Music, that he discovered his love of musical theatre. At age 17, he was accepted into Carnegie Mellon University where he participated in a student-run theatre troupe, Scotch’n’Soda. It was here that Walker first composed material for several original musicals. Upon his graduation, Walker moved to New York


City, where he played on and off Broadway and toured the United States with several musicals as both a musician and conductor. On one of these tours, he first met a musician named Gary Adler with whom he began to write Altar Boyz (2001). Fast forward to 2011 and Walker meets Rick Elice


(book writer for Jersey Boys, The Addams Family and Peter and the Starcatchers), “We had a bunch of ideas for shows. Eventually we got around to the basic idea that became Dog and Pony. We were interested in writing something that is brand new, unique. Some- thing not based on existing books or movies,” said Walker. Moving from ideas to a nice tidy storyline with a


few key songs is a wild process. “I should have more of a ritual to writing than I do. Earlier in the day is better; the mind is less clouded, less occupied by the minutia of life. Sometimes I’ll think to myself, I will write tomorrow morning and then at ten o’clock at night an idea hits and I am up writing until one in the morning. That type of writing, the period of crafting the show, happens over a couple of months. The rest is a lot of fine-tuning and tweaking.” The interesting thing for Walker, about the score to


Dog and Pony, is that “They are wise songs, songs that are as much a part of the show as the dialogue. These songs are not, ‘now we are going to do a five minute break for a dance number.’ They are fun tunes, the music is entertaining to listen to, but they also keep the character moving through the plot. It’s a little different than say ‘Shipoopi’ [from Music Man], where the same lyric is repeated over and over so you can see an amazing tap dance.” Walker isn’t criticizing dance-oriented music numbers. No, he is fascinated with plot driven songs because he already has expertise in writing for preci- sion dance numbers. He has written songs for the Radio City Music Hall Rockettes. “Stumbling is always part of what I have done. In


my childhood, taking piano lessons, then playing for our high school musicals. I fell in love with the combi- nation of music, dialogue and dance. It is so unique, so specific and immediate. I started writing songs in college; but getting a job writing a musical is not a thing, playing a piano is. So, I played piano. One of my early jobs was as a rehearsal pianist for the Rockettes. When I became better known as a composer they


so long. Then The Old Globe picked up on it. That’s always very flattering; you know it’s not chopped liver. It is not so easy to find places that will devote resources and time to a new show. Now that we are in rehearsals, it’s tough to wrap my brain all the way around it. Rick [Elice] and I have been working in two dimensions, on paper. To go to three dimensions is a wonderful experience. The orchestration, set design, costumes, the lighting; it is exactly as I imagined and completely different,” said Walker. After The Old Globe’s creative team gets this baby


show through its crawl-phase, it is highly likely Dog and Pony will “stumble” its way onto Broadway. When Walker says, “stumble” that’s humility talking. And it is a formula: [Hard Work + Make Connections] x Creativ- ity = Stumbling Success. Something of an oxymoron. Maybe there’s one more thing to add to that


formula: inspiration. Walker’s muses include Stephen Sondheim for Into the Woods and Bill Finn for Falset- tos, “They have lyrics and music that have that con- versational quality. That’s what Dog and Pony has too. But to totally mess up everything, I love Beethoven. I don’t know if he is reflected in my work, and certainly this is not a classical show, but Beethoven wrote passionate stuff. I never met the guy, but he is angry, passionate theatrical. Feeling his music has added so much to my life experience.” When asked where he is headed next in his writing,


contacted me about writing a few songs. It’s very specific, the Rockette world. Having an insider’s appreciation for what they do, the singing, dancing and breathing, is very necessary to writing music for them,” said Walker. Walker also “stumbled” into writing a few songs for


Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS (BC/EFA), “I am not that involved compared to some people, who literally work with them day in and day out. There’s a lot of time and talent and funds raised. Honestly, I do it because it is a great cause and a hell of a lot of fun. I wrote some goofy Christmas songs; one is called ‘Drinking Your Way Through the Holidays,’ which I wrote for the cast of Avenue Q. Most recently I helped out, not as composer, but by playing piano for Chita Rivera’s 80th birthday party benefit. There were so many incredibly talented people there. Basically it’s an opportunity to say, ‘Screw this disease, let’s have some fun and help to fight it.’” [The benefit, held in fall of 2013, ended with six standing ovations and raised a remarkable $413,660 in funding.] The first reading of Dog and Pony also happened


in the fall of 2013. “To finally hear the harmonies and vocal arrangements, to have actors inhabit it for the first time… Amazing… It had been in our heads for


Walker says, “I cannot say anything specific. I am not being secretive, but there are shows with a half page outline deep in my computer. There are conversa- tions stored and half written songs, because musicals take so long. From day one to rehearsals for this pro- duction, has been two and a half years. Every show is a little different. Five years is not a crazy number to have in your head. For Altar Boyz, from our first discus- sions to the Off-Broadway premiere took four years. Four years to the day, from when Gary [Adler] and I had coffee.” “Every show spends a couple of months on the


back burner, right now it is all Dog and Pony all the time. I sort of liken it to years of walking around preg- nant. Suddenly, bam there it is… a world premiere and this one is not based on anything already out there. At its heart Dog and Pony is a pseudo-romantic comedy. Boy, that is a horrible phrase from me! It’s a funny show, interesting characters and unique experiences. When people say to me, ‘I look forward to seeing the show,’ I say, ‘me too.’”


Dog and Pony runs through Sunday, June 29 at The Old Globe Theatre in Balboa Park. For tickets and more information call 619.234562 or go to theoldglobe.org.


JUNE 2014 | RAGE monthly 19


playwright rick elice, composer michael patrick walker, and director roger rees. photo by jim cox.


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