MTI workshop and STEPHEN SONDHEIM!

7/12/11-afternoon-Music Theatre International Workshop

MTI came in and talked about all of what they have for theatre teachers. They gave many of the new teachers some insight into licensing rules and restrictions and let them ask many questions. They gave an update on their canned music accompaniment and Virtual Stage Manager (I use VSM and it is a terrific tool). One of MTI’s goals is to put together an Advisory group of theatre teachers from around the country to give them some input from a HS perspective. I am in contact with Jason Cocovinis so I can be considered for this group.

7/13/11 –We had been scheduled to hear from the USA Today Theatre critic, but she had a last minute emergency and instead they brought back Kate Grant to conduct a workshop on The Herold a long form version of Improv.  What could have been a real bust turned into a fun workshop with some great ideas.  The explanation was a little sketchy but I pulled out my ipad and looked the rules and origination of the improv and was able to figure out how I can make it work in the ensemble building improv work that I do in class. One of the best ideas was taking an improv and moving the characters ten-and then twenty years in the future and continue with the same characters moving into a new situation but building upon the original character relationships from the first section of the improv.

Late Wednesday morning brought us the crown jewel of the workshop-Stephen Sondheim. Up until this point all of the workshop guests were friendly, approachable, encouraged us to take photos and interact as much as possible. At the end of every workshop all of the presenters stayed for a great deal of time, talked with everyone and really seemed to enjoy answering our questions.  Mr Sondheim wasn’t so friendly. No photos, no video, absolute quiet and at the end we were all to stay seated until he had left. What a diva!

However, in spite of these restrictions, he was a gold mine of information.  Since we were all teachers he spent a lot of time sharing about the influential teachers he had at Williams who were his professors of art and music. He was interviewed by a playwright who he met many years ago when he won one of the playwrighting contests Stephen is involved with. They were both very hard to hear-even with mics-and I’m glad I was just a few feet away.

Nuggets from SS:

• He had many stories about the different types of collaborators he has worked with.  Some very laid back (James Lapine) and others who were very structured.

• Became involved in the Young Playwright’s Festival and continues to mentor the students who win the contest.

• Considers Theatre a Practical Art. In his early writings he didn’t have to pay attention to the size of the cast (Merrily We Roll Along).  Now he must write for casts of about 12.

• Discussed his inspiration for Sweeney Todd-a melodrama he saw at a pub in London.

• Assassins is the show that is the closest to what he and his collaborator envisioned.  Favorite show is A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum (which, we learned the day before from Jo Loesser, he played in it’s entirety at a party at her house in the ‘50’s.)

• He has approval on casting. He wants the best performance for the role, not for his music.

• Pacific Overtures background. Brought to him by a friend’s son.  Hal Prince suggested it could be a musical. At Leonard Bernstein’s house a harpsichord inspired the music. He went home and put string and thumbtacks on his piano to create the sound he wanted in order to compose the music.

• How he got West Side Story- He went to an after party for a musical he didn’t attend and arrived early. Arthur Laurents told him that Comden and Greene might not be able to get out of a movie contract and would he be interested in working on the show. They didn’t and he did got the show by simply being in the right place at the right time.

• His only autobiographical song is Opening Door.

• He is influenced by Harmonic language, Arlen, Ravel and Stravinsky.

• During West Side Story Arthur Laurents wanted him to see the instruments he worked with and took him to the Actor’s Studio. Talked to him about subtext and how to think like a playwright.

• He doesn’t know a lot about vocals and wished he had sung in a choir.

• Funny story about casting the role of Tony-very few men can hit the high C’s.

• Discussed the vocal challenges of the role of Anne in A Little Night Music.

• Wrote the movie The Last of Sheila with his friend Anthony Perkins-about his love of puzzles and whodunits.

• Has enjoyed his many collaborations with orchestrator Jonathan Tunick-thinks those shows are his best. How they work is Stephen tapes his songs and Jonathon thinks about the make up of the orchestra then asks Stephen to describe the score. Stephen will say “perfume” and Jonathan says “strings”. Then they see the staging and talk about dynamics/color of each arc.

• Continually talked about the influence of Oscar Hammerstein on his life. I believe Hammerstein means more to him than either of his parents did.

• Cried three times when he talked about his mentors, Oscar Hammerstein and other important influences in his life.

In spite of all of the restrictions Mr. Sondheim put on he was an amazing wealth of information and inspiration.  I never felt like he held back and no question was off limits. He took questions for at least one hour. He did think a couple of the questions were stupid-and told the person who asked them  what he thought of the question. This is not a man who keeps his opinions to himself.  

After my workshop with him I spent some time online researching some of the stories he told. Obviously we only heard a fraction of his background and collaborations but my research certainly filled in many of his early years and the shows he didn't talk about.  He memory, facts and stories were spot on based on my research. I also found that Oscar Hammerstein was much more of a father figure-and someone he knew from very early in his life.