Re: [Harp-L] Hunter & Rubin Comments/Stories

[Winslow Yerxa <winslowyerxa@xxxxxxxxx>]

The dancers for the Big River overture are something new to me; I've
always done it just with fiddle and guitar, with the harmonica starting
everything. I like the touch of having it come out of a lone player
improvising.

Like you, I've found conductors quite willing to let the harmonica
player add things (often doubling fiddle or bass clarinet) or even
receive special feature attention (sometimes by way of helping a singer
with an entrance, as in playing a solo chorus of "Crossing to the Other
Side"). Sometimes it even extended to interacting with the actors (like
having a swordfight with the Duke at the end of the Entr'acte). I think
that conductors are often fascinated by the harmonica when they
discover a good player and are both stimulated and willing to allow
some creative latitude.

It's also true that the community of theater people has an energy and
camaraderie that is quite different from that of just musicians and is
well worth experiencing. Theater has some odd traditions like wishing
someone good luck by saying, "Merde!" (The French equivalent to "Break
a leg," which literally means "sh*t and which, when you think about it,
is every bit as counter-intuitive as its English-language counterpart);
and like not mentioning "the Scottish play" by name (Shakespeare's
Macbeth; it's considered to be show-killing bad luck to speak its name,
and though no-one will admit to believing it, everyone honors it).

Winslow

--- IcemanLE@xxxxxxx wrote:

> The Broadway show "Big River" is sometimes revived and played in
> smaller  
> regional venues. It is a fun production with excellent songs in an
> old timey  
> style and features harmonica prominently in the score.
>  
> I was asked to do a two week run of this show in Dearborn, Michigan
> way  back 
> in 1995 or so. Reading music definitely helped get me the gig.
> Because the  
> director was willing to think outside the box, I had a great time
> working this  
> show. He allowed creative input and even assigned me a small speaking
> part as 
>  one of Huck Finn's "boys" in the cave.
>  
> I was allowed to play percussion instruments in the pit orchestra
> when not  
> playing the harmonica. Unbelievably, the director also liked my
> opening concept 
>  and allowed the harmonica to actually bring the show into existance
> every  
> evening. Dressed in period Huck costume, I wandered out onto a dark
> stage after 
>  the curtain went up, improvising on harmonica, as if I were walking
> down a  
> country road amusing myself. A lone spotlight followed me as I
> meandered out 
> to  center stage. The opening theme was part of my improv - in other
> words, I 
> played  around with the melody, making it appear that I was creating
> it out of 
> snippets  of improvisational moments. When I hit center stage, I
> paused, 
> looked around and  then hit the opening theme at tempo, using body
> English to 
> "conduct" so that the  lights came up and orchestra joined me on the
> downbeat. It 
> was a great moment  relived every night for two weeks - bringing a
> stage play 
> to life through the  harmonica from darkness, silence and improv. If
> you aren't 
> familiar with the  opening of this show, a fiddler and guitar player
> join the 
> harmonica player on  stage and dancers start streaming out from stage
> left 
> and right - in this  particular production, they also came down the
> aisles from 
> the back of the house  through the audience to the stage. It is a
> real lively 
> introduction full of  movement and sound.
>  
> To experience a stage production of this sort is highly recommended -
> the  
> "family" of show people involved is much more diverse and lively than
> being in a 
>  band only. Also, it does give insight into how to create a more
> successful  
> experience for an audience using all senses, timing and movement -
> more so 
> than  just standing on stage playing music - a worthy experience for
> all you  
> serious performers.
>  
> The Iceman
> 
> 
> 
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