Podcast
This is "From The Pit," where we talk musical theatre. From overtures to exit music and everything in between.
Stairway? No Way!
What song do NOT want to hear in auditions anymore, and why do you want it to die?
What song do you LOVE to hear, and what is it that makes you want to hear it again and again?
Answer in the comments below!
I will try and include as many of the answers in an upcoming From the Pit podcast episode!
Okay actors can answer too…
Photo: Lindsay Elliott (@lindsaycats)
Photo: Lindsay Elliott (@lindsaycats)
Newsies closed last night at Theatre Under the Stars here in Vancouver. From the Pit Podcast host Christopher King, music directed the show and had a small cameo as the Mayor of New York in the second act. The show was a great success for the company and the cast and crew were exceptional. Chris took a live video of himself playing and contacting “The World Will Know” so here it is for your enjoyment…
DIRECTOR/CHOREOGRAPHER
Julie Tomaino*
MUSIC DIRECTOR
Christopher King
SET DESIGNER
Francesca Albertazzi
COSTUME DESIGNER
Christina Sinosich
LIGHTING DESIGNER
Robert Sondergaard
SOUND DESIGNER
Brad Danyluk
PROPERTIES DESIGNER
Heidi Wilkinson
STAGE MANAGER
Collette Berg*
CAST
Adam Charles - Jack*
Julia Ullrich - Katherine
Jovanni Sy - Pulitzer*
Robyn Wong - Medda*
Cole Smuland - Crutchie
Daniel Curalli - Davey
Jordyn Bennett - Les
Chris Coulter - Snyder
- Mayor/Nunzio
James T. Walker - Wiesel/Jacobi/Roosevelt
Jake Tallon - Seitz
David Lees - Bunsen
Claire Stewart - Hannah
David Anderson - Oscar Delancey
Matthew Paynter - Morris Delancey
CAST - ENSEMBLE
Haley Allen
Daniel Cardoso
Theresa Cotton
Astrid Eckerle
Jordan Field
Colton Fyfe
Tiffany Hunter
Caleb Lagayan
Vincent Keats
Sebastian Issighos
Graeme Kitagawa
Kyra Leroux
Joaquin Little
Caitlin McMaster
Julia MacLean
Nathan Piasecki
Ali Powell
Makena Zimmerman
MUSICIANS
Chris King - Keyboard 1
Arielle Ballance - Keyboard 2
Monica Sumulong - Bass
Peter Serravalle - Guitar
Colin Parker - Drums
Will Friesen - Percussion
Kevin Woo - Reeds
Lindsay Goldberg - Trumpet
Jackson Howard - Trombone
Gemma Donn - Violin
Angus Lam - Cello
Julie Tomaino
Director/Choreographer
Another on location interview in Malkin Bowl in beautiful Stanley Park. Chris talks to director/choreographer Julie Tomaino about Newsies, her thoughts on direction and about her life changing stroke. Chris and Julie are just about to open Theatre Under the Stars’ production of Disney’s Newsies!
*Win 2 tickets to Theatre Under the Stars by answering the question below! You must listen to the episode to answer the question.
Contest ends - Monday July 15th 11:59pm. Winners will be contacted by email.
Julie is a director, an award-winning choreographer, and an educator. She had an extensive performing career for over ten years in New York City, most notably dancing as a Radio City Rockette for six seasons, and is now based in Toronto and works across Canada. She’s worked with most of the major theatre companies across Canada and the US, some favourites include The Citadel, Theatre Calgary, The Finger Lakes Musical Theatre Festival, The Arts Club, WCT, The Globe, Persephone Theatre, Cortland Rep, Chemainus Theatre, and at The Capitol Theatre in Port Hope. Julie occasionally choreographs for film and TV, most recently working with Idina Menzel on the BEACHES remake. She loves working with college aged students, and has taught or been on faculty at AMDA NYC, Sheridan College, Randolph Academy, Nazareth College, Broadway Dance Center, George Brown College, and Capilano University. Find out more at julietomaino.com.
Julie Tomaino & Host Christopher King
On location at Theatre Under the Stars - Malkin Bowl, Stanley Park.
Chris talks with award winning Vancouver actor, writer, producer and now director Josh Epstein about his musical theatre life, and now his success in the film world as a producer/writer.
Josh Epstein
Actor/Director/Producer
Josh Epstein’s work as a writer, producer and actor has taken him to all corners of the world. With fellow studio 58 grad Kyle Rideout, he’s currently writing an original feature for Paramount Pictures, re-writing a comedy for Mark Gordon/E1, an action thriller for a Berlin/CDN co-production, and a Norwegian comedic horror. He’s been invited to take part in the Reyjkavik Talent Lab, Berlin’s Trans Atlantic Partners, the CFC Features and Comedy Exchange and the NSI’s Totally TV and Features First Labs.
Epstein and Kyle Rideout’s latest film Adventures in Public School stars Judy Greer, premiered at TIFF, opened TIFF Top Ten with theatricals in CDN/US/UK/JPN before finally landing on Netflix, TMN and HBO Eastern Europe. Their first film Eadweard won Five Audience Choice Awards at international film festivals, 15 Leo nominations and has been distributed around the world.
They are currently developing television, features, and a musical with the Citadel, Belfry and Musical Stage.
As an actor Epstein has won 4 Jessies, been nominated for 3 Dora's and is the recipient of the John Hirsch Award for Most Promising Actor at the Stratford Festival. A Studio 58 Graduate he just directed their production of Cabaret, which is their highest grossing show in their 54 year history.
Bill Millerd
Artistic Director
A conversation with Bill Millerd, the recent Managing Director of Vancouver’s Arts Club theatre. We talk about his beginning in theatre, his tenure and start of the Arts Club Theatre, and where Vancouver theatre has been and is going. We recorded the podcast episode in the dressing room of the Arts Club’s Granville island stage September 13th 2018.
Robert McQueen
Director
Robert McQueen joins us for a lively discussion about Musical Theatre on our first episode of the second season. We talk all about big shows, little shows, how he approaches work, and what is upcoming for him. Join us on From The Pit, as we talk to this fantastic director while in Malkin Bowl in lovely Stanley Park, on the eve of the opening of 42nd Street at Theatre Under the Stars in Vancouver.
Sam Carner and Derek Gregor
Part 2 of our conversation with the successful song writing team of Carner and Gregor. In this episode they tell us more about shows they like, influences on their writing and what makes a good musical theatre song.
All the song cut heard in this episode are from their CD “Carner & Gregor One” which is available on their website https://www.cdbaby.com/cd/carnergregorone . Join us for more musical theatre talk with Sam and Derek.
@fromthepitcast
Derek Gregor and Sam Carner
Sam Carner and Derek Gregor, are a successful contemporary musical theatre song writing team. Their songs have been sung by many artist all over the world, and they have many shows on the go. They were in Vancouver to record some new tracks, and give an intimate concert of their material. Sam and Derek were kind enough to join Christopher in studio to discuss their experiences writing and producing shows, as well as some insight into how they collaborate and compose, Learn more about them and you'll also hear some of the concert featuring some wonderful Vancouver performers on part 1 of this episode of From the Pit.
Check them out at www.carnerandgregor.com
Valerie Easton
Every musical needs a steady hand at the wheel, a leader that can shape and guide the production through rehearsals and tech and make opening night a success. The director of the show must wear many hats. Sometimes calm, sometimes fierce, sometimes both, but ultimately they must gather the people onboard the ship, and be responsible for the journey and destination. But there are also directors that add choreography to their plates and have to successfully do the work of 2 people in a production. Today on March 27th, World Theatre Day, we talk about this process with one of Vancouver's most well known director/choreographers Valerie Easton. We will talk about the challenges and rewards of directing and choreographing musical theatre, and also talk about her next show "Anything Goes" with Royal City Musical Theatre, where she must literally get the cast onboard the ship and successfully to opening night April 8th. So join us because there's no cure like travel from the pit.
Peter Jorgensen
During the 40s and 50s, the so-called Golden Age of musical theatre, it was common to hear songs from Broadway shows on the airwaves. These songs were the "pop music" of the day. Audiences would know a Rodgers and Hammerstein tune before they even stepped foot in a theatre, since they were often played on the radio or sung at parties.
This, however, is not the case today. The songs of musical theatre, while still popular among many, have not become quite as mainstream as today’s pop music.
But there are still many, iconic songs over the years that have made it on to the pop charts and into the popular consciousness.
Today on "From the Pit,” we talk about how iconic, pop cross over songs from musical theatre. We speak with Peter Jorgensen, a director, actor, teacher and producer of musical theatre in Vancouver, about these questions and many more. So let's see what's popular today… From the Pit.
What is the Broadway sound?
During the "Golden Age" of Broadway, it was easy to say: Big and brassy, 18 to 25 players at least. But now, money is tight, musical styles have changed, and shows now tour a lot. Money isbeing made by the rights companies like MTI, Tams Whitmark and Sam French renting out the rights to Broadway shows to high schools and local theatre companies. But how can you find the quality of player locally, and money to pay for the orchestra sizes of the past?
Most producers just simply don't budget enough and want to spend money on musicians.
I think as a music director I spend 50% of my time stressing about how to make the music maintain the original feel and intention by using less then half the allotted players, sometimes even less then that.
Some of the rights companies have reductions available for rent for some shows, but they are still too large for many producers to want to use?
So we reduce, and reduce and a music director becomes, pianist, arranger and orchestrator all in one, and that's what the public thinks we do now.
But..
Should we do it?
Are there better solutions?
When we do have to do it, how do we do it?
On today's episode my guests and I will discussthese questions and more. So let's reduce the pit… from the pit.
It seems like in every city there are production companies popping up everywhere that want to produce shows that speak to them. But not every company has the budget, or space to produce a Broadway size show. In New York the shows that really bring in the audiences are big budgets in big theatres with big casts and big orchestras.
In Vancouver there aren't many companies that have large budgets or spaces to produce such big shows. So there is a movement to rethink or reimagine large Broadway shows for the small stage and in some cases just a small room.
In Vancouver Studio 58 at Langara College is a well know acting program and they have been successfully staging musicals in their quite famous black box basement theatre for many years.
42nd Street is the next musical opening this February in what is their 51st season of shows. On today's episode we talk to the Associate Director David Hudgins and Artistic Director Kathyrn Shaw about producing musicals in this unique space.
Jerry Wasserman
We can't all escape the cutting review, but lots of us have had glowing reviews and have felt the elation and validation from the carefully crafted words of a reviewer.
But do reviewers make a difference?
Should we put stock in the reviews as theatre patrons?
Will it help an actor get more work? Less work?
On this episode of From the Pit I talk to Jerry Wasserman one of Vancouver's most respected reviewers about these questions and more.
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Ryan Mooney
Musicals in their current form have been around almost 100 years now, but I still hear people refer to musicals as cheesy, fluffy, always happy. You hear talk of jazz hands in conversation as if it was the single defining dance step. Some actors talk of musical theatre as if it was the illegitimate son of the theatre world.
Let's face it... Musicals get a bad rap…But why?
On this episode Ryan and I will discuss the status of Musical Theatre in the media and the general public. Join us From the Pit.
Musicals are a big undertaking. Big budgets, big casts. So directing a musical must be an equally big task, right?
Where do you start? What do you need to do in order to make sure the show is a success? Are they the same as directing a play?
On today's episode we talk with Sarah Rodgers, one of Vancouver's busiest and most sought-after directors. We ask her about her process, her directing philosophy, and much more on From the Pit.
Auditions… Just hearing the word can cause an actor to break out into a sweat. Nothing gets the heart racing like walking into a big room with scary people staring back at you from behind a long table.
Now is your chance to be a fly on the wall! Today on "From the Pit," my guests and I talk about auditions
We'll offer some tips and share some of our pet peeves to help you get a clearer picture of what it's like at auditions.
So grab your number and wait in the hall, because you're on deck!
Steven Greenfield
Once a required mainstay of Musical Theatre shows, they aren't as common now, but show still use them.
On today's episode… our first show. We discuss the overture. Will it survive much longer, should it continue, does it still have meaning and purpose?
My guest and I will discuss this and more about Musical Theatre along the way.
