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From Thursday 11th February to Saturday 20th February 2016, New Bard Productions and Verse Unbound are bringing The Memory Show to London. With Music by Zach Redler and Book and Lyrics Sara Cooper, this exciting piece of theatre is being performed by Carolyn Maitland and Ruth Redman at the Drayton Arms Theatre.
What first attracted you to the theatre?
Zach Redler: My father was an amateur actor in community theater productions of both plays and musicals long before I was born. Some of my earliest memories are either of going to watch him perform, hearing him memorize his lines at home or even, on the rarest of occasions, perform at the Playhouse myself (i.e. “boy” in Fiddler; “Jack” in Jack and the Beanstalk). So to answer your question, it’s not that I was necessarily drawn to the theatre from elsewhere, but rather theatre has always been a part of who I am.
If you could pick any one person to work with on your next project, who would it be?
Zach Redler: Well, obviously I love working with Sara. Just have to say that…for a while it felt like working with anyone else was like “cheating”, but we now both work wonderfully with others whilst maintaining our own new collaborations. That being said, in fantasy land, if I can breath the same rehearsal room air as Lin-Manuel Miranda, I’d like that. That man is a modern day Mozart.
What is your opinion of Off West End theatre, in general?
Sara Cooper: I think it's wonderful, and I'm so excited that ‘The Memory Show’ is going to be produced alongside such smart, exciting work!
What was the most inspiring performance you have ever seen and why?
Zach Redler: Well, I’m not sure it’s the most inspiring performance I’ve ever seen (I tend to think most shows I see are the most inspiring because they were the freshest I remember), but the most impactful evening of theater on my writing would be the night I saw NYU Steinhardt’s production of Adam Guettel’s ‘Floyd Collins’. Watching that final scene where Floyd realizes he’s trapped, and then sing about it, his fears, his questions, his acceptance…man…I was a wreck. I had no idea a musical could do that (no offense Opus Playhouse in Tamarac, FL).
What are you most proud of about The Memory Show?
Sara Cooper: I'm proud that this little show that is so personal to me has been able to evoke a personal response in audiences. I want to share an honest emotional experience with audience members, and I hope we both come away moved and changed. For me, theatre is about examining authentic human emotion and illuminating universal experiences and I hope we've done that in ‘The Memory Show’.
Zach Redler: The fact that time and again, show after show, audience members came up to us and said, “yes, that’s what it’s like.” Most specifically, I love the memory of the night in NY when we did a talk back with the American Alzheimer’s Foundation. We know that it’s so difficult to lose loved ones to Alzheimer’s. I can’t imagine how hard it is for someone to then sit through a dramatized reflection of that experience. For me, musicals aren’t solely about the tunes you leave humming, but the impact the show had on you (though, of course, that can include leaving with a great tune). You probably won’t leave ‘The Memory Show’ humming “You and Me Toilet”, but I bet you’ll remember that scene and what it made you feel, for better or worse, for a while…
What makes a really good character?
Sara Cooper: Personally, I like a character that is struggling--but trying--to be good. I think that's relatable, complex and interesting to watch.
Are there any actors/actresses you would like to compose a musical for?
Zach Redler: Well, and I mean this with all sincerity, I write most of my female roles with my wife’s voice (if not whole person) in mind. It’s most definitely an unfair bias…however, to be fair, most of the time she’s not right for the role (whether it be age, schedule or whatever), but I’d love for the universe to align sometime soon such that I can write a show for her and then she star in the production.
Other than her, yea there are lots of actors/actresses for whom I love writing. I think as a composer you try to find those people throughout your career that just “get you”. It’s nothing against a performer if they don’t. They may just be best suited for another composer’s music. But man…once you find those actors/actresses, you can’t help but write for them. I’m not sure I answered your question…I know I love a lot of famous people’s performances (I’m certainly drawn to the best actors, not just the best voices) and of course would want to write for them, but who knows if it’d be a good fit. I suppose that’s why the safe and most secure answer is my wife. :)
What play do you wish you’d written?
Sara Cooper: Oh, so many! ‘A Streetcar Named Desire’. ‘Hamilton’. ‘Sweeney Todd’. Way too many to name!
Can you tell our readers about what you’re doing now/next?
Sara Cooper: I'm actually working on two things: I'm really thrilled to be writing the second draft of ‘Elevator Heart’; an all-female ensemble musical, with composers Amy Burgess, Julia Meinwald, and Julianne Wick Davis--we just got a grant from Queens Council on the Arts to do a concert this summer! And I'm working with composer Mike Pettry to musicalize my award-winning play ‘Things I Left On Long Island', which I think is going to be very exciting!
Zach Redler: Right now my wife and I are preparing for the birth of our first child. I think that’s safe to say at this point in an international interview (though we aren’t posting on Facebook…). I’m working on a new opera with librettist Mark Campbell about “Susan Smith” (a woman, who in 1994 had a breakdown and drowned her two children in a lake in Union, South Carolina) and a few other small operatic pieces with a couple other librettists. Sara and I are also working on a new show called “Putting Off Goodbye”. In the meantime, I’m a music copyist for a couple shows, one of which is coming into New York next month (Bright Star); I’m the editor and amateur publisher of the complete works of composer Marcel Tyberg (who died in Auschwitz), whose works are now being performed a bit so I’m managing that; and of course I teach adjunct at NYU in both Tisch and Steinhardt. Also, as I run ultra-marathons (i.e. 100 mile races) and am a huge proponent of plant-based (vegan) living, I try to keep up blog posts on such things (recipes, training, yoga, dharma etc.).
Book tickets to see The Memory Show, at the Drayton Arms Theatre from Thursday 11th – Saturday 20th February: https://www.ticketsource.co.uk/event/115117
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