Together and with The Power of We, we can start a revolution. One Soul at a time... ~Jon Bon Jovi *** There's a Story on every street corner, my friend. All you have to do is open your eyes... ~Richie Sambora

Memphis Opening in London...

Thursday, October 23, 2014

BWW Interviews: David Bryan, Tony-Winning Composer Of MEMPHIS!


BWW Interviews: David Bryan, Tony-Winning Composer Of MEMPHIS!
Whenever I get to combine some of my major interests in one, it's always a joy. Recently I got to speak to a Tony Award-winning composer who also happens to be part of one of my favourite groups of all-time, whom I first saw perform nearly 20 years ago (obviously, I was very young then).
David Bryan - for it is he, the keyboardist for Bon Jovi - is in London ready for the opening of Memphis, the musical he wrote with Joe DiPietro and which snaffled itself a bagful of Tony Awards back in 2010. Beverley Knight and Killian Donnelly are leading the cast of this American story for a brand-new British audience.
"We started rehearsals in September, I went back home, then came back here and now we're polishing it," he says. "We're here for every inch of it.
"Beverley and Killian are wonderful people. They're sweethearts. I saw Killian in The Commitments, and Bev in The Bodyguard. Killian is a great actor and singer; Bev is a gift from heaven and for her to sing my songs, I'm the luckiest guy on the planet.
"The whole cast - we came over here and wanted to make it special, so we look at the strengths of each of their voices and make it better for them."
So how will British audiences respond to a very American tale?
"That's the question I've asked myself over and over again!" he says. "How will they perceive this? In previews, you can see it. When the curtain opens up, it looks like the 1950s. You really believe that you're in Memphis in the 1950s and you see the dangers of racism, the birth of civil rights, and a love story. We don't hit you over the head with the ugliness - the audience discovers that for itself."
And the reputation of the Shaftesbury as a bit of a graveyard for musicals isn't a worry.
"It actually looks like the sister theatre to the Shubert [where the show played in New York]. It was built around the same time and feels around the same size. For me, Memphis has always been a blessed piece. When I was growing up, there was hate. I looked around and saw that it was so wrong. I got to go round the world with my rock band, and you can bring harmony. When I was growing up, I didn't see a lot of theatre, it wasn't in my blood - but this is an important piece. It celebrates what brings us together. This is an interracial love story. Whether you're black or white you're a human - and that's what matters."
Bryan and DiPietro have also worked together on The Toxic Avenger - a hilarious show revelling in B movies and bad taste, which hasn't made the leap over the pond as yet.
"He came to me with the idea - I thought sure, why not. And he wrote it up and I was like, 'That is so funny, and wrong.' So wrong that it's right. It was fun! It will rear its ugly head again - you haven't seen the last of it."
And the pair are currently collaborating on a show about a female song publisher, set in the 1960s.
"Musicals take, like, seven million years," he declares, then clarifying, "or, like, eight years, so you immediately start working on stuff. So we're stacking them up a little bit - I figured I've got time to do four more, and then I'm dead."
He laughs. Wouldn't rule out more Tony Awards for this rock'n'roll interloper on Broadway, either.
Memphis plays at the Shaftesbury Theatre.

Read more...

Queenie's Loyal Subjects

About Me

My photo
I am and always have been a Bon Jovi fan. This blog is just my obsession taken a step further, my imagination in high gear if you will. I love to read and decided to see what would happen when I took that love of the written word and ramped it up a bit.

You Can Go Home

Jon Bon Jovi Soul Foundation

The Traveling Guitar

What Q Has to Say

30th Anniversary Access Hollywood Advil Aftermath of the Lowdown Albums AMAs American Idol Articles Auctions Avon Awards Bamboozle Festival Because We Can Because We Can - the Tour Benefit Concert Biker Bash Billboard bits and bobs Bon Jovi Books Born to Be My Baby Bruce Springsteen Burning Bridges Calvin and Hobbes Campaign Can Do Awards Cari Quinn Characters Unite Christmas CNN Comics Concerts Contests Danny Gokey Daughtry David Bergman David Bryan Digital Download Disaster Aid Discography Diving Into Hampton Water Do What You Can DVDs DVR Alerts Extra Facebook Fan Club favorites Fictionistas Football Forbes Fun Stuff Fundraisers Golden Globes Golf Greatest Hits gulf shores Hamptons Happy Now Hard Rock Calling Holidays Hugh McDonald Hurricane Sandy In Memoriam Inside The Actor's Studio Interviews Jazz Fest Jennifer Nettles Jon Bon Jovi Jon Bon Jovi and Friends Jon Bon Jovi Soul Foundation Keep The Faith Kings of Suburbia Letterman London Love's The Only Rule Madison Square Garden Master Class MDA Telethon Memphis Merchandise Merry Christmas Midnight Mission Miscellaneous Mohegan Sun Montreal Movies MTV Awards Music New Jersey New Meadowlands Stadium New Years Eve News No Apologies NY Giants O2 Orianthi Out and About People Magazine Philadelphia Soul Philanthropy Pictures President Obama Promo Q Quebec quickie Rants Real Estate Rehab Reviews Richie Sambora Rock and Roll HOF Rock Band 3 Rock in Rio Rock of Ages rock star baby Rockin' Rio Royal Beach RSO Slippery When Wet SoHo Penthouse Soraia Soul Kitchen St. Bart's Story Updates Streaming Stumping Superman Tonight Superstorm Sandy TaraLeigh Taryn Elliott TDB Television The Band The Circle The Circle Tour The Grammys The Grove The Today Show The Tony's This Ain't A Love Song This House is Not For Sale This is Our House Throwback Thursday Tickets Tico Torres Tour Dates Toxic Avenger Tribeca Film Festival Twilight Twilight Saga Valentine's Day VH1 Videos Washington DC wayback wednesday We Weren't Born to Follow Webcast What About Now What Do You Got When We Were Beautiful White House Council White Trash Beautiful Wine WTC Anniversary WTF You Can Go Home

  © Blogger template Brownium by Ourblogtemplates.com 2009

Back to TOP