Bruce Black Bolt Tours

SISTER ACT - A DIVINE MUSICAL COMEDY: Interview with the music supervisor Michael Kosarin

In 1982, a brand new musical resonated with WPA Theater in New York. At a time when Broadway was struggling to renew Little Shop of Horrors by Howard Ashman and Alan Menken proposed for the first time an authentic musical, but based on idioms borrowed from rock and roll. And they proved it was possible to make sure to tell a true story about a good old rock.

27 years later, while Madonna was using samples of Abba and Broadway producers are seeking to renew-again-type by using the same tubes Swedish, it was time for someone to make really creative act in the matter!
And it was again Alan Menken! With his dream team-Glenn Slater and musical director Michael Kosarin-he turned this time to the idioms borrowed from the 70s/80s disco, funk and soul, to tell a new story full of meaning.

Indeed, Sister Act - A Musical Comedy Divine , which currently triumph at the London Palladium, is not only a show full of emotion and energy, but is truly a parable about redemption and opportunity to change his life.

It thus finds the familiar story of Deloris Van Cartier, who becomes, in spite of herself, witnesses a murder. What it is being integrated into the protection program witnesses and meet ... placed in a convent!
Also at ease at the outset that a fish out of water, she will finally find his voice by learning the song to her sisters and breathing new life into this community in decline, which in his grill cover. The gang will then trace him, but is not counting on his new family ...

Sister Act - A Musical Comedy Divine unusual in more ways than one, and that is precisely what we talked with his music supervisor (who doubles as a collaborator Alan Menken faithful and a recognized figure of Broadway), Michael Kosarin.

How was the musical Sister Act?
This was a few years already. Alan Menken and Glenn Slater have been approached some time ago about this. At that time, they were already working on another musical called Leap of Faith in gospel style. Moreover, we will launch the show next year, directed by Rob Ashford. We need to rotate a bit in America before joining Broadway. This will be an exciting score gospel! However, the original movie Sister Act was based on the gospel since it was the style that were singing sisters. For their part, Glenn and Alan wanted to do things differently. Then came the idea of making a musical disco. The action was then transposed into the 70's and Reno, we went to Philadelphia.

Oddly, Disney is not the producer.
Disney owns the rights. Therefore, it is a partner, but discreet. But this is not a Disney production itself. The producer is Stage Entertainment, which you need to know to be a big European production company.

What is the role of music supervisor of musical Sister Act?
That's about the same as for all production of Alan. He gives me his songs and I made arrangements from the point of view as the vocal accompaniments. In this case, it was very interesting because it is little more that women's voices, which is a real challenge. Arrangements for male voices are very few. Two or three sentences. There is the grand finale and two other numbers, but in general it really is to write for a female choir. It is both impressive and exciting because it takes more imagination to produce arrangements always interesting for one type of voice. So, I write these arrangements and then I proceeded to the orchestrator. I also write the score, instrumental music. For example, I made the introduction of songs, starting a dialogue, and the conclusion.

Little Shop of Horrors (you supervised the latest version a few years ago) and Sister Act are both based on the idea of writing a musical of musicals using a language derived from pop music. Can you talk about this fundamental aspect of the writing of these two productions? We're going
effect of a style and format originally created for radio. For Sister Act example, there are disco, funk, and elements borrowed mowtown also the musical classic. In this case, we have ensured that all these styles live as if they belonged to the same universe. Doug Besterman is our orchestrator and worked with him to ensure that our 16 musicians playing parts that sound as if they were from the same palette and all the songs are answered them in terms of style. As I said, all these styles were created to be heard on the radio and we had to adapt to be more dramatic, more theatrical, for the purpose of the scene, not those of the radio. The radio versions are provided as well as more theatrical versions should leave more room for voice, while interesting in terms of orchestration. So it was a challenge than adapting these styles to the scene, to find ways to ensure that they participate in what is played on stage.

In terms music of the 70s, what were your references? We listened
Donna Summer, The Pointer Sisters, The O'Jays, The Spinners, Wild Cherry, the Village People, then, for his songs of the men, Barry White and the Floaters. Finally, for the grand finale, we turned to Kool & the Gang. We listened to a lot of things solo or in groups to immerse ourselves in this particular well.

If Little Shop of Horrors were more parody Sister Act seems rather on the side of pastiche.
Yes. I do not think there is parody in Sister Act . Simply, by time, in deliberate wink. The aim is to ensure that the listener knows well in what universe is it in space and time, and how fast our characters dance. For example, there are some references to Shaft, but for the scene.

Sister Act does not require that disco. We find, as you mentioned earlier, elements borrowed from the musical classic, especially around the character of Sister Mary Robert.
The disco is a framework. It is used especially when the religious learn to sing. When you go to most of the songs in connection with history, "book songs", they are different styles that come in. Thus, when Sister Mary Robert sings what she feels the deepest his heart, we turned to a more traditional style because when it's the heart that speaks, there is no question of decorum.

How did you determine the style of each song?
is primarily the prerogative of Alan. All creators, composer, lyricist and writers sat down and reflected on the most appropriate style for each song, then we discussed it with Alan. It was essentially his choice. Some choices were determined by the characters, like the songs of Sister Mary Robert. But others were determined by the situation. For example, there are three lawsuits in the show, and there it is a key Shaft. So there is a certain balance between styles for characters and styles related situations.

What is your favorite song in this show?
Honestly, it changes all the time. Most often, it is one on which I work. If not, when I attend a performance, I especially love seeing the audience react and enjoy a song. My favorite is the one that the public likes for the best time for me is that I see people have fun.

For you, what makes Sister Act a musical like no other? What I
passionate and motivated me to push myself, it is primarily the type of music, which I do not often get to rub me. This is the first time I worked on the disco so it was a wonderful opportunity. This prompted me to find creative ways to write arrangements that are large exciting and unique at a time. And then there is, as I said, the fact that it is a partition predominantly female. All this has made it a very original project and really exciting!

What are you working now?
Right now, I focused almost exclusively Rapunzel for Walt Disney Pictu . This is another collaboration between Alan Menken and Glenn Slater and this is a film and 3D computer animation that will be out in a little over a year. Everything goes very fast. The songs have just been finished and am working on the arrangements. Mandy Moore will be the star as Rapunzel. It will be a different partition for Alan. In the style of guitar songwriters. Alan is currently writing music is absolutely beautiful. What we did on Enchanted was more the order of pastiche. This time, it will really be something new, with a range of sounds totally different from what you know with Beauty and the Beast and The Little Mermaid. It is a great pleasure to be part of it! That's my main project at present. We also Leap of Faith which will open next summer and we're working on as well. And then there are a number of personal projects. I accompany the Broadway legend Barbara Cook for a series of concerts around the world: Belfast, London ... and here in New York, I'm developing a show for Jane Krakowski, we will do in the context of Barbara Cook's Broadway Series at the Kennedy Center, then at Feinstein's. I finally have two other projects with Alan Menken, but it is too early to talk about it yet. All I can say is that we will bring the musical of Hunchback of Notre Dame on American soil he really deserves it! The version of Berlin was amazing! And I also work on a stage version of Newsies . When you see who are the artists who will participate, you will not believe ...