Paul Loesel: "Wicked" Keyboarist and "Up and Coming" Composer

I was recently able to talk for a bit with Paul Loesel, keyboardist of "Wicked," and half of the composing team Burkell and Loesel who are planning the opening of a show Off-Off-Broadway and the release of their first CD this November. Here is the result, for you, my lovely followers… Loesel started his college career majoring as an organ player. He grew up playing it in church, knew he loved music, and decided the life of an organist was for him. This changed when one night, taking a break from his practice room at Western Michigan's school of music, his attention was caught by some choral music down the hall. "I stuck my ear to the door and looked in, and it was the theatre department rehearsing the school's production of Sweeny Todd… There was a woman down there playing piano, and I'm like, 'I wanna do that!'" He immediately switched his major to piano performance, set on becoming a pit musician. And a pit musician he became, starting with Off Broadway and smaller shows, working up to substituting for keyboardists on Broadway shows such as "The Lion King", and finally landing the position of keyboardist for the smash hit "Wicked." "Wicked is my first full time, when I have my own chair," he says of the show he's played for from its opening, "It's the best gig in the world!" Loesel has also found time, when not delighting audiences of one show or another with his keyboard skillz, to write several shows and even more hilarious cabaret songs with his writing partner Scott Burkell. They met doing summer stock at the Barn Theatre in Michigan. "…towards the end of the season, [Scott] just randomly said, 'Have you ever written a song? A theatre song?' And I said, 'No.' He said, 'Do you want to?' And I said, 'sure.'" And thus the partnership was born. The two have collaborated on two musicals, "The Extraordinary Ordinary" (originally "Six of One") and "Ella Minnow Pea." "The Extraordinary Ordinary" is set for an Off-Off-Broadway opening in November at the Clurman Theatre in Theatre Row, and a transfer to Off-Broadway after its limited three week run is in the works. According to Burkell and Loesel's website (www.ScottandPaul.com), "This contemporary musical follows a year in the life of six close friends. The characters, most in their early thirties, question everything: careers, friends, marriages, and even sexuality. This optimistic musical comedy examines the fact that one's life is mostly lived in small day-to-day ways, sitting with a friend and talking about the weather, but in that very smallness is where one often finds the most extraordinary things." The show has had several readings and workshops at Cap 21 and ASCAP and was produced in full at the Philadelphia Fringe Festival. It was then set on a shelf for awhile until a representative from Dreamlight Theatre Company approached Burkell and Loesel about the show. "(He) wondered what was going on with the piece and wondered if we were interested in looking at it again. And we thought, 'Well sure, why not?' … In the past year we've really improved the show. We've ripped it to shreds," says Loesel. Five songs were replaced with other songs, new scenes were written, and two new readings have put them to the test. Opening night is set for November 30th at the Clurman. "We're very pleased with where the show is now; very excited to get into our production!" Along with their upcoming show, Burkell and Loesel are planning the release of the first CD of their work. "It's just a collection. We'll say it's the songbook of Burkell and Loesel," Loesel said when asked what material would be included, "We're going to have 13 tracks. Three of those 13 are from 'The Extraordinary Ordinary.'... The other ten songs are cabaret songs we've written over the years: both old, from 12, 13 years ago, and new that we just wrote in the last year or two." The two have a myriad of Broadway friends lined up to take part in the CD: Marin Mazzie, Jason Danieley, Stephanie J. Block, Kate Baldwin, Christopher Fitzgerald, Liz Callaway, Brian D'Arcy James, Jennifer Laura Thompson, Lisa Howard, etc. How were these stars amassed? "[Marin and Jason] actually did our very first reading of 'Six of One.' They were friends of both Scott and I from the Barn Theatre (and)…. I met Stephanie doing Wicked… It's just a matter of Scott and I getting our name out there as new, 'up and coming' composers. That phrase 'up and coming composers' is strange because we've been writing together for 18 years, but still, we're 'up and coming.' " The CD will be released sometime in November, and will most likely be accompanied by a Birdland concert to recreate it live. Loesel's advice for aspiring composers? "Take classes, study with someone, but once you leave college and you're off on your own, feel free to explore and break the rules that you learned. You have to follow your own ear and what you're drawn to musically, whether someone says that's right or wrong, because that will lead to a new sound." And we can't wait to hear the new sounds Burkell and Loesel will be treating us to this November! For more information about the duo and to hear music from their musicals and cabaret shows, visit www.scottandpaul.com. Till latah, Jess

Erin Wilson on Touring With Wicked, Greenville, and Mishaps During the Show

Erin Wilson is currently performing on the 2nd national tour of Wicked in the ensemble and as an understudy for Madame Morrible. Regionally, she had done great shows like Grease (as Cha-Cha) and West Side Story (as Velma.) She answered a few questions for us on what life is like on tour and her theatrical journey so far. -When did you know you wanted to pursue acting? What training did you recieve? I was always a performer. Seriously, I'm pretty sure I came singing and dancing out of the womb! I started dancing at age 3 and never stopped training. I started singing in church and when I would play the piano and knew I had a knack for it which eventually led to finding good vocal teachers. I started acting in high school and received my BFA from BYU in Acting and Musical Theater. I have always searched for classes, teachers and training that helped me to grow and stretch myself beyond what I ever could have imagined as a kid who knew she wanted to be on Broadway. -What was the audition process like for Wicked? How many times did you have to audition/go to a callback? I went to an open equity dance call and Wayne Cilento [choreographer of Wicked] happened to be there. I made it past a few rounds and eventually was asked to sing. This is the ONLY audition I have ever not brought my audition book to {I was pretty sure I would get cut} and when they asked me to stay and sing I was freaking out. Luckily my friend was also kept and she SO kindly let me use her book. I flipped through the songs and realized the only song I knew well enough was "What I Did For Love" from A Chorus Line {coincidentally a show in which Wayne was an original cast member} and kind of nailed it. PURE LUCK and adrenaline because this isn't a song I sing, just one I know! This began my auditioning for Wicked--I was asked back later 2 more times to sing/dance/read for casting and creatives and finally booked it. -What is your favorite and least favorite thing about touring? My favorite thing is the first day in a new theater. So fresh, so exhilarating. My least favorite thing is packing and not getting to have a printer, a kitchen aid mixer, and a sewing machine at my disposal :) -Reaching back a little bit, what did you think of Greenville and what did find to do here? (I love this question. According to Carmen Cusack, we have good spas? ) Yes, you have a great spa right next to the Westin {can't recall the name right now}. You have a a great little downtown area with lots of fun shops and restaurants. I shared many meals at the Underground Coffee Shop and that fresh Mexican place. I thought the weather was beautiful, except when there was an ice storm! No one liked that!! -Can you recall any funny mishaps during your run? Machinery malfunctions, funny adlibs? Oh wow...well, the other day I was standing on stage to start the show and felt something at my feet. I looked down and my skirt had fallen off. I had a different costume underneath and had to run off and try to get it back on quickly. I missed a bit of the number but not too much. We had a roach fly onto the stage once. Let's just say I took care of it :) I don't really recall any funny adlibs, but I do remember the day that our old Fiyero mixed up his lyrics in Dancing Through Life. It worked out, it just made us giggle through the number. -What are some cool details about the sets, props, or costumes that people should look out for or know about? The costumes are INCREDIBLE. I mean, if you could see them up close you could see all of the gorgeous detail. One of my favorite costumes is the pirate-esque Emerald City costume worn by a male dancer swing. If you see it you'll know that a swing is on and get to see the brilliance of it! Elphaba's No Good Deed dress looks black from the audience but is actually woven with lots of gorgeous color. It is one of the most exquisite costumes in the show. All of our books we use in [What is This Feeling?] and [Dancing Through Life] are written in German. We have no idea what they say but during rehearsal and tech when we would have down time we had a competition to see who could find the longest word. I think I found a word with 36 letters in it. -What made you decide to start your blog? I actually started my blog as an outlet from auditioning. I was in kind of a limbo state with my career and needed something else to focus a few hours a day on that didn't have anything to do with musical theater or getting a job. It continues to be a wonderful creative outlet for me and a great place to journal my life and experiences I am now having on tour. -Finally, if you could dreamcast and star in a show of your choice, which show would you pick and who would you cast? Oh wow...that's hard! I would first want it to originate a role and build it from the ground up with a brilliant director like Joe Mantello or Des McAnuff. Such respect for them. Then I would want to cast it with my brilliant friends and colleagues who would kill it nightly. But I would like to play Fanny Brice {Funny Girl}, Mama Rose{Gypsy}, Lucille Frank {Parade}, Cathy {Last 5 Years}, Mrs. Lovett {Sweeny Todd} and a whole slew of other roles. Thanks for answering our questions, Erin! Check out Erin's blog here: http://www.erin-wilson.blogspot.com/ and go catch her in the 2nd national tour of Wicked, schedule here: www.wickedthemusical.com/page.php#WickedCitiesonTour

New Arrangement

Philip and I have a new arrangement! He's going to post every Wednesday and I'm posting ever weekend. We might actually remember to update this way. :)

Random thought of the week: Julia Murney is amazing. The end.

Right now, if you are reading this, go to youtube and watch her sing "Raise the Roof" from the Wild Party. You may recognize her name because she's played ELphaba on Broadway. One of the few people, in my expert opinion, that is convincing during "As Long as You're Mine." Go watch her ALAYM with Sebastian Arcelus too. Right now. (Best alaym award goes to Stephanie J. Block and Sebastian- defo cheaters cause they're married, but Julia's and Seb's is also amaazing.)

Second random thought of the week: Kelli O'Hara is amazing.

Kelli is playing Nellie Forbush in South Pacific currently, opposite Paolo Szot. She's recently been in The Pajama Game- based on the old movie- and Light in the Piazza opposite Matt Morrison. Matt Morrison was part of the original revival (paradox?) cast of South Pacific as well- as Lt. Cable- before going off to be some big, famous TV star in Glee. But we all love him anyways. Soo back to Kelli. She also has a solo album out that is on my Christmas list. Judging by the 30 second clips on itunes, I may not be able to go on with out it.

The end. :) More randomness next week.

Love,
Jess