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Conducting Musical Theatre
In the Pit, Studio, and Concert Hall

Veteran musical theatre conductor/arrangers Larry Blank, Rob Berman, Kristen Blodgette, Robert Billig, Dan Redfeld, and Gareth Valentine share their experiences conducting for live musical theatre in the pit and concert hall as well as recording in the studio.

• How a conductor can help make the orchestrations work in the theatre and make the arrangers job easier.
• Working with singers and dancers and how to find the right tempo that works for the stage and the music.

Photo credit: Cliff Lipson

Bios:

LARRY BLANK

Larry's career has taken him across Theatre, TV and Film. He is a 3 time Tony Nominee for his orchestrations on Catch Me If You Can, White Christmas and The Drowsy Chaperone. To date he has received 6 Drama Desk Award nominations for A Christmas Story, Honeymoon In Vegas, Catch Me If You Can, Drowsy Chaperone, White Christmas and Fiddler On The Roof. Other orchestration highlights include: Holiday Inn, The Nance with Nathan Lane, Fame Becomes Me and La Cage Aux Folles. He orchestrated the revival of Guys and Dolls in London and was co-orchestrator for the stage and film versions of The Producers.

He also provided orchestrations for the film version of Chicago. Additional film and TV credits include South Park, Mrs Santa Claus, The Net, That’s Entertainment III, I’d Do Anything, The Grammy Awards and The Academy Awards.

Larry orchestrated and conducted FX's Fosse/Verdon and was Musical Director providing arrangements, orchestrations, and conducting Dolly Parton's 'Christmas On The Square' for Warner Brothers/Netflix.

His conducting career has taken him across the globe. He regularly conducts the BBC Concert Orchestra and features frequently on BBC’s Friday Night Is Music Night. He has been personal conductor to Michael Crawford, Michael Feinstein, Marvin Hamlisch, Bernadette Peters, Jerry Herman and Bette Midler to name but a few. He has conducted most orchestras throughout the world including The San Francisco Symphony, The New York Philharmonic and The National Symphony Orchestra. He is Resident Pops Conductor for The Pasadena Symphony & Pops and conducts and orchestrates The Olivier Awards in London.

Rob Berman

(Music Director) is in his 15th year as music director of Encores!, for which he has conducted over 30 productions and six cast recordings. Berman's Broadway credits include Bright Star, Tuck Everlasting, Dames at Sea, Finian's Rainbow, Irving Berlin's White Christmas, The Pajama Game, The Apple Tree, Wonderful Town, and Promises, Promises.

For nine years he was music director of "The Kennedy Center Honors" on CBS, for which he won an Emmy Award for outstanding musical direction. He has conducted for Barbara Cook with the Los Angeles Philharmonic, and he was also music director for the PBS presentation of A Broadway Celebration: In Performance at the White House. Other credits include Sunday in the Park with George (Kennedy Center, Helen Hayes Award), Pacific Overtures, and Passion (Classic Stage Company). Recordings include the complete restored score of Jerome Kern's Roberta for New World Records.

Kristen Blodgette

Kristen Blodgette has been associated with The Phantom of the Opera for 35 years - 18 productions. Other Broadway credits; revival of Sunset Boulevard starring Glenn Close, Cats revival, Evita with Ricky Martin. Consultant: A Little Night Music. Associate Conductor: Mary Poppins. Musical Supervisor: LoveMusik, The Woman in White, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang. Associate Musical Supervisor/Conductor: original production of Cats and Associate Musical Supervisor: revival Jesus Christ Superstar, original production Sunset Boulevard. Kristen was Musical Supervisor for the Hamburg and U.S. tour of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Love Never Dies. Other credits: Associate Conductor Stephen Sondheim’s Bounce, National Tours On Your Toes, Jerry’s Girls, Barnum, rehearsal pianist Carrie with Betty Buckley. Kristen conducted concerts with the Shanghai Symphony and Beijing’s China Philharmonic featuring Deborah Voigt. She conducted The Phantom of the Opera at the Kremlin Palace in Moscow. Kristen is Musical Supervisor for Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Bad Cinderella opening on Broadway.

Rob Billig

Robert Billig has been music director, conductor and/or supervisor for Broadway, off-Broadway and national touring musical productions for over 45 years.  A graduate of New York University with a BA in Music, he has been music director/conductor of the original Broadway productions of LES MISÉRABLES, MISS SAIGON, MAN OF LA MANCHA (2002 revival), SINGIN’ IN THE RAIN and THE BEST LITTLE WHOREHOUSE IN TEXAS. 

Other Broadway productions he has conducted include CHICAGO, WICKED, NEVER GONNA DANCE, THE BEST LITTLE WHOREHOUSE GOES PUBLIC, SONG AND DANCE,  MY ONE AND ONLY and THE MAGIC SHOW.  National tours include WICKED, THE DROWSY CHAPERONE, YOUNG FRANKENSTEIN, LES MISÉRABLES (25th anniversary production), CHICAGO and most recently, HELLO, DOLLY!  Off-Broadway he was music director and vocal arranger for the original production of LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS and provided the vocal arrangements for the film version of the show.  Mr. Billig’s other conducting credits range from intimate nightclubs to international symphony orchestras and everything in between.

Dan Redfeld

Award-winning American composer, conductor, orchestrator, pianist and producer Dan Redfeld has had his music and arrangements performed internationally from the concert hall to the musical theatre stage to the recording studio.

Redfeld received his training at Boston’s New England Conservatory before transferring to the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) where he graduated with a degree in composition with an emphasis in conducting. Instructors include composers William Thomas McKinley, Irwin Kostal and David Raksin, and conductors Jon Robertson, Sir Simon Rattle, Zubin Mehta and Roger Norrington.   READ MORE

Gareth Valentine

Gareth is an experienced Music Supervisor, Arranger, Conductor and Music Director. Working across TV, Theatre and Film, he has amassed credits globally. Most recently, credits include My Fair Lady, Me and My Girl, Singin' In The Rain, 42nd Street, West Side Story, Guys & Dolls, and Strictly Gershwin.