GLAAD Spirit Day - 10/20/10

My intent in having a blog on my website was to talk about my life as a composer/lyricist/writer and update people on my projects - in other words, self-promotion.

But today I'm writing for a much, much more important reason. I'm writing in honor of GLAAD's Spirit Day - a national day to help bring an end to anti-GLBT bullying.

This topic has gotten a fair amount of attention lately due to a number of tragic suicides of college, high school and junior high school students - all of whom were bullied for being, or "seeming" to be, gay. The stories of these young people have been told - for the most part with the respect they deserve - and the details of the anguish and despair they felt has affected millions of people. It is horribly sad that we can no longer do anything for those who felt they had no other option but to take their own lives. Even sadder that there were people who could've done something, but didn't.

Then, there are the "villains" of the stories - the bullies who pushed them to the brink and beyond. These bullies did a variety of things - ranging from "bad" to "despicable" - and they should be held responsible for their actions. But my thoughts have been running a different direction. Specifically, where did these bullies learn that it was "okay" to do what they did. Oh sure, there are bad apples in every barrel as the more folksy among you might say, but ever bully isn't a psychopath. In fact, almost none of them are.

The big problem with anti-GLBT bullying in this country today is NOT that rogue bullies are doing something society finds universally unacceptable. The problem is that too many people still regard this kind of bullying as perfectly acceptable. When I say that, I am, of course, talking about teachers, other adults and fellow students who look the other way when one kid calls another "faggot", but it goes much deeper than that.

We, as a country and a society are sending a message to children and to each other. When we deny gay men and women the same rights as straight men and women we are sending a message - the message that being gay means you are "less than" and, therefore, worthy of mistreatment or even contempt. When gay men and women are refused equal treatment in the eyes of the law, what else are we saying other than "not worthy" or, at the very least, "not AS worthy"?

A significant problem has been brought to the forefront in these last tragic weeks, but it isn't WHAT the bullies did. It is WHY they did it. And the answer is - they were told it was acceptable.

I - along with many, many others - am wearing purple today as suggested by GLAAD to bring attention to this issue. But when everyone goes back to wearing whatever color they want tomorrow, I hope we don't lose site of the real problem and how we all need to work to fix it.

What Have We Learned?

Well, here I am - it's my birthday and, as tends to happen on my birthday, I'm another year older. According to conventional thought, age brings you wisdom - though, if you read the fine print, there is no guarantee! So I thought I'd crack open the old brain and see if that's true in my case.

So, what have we learned...?

Well...I can't speak for you all, but I have learned...

1. that a 4-hour drive will always seem longer one direction than the other

2. that drilling into drywall can work out okay - but not often

3. that writing a song can be a wonderful thing

4. that not getting a return phone call always means something - but not always what you think it means

5. that writing a song can be a pain in the ass

6. that grabbing the bull by the horns is usually better than grabbing it by the tail

7. that collaboration is a two-way street, but a few lanes are usually closed for construction

8. that cereal is an awesome way to start your day

9. that you have to be your own advocate

10. that, in some ways, high school never ends

11. that midtown is great but so is "not midtown"

12. that some idiot will always stop right at the top of the escalator to look around

13. that friends can surprise you

14. that surprises can be good or bad

15. that telling stories is hard, but it still beats the hell out of most other jobs

16. that support is something you really only get from good underwear

17. that owning a bike is not the same as riding a bike

18. that a good view and sunlight is not to be underestimated

19. that shaving is annoying

20. that nothing - NOTHING - beats a sleep number bed

21. that actions speak louder than words, but screaming nut jobs speak louder than actions

22. that healthy is a relative thing

23. that I need to read more

24. that we all need to read more

25. that Quizno's kicks Subway's ass

26. that I can sort of cook

27. that I know the score, but not always the game

28. that imagination is often in short supply

29. that you should always hire professional painters and movers

30. that I can write more than one show at once

31. that I still know lyrics to songs I haven't heard in 20 years

32. that little things mean a lot (thanks Edith Lindeman and Carl Stutz)

33. that I am impatient

34. that it's annoying it took so long to get to #34 - sheesh!

35. that a drink with friends is the perfect evening

36. that I have a lot

37. that I want more

38. that that's a good thing

39. that the best is yet to come (thanks Carolyn Leigh and Cy Coleman)

Finished! Let's get started...

Back in February, I did a table read of my latest musical, The Distant Bells. I hate table reads. I love table reads. I love-hate table reads. I love them because it's an invaluable way to gain insight into a show I'm writing. Nothing helps me take a step back and focus on all pictures (big, little and everywhere in between) than sitting in a room and hearing actors read through the show. On top of that, it is the least difficult type of reading - rent a studio, call up some actors you know and away you go.

Which is why I hate table reads. Actors can easily sit down and read a part in a script without much preparation - well, many actors can. It won't be a nuanced and fully realized performance of course, but that's not the point of a table read. They can get through the show, bring something to it and help you see the characters in a different way - all by cold-reading the script with other actors. What actors can't do - even the most amazing, professional, talented and wonderful ones - is "cold-sing" a score they've never heard before. It would be...let's say "unfortunate" to try and most likely depressing to me, the actors and any passers-by in the hallway outside the studio.

But, love 'em or hate 'em, a table read is valuable - especially when the show is just not ready yet for a week-long reading or workshop.

So, after the table read in February, I suggested we set a self-imposed deadline of June 1st for another draft of the show incorporating all we learned from the table read and the things we already knew before it. A lot of things changed - and I mean a LOT of things! - between February and June 1st. It wasn't always easy nor did it always move forward quickly, but, we got to June 1st and we now have a draft which took us several significant steps forward from February.

Great! Finished! Crack open the champagne, get your suit tailored for opening night, kick back and enjoy! Right? right...?

Not quite.

Though I've been working on, outlining, plotting, writing and rewriting The Distant Bells off and on for just under two years now, the June 1st draft is really the "first draft" of the show. Oh, there have been many, many drafts before this one. But none that successfully realized the two separate but complimentary ideas for a musical (one mine, one the book writer's) which became the show I hope you'll all see on stage someday soon!

So, what DO I do when a draft is finished...well, a few days after this draft was done I did a reboot on the third song in the show. I didn't write a completely new song, but made big lyrical, tonal and musical changes to an existing one to set up the relationships between the characters better.

Yup - that's right, I'm finished with the first draft of The Distant Bells...which means it's time to get to work on the next draft...and the next draft...and the next draft...

Creative North

I suppose it was inevitable - if you start a blog, you end up writing at least a few entries that start with an apology for how long it's been since the last time you blogged. But, really, my blog (and website for that matter) are still in their infancy, so at least I only need to apologize to a relatively small group of people.

So, sorry it's been so long since I...you get the idea.

As I write this, I'm sitting in Key West, Florida - a very odd place from what I've seen. Sort of an odd mix of nature and white trash and gays and alcohol and palm trees and birds that sound like owls but, apparently, are not. You see why that isn't their tourism slogan, but it's pretty accurate. By the way, if you didn't know - and there's not real reason you should - Key West is home to the southernmost point in the continental United States. A location that is marked with a large...painted...thing:

So, upon arriving last night, I dutifully went there and took some pictures, squinted my eyes to see if I could see Cuba (no way in hell) and then made my way, well, north. It may seem a bit of a leap (or perhaps just overly poetic) that, as I walked, I started thinking about something I've often believed in and which I've termed the Creative Compass. Simply put, the Creative Compass (or CC) is the internal sense I try to maintain when I'm writing - a show, a song, a lyric, etc.

Tricky part about the CC is that, unlike a normal compass, North on the CC can sometimes move - and, sometimes, that is a good thing. The tricky part is figuring out when that movement is true and right and when it is a symptom of losing your direction - whether through inside or outside sources.

Believe me, there are many good reasons that things change - as you write, a show or a song or a character morphs naturally and clinging to an "old" version of any of those things can ultimately hurt the show. But so can moving to a "new" version for the wrong reason. North on the CC can't be determined by outside factors...but it also can be.

Kind of a pain, right? At least when I walked north from the southernmost point last night, I knew where I was going - of course, thousands and thousands of people had walked that path before so it was pretty easy.

I suppose finding a new path is always more of a challenge - and, generally, much, much more worth it. Long live the Creative Compass! Here ends the reading for today.

Closer or Farther Away...?

As some of you know, I did a table read of my new show, The Distant Bells, about a week and a half ago. My frequent collaborator and director of the show, Stafford Arima, assembled a wonderfully talented group of actors - Nancy Opel, Kate Baldwin, Michelle Ragusa, Matt Doyle, Andy Karl, Kasey Marino and Christopher Williams - to read the script and I made a "quick and dirty" recording of me singing through the score. No audience - just the actors, writers and director. The idea being, we get to hear the piece, basically start to finish, and assess where we are. Does the story work? Are the characters well-drawn? How does the book integrate with the score? Are the songs landing? And a hundred other questions...

I almost always learn a lot from these kinds of readings. They can be very exciting and encouraging or very upsetting and discouraging - or almost anywhere in between! So, where did this reading fall in the continuum? Well...

In the "big picture world", as opposed to the last reading we did - about 9 months ago - this time, the basic story and characters are working. Both will continue to evolve and change as the writing process continues, but it's a positive step forward that our 4 principal characters and plot/story are heading in the right direction.

Looking at the "small picture" things - ie, everything else! - there are also many positive things in both the score and book. It's not a surprise that the second half of the show has more problems than the first half - To quote Mrs. Potts, that's a tale as old as time! Not to say that the first half of the show is ready for opening night - we've got a long list of things to rewrite, tighten, focus, etc, etc, etc.

Writing is hard, but rewriting is where I think most shows ultimately live or die. Does that song work or not? Is that scene overwritten? It can be as "simple" as a line or two or as complicated as having the guts to throw out 10 pages and start over. And the choices you make will have a domino effect that might not be obvious for months down the line.

Sounds fun, right?

Funny thing is, it really can be! Frustrating too, but, if you want to tell a story, it's all part of it. And, remember, The Distant Bells is a totally original musical, not based on any source material so, when we go back to "square one" about something, we end up looking at a very, very white piece of paper!

Ok, you got me - I'm not giving away too many specific details about the show's good or bad points or even characters and story! Part of that is not to give things away for when you (hopefully!) see it one day. But I'm also a bit superstitious about letting too much of the cat out of the bag before the cat is ready for prime time...to mix a metaphor or two! So I don't like to say too much too early...

...but, as we continue to write and shape the show, I will say that I'm optimistic that a reading - a real reading where the actors sing and we invite an audience - could happen in the next few months. There are a lot of factors that will determine that of course, but it is possible that The Distant Bells might be getting"closer", little by little...

Name Dropper!

Don't you hate it when people pepper their conversation with random famous names? Usually these famous names are tossed out in such a way as to imply that their fame is insignificant to the speaker - as if it just happened to come up in conversation. It can get really old, really fast - especially if it happens often.

Annoying, right?

But here's the thing - today's blog entry is about somebody famous that I'm fortunate enough to get to work with. I could go through the entire entry using pronouns or non-specific phrases, but that would almost make it worse. The herculean effort people put into NOT dropping a name is more annoying than just saying it and moving on! So, watch your toes and clear some space, cause here it comes...

The funny part is, the reason I bring her up isn't because she's famous - not really. But you'll see what I mean soon enough...

I first worked with Chita when she did a guest spot on "Johnny and the Sprites". She played the part of the Queen of All Magical Creatures and, when her character appeared, she was greeted by a song I wrote called Welcome to Grotto's Grove. The song was mostly sung TO her, but she briefly joined in at the end, so I found myself at a recording studio with Chita to pre-record her vocals. She only sang a few lines in the song, but there was something very surreal about hearing her voice - that distinctive voice - singing something I had written. To this day, one of the most exciting theatrical experiences of my life as an audience member was seeing her in Kiss of the Spider Woman the day after she won the Tony award for her performance.

A few months after "Sprites", I was approached about briefly filling in for her music director for some concerts and club gigs - and I jumped at the chance. I learned her show - a combination of showtunes she made famous, standards and stories about her career - and did 2 concerts in large theatres as well as a 2 week run at the Rrazz Room - a more intimate "club" venue in downtown San Francisco. A little over a year later, they asked me to return as her regular pianist and I'll be doing various concerts with her in 2010, including an exciting night at Jazz at Lincoln Center on Saturday March 6!

(L-R) Jim Donica, Chita Rivera, Me & Michael Croiter

In Sarasota, FL - January 20, 2010

Working and performing with her has been a wonderful thing, but what surprised me more than perhaps it should have, was how creatively energizing she was to me. I 'm not telling any secrets when I say that Chita has been performing for a long time! And that doesn't happen unless you have something very special - and she does! In the several years I've worked with her off and on, I've never seen her just "sing" a song. She is invested in everything she performs - every song she sings is acted and interpreted and given such care, and yet it is never overdone or anything other than appropriate for the moment. It is extremely impressive! I still find myself carried away by her performance - no matter what the audience is like, no matter how tired we are or aren't, no matter how...anything. When she is on that stage, performing, you clearly see why she was, is and continues to be who she is!

And that's the funny part about it - in regards to everything I've said, she really does just "happen to be famous". I would write the same thing and get the same thrill from any actor and performer who brought the level of dedication and craft and joy and commitment to her performance. It really is something to behold and an honor and a thrill to be a part of.

So, if you wanna say this entry was me being a name dropper, that's fine - but, in a business that's as cynical and jaded as it can be, I will gladly risk the "name dropper" moniker to remind myself of the excitement, the thrill and the joy of why I do what I do. All of which is embodied in the life, career, personality and performance of...

Chita Rivera

(For info on my upcoming appearances with Chita, click on the News button at the top of your screen.)

Adaptation

Over the last few years, I've been asked to consider writing a few musicals which would have been adaptations - from books, movies, etc. Some I was excited about - the source material seemed rife with possibilities for musicalization. Others, I didn't see working out. As it turns out, I'm not working on any of those proposed projects, but I have thought alot lately about musicals that started out as something else.

I want to be clear on this from the start - I see nothing fundamentally wrong, bad or distasteful about a musical being adapted from another source. It's been going on for a long time and, when it is done well and wisely, it can lead to a really wonderful musical. In fact, one of my favorite musicals of all time, Little Shop of Horrors, was based on a movie. But in that oddball little show lies what I regard as the key to adaptations - imagination.

Take a look at the movie version of Little Shop of Horrors - certain characters and plot points will be familiar, but the musical is a very different animal from the movie - and that's a really, really good thing. It's not a good movie! The writers of the musical - Alan Menken and the late Howard Ashman - were able to see imagine and create an entirely new musical world. If they had lacked imagination - or lacked sufficient imagination - they might never have written the show or, worse yet, they might have written a straight "musical version" of the film without adapting it at all! Horrors indeed!

There are other more recent examples of well-done adaptations, but there are also - as I'm sure you've noticed - plenty of examples where it didn't go so well. Writing a musical is never easy, but, when it comes to adaptations, it sure is easier to regurgitate a movie on stage with some songs thrown in. It might even be successful - depending on how you measure success that is. (Sadly, laziness is no guarantee of failure nor is imagination a guarantee of success!) But when laziness trumps imagination, we get lazy shows, lazy producers, lazy actors and, eventually, uniformly lazy audiences.

So am I suggesting that, from now on, we do nothing but original musicals, not based on any source material? Of course not! If a show is well written and works on stage, it doesn't matter where it came from. But we need to care more about the quality of the shows being done - big shows, little shows, cheap shows, expensive shows - all kinds, all musical styles and all types of stories.

It is a sad bit of irony that, in the entertainment industry, creativity and imagination are often valued less than what I will charitably call "the easy road". We need, as an industry, to try harder, aim higher and do better. And making that level of work the norm will take the most imagination and be the biggest adaptation of them all!

(On a related note, check out my Media page to listen to a demo recording of the song " Different Kind of Man" which I wrote for a potential musical version of the indy film, Kinky Boots.)