COLLABORATION!

Last week I shared how we were making cuts to the music — even dropping the song ISRAFEL entirely. Well, it's not surprising that it's been harder on Matt, the composer, then any of the rest of us.

— ES

I'll start with a quote that I live by: "If you love something, set it free.” With that said, let's talk about the word COLLABORATION.

This is sometimes the scariest thing for an artist, the give and take of the piece. After finishing the blocking of the entire show this week, I cut more music than I had planned to. In my opinion, if I can't justify a song or verse being in the show than it ultimately shouldn't be. Together Eric, Grace and I made sense of the artistic arc of the show and I had to budge. I told the cast that all the cut songs would be on the Poe Christmas Album, however.

I read an amazing book once called the Four Agreements. One of the agreements you need to make to become a better human being is to never take anything personally. This is very hard as a composer/actor. But with every question or obstacle in the path of Nevermore I must step back and tell myself, "Matt, it isn’t personal that your song needs to be written in A minor." I take a deep breath and think, "Will the audience make sense of this alteration to the music?" The answer, for the most part, has been yes. So I'm here to state to the world today that my music has been cut, and I'm not taking it personally! (But I promise that the song ISRAFEL will definitely be on the "Have Yourself a Very Poe Christmas" CD.)

With that said, the show is becoming more and more riveting everyday in rehearsal. I find myself having to leave the room so my brain can just breathe. We’re reinventing musical theatre in a small room just beside an alley somewhere in south Arlington. In January, Signature will resurrect a dead poet in ways I'm not sure they — or you — are ready for.

Enjoy the journey and have a wonderful holiday season!

— Matt Conner