An Interview with Bruce Whitney on the upcoming “Sixties Chicks” show

Bruce Whitney is the musical director for Harlequin’s upcoming production of “Sixties Chicks”, a continuation of the annual summer musical celebration that along with the Stardust series is a major musical trademark of Harlequin. As a musical director Bruce has been successful not only for arranging and directing existing music but also creating original scores for many of Harlequin’s productions including Rock n Roll Twelfth Night. My interview with Bruce focuses on the role of the music director and how a show like Sixties Chicks comes together.

Dan: To what do you attribute your success as a music director?

Bruce: First of all, on a show like “Sixties Chicks” we mostly want to be true to the original songs. The song does not have to be exact but we like to preserve as much as possible the power, energy and spirit of the original. Second, my job is to help the singers find their connection to that spirit, and sound as good as they possibly can. This may involve a key change, a shift in the melody, or experimenting with a range of vocal timbres. I also love to add backup harmonies to songs that lack them, provided of course that they support and enhance the song’s message. Third, I want to make the music tight and well- delivered. By tight I mean that the music is rhythmically solid, has no unwanted loose ends, and provides a natural and pleasing transition to the next piece. For example, many of the original recordings simply fade out. The trick is to transition these songs smoothly on a live stage and within the context of the overall arc of the show. And this is the final and perhaps biggest goal, to support the artistic director’s telling of the story.

Dan: In past summer shows the music was the focal point; there really was no story line. Is that different this year?

Bruce: Perhaps the term “story” is misleading. There’s no dialog. But Linda Whitney, Harlequin’s Artistic Director and director of this show, has brilliantly (in my opinion) gathered video, photographs and text from throughout the 60’s era, arranged them in a logical and compelling progression evoking the tremendous changes that occurred during that period, and woven the songs of the era into the telling. While the primary focus is on the music and the performers, this progression of images will come and go on a large screen above and behind the singers and band. It’s really quite compelling. I think audiences are going to be surprised and inspired. So, yes, this year’s production is much more than a musical review.

Dan: Any examples?

Bruce: I would rather leave that as a surprise gift package to our audience. But I can say that the treatment is wonderful, fun and at times quite poignant.

Dan: What kind of issues do you face with this kind of production?

Bruce: To start, we’ve chosen a wide variety of musical styles to present – folk, r&b, early girl group rock, blues, even some acid rock!. Some of the singers represented are Joni Mitchell, Janis Joplin, Grace Slick, Petula Clark, the Ronettes, and the Shirelles. We have to determine how best to assign these songs to the singers to best bring out each song’s story. This year was tough – the singers are all so good! Then we have to arrange for the band. We have a five-piece band but many of the original songs use much larger studio ensembles. As with the cast, we’ve been very fortunate to find talented musicians who are adept at working with each song to maintain its original character. I can’t say enough about all the amazing musicians in this community. It’s made working on all these shows such a pleasure, both for me and for our audiences.

Dan: Tell me about the cast for this show?

Bruce: We have four singers and a five piece band. Each singer has several leads which add to the diversity of the music. The band contains keyboards, electric and acoustic guitars, drums and sax. The versatility of our singers and musicians means we can keep that constant flow of interest and energy throughout the show.

Dan: iPods gained their success in large part due to their ability to create personal play lists. You get to create a live performance play list and share it with hundreds of people every night.

Bruce: Yes, lots of things have gone into the process. First, we searched our music collections, the library, and the Internet for songs of the period. We came up with a list of 70 or 80 great songs, then began the painful process of having to reduce this list to a more manageable length. The most important factor was to make the show fun and entertaining, but the songs also needed to fit the director’s vision. Will we find the singers able to sing the songs? Does the song fit in the flow of the show? Do we have a good mix of up-tempo songs and ballads? And then sometimes a song is so good we just have to find a way to make it work! So we’ve ended up with about 30 songs in the production and are still tweaking a little here and there until opening night. Hopefully, audiences will like what they see and hear!

Dan: I know your efforts are on this show but what is next in your musical agenda?

Bruce: The next project is scoring the Shakespeare play “As You Like It”, for which several songs need to be written.

Dan: I also know that you are involved with other music projects. Anything else you would like to say?

Bruce: Yes, I want to give a big shout-out to my son, Seth, who plays bass in the group “Band of Heathens”. They have been touring (about 250 engagements this past year, including three visits to Europe), have just recorded their third album and will soon record a live performance segment for the PBS show Austin City Limits. Great songs and great musicians – their style is a mix of rock, country, and blues, sometimes described as “swamp rock”. Give them a listen!

Harlequin’s production of “Sixties Chicks” opens on June 18 and runs through July 19. Check their website at harlequinproductions.org for more information.

Dan Weiss is a continuing student of live theatre having served on several boards of local live performance groups and attended over 100 live theatre productions from Olympia to Broadway with Ashland in between. Dan also is founding member and current president of the Arts Alliance of Downtown Olympia which promotes the downtown Olympia theatre district. In this process Dan has learned not to be intimidated by Shakespeare and marvels at the genius of it all.