That's what I mean about listening, because where they breathed the night before might not be where they breathe tonight. I think part of the job is seeing three seconds ahead, and the more you do it and the more you care, the better you get at it. If you stop listening, it's very dangerous. "How would you play this phrase?" "How do you feel about this phrase?" I had played for so many conductors who didn't care what we felt about what we were doing. It never occurred to me that one was the maestro and the others were people playing instruments. I always thought it should be a collaborative art form. What enticed me about being a conductor in the first place was being able to help the musicians create the sound and the interpretation of a piece of music. But then I saw Cabaret on Broadway and was blown away. You know how pigheaded we are when we're young. It was, to me, frivolous music, at that time in my life. What drew you to becoming a music director? But basically, from a performance standpoint, there's no difference. You audition the whole cast, you teach them the music, you sit in rehearsals and learn the show inside out. You're in charge of a bit more as a musical director in the theater. In the classical world, when you say "musical director," that means you're in charge of the orchestra. And you're a performer yourself.Ī conductor is a music director.
![the guy who didn the guy who didn](https://i1.wp.com/66.media.tumblr.com/28bbe0429c3fbcd5cf1ca09deeab054f/tumblr_phu8zoRyVH1tlfujko2_400.gif)
You're like the head adviser to the president. The composer needs an ally who is brave - you have to say the things someone else might be afraid to say. The actors need you every day, as does the stage manager, and the orchestrator and director need your opinion if they have any questions while creating.
![the guy who didn the guy who didn](https://i.pinimg.com/originals/b4/70/16/b470165b3a6f48c719540d39b3ef1b36.jpg)
someone who unites the composer, the orchestrator, the director, the cast, and everybody else involved in the production. How would you define the job of a musical director, and what is the difference between a musical director and a conductor?
![the guy who didn the guy who didn](http://img1.grunge.com/img/gallery/really-weird-things-that-happened-to-people-at-disney-world/groping-minnie-mouse-1505918591.jpg)
This conversation has been condensed and edited for clarity. Paul Gemignani at the first rehearsal for the musical A Doll's Life in 1982.
![the guy who didn the guy who didn](https://vhx.imgix.net/starkidproductions/assets/91d2ebee-f489-49c2-b1e5-b7ca809d7bc9-ae03fc0f.jpg)
Preorder Margaret Hall's Gemignani: Life and Lessons From Broadway and Beyond here (paid link). Conductor of more than 40 Broadway shows, including, most recently, Roundabout Theatre Company's revival of Kiss Me, Kate, Gemignani is also Stephen Sondheim's right-hand man, and his unique approach to the podium has inspired countless musicians to enter the profession. To speak about this unique profession is Paul Gemignani, arguably the most influential musical director of the last 50 years. Every note of the score passes through their hands before it is presented onstage, and their guiding force can be the difference between an average performance and an edge-of-your-seat night at the theater. When every other member of the creative team moves on to a new project, the musical director keeps the show alive throughout the entirety of its run. From the very first audition to the final performance, they are the glue that holds a show together.
#The guy who didn't like musicals cast series#
This is the first in a series of articles designed to introduce you to the many unique theater professions you might not realize exist.įirst up is the guiding hand of the music department, the musical director. From dressers to spot-ops, house managers to stage door attendants, and everything in between, it truly takes a village to put on a show. For every performer who steps into the spotlight as the curtain rises, there are hundreds of people working behind the scenes to make the magic of theater real.