The English Musical Theatre Orchestra recently announced that their brand new concert celebrating the very best of Broadway is coming to London and York this Spring. This extraordinary production will play tribute to some of Musical Theatre's greatest, from Rodgers & Hammerstein to Lerner & Loewe, and we took the opportunity to speak to EMTO's conductor Gregor Reid to tell us more.
Q) Some Enchanted Evening's repertoire comprises musical theatre classics performed in their raw, orchestral form – what can audiences expect from the evening?
The sound of a completely acoustic orchestra in venues as intimate as York and Richmond, will really blow you away. Each note will be something to behold. You’ll get a rich, raw, undiluted sound, identical to how these shows were originally heard. We then take you through the Greatest Hits of Broadway’s Golden-Age. Firm family-favourite songs from those classic sunday-afternoon movies. Oklahoma, My Fair Lady, South Pacific, West Side Story and so many more. There’s a lot of laughs too. Expect to wipe away tears of laughter and sadness, and we transition from classic comedy (I Enjoy Being A Girl, I Can’t Say No) to timeless tearjerkers (You’ll Never Walk Alone, Tonight).
Q) The show will visit venues in both London and York – any challenges and/or interesting stories from planning a tour with an orchestra specifically, as opposed to programming in a resident venue?
It’s a real privilege to be given the opportunity to tour with this show, and to bring it to audiences all across England. After all, we’re the English Musical Theatre Orchestra, we were formed to make sure performances like this take place across the country! We’ve already called in Manchester, and the reception was utterly breathtaking. We do make changes to the set-list for different venues, for example, we included “You’ll Never Walk Alone” when Liverpool were playing Manchester last year, and it was a firm audience favourite! It’s important that we give each city we visit a unique experience, and reflect the local culture. There are a few challenges which come with putting an orchestra on stage, specifically in a theatre. First of all, we have to tour an immense amount of staging, so our orchestra can sit on various levels facing me as conductor. Secondly, we’re touring a lot of lighting equipment, to add to the theatricality and atmosphere of each song. You can expect to see a truly mesmerising show!
Q) Two principal vocalists will perform alongside the Orchestra–how is the experience from a conductor’s perspective, working with soloists compared to musicians, and how have you found the dynamic working with both?
Well, I am constantly blown away by the musicianship of everyone in the EMTO. The orchestra accompanies the singers instinctively, they breathe and phrase their playing to match our vocalists, which gives such a cohesive and magical sound. Lisa and Roy are both accomplished and classically trained performers, they are a joy to follow, as conductor. They tell the story of each song, especially Roy’s mesmerising performance of “On The Street Where You Live” from My Fair Lady. The truly remarkable aspect of our orchestra is Sam Pope’s choice of players. Not only has he picked musicians who are incredibly virtuosic soloists in their own rights, they also blend so beautifully as a section. For example, our woodwind section is a quintet of musicians who tour the country in their own right – meaning they play so naturally together. With that in mind, I have written some new arrangements for this tour which feature solos for each instrument of the orchestra, so we can shine a spotlight on each of the twenty-six musicians throughout the night.
Q) EMTO is fairly new to the musical theatre orchestra scene–what is it about your work that would attract audiences to see/listen to your performances?
We’re one of the UK’s only professional concert orchestras solely devoted to the music of Broadway and the West End. The repertoire is some of the most demanding in the world – I’m proud to say our musicians play each part beautifully, not only with incredible musicality, but with storytelling in mind. There’s a tremendous amount of direction which goes into the sound of the orchestra, to paint the image of the story for our audiences. The biggest thing you’ll notice is this – every note which was written in the orchestration of these shows is played. No cut parts, no string parts transposed to a synthesizer. If the composer calls for it, we play it!
Q) In terms of your training, is there any difference between classical-focused and theatrical-focused musical training?
I was lucky to have a taste of both worlds, I trained at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland, then completed a postgrad at Mountview. But I don’t see a difference between the music of theatre and music of the concert hall. My conducting teacher, Simon Beck, said these words which have always stuck with me – “Music is music, is music”. They’re the same instruments, the same rules, and above all the same twelve notes. As a conductor, I approach the music of Rodgers and Hammerstein the same way I’d approach Beethoven or the Beatles. What did the composer(s) intend, what story are they telling, and how can I use my input to show the audience that? Sometimes, the musicians tell this story naturally, that’s when I stay out of the way. Other times, I suggest. “Could we try it like this?”, or “I hear this line sung in this way, let’s try both versions”. Gone are the days of dictatorial conductors who always know best, I like to make sure the EMTO is an orchestra where all performers bring ideas to the table.
Q) Following on, which would you recommend to aspiring musicians looking to start a career in performing with non-classical orchestras and ensembles?
Pick the music which you can’t get enough of. Which piece of music can’t you stop listening to? Take a look at your Spotify Wrapped… if Defying Gravity is your most played track, then I think that’s a strong indication! Which melody sings in your head endlessly? I’m lucky to find so many different genres captivating, which is key for a career in Musical Theatre. In our genre, we can be expected to work on Latin American music, Motown, R&B, Baroque, Dance, Hip-Hop and classic vaudeville music. Versatility is very important, and the ability to climb inside different styles of playing and inhabit them as your own. So, what’s my advice? Gosh, I’m not sure I’m qualified to issue any, but it would be “Play the music you love, and learn to love the music you don’t”.
Tell us in one sentence–why should audiences, be it theatre fans, music lovers or both, come to see Some Enchanted Evening?
Strap in and prepare to be blown away by two hours of incredible musicianship, storytelling and comedy – to quote an audience member in Manchester “It’s the best £32.00 I’ve spent in a long time!”.
Photography by Skye Wang
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