Ivanha (2007)

The Spring Musical at my high school during senior year was an original play by Bob McAllister and Mark Nichols entitled Ivanha: A Modern Medieval Epic Musical. Nichols wrote the music, but he was too busy to come around and direct anything, so it became my job to arrange his music for the student orchestra (two flutes, clarinet, alto/bari sax, french horn, two trumpets, trombone, tuba, violin, cello/oboe, piano).

The play is bizarre and enlightening. It has some giant squirrels, nuns, a clown, and a witch, among other things. The music is certainly good. Working with vocalists and actors alongside my music was a new experience for me. Half the labor ended up being the tons of additional sound cues given to the band during the course of the production. The performances were, in the end, epic.