By Frank DiLella
Duncan Sheik, who ended up a Tony winner his first time out of the gate, explains the appeal of writing for the theatre. "As a singer/songwriter having [been in the music business] for the past 13 years, touring with a band, you sing your song for 90 minutes, you walk offstage and that's it. Having an amazing production [with] costumes, sets, really great actors speaking powerful text — all these design elements going into a show — it makes the creative process more rich and fuller. To me there's a host of reasons why working in the theatre is more satisfying than just going on the road in singer/songwriter fashion. [You have an] incredible visual element, and that's more exciting to me."
And why not compose for the Broadway stage? It is undoubtedly the world's greatest theatrical platform and can expose an artist's work to a whole new audience. If it's a hit, it can bring longevity to one's work, and it gives these accomplished icons the chance to see their work interpreted by other artists.
So it looks like Broadway is a new playground for these music industry demigods. As Armstrong reflects on the possibilities, he adds, "Wouldn't Liza Minnelli make a great punk singer?"
Frank DiLella is the theatre producer for NY1 News.
06 Sep 2009
Memphis, much like its predecessors Billy Elliot (Elton John), Spring Awakening (Duncan Sheik), 9 to 5 (Dolly Parton) and the upcoming Spider-Man: Turn Off The Dark (U2's Bono and The Edge), features new and exciting contemporary sounds courtesy of its pop/rock icon composer writing for the theatre.
Elton John photo courtesy of The Tony Awards
The Grammy Award–winning and multiplatinum band Green Day is just getting its feet wet in the theatre with American Idiot, a musical adaptation of the band's 2004 album of the same name.
Green Day's Tré Cool, Billie Joe Armstrong and Mike Dirnt photo by Phil Mucci
Enter the Rocker
Their front man, Billie Joe Armstrong, explains, "I just want to learn more about the process of theatre production. Everyone involved are the most creative people I've ever met. There's a new synergy. It would be great to write material that would be specifically for theatre."
