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Henry VIII: All Is True (2024)
Directed by Sam White
Design Notes:
For this production we were playing in the 16th Century. This in mind, I kept my musical sound palette to instruments appropriate to the time: Lute, Violins Viol, Flute, Cornet, & Trumpet. To quote my director, this play has "conspiracies, ruthlessness, complicated relationships, justice vs. injustice, huge conversation here about reproductive autonomy and much more". In regards to sound we wanted to feel the weight of all that.
The transition music is something I equate more to be "Henry's Theme". It is copy and pasted to be the exact same every single time. It is imposing and incessant to give a sense of looming foreboding, even when a moment seems more celebratory, I wanted to keep coming back to this same theme as a reminder of just how much power this man held and how he chose to wield it. He is this constant force people's livelihoods are tied to and he won't let you forget it.
There is a moment where Katherine asks to be soothed by music by one of her ladies-in-waiting, Anne Bullen. She sings a song about Orpheus. This song, I was heavily inspired by "Greensleeves". Though it hasn't been proven, I feel the association with Henry VIII and that tune/poem has definitely entered the zeitgeist. When this song is first sung, it is performed by Anne accompanied by a lute played by another actor. It is reprised and re-orchestrated once Anne is coronated. This is not the last time I make reference to this piece. Towards the end of the play before Katherine passes, she has a vision of her and Henry in their youth. I underscored this momement by taking the "Orpheus" song, originally in the key of D minor, and putting it into D major.
Audio Files
Qlab Screenshots
Cue Sheets
Sheet Music
Pásale Pásale (2024)
Directed by Maria Patrice Amon
Design Notes:
An immersive swap-meet musical conceived and directed by Maria Patrice Amon. Book & Lyrics by Mario Vega. Music & Lyrics by Eliza Vedar. "Set against the backdrop of the bustling Rive Swap Meet, "Pásale Pásale" transports audiences into a vibrant world where laughter, music, and solidarity reign supreme. When Señor Muchacosas decides to raise vendors' fees, a wave of anxiety sweeps through those already struggling to make ends meet. However, amidst the uncertainty, audiences become active participants in the journey towards self-determination, standing in solidarity with the vendors as they navigate the challenges ahead."
It was an interesting process as I had several responsibilities beyond being composer/lyricist. I was music director/rehearsal accompanist. For performances I was on keys as well as conductor for a 3 piece band) In addition to being sound designer for this production. Throughout the development of Pásale Pásale something that was always kept of the forefront was how to tell this story about community within the structure of a musical theatre piece while finding ways to be immersive all the down to the music.
From the start with our opening number, we are introduced to each of the vendors we'll be meeting through the story and towards the end audience members are taught a simple melody and encouraged to sing along. This happens within multiple songs. Each of the vendors musical motifs are established in the opening number and meant to reflect each of their personalities. With each song and motif I wanted them to be simple, catchy, and accessible for audiences to be able to sing and recognize from one refrain. The chord progressions I use are also simple and easy to loop for moments where actors are improvising mid-song to interact with audience members.
Almost all the sound effects beyond the songs were also played live. The band existed part of the swap meet able to react to the action sonically. The only cues played through Qlab were sounds created by electronics in the world such as a mother video calling to check in on her daughters or a robot that makes Halo-Halo.
Songs
Qlab Screenshot
Pasale Sound Effects
00:00 / 00:47
Speaker Plot/Rental
Arrowhead (2024)
Directed by Jenna Worsham
Design Notes:
Arrowhead is about a woman named Gen. "Gen is unexpectedly pregnant. Gen is also a lesbian. Yeah, it’s confusing. So Gen does what any unexpectedly pregnant lesbian with a doe-eyed, (potential) arsonist of a girlfriend must: she goes and throws a secret abortion party at a lake house with her straight friends from college. With the arrival of her lesbian best friend and a few other unexpected visitors…what could go wrong? A tale of love, queerness, identity… and cat trees.".
My director had mentioned fairly early on that she wanted to treat transitions as more interstitial moments of storytelling and music selection would be key. My initial thoughts on this piece based on the description alone was to approach it as a coming of age film just at a little later age. You're never too old to go on a journey of self-discovery. I wanted to create a soundtrack akin to the lesbian movies of late 90s to early 2000s like "But I'm A Cheerleader", "Saving Face", "Bend It Like Beckham". Silly, campy, and fun but with a lot of heart and being really grounded in the realities of getting older.
I think about the phenomenon of when you see someone you haven't seen in a while you revert back t the person you were when you met and so I chose music I feel the characters would've listened to when they were in college. I think about who are these characters when they are in this lake house they grew up in? Who are they away from the pressures of city life? All songs are by queer artists or with explicit queer themes. that give the pop punk feel that was super popular in the late 90s/early 2000s while also being very intentional of the lyrics I was showcasing.
The exception being at our climax where Gen's girlfriend has come out to the lake house and sets a cat tree on fire after realizing that Gen has cheated on her. The song "Haunted House" by Sir Babygirl feels much more recent as a harsh shift back into the reality of the situation.
Link to Spotify Playlist:
https://open.spotify.com/playlist/5iPd61yAAwkxVrYo24vRuM?si=TggWRtLhSQ-FX2Zfozudzg
Audio Files
Arrowhead Opening Sequence
00:00 / 00:32
Arrowhead Drum and Vibes
00:00 / 00:18
AH Transition- Since When Are You Gay_ Q105-Q106
00:00 / 00:25
AH Lily Virtual Space Q115-Q130
00:00 / 00:20
AH Transition The Con Q133-Q134
00:00 / 00:40
AH Transition Baby Bump Q138-Q139
00:00 / 00:26
AH Transition Closer Q150-Q151
00:00 / 00:21
AH Transition Call Your Girlfriend Q154-Q158
00:00 / 00:46
AH Transition She Likes Girls Q169-Q171
00:00 / 00:32
AH Cat Tree_Haunted House Q175-Q180
00:00 / 00:53
Qlab Screenshots
Cue Sheet
Speaker Plot/Rental
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