Along with the announcement that the James and Giant Peach cast album I produced is now available for free download HERE, a few behind the scenes videos were released… like this one
The show, based on the Roald Dahl book, was adapted for the stage by Timothy Allen McDonald with music and lyrics by Pasek and Paul (Dogfight, A Christmas Story, Dear Evan Hansen.) Get a copy!
Here’s a fan video of the new show, “Mickey and Company,” in the Diamond Horseshoe Theatre at Tokyo Disneyland that I recorded and mixed back in January. It’s always fun to see how everything works together in the final production. We recorded all of the music here in Nashville, background vocals and mixing in the Disney production studios in Orlando.
2013 started off with three non-stop weeks of show production and recording – five different shows! I’ll try to re-capture some of the fun for you.
I recorded and mixed a score for Disney Land Tokyo’s Diamond Horseshoe Dinner Theatre. A Vaudeville show with a western flavor, composer/arranger Greg Smith wrote for a 10 piece band contracted by accordionist Jeff Taylor (The Time Jumpers, Elvis Costello) that featured a “western swing-horn band” with some killer players like guitarist Bryan Sutton, trombonist Barry Green and fiddler Matt Combs.
After recording the orchestra at The Tracking Room Studio, I mixed the project (more…)
It was certainly no surprise when, in 2009, Stephen Schwartz was inducted into the American Songwriter Hall of Fame. He’s been much awarded and has written some of my favorite shows in musical theatre (Godspell, Pippin and, of course, Wicked) as well as songs for the films Pocahontas, The Hunchback of Notre Dame, Enchanted and Geppetto. I was asked by Disney Theatrical to produce the recording of Stephen’s stage adaptation of Geppetto, My Son Pinocchio, so after much prep work, arranger/orchestrator David Weinstein, vocal contractor Lori Casteel, Stephen and I settled into The Tracking Room Studio in Nashville for the orchestra recording dates. (more…)
Producing music for theatrical productions presents many challenges you don’t often face when doing record, film or tv work. Whether for a Broadway style show or, in the case of “Shamu’s Rockin’ Creepshow”, a multi-media, live animal production, there are dialog, SFX, natural animal noises and odd playback systems to contend with. I find that a first-hand knowledge of the end use and venue can really informs my composition and production decisions for each project. (more…)
I thought I’d share a bit of our production music for Royal Caribbean’s Saturday Night Fever. This project was very fun to record and it looks like the full theatrical production will be really spectacular. Enjoy!
RCL’s preview video
In the early 1970’s, music was getting heavier and more serious all the time. Rock bands were writing album long epic journeys, and Funk became the soundtrack for a wide audience as race relations changed in America. Disco, on the other hand, was more about feeling good and forgetting your daily cares, so it’s little wonder that, at the time, Disco was thought by many to be a mindless or soulless musical movement. (more…)
At work tracking Camp Rock
In the last week of July, production for Disney’s “Camp Rock – The Musical” began in earnest here at our studio. The musical is a new theatrical work based on the songs and characters of Disney Channel movies “Camp Rock” and “Camp Rock 2” (set to air Sept 3).
Here’s a video taken by an audience member at a performance of Busch Gardens new musical, “CelticFyre”. I recorded and mixed the music for play-back with music director/arranger Gary Lensenmayer. The majority of the tracks were recorded here at my studio, with the Celtic dance sections at Windmill Lane Studios in Dublin with composer Colm O’Foghlu. I think the choreography and cast are great. Check it out, it’s in three parts if you get hooked!
