An Interview With Our School's Musical Director

Questions by Walter MacDonald, answers by Mr. Hughes

Just under a month ago, the musical Sunset Boulevard opened in our school auditorium, transporting the audience to 1950’s LA for just three nights.  It starred Alex Lefargue as Joe Gillis and Carolyn Kelly as Norma Desmond. The Music Department puts on a musical each year in a tradition that’s exactly 50 years strong.  

Given that the musical just happened, I took the opportunity to interview Mr. Hughes, the director of our musical each year. Here’s what he said:

Q:  What led you to choose Sunset Boulevard as this year’s show?

A: This is the first time the rights to perform Sunset Boulevard have ever been granted so I jumped on the chance for Niskayuna to be one of the first high schools ever to perform it. Plus, it offered a great musical challenge to both our singers and the orchestra, and I knew they could do a great job with some hard work and dedication!

Q:  Was there anything particular about this play you enjoyed directing?

A: My favorite part of the process is always when the actors and orchestra first come together. This doesn’t happen until a couple of months into the process. Then the technical work starts about a month after that. Directing all of these moving parts is very rewarding.

Q:  What’s your personal favorite musical?  What was your favorite one to work on?

A: I’m really a Stephen Sondheim fan and I don’t think I could pick just one favorite. I will say that the production I loved seeing the most on Broadway was The Light In The Piazza. I don’t have a favorite musical that I’ve ever worked on. The one I’m working on at any given moment is always my favorite.

Q:  As the director, what are your jobs?  How does it differ from working as an ensemble director?

A: A director wears many hats! Once a show is selected the most important thing I do is to assemble a production team that I can share my vision of the show with, and then those people with expertise in other areas help bring it to life. Along the way, I do the staging and collaborate with others, particularly Mrs. Pizzino-Catalano, Sra. Vincent, and Mr. Neubert. 

Q:  I was a member of the pit orchestra this year, so I spent a lot of time working with Mr. Neubert, our pit conductor.  I also know that our choir conductor, Mrs. Pizzino-Catalano, worked with the singers.  When did you three start working together, and what is your collaborative process?

A: We’ve been working on the musicals together since the fall of 2008 (with a few years off for Mr. Neubert in between). We meet in the summer to choose a show for the upcoming school year and then lead our portions of the production. Even though our rehearsals begin separately we are in constant contact with each other about all of the artistic challenges the show presents.

Q:  What’s the history of the musical here at the high school? What are some notable ones over the years?

A: Niskayuna High School has been staging musicals since 1975. Since I grew up in the 80’s I think of the mega-musicals from that time period as being standouts that we’ve produced; namely the British imports Les Misérables, Cats, and The Phantom of The Opera. 

Q:  Did Niskayuna musicals always have pit orchestras, or did you only start doing it recently?

A: I'm proud to say that Nisky musicals have always had a live orchestra!

Q:  Has there ever been a time when something has gone catastrophically wrong in one of these productions, and how did you deal with it?

A:  Well, we rented a giant rotating castle for Disney’s Beauty & the Beast and it stopped moving mid-show! We stopped the performance until the technician could get it running again, but the audience was great about it and I think they appreciated the show even more after that.

Q:  What was the best set piece you saw on the Nisky stage?

A: I wouldn’t say there was a best one, but we’ve sunk the Titanic, stormed barricades and visited the catacombs of an opera house in Paris, and sent a cat to the Heaviside Layer to name a few.

Q:  To finish things up, what are the ways students can get involved in the show, and how do we find out what the next show will be?

A: Students can get involved by auditioning for a role or to play in the orchestra. Alternatively, they can join one of the technical crews that are so important to the success of the show! We usually announce the musical on the first day of school each year.