Bringing Original Music To Little Montgomery by Ilana Jael
Casey Sacco rocking the song “Star Quality” in front of a captive audience of Todd Bruno as Rick Montgomery in New City Players’ production of Little Montgomery.
If you’ve been in the loop as far as major happenings at New City Players, you’re most likely aware that Little Montgomery is now approaching the middle of its run after getting off to a great start over the past weekend!
Not only were audiences dazzled by the show, but you can find two rave reviews from local critics who were pretty damn impressed by the proceedings. Or, you could always take my word for it as another prominent-ish local critic who just happens to be technically biased regarding this particular company!
But, God’s honest truth, I found the whole show such a whirlwind of hilarity that after my first trip to Texas, I wanted to come again the next night. And two of my favorite moments of this comic feast happened to be its two musical numbers, written by playwright Stephen Brown in collaboration with Eliza Simpson.
It’s nearly impossible not to laugh your way through the first of these numbers, in which character Kimmy pulls out all the stops in an attempt to convince famed country singer Rick Montgomery that she has enough “Star Quality” to warrant his attention. But, at least so far, I’ve found it equally impossible not to tear up during the second of the two, which shares the play’s title.
Little Montgomery was one of the last songs recorded by Rick’s late wife, Mary, before she succumbed to cancer. And in one beautifully bittersweet moment, Rick chooses to relive this painful memory by replaying the record, which he does so he can share this special piece of her with another character who, too, was profoundly affected by her death.
But these in-universe songs aren’t the only way in which music infuses our production of Little Montgomery. The show also incorporates original underscoring composed and played live during each performance by company member Alex Joyel. This unique element—an NCP first—is something one critic noted “enhances all the scenes” it is a part of, with another describing the “evocative interludes” created by the musician’s efforts.
Alex Joyel soaking up the attention in New City Players’ production of Little Montgomery.
If you’re an NCP regular, you may remember Joyel from his acclaimed performance in the leading role of “Elliot” in last season’s Water By The Spoonful. Coincidentally, said show is another in which music serves as a major thematic element, with the concept of musical “dissonance” becoming a key influence on the director’s vision.
But, as it turns out, Joyel is not only a talented actor but a passionate musician, having now been playing the guitar for around 15 years. And though he has plenty of experience performing publicly–at churches, at weddings, and as a member of Pompano surf rock trio The Barefoot Mailmen–he considers Little Montgomery his professional debut as a composer of original music.
He thus described the prospect of figuring out how to navigate his role as the play’s resident musician as a “challenging” one. Yet he was quick to seize the opportunity when NCP producer Tim Davis first asked him about the prospect before the start of the show’s rehearsals. On Davis’ end, it seemed like an exciting way to further engage audiences, as well as a thematic reflection of the show’s musician characters.
“I was like, alright, let’s dive headfirst into this thing,” Joyel describes.
Then, it was largely a matter of aligning his well-honed musical intuition with the play’s quirky country world.
“The more I started understanding the show, the more the music started flowing through me. You start really doing it, and things seem to make sense.” he said.
Joyel also drew plenty of inspiration from blues players and guitarists associated with the show’s setting of Texas, such as Stevie Ray Vaughan, as well as from some more modern sources.
“The intro song for example, I heard somebody on TikTok playing something similar . . . I took a couple ideas . . . and then I just made it my own.”
Aside from those involved in the actual music-making, other challenges came about from the logistics-of-it-all. For instance, the production team considered whether it might be more manageable for Joyel to record his compositions than to play them in person every night. But the “cool” factor of live music eventually won out, especially given the potential difficulties involved in putting together a high-quality recording in short order.
Hey, this guy kinda looks like the guy on all of the wanted posters… It can’t be, right? IYKYK.
Joyel also had to keep his plans adaptable to the changing needs of the production. Initially, it seemed likely that he would play during intermission; but that idea disintegrated when the show’s stage management team ended up requiring his assistance in resetting the stage between acts. And since the exact parameters of some of the play’s transitions remained in flux until tech week, he found himself continuing to alter his material until just about the 11th hour.
But it’s all part and parcel of what Joyel describes as a “living, breathing process,” which he also notes has allowed room for continual growth and evolution even after opening night.
“The dust is settling from all the creation, and now we’re getting to play with it,” he says.
For example, he’s found himself altering the cadence and intensity of his playing based on the energy he feels from the actors and the audience.
“It’s a super symbiotic thing, ” he describes.
Joyel is also incredibly grateful to get the chance to work with the play’s cast, a group of artists he’d hoped to collaborate with as individuals before he was lucky enough to join them all at once in the same play. And his enthusiasm for Little Montgomery has only grown as he’s watched his music enhance that cast’s ability to tell the play’s story, which he sees as being about companionship at its core.
“And I think that’s something we all deal with,” Joyel reflected on this main theme.
“As a pretty extroverted person, I feel like a lot of extroverts have the goal of not feeling alone, not feeling lonely. And I think that shows up in how we do this show, from how we’re delivering the lines to how we’re making set pieces and music. It’s all coming from the place of ‘damn, I don’t want to be alone.’”
And perhaps it’s that, more even than the matter of music, that marks Little Montgomery as of a piece with Water By the Spoonful; the fact that both shows focus on lost and wounded characters who are struggling to make sense of what they’ve been through and come to terms with who they are. Characters who may not have a knack for “fitting in” with those around them, but who nonetheless seem to sense that holding fast to their connections is the only way they’ll survive.
For some of Little Montgomery’s characters, music serves as a means of breaking down the barriers that might discourage such connections, as others dare to sing fearlessly in the hopes of making themselves heard. And as for New City Players, I think we’ve stumbled on live music as another powerful tool to add to our storytelling arsenal. Maybe music is the difference between recognizing a play is set in Texas and feeling like you’ve been transported to Texas; or maybe it’s the difference between understanding what a character is going through and a melody that lets you share in their pain.
In any case, since Joyel and Davis both expressed enthusiasm at the idea of a similar collaboration if another production seems to call for musical enhancement, this may not be the last we see of Joyel’s musicianship on the NCP stage. In the meantime, don’t miss the chance to join us for our incredible and unique production of Little Montgomery until only this July 23!
Little Montgomery
by Stephen Brown
Directed by Michael Gioia
Megan and Kimmy are sixteen-years-old, best friends, and currently planning to commit grand larceny against country music star Rick Montgomery at his concert tonight. As they put their plan into play, songs will be sung, secrets will be revealed, and teenage girls will find out how difficult it is to exact revenge. Check out our podcast series adapted from this play!
WHEN
July 6-23, 2023
WHERE
Island City Stage
TICKET PRICE
$20-35