Cuckolds video promo

Promo video for the play, which opens in sneak preview tonight. I wrote this little musical ditty, and I'm playing harpsichord (somewhat badly) too!


CMU School of Drama Presents: The London Cuckolds! from The London Cuckolds on Vimeo.

Braces, Carmina Burana

I got braces! I am strapped into these sexy babies for the next 10 months. I had been thinking about getting them for, oh, the last fifteen years. I guess there's no time like the present now that I can make my own decisions and do it for myself. I will also be better than my 13-year-old self at wearing a retainer so they don't go back to their old habits of some in front, some in back. As Sally said, "it's gonna be so great...when it's all over." Luckily I don't have to have them on as long as I anticipated, as my teeth aren't totally snaggly (yet); the price not as expensive (though the option for Les Invisilignes state-of-the-art transparent braces was completely out of the question due to exorbitant price); and the orthodontist made the top ones clear for the same price as the normal bottom row. The weirdest part is relearning how to eat without much use of my front teeth, and dealing with some temporary bumps put on my molars, which prevent some teeth from touching each other. It's a time-out for you, bicuspids.

Cuckolds ended up going very well, and I even got a shout-out in Pittsburgh's City Paper. And I quote: "...Cuckolds offers spectacle...Nathan Hall's original score keeps the tone peppy." They asked for peppy and that is what they got! And on the final night there was a standing ovation for everyone, which was awesome that the audience liked the production so much! My favorite music in the movements ended up being repeated a few times, which can be heard on my website here (simply click on the London Cuckolds for the audio sample and don't forget to adjust the volume). It's a short scene change for bassoon, pizz strings, and tambourine. Peppy, indeed.

I also sang Carmina Burana with the Symphony and Mendelssohn Choir two weekends ago. It was the first time I ever did more than the "O Fortuna" movement. The piece really grew on me, especially after reading about the organization of the piece literally according to the Wheel of Fortune (not the Vanna kind). This which is why several movements suddenly go from violent percussion clangs and blaring brass to love songs and sweet dolce strings, and then back again, all within the same section. Or emotionally, from "joy to bitterness, hope to grief" (says wikipedia) and back again. Several of the movements that I hadn't paid much attention to in the past really grew on me, especially the songs with the baritone solos (and falsetto). But the best part was getting to sing great men's parts and shout "Hei!" and "Na Za Za!" and "Io!" a lot. Through my braces.

Picture right: Braces. Sexy, non? I'd make out with me.

Opening Scene to Cuckolds

Thanks to the joys of Youtube, we can now view the dress rehearsal of Cuckolds, which is a 2-minute overture I wrote and arranged, and was choreographed! The only thing I didn't write was the ass-slapping.

Go see Cuckolds before it's over! The last show is this Saturday at 8pm. I'm really pleased at how it turned out- they pumped up the bassoon jams in it too!

London Cuckolds Opening

Tonight marks the premiere of the CMU Drama School performance run of The London Cuckolds, to which I've recorded the incidental music. It's been a while since I've handed over my work to the sound designers, and I just couldn't stand waiting for Saturday afternoon when I could get to see the show, so I snuck in late last night and peeked in on the dress rehearsal. I got to see the Grand Finale music and the curtain call, and I couldn't be happier! The sets are beautiful, the lighting is suptuous, and I think the performance is going to be hilarious. But I wasn't there for the acting, per se...I was spying on my music, which blossomed in just the right place and surrounded the theater with sound.

I know the music is incidental. They don't call it that for nothin'- you could take it out and you'd still have a play. Nevertheless, I worked closely with the faculty to create music that (I hope) has become the foundation from where the play can take off. It's a period piece, written in the 17th century, but certain liberties have been taken with language, costumes, humor, etc. to make it more accessible (and knowing Drama students, scantily-clad). Likewise, the music sounds Baroque, as it was taken from Scarlatti Sonatas, but every now and then it's "tarted up" a bit with modern harmonies, and a certain sense of humor that still sounds like I could have written it. There should also be a dance choreographed to the music at the very opening, and a tiny song in the middle faked on the harpsichord. It's about pussycats...sort of. I don't write the wordz, I just sets 'em.

If the music in the final scene is any indication of how the rest of the pieces will sound, I think this could be one of the best showcases of my work, ever! Writing the music wasn't too difficult once I understood what the drama department was looking for. I'm also guessing that if I ever do another theater production, other departments will not be as intuitive about what they want to receive-I think this was a very cooperative collaboration!

This is the first music I've written for a production, and the biggest ensemble I've led, and the biggest audience that will be listening to it (albeit inactively). Even better was the fact that it's the first music I've gotten compensated for writing. A little daunting, in hindsight.
Certainly I owe many thanks to everyone involved! But let's not thank everyone yet...at least not until I see the whole thing on Saturday. Fingers crossed.

Come see The London Cuckolds!
Feb 19-28
Shows Tuesday-Friday at 8pm, Saturdays at 2pm and 8pm.
Call the CMU Drama School box office for tickets 412-268-2407.
(CMU School of Music students get in for free, thanks to a generous offer by the School of Drama.)

Basic plot, cast, and info can be found here.

I hope you enjoy the show!

London Cuckolds recording session

A couple pictures from the recording session to the CMU School of Drama's spring play, The London Cuckolds. It was very early in the morning, hence the picture where everyone's asleep. We had to tip the harpsichord on its side to get into the recording studio (thanks to about five extra sets of hands) but we managed to wrangle it in, record in record time, and the music should be edited and ready in about a week!

November dentists, jewelry, operas

November has been full of surprises. I went to the dentist today and I am bummed that I have a cavity which will need to be filled. On the other hand, I have been cavity-free for twenty years! That's a pretty good track record. I chose the dentist because his office is super close to my apartment, but it's also in a really great retro building with great a midcentury-modern sign. Indeed, the interior is funky too. And the staff includes a hilarious lesbian dental hygienist. She told me, "I can't cook for sh*t, but I'm a total gay man when it comes to decorating". They also have a resident huge dog that wanders the office, but the dentist said nobody is allowed to pet it until the end of the day. Thank goodness. No dog germs in mouths allowed.

I got some of my jewelry accepted into the Holiday mART at Sewickly, PA's Sweetwater Center for the arts. I made a mix of funk and traditional things in hopes I could make a little cash and raise some money for their arts programs. Here's some samples.
I recorded the music to the Drama School's spring play, The London Cuckolds, and it's being edited now. I think it's going to sound great in the space of the theatre, and I can't wait to see the show go up. I was surprised that the editing is going so smoothly. The engineer is able to speed up some movements slightly without sounding distorted, which I think will give the scene changes an extra boost of vivacity.

I'm feeling pretty good about feeling like I have a direction in life, which includes eventually teaching music, hopefully specifically composition. Though other projects may happen in the meantime, I think it's the first time in my life where I'm able to feel like I'm not wishywashy about what I'd like to do for a long period of time. It feels pretty solid. Just in time for my five-year college reunion this summer.

I was also asked to join my friend in seeing The Grapes of Wrath, a new opera by Ricky Ian Gordon that played in Pittsburgh for the last two weeks. I really enjoyed it; it was my first professional opera experience and I'm glad it was 1. accessible, 2. theatrical, and 3. in English. There was also a great harmonica part in the orchestra. I had met the composer last year, and it was great to hear his personal perspective on writing the work and its drawn-out revision process. There was one ridiculously over-choreographed scene, but the rest of the 3 hours went by quickly (thank you to whoever included a men's shower scene with a real working shower). I also teared up twice, as well is to be expected in Grapes– like the book, the opera don't end so hot. The orchestration also thins out to nothing by the end of the opera, with a silent curtain call, and it is very effective.
Opera is not my genre of choice- I know little about it and I've only recent come to understand more fully why the music and actors interpret it differently than musical theatre or art song. I feel like I'm ready for a more "classical" opera performance. But I will not be ready for any Wagner any time soon.