Out of Context is finally here!

Well, it’s been two days since the official release of Out of Context: The Songs of Michael Patrick Walker.  I would’ve blogged about this on the actual day, but it’s taken me 48 hours to recover from the amazing release concert at Birdland!  I was definitely stressed out putting the show together – there were a lot of moving parts to manage and I had to handle pretty much all of them!  But, in the end, it was a huge success, it was all worth it and a fantastic crowd was on hand to help celebrate the release. 

Me at Birdland

I’ve performed at Birdland a number of times over the last few years – but always as a part of somebody else’s show and almost never with a show that had even one song that I wrote in it.  So to suddenly find myself on stage doing my own show of all my own material – and hosting and playing piano for it – was a big old jump in the deep end of the pool. 

Noah Galvin

It was made even better by being on stage with a group of amazing musicians and singers – all there to make me look better than I could ever look on my own!  I have to say a huge thank you to the singers who sang their hearts (and lungs!) out for me – Andy Karl, Betsy Wolfe, Jim Stanek, Kenita Miller, Julie Foldesi, Noah Galvin, Peter Friedman, John Tartaglia, Andy Mientus and Lauren Kennedy. 

Andy Mientus & John Tartaglia

And an equally huge thank you to the musicians who played every song with artistry and skill – Claudia Chopek, Clay Ruede, Mary Ann McSweeney, Brian Koonin and Michael Croiter.  And an extra special thank you to Michael Croiter and Yellow Sound Label for having faith in me and the album and being so amazing at every step of the process from day one.  I’m honored to have the album released on the Michael’s and Bill Sherman’s label. 

Kelli O'Hara records "Moonflower"

While the Birdland show was a huge project for the last month or so, it would not have happened without the album so I also need to thank the wonderful people who sang my songs on the CD itself – Anne L. Nathan, Kate Wetherhead, Andy Karl, Lisa Howard, Telly Leung, Michael Arden, Andy Mientus, Kelli O’Hara, Noah Galvin, Jim Stanek, Rachel York, Peter Friedman, Kerry O’Malley, Natalie Venetia Belcon and Cheyenne Jackson.

Finishing the album and doing the launch concert gives me a wonderful sense of accomplishment, but it’s also just the finish line on one project, so as much as I’d like to relax and kick back, it’s on to the next thing.  Right now, I’m in Costa Mesa, CA for a few days performing with Chita, then it’s back home to NYC for the opening night of the Radio City Christmas Spectacular and the premiere of my brand new Rockette number – I’ll be talking about that in an upcoming blog post. 

For now, though, jump on over to the Albums page and check out Out of Context – and don’t forget to buy your copy on Amazon or iTunes!

Out of Context #2

Well, things are really rolling now!  The physical CDs arrived yesterday and, while I've been looking forward to that moment for months, I was surprised how holding one in my hand actually hit me.  I've seen and heard everything about the CD a million times, so none of it is "new" to me, but there's something different about it actually existing in its final form that is very, very cool!

The press stuff is starting to ramp up both for the Birdland concert I'm doing on Monday November 7th at 7pm and for the release of the actual album the next day.  I've been doing some interviews which and polishing the orchestrations for the concert and it's coming down the line like a freight train, so we better be ready!  I've mentioned the amazing people singing on the album and doing he concert before, but the here is the track list for the CD:

1. All About Me - Anne L. Nathan
2. Weird Little Man - Kate Wetherhead
3. Never Added Up - Andy Karl
4. Irene - Lisa Howard
5. Different Kind of Man - Telly Leung and Michael Arden
6. More - Andy Mientus
7. Moonflower - Kelli O'Hara
8. Sometimes - Noah Galvin
9. Finding Me - Jim Stanek
10. Pour Poor Me - Rachel York
11. The Wall - Peter Friedman
12. Sometimes - Kerry O'Malley and Natalie Venetia Belcon
13. I Believe - Cheyenne Jackson

For the concert, Andy Karl, Peter Friedman, Andy Mientus, Jim Stanek and Noah Galvin will be there from the album as well as Ann Harada, Kenita Miller, Julie Foldesi, Betsy Wolfe, Lauren Kennedy, John Tartaglia and Tyler Maynard.  I'll be playing piano with Michael Croiter on drums, Brian Koonin on guitar, Mary Ann McSweeney on bass, Claudia Chopek on violin and Clay Ruede on cello.

You can't hear the CD quite yet, but if you go to amazon.com you can hear snippets and whet your appetite for the full album.  And come on down to Birdland (315 West 44th Street, NYC) this coming Monday November 7th and be the first to hear it all and get your own copy of Out of Context: The Songs of...well, me!

Out of Context #1

It's been far too long since I've updated things here - especially with all of the things I've been up to since my last post. Where to start, where to start...? How about here - I've spent much of the spring and summer planning for, recording and completing my first album, Out of Context: The Songs of Michael Patrick Walker. It's a collection of thirteen songs, pulled out of context from the shows they were written for and sung by an incredible group of Broadway singers. Make no mistake, putting together an album like this is a lot of work - both for me and the other people involved - but it's also a lot of fun to do!

Picking which songs to include, figuring out who best to sing them, arranging and orchestrating the songs, recording the band, the vocals, the overdubs, figuring out the cover art, mixing, re-mixing, etc, etc and on and on! It's a lot of work but I couldn't be happier with how it's all come out and I can't wait for everybody to hear the finished product. The official release date is Tuesday November 8th, 2011 and the album is being released on the Yellow Sound Label. It will be available on Amazon.com and iTunes as well as out of the trunk of my car...if had a car.

The album itself features a few songs from The Distant Bells, a few songs from my trunk, a song from being theo and maybe even a re-imagined version of an old favorite. I'll be talking alot about the album in the coming weeks but for now I want to share two things with you all. First, the cover which hasn't been widely released yet - and here it is:

I kind of love it and big thanks to Asaf Shakham, the graphic designer on the album who did a wonderful job bringing my concept for the cover to life. By the way, you haven't lived until you've spent a half hour "picking a penguin"...

The other thing I want to share right now is that I'll be doing a live concert at Birdland here in NYC on Monday November 7, 2011 at 7pm. Featuring live performances of many songs from the album, it will also be the first place you can buy a copy of the album - so I know you'll want to check that out! Info for the show is here:

Monday November 7th and 7pm

Broadway at Birdland, 315 West 44th Street

For reservations call 212-581-3080 or visit http://www.birdlandjazz.com/event/71183/

Broadway at Birdland Presented by Jim Caruso

I hope to see everybody there and check back often (must more often than every six months!) for updates on this and several other exciting projects I've got in the works!

29 Hours?! That's Crazy!

Yesterday afternoon was the reading of my new musical, The Distant Bells and, first and foremost I have to say that it went very well. But for those of you unfamiliar with these kinds of things, it was a 29-hour reading. That means it was a very basic reading of the show. The actors stand - most often at music stands - with a binder holding their script and score. There are no costumes, props, set or lights. There is no staging aside from standing up and moving to your music stand when you're in the scene and sitting down in your chair when you aren't. A stage direction reader helps to fill in anything the audience needs to know and wouldn't get from just a reading and the music is played by, in this case, a skeleton orchestra of piano and drums.

The 29-hour part comes from the fact that each actor is limited to 29 hours of rehearsal. Now, that might sound like a lot of hours per person, but it most definitely is not. When you consider how much music has to be taught, learned, worked and polished along with character and scene work, those 29 hours fly by like a monkey in Wicked. On top of that, the creative team is usually (as we were) making changes every day to improve and hone the piece. It's a crazy week and, frankly, it is a minor miracle that any 29-hour reading ever comes together - and yet, most of them do.

Finally, on the last day of the reading, people arrive - producers, actors, agents, friends, etc - to sit in metal chairs flat on the floor under the florescent lights and see the show. It's not anything close to what the show could/would ultimately be but, in many ways, it is the purest form the show will ever take. It is about the show, the story, the characters, the music, the lyrics, the dialogue and that's really about it. It is about the actors and their portrayal of the characters to an extent, but, even that is secondary because, in such a short rehearsal period, nobody expects fully realized performances.

More changes?! The cast of the

reading of The Distant Bells

So, in the end, we do these readings to "see if there's anything there". To learn from the living portrayal of the characters as embodied by the actors. To learn from the audience response. To learn from just hearing the material come alive. In some cases, the material proves weaker than you thought on the page. In some cases, the talent of the actors elevates the material and makes it seem better than it is. Figuring out which is which is a major challenge to a good creative team.

In the end, it remains to be seen if The Distant Bells will have a future life and, if it does, what form it will take and how it will all unfold. But, I do know that, yesterday, the amazingly talented cast did me very proud! I am so grateful and indebted to Chita Rivera, Ana Gasteyer, Rachel York, Andy Mientus, James Snyder, Chris Sieber and Jason Tam! The entire creative team and staff of course has my heartfelt thanks as well, but I must single out two people that I first worked with on Altar Boyz so many years ago - my music director, Lynne Shankel (who is brilliant and wonderful in so many ways) and my director, Stafford Arima (without whose tireless insight and talent I would never have survived!). Also, a big thank you to Todd Haimes, Jill Rafson, Stephen Kopel and the Roundabout Theatre for allowing us to do this reading under their auspices.

As I relax today I find myself torn between quoting two things from the show. The first one is the last lyric in the show: "Okay, time to see what happens next". And the second is the first spoken line of the show: "Men are like Picassos - most of them are fucked up". I wrote them both and, even though the second one doesn't apply to this moment, I just like it, so I'm gonna keep them both in my head for now!

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...