#26
Posted: 5/21/06 at 9:40pm
Micheal John LaChuisa sent me a PM on here, thanking me for complimenting SWIWS on one of the boards. It may have been an imposter, but if not, he's really nice =)
Nicest Composers — Page 2
#27
Posted: 5/21/06 at 9:54pm
It's him.
I met Jason Howland at the closing of Little Women and he was really appreciative. I don't know what I'd do if I even SAW Sondheim.
I met Jason Howland at the closing of Little Women and he was really appreciative. I don't know what I'd do if I even SAW Sondheim.
"You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view - until you climb into his skin and walk around in it."
To Kill A Mockingbird
To Kill A Mockingbird
#28
Posted: 5/21/06 at 10:03pm
I went with a friend of mine to visit a college she was visiting and that day there was some sort of lecture by Stephen Sondheim. Now, we weren't allowed in as it was for graduating students only, but we saw him from afar coming out. I didn't want to get any closer. I wanted to, but I knew I'd make a fool out of myself and I certainly didn't want to infront of Mr.Sondheim. But my friend just leaped on over there and talked to him for like 6 minutes and came back happily with two autographs. Obviously, I regret not going over there with you but then I assure myself that I would have made a fool out of myself anyway.
Which I would have.
Anyway, she said he was nothing but very kind and appreciative. Good for him.
Which I would have.
Anyway, she said he was nothing but very kind and appreciative. Good for him.
"It's a great feeling of power to be naked in front of people. We're happy to watch actual incredible graphic violence and gore, but as soon as somebody's naked it seems like the public goes a bit bananas about the whole thing."
#29
Posted: 5/21/06 at 10:28pm
John Bucchino
he's the sweetest
and what his name means in italian....
he's the sweetest
and what his name means in italian....
#30
Posted: 5/21/06 at 10:38pm
LaChiusa, J.R. Brown and Marc Shaiman all post here.
I've had professional dealoings with Harvey Schmidt and John Kander, and they were both very nice.
I've had professional dealoings with Harvey Schmidt and John Kander, and they were both very nice.
#31
Posted: 5/21/06 at 11:48pm
LaChiusa was extremely nice to me when I spoke with him at Lincoln Center.
JRB has responded nicely to PM's from me.
Not exactly nice, but more polite: Sondheim bumped into me once and was very apologetic and kind. I of course was in shock.
JRB has responded nicely to PM's from me.
Not exactly nice, but more polite: Sondheim bumped into me once and was very apologetic and kind. I of course was in shock.
"We don't value the lily less for not being made of flint and built to last. Life's bounty is in it's flow, later is too late. Where is the song when it's been sung, the dance when it's been danced? It's only we humans who want to own the future too."
- Tom Stoppard, Shipwreck
#32
Posted: 5/21/06 at 11:51pm
I think Michael John is one of the nicest people I've EVER met.
Updated On: 5/22/06 at 11:51 PM
#33
Posted: 5/22/06 at 12:02am
Every composer I've met has been nice to me.
Alan Menken
Jason Robert Brown
William Finn
Robert Lopez and Jeff Marx
David Evans
Douglas J. Cohen
Finn and Brown both have irreverent and witty senses of humor, and that comes up in their writing. I especially like Jason's "Julio" remark when he updated us on what was going on with him. Very witty.
Lopez was nice enough to send me a shared file of his demo tracks for "Finding Nemo" and his other miscellaneous stuff. They sound great.
I have met Cohen twice; once in Merkin Hall, and another during a preview for "Children's Letters to God" at the Lamb's Theatre, with David Evans.
Everyone I've met has been rather nice.
Alan Menken
Jason Robert Brown
William Finn
Robert Lopez and Jeff Marx
David Evans
Douglas J. Cohen
Finn and Brown both have irreverent and witty senses of humor, and that comes up in their writing. I especially like Jason's "Julio" remark when he updated us on what was going on with him. Very witty.
Lopez was nice enough to send me a shared file of his demo tracks for "Finding Nemo" and his other miscellaneous stuff. They sound great.
I have met Cohen twice; once in Merkin Hall, and another during a preview for "Children's Letters to God" at the Lamb's Theatre, with David Evans.
Everyone I've met has been rather nice.
"How could she just suddenly, completely disappear into thin water?" - The Little Mermaid
#35
Posted: 5/22/06 at 12:04am
Andrew Lippa seemed very nice- and he was a riot!
"Writing should be easy, like a monkey driving a speedboat..." -[title of show]
"I'm tired of following my dreams. I'm just going to ask them where they're going and meet up with them later." -Mitch Hedberg
#36
Posted: 5/22/06 at 12:19am
Mark Schofeild, Stephan Schwartz was nice, Jason Robert Brown was nice too.
"I never had theatre producers run after me. Some people want to make more Broadway shows out of movies. But Elliot and I aren't going to do Batman: The Musical." - Julie Taymor 1999
#37
Posted: 5/22/06 at 10:37am
When I was in college I did my senior project for music history on the composing styles of Jason Robert Brown, Michael John LaChiusa, and Adam Guettel (and compared and contrasted them with ALW, Wildhorn, Sondheim, etc.). This was back in early 2000 is was long before Piazza, right after ParadeThe Wild Party. I was also taking a web design course that semester so I used everything I was learning and created a web site to chronicle the works of these three composers.
Not long after I had created the site I received an e-mail from Michael John thanking me for doing it. He also invited me to come and see The Wild Party on Broadway. Unfortunately the show closed before I could get up to NYC. However, I did receive an autographed Playbill from the entire cast instead. I will never forget how nice he was to me.
Contrary to what a lot of others have written, Jason Robert Brown has also been nice the several times I have spoken with him. In 2000, he sent me the sheet music to "Come Up to My Office" (which he autographed) shortly before the Parade vocal selections were released so that I could sing it at my senior recital. I also spoke with him after performances of The Last 5 Years and the Parade tour in Atlanta. He remembered me from before and we spoke about (my now defunct) website. I thanked him for sending me the music.
Not long after I had created the site I received an e-mail from Michael John thanking me for doing it. He also invited me to come and see The Wild Party on Broadway. Unfortunately the show closed before I could get up to NYC. However, I did receive an autographed Playbill from the entire cast instead. I will never forget how nice he was to me.
Contrary to what a lot of others have written, Jason Robert Brown has also been nice the several times I have spoken with him. In 2000, he sent me the sheet music to "Come Up to My Office" (which he autographed) shortly before the Parade vocal selections were released so that I could sing it at my senior recital. I also spoke with him after performances of The Last 5 Years and the Parade tour in Atlanta. He remembered me from before and we spoke about (my now defunct) website. I thanked him for sending me the music.
"You pile up enough tomorrows, and you'll find you are left with nothing but a lot of empty yesterdays. I don't know about you, but I'd like to make today worth remembering." --Harold Hill from The Music Man
#38
Posted: 5/22/06 at 10:46am
Well, I'm certainly glad to hear all this good tlak about Sondheim - i don't know where i heard that.
#40
Posted: 5/22/06 at 4:26pm
Composers seem to be the nicest and sweetest of the bunch.
Some of the nicest I have met:
Jeanine Tesori and Dick Scanlan
Robert Lopez and Jeff Marx
Jerry Herman
Book writers: (All three of these men warm my heart)
Rick Elice
Bob Martin
Doug Wright
And a Four Season- Bob Gaudio is just about the most gracious man I have ever met.
Some of the nicest I have met:
Jeanine Tesori and Dick Scanlan
Robert Lopez and Jeff Marx
Jerry Herman
Book writers: (All three of these men warm my heart)
Rick Elice
Bob Martin
Doug Wright
And a Four Season- Bob Gaudio is just about the most gracious man I have ever met.
Updated On: 5/22/06 at 04:26 PM
#41
Posted: 5/22/06 at 4:30pm
I nearly died on the spot when I saw Sondheim after the first Sweeney preview. I was terrified but was compelled to stare. He kept looking at the stagedoor crowd grinning, he looked so pleased after the show and if that is the only time I ever see him again in my life, I'm happy thats how I saw him. A true artist taking pride in the work he did and just a legend there on the cement I have walked on so many times. Crazy moment of my life
#42
Posted: 5/22/06 at 4:35pm
I've met Stephen Schwartz, Stephen Flaherty, and Lynn Ahrens--all were incredibly nice and gracious.
David Yazbek is awesome--really went and above and beyond my expectations.
In the link was given he mentioned being referred to as "the verdi of Rockland County." Is he from there?
David Yazbek is awesome--really went and above and beyond my expectations.
In the link was given he mentioned being referred to as "the verdi of Rockland County." Is he from there?
"If there was a Mount Rushmore for Broadway scores, "West Side Story" would be front and center. It snaps, it crackles it pops! It surges with a roar, its energy and sheer life undiminished by the years" - NYPost reviewer Elisabeth Vincentelli
#43
Posted: 5/22/06 at 4:39pm
I'm putting in one more positive response in for Stephen Schwartz. He's a great guy.
#44
Posted: 5/22/06 at 4:47pm
Frank Wildhorn was more than nice at a performance of WAITING FOR THE MOON. During intermission, a keyboard player approached him with a problem in the pit, and Frank told him to hang on because I was about to introduce myself and have a conversation. He talked with me, joked, signed my playbill and even took a picture. He's a great, great down to earth man. I told him I thought MOON was his best score to date and he said "Aw, come on, what about CIVIL WAR?" Haha. Love him.
#45
Posted: 5/22/06 at 4:53pm
Have anyone met Boubil&Shonberg?
I met Lucy Simon in The Secret Garden Benifit Concert. She is such a graceful lady.
I met Lucy Simon in The Secret Garden Benifit Concert. She is such a graceful lady.
#46
Posted: 5/22/06 at 4:59pm
Frank Wildhorn is an amazingly nice guy and will always sit and talk with fans or anyone about music.
Lowdermilk and Kerrigan are both sweethearts! (and adorable as well)
Andrew Lippa on the other hand is not very nice. He is very full of himself and looks down on most composers and fans.
Lowdermilk and Kerrigan are both sweethearts! (and adorable as well)
Andrew Lippa on the other hand is not very nice. He is very full of himself and looks down on most composers and fans.
"Judy Garland, Jimmy Dean, You tragedy Queen" ~ Taboo
"Watching a frat boy realize just what he put his d!ck in...ex's getting std's...schadenfruede" ~ Ave Q
"when dangers near, exploit their fear" ~ Reefer Madness the Musical
"Watching a frat boy realize just what he put his d!ck in...ex's getting std's...schadenfruede" ~ Ave Q
"when dangers near, exploit their fear" ~ Reefer Madness the Musical
#47
Posted: 5/22/06 at 5:02pm
If Lippa is so full of himself, he should listen to his rival Wild Party and maybe that can put him in his place.
#48
Posted: 5/22/06 at 5:06pm
He was standing on line walking into the Pippin benefit concert talking about what was on Broadway and offBroadway and complaining about it and saying his stuff was better.
I seriously almost turned to him and said well if your stuff is better why isnt it produced? But I refrained and just casually listened to him rant and rave with my friend.
I seriously almost turned to him and said well if your stuff is better why isnt it produced? But I refrained and just casually listened to him rant and rave with my friend.
"Judy Garland, Jimmy Dean, You tragedy Queen" ~ Taboo
"Watching a frat boy realize just what he put his d!ck in...ex's getting std's...schadenfruede" ~ Ave Q
"when dangers near, exploit their fear" ~ Reefer Madness the Musical
"Watching a frat boy realize just what he put his d!ck in...ex's getting std's...schadenfruede" ~ Ave Q
"when dangers near, exploit their fear" ~ Reefer Madness the Musical
#49
Posted: 5/22/06 at 5:23pm
Since when does thinking you're own work is high-quality make you not nice?
In my experiences with Mr. Lippa, he has been an utterly kind and hilarious guy. Perhaps you caught a moment which was sarcastic or the man just having a bad day? We're all entitled to them!
From my work and discussions with composers, I believe the collective group to be among the nicest, most positive folks in the arts. They genuinely care about the industry and their work/responsibility in it. Let's not confuse confidence or pride with arrogance or being not "nice."
Also, all most of these guys dedicate a significant amount of time and energy to working with newcomers. An example of this is Stephen Schwartz and his work with the ASCAP musical theatre workshops. A great guy in a group of wonderful people.
- Charlie Piane
charlie@pianeproductions.org
In my experiences with Mr. Lippa, he has been an utterly kind and hilarious guy. Perhaps you caught a moment which was sarcastic or the man just having a bad day? We're all entitled to them!
From my work and discussions with composers, I believe the collective group to be among the nicest, most positive folks in the arts. They genuinely care about the industry and their work/responsibility in it. Let's not confuse confidence or pride with arrogance or being not "nice."
Also, all most of these guys dedicate a significant amount of time and energy to working with newcomers. An example of this is Stephen Schwartz and his work with the ASCAP musical theatre workshops. A great guy in a group of wonderful people.
- Charlie Piane
charlie@pianeproductions.org
#50
Posted: 5/22/06 at 6:06pm
Met Maury Yeston twice. once on the street when I told him how much I liked his work. he was very appreciative & thanked me & started having a conversation about my comments with the person he was with
Met him again at intermisson of the last performance (I believe0 of Parade. He was eating a chocolate chip cookie by the bar. Again very nice. I remember discussing Wilhorn with him & asking him why the critics were so anti wildhorn. He said Frank was a nice guy & an enormously talented composer
Can not recall meeting anyone else ?
Met him again at intermisson of the last performance (I believe0 of Parade. He was eating a chocolate chip cookie by the bar. Again very nice. I remember discussing Wilhorn with him & asking him why the critics were so anti wildhorn. He said Frank was a nice guy & an enormously talented composer
Can not recall meeting anyone else ?
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Updated On: 5/22/06 at 06:06 PM
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