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AN INTERVIEW WITH MUSICAL SUPERVISOR DAVID CHASE On The Record’s musical supervisor David Chase graciously agreed to provide some insight on exactly what went in to making this musical happen and what the audience at Playhouse Square can expect. Q. Could you provide some background information on the show? Who came up with the idea? A. “Disney Theatricals came up with the idea awhile ago. They had this incredible catalog of songs, and wanted to find a way to showcase them without the visual [movie] images. The songs reflect what is going on emotionally with the characters. However, we did maintain the essential DNA of the songs. We wanted the audience to have the same joyful reaction that they did when they heard the songs for the first time.” Q. Why did you select the songs you did? A. “We started with the ones people would be disappointed if they didn’t hear. We wanted to be sure to touch on every decade. Then we focused on the songs that really defined the characters. We had the basic storyline that certain songs fit into, but we also based the story off the lyrics in other songs.” Q. What are some challenges you encountered in creating and working on this show? A. “The initial challenge was creating a show that isn’t a ‘book show’. Disney Theatricals and Bobby Longbottom came up with the story themselves. The next challenging element will be adding the audience. They tell you what works and what doesn’t work. This part of the process is fun because the show is constantly developing.” Q. What would you like the Cleveland audience to know about On The Record? A. “We are looking forward to showing this musical to a supportive audience who is interested in the process of show development. This has been a really joyous experience because so much of this music is joyful. This is not a theme park show. There is emotional maturity to it.” ROBERT LONGBOTTOM: THE MAN BEHIND THE MUSICAL A seasoned veteran of the Broadway stage and beyond, Robert Longbottom has the honor of directing the world premiere of Disney’s latest musical, On The Record. Mr. Longbottom is not shy when it comes to the spotlight. He began his career as a performer in musicals such as 42nd Street, Little Johnny Jones and Me and My Girl before taking on other challenging roles as a director and choreographer. Mr. Longbottom earned many accolades for his work on productions such as Side Show, The Scarlet Pimpernel, Anything Goes and received a 2003 Tony® Award nomination for Best Choreography for the revival of Flower Drum Song. Not only is he directing and choreographing On The Record, he was the co-conceiver of this brilliant project. The world is anxiously waiting to see if this tireless worker can once again create theatrical magic! |
