Fresno Beehive: From Page to Stage Series - ‘Yo, Vikings!’

Original Post: November 22, 2011
By Donald Munro
http://fresnobeehive.com/2011/11/from_page_to_st.html

In September I first brought you the exciting news that Children’s Musical Theaterworks in March will be presenting the West Coast premiere of a new original musical, “Yo, Vikings!” At that time I chatted with artistic director Skyler Gray about how he landed the show, which had received a New York workshop reading at the Off-Broadway York Theater. The show was a finalist for the prestigious 2011 Richard Rodgers Award. The musical’s creative team, Sam Willmott and Marcus Stevens, have added four new songs and expanded the show from 60 to 100 minutes for CMT’s March 2 premiere.

The first step in bringing a new musical to the stage is a reading, which CMT held Nov. 12 at the Woodward Park Regional Library. As the cast tackled the show, Gray sat to one side working the sound board and watching with intensity.

I’ll be following the progress of “Yo, Vikings!” on a periodic basis between now and opening night. I caught up with Gray via email a few days after the Nov. 12 reading and asked what goes through a director’s mind when seeing a show come to life for the first time.

Question: What’s the most important thing you were looking for from the reading? Was it the structure of the piece — how the storyline and songs flowed? The flavor of the experience? Audience reaction?

Answer: The most important thing I was looking for from the reading, personally, was the opportunity to finally hear the work out loud and together. Sam and Marcus have done some great work with the piece in the past few months and it was nice to put all of the edits and changes into one.

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Pictured: Catriona Fray as Emma at the CMT reading.

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Having worked on readings at South Coast Repertory, I am very familiar with how much a work can change when the words are actually spoken (or sung) rather than read on a page. It was helpful to hear the flow and rhythm of the piece and great to see the piece take flight. The audience reaction was also a great indicator as to what translated well and what I will need to dig deeper with in terms of the production. But, for only rehearsing a day and a half, I could not have been more proud!

As director, how much opportunity will you have change things about this production? Will all those decisions be made by the writers, and will you have input? Do you think the show will change a lot between now and March?

When Sam and I met a few months ago we had an opportunity to talk about the piece and where it was going. The piece has significantly grown and strengthened in terms of plot and circumstances. I will be in constant contact with the two of them during our rehearsal process, but in terms of major tweaks I think that many of my questions about the piece were answered this past weekend. We will keep in contact with what is working or not working during the rehearsal process, but for now it is a matter of figuring out how to make this epic journey come to life.

Did you listen especially critically to the new songs?

The new songs that we received in the version you heard on Sunday were “The Prayer,” “Emma the Red Reprise,” “The Terrible Tale of Sally Shapiro,” and “World Discovery Day Reprise.” The new reprises have really added to the plot of the story and seem to bring the piece full circle, allowing the characters to reflect on a previous decision or for a different character to offer their thoughts on the topic. The Prayer is not only a beautiful Nordic prayer, but has a great dance break within. And last but not least, Sally Shapiro has quickly become one of the hardest songs to get out of my head and has really strengthened the supporting cast of the piece. All additions were warmly received and seemed to flow seamlessly with the original set of songs.

Did anything new strike you about the show when listening to this table reading with an audience compared with just reading the script?

It was amazing to me how invested and into it the audience was. I believe the piece stood its ground in the simple reading, which proves that we are going into the production with strong material. What I enjoyed most from the audience’s reactions was the demographic from which the laughs and cheers were coming from. It is a piece that young children can enjoy, but is smart enough to also captivate parents and teens. It doesn’t hurt that the music is brilliant and just plain catchy! In terms of what was striking about hearing the text rather than just reading it: clarity. The arcs of the characters are much clearer after hearing the piece out loud. It is one thing to read the words on the page, but another to hear them read aloud.

At this point in the creative process, what do you think should be changed about the show to make it stronger?

At this point in the creative process I truly believe that the piece is in a great place to dive into rehearsals. I believe it will be in the rehearsal process when many of the questions will arise in terms of “how.” Sam and Marcus have crafted an epic tale and now it is the creative team’s job to make it come to life.

Do you already have a pretty good idea of your creative concept for the production at this point in the process in terms of sets, costumes, blocking, effects, etc.? If so, were those visuals going through your mind as you listened to the reading? Or did you try to keep focused on the dialogue and vocals?

We have assembled a very strong creative team, many of whom were at the reading to see the piece take shape. Because there is nothing to reference in terms of what has been done before, we are in a very collaborative place of making the words come to life. Questions like “how do we create the dragon,” “what does a frost giant actually look like,” “how do we get a boat onstage” are beginning to have answers. It is such an amazing experience to create something from our imaginations rather than being told “that isn’t how they did it on Broadway.” Now we are the one’s figuring out the logistics of the frost giant and the dragon. Debora Bolen and Trina Short, the costumers for “Yo, Vikings!,” also set up a nice reference table for the costume plot of the show. It gave the audience a sense of the direction we are going with.

During the reading I was primarily focused on the text and the flow of the piece. But, as a very conceptual director, I at times let my mind wander to the visuals of the sets, costumes, and lights. This piece is rooted in the imagination and the visual concept is very important. It was helpful to have the stage directions read as it also allowed the audience to use their imagination as to how the dragon comes to life or how the longboats span the stage. The vocals were important to listen to as well, but the cast that was used at the reading may not be the cast that is in the actual production. Open auditions for all roles will be held January 7th and 8th. During the casting process it will be interesting to see what new life these characters embody as different actors bring their take on them and how that changes the dynamic of the piece.

Did anything about the audience’s reaction to various parts of the show surprise you?

As I mentioned before I was amazed at how willing the audience was to go with us on this journey. Someone said to me that even without the props, costumes, and sets they were transported into the world of the story. I think that was my favorite comment of the day. The incredible cast and the very talented Laurie King were instrumental in bringing this piece to life. I enjoyed seeing how humorous many found the piece to be, but also how touching. The piece has something for everyone and is a heartfelt journey of a young girl trying to find her way in the world, which is something many people can relate to.

What do you think will be the toughest thing about staging this production?

It is not everyday that we come across the need for a dragon, frost giant, viking ship, circling ravens, and longboats to come to life onstage. The production is also very specific that the actors playing Sebby, Zinzi, Nikki, and Murphy must also play the Viking entourage. This means that there is truly no small part in this production and every cast member will have a lot to do. Emma’s imagination takes control and it is our job to bring that same vivid and colorful imagination to life. To bring this epic journey to life is daunting as the options for each technical element are limitless, but we are up for the challenge!

When the writers come for tech week, do you think they’ll be making changes at that time? Or will the production essentially be done?

The goal is to have the production on its feet by the time Sam and Marcus arrive in Fresno for tech week. Having said that, it is important that the collaboration continues throughout the entire process. We will be adding the finishing details as the pair arrives, but that is not to say that minor tweaks and changes will not be made. As this is the first time this version of the script has ever been staged, they too will be seeing their labor of love come to life for the first time. It will be nice to have them there as we bring what is in their minds to the stage.

Did you have fun at the reading?

I really did! It was nice to finally direct a staged reading in Fresno and to see the audience come onboard. It was a blast to work with such an incredible group of people and to watch them embody these characters. It is always a gamble to bring a new title to the Mainstage Season as audiences usually flock to recognizable titles, but you never know. Just like “13” two years ago, if the piece tells a story that the company is eager to share with our audiences, then the gamble is worth it. I look forward to more staged readings in the future for the company and also more opportunities for CMT to bring new works to the Central Valley. I enjoyed the reading and I hope the audience did as well!

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Pictured above: the cast at the reading (Daniel Rodriguez, left, Anthony Taylor, Hirsh Bhatt, Caitlin Stevenson, Sarah Welles, Catriona Fray, Amber Lewis, Hannah Moser, Bryce Moser, Randy Kohlruss and Skyler Gray at the sound board); Randy Kohlruss as Murphy Bean; Anthony Taylor as Mr. Sigurd and Catriona Fray as Emma.