New Voices in American Musical Theatre and written with collaborators Jeff Hylton and Tim Werenko); Sing Me A Happy Song (with playwright Jamie Pachino); and Mosaic (commissioned for Off-Broadway in 2010 and written with Cheri Steinkellner).

   I grew up in Tennessee.  In America we say I’m from the South.  I went to college in Nashville and my family is now in Atlanta and the Memphis area.  It is a nice part of the country except that I couldn’t wait to get to New York, which I did as soon as I finished school.  I got my masters degree at NYU and lived there for ten years until I moved to Los Angeles, where I live now. (more…)

2. Telly Leung – Broadway and Television Star Supreme

   July 28, 2012 6:19 pm 1 Comment

   I recently had the great pleasure and honour to interview the talented and gorgeous theatre and television star, Telly Leung. You may have recently seen Telly’s activity on Twitter, advertising an album in which he also appears. Read on to find out more.

   I was born and raised in Brooklyn, NY. Both of my parents are immigrants from Hong Kong. I grew up in New York with Broadway only a short subway ride away, so you can imagine where all my saved-up allowance money used to go: the TKTS booth, the RENT lottery, student rush tickets, cast recordings. Growing up in NY was a major influence on me. My first exposure to Broadway however, was not a live experience. It was GREAT PERFORMANCES on PBS when they showed the telecast of INTO THE WOODS when I was 8.

   How does live theatre compare to television?

   On stage, I have a lot more control over my performance. Every show is different and there are so many factors that influence a particular performance (the audience, your fellow scene partner, the unexpected things that happen with live theater). The story telling is a little different every night.

   In TV, the actor has very little control of the story telling. The performance is shaped by editing, cuts, close ups and reaction shots. My sole responsibility on set is to just “be” as truthfully and honestly as I can and trust that all the folks around me are getting what they need for editing in “post” to tell the story.

   Which have been your favourite roles and why? (more…)

3. Michael Patrick Walker – Music Man Extraordinaire

   July 26, 2012 6:21 pm 3 Comments

   

   All Broadway and music enthusiasts should know the name Michael Patrick Walker. Not only has he produced, played and conducted music on and off Broadway as well as music for television, he also has a superb album ready for your listening pleasure. Join me in enjoying this enthralling interview spanning the life and tribulations of this enthusiastic and extremelly sweet young man.

   Can you tell me about when you decided to focus on music and what inspired you?

   Well, I actually began to play piano at the age of 4, I’ve been told that I asked my mother to take piano lessons, I made the request out of the blue and we didn’t have a piano in the house at the time. To humor me and to be supportive they arranged to rent a piano for 3 weeks and took me for some lessons. Long story short, that same piano is still in my parents’ house.

   I assume it is now non-rental and well used.

   Oh yes! They got it on “rent to own” quite quickly.

   I got into theatre because I was asked to play one of two pianos for my high school’s production of “The Sound of Music” when I was in 8th grade. I really enjoyed it and also was, for the first time, exposed to this way of story-telling involving integrated music and lyrics. From there, I experienced all aspects of theatre, as most people do, I acted a little but I also played in pit orchestras, conducted, music directed and, eventually, in university I began to write for original shows. While I’ve played and conducted on and off Broadway and on national tours of the United States, I eventually began to write more full time and, with a little bit of luck, ended up partnering with Gary Adler and began creating and writing “Altar Boyz” in 2001.

   Believe it or not, that’s the “short” version of my pre-full-time-composer/lyricist” history. (more…)