There is magic in Andrew Lippa

Andrew Lippa, American composer, lyricist, book writer, performer, and producer, chats with The Pickwyck about his work and what he is most proud of.

Where did you grow up?

• "I was raised in a suburb of Detroit called Oak Park, Michigan."

Do you have a theatrical family?
 

• "Well, not in the "on stage" sense...but they were theatrical, all right..."

How did you first get involved in theater?
 

• "My high school mounted a production of "The Pajama Game" when I was in 10th grade.  I was a Steam Heat Boy.  I was hooked. "

What are some of the challenges you face when it comes to writing music versus writing lyrics? Is one easier for you to write than the other?
 

• "In some ways lyrics are harder just because everyone listening to them speaks English.  Not everyone "speaks" music. Music often speaks directly to the "feeling" part of people's brains but lyrics, while I hope they can do that, too, are often heard by people's "thinking" parts.  I have to, as a writer, address both parts of the brain when writing a song."

Can you tell us a little bit about your work as a performer/singer?
 

• "I was, when I was younger, pursuing a career as an actor.  But I got very committed to writing and have spent a good while away from.  Happily, I'm returning to life as an actor.  I was in four of my titles last year and am now starting to audition for other people's shows. "

What are you most passionate about in your own life?
 

• "Spiritual growth."

What is your guilty pleasure (reality TV, junk food, etc.)

• "GSN - the Game Show Network."

What is your favorite book, TV show, movie?
 

• "Book:  The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay by Michael Chabon
• TV Show: Breaking Bad
• Film: The Empire Strikes Back; Tootsie; 21 Grams"

Since there have been various productions/concerts of The Wild Party throughout the years, what can we expect from the production at Encores City Center this summer?

• "I hope this is the best incarnation of the show - both in writing and in production elements - so far. There will be some changes in the script and score.  Exciting!"

Big Fish the Musical is based off of the novel by Daniel Wallace and also influenced by the movie created by Tim Burton, what was it like for you to create music for an adaptation?
 

• "No different, really, than anything else.  I've adapted a poem (The Wild Party), a comic strip (The Addams Family), a life-story/biography (I Am Harvey Milk), a novel (A Little Princess).  The challenge of adapting a film was making the piece work for the stage - losing some of the sub-plots and large set-pieces."

The Addams Family premiered in Chicago before heading to Broadway, where some of the songs were re-worked or replaced. Can you tell us a little bit about that process and the decision behind changing/re-vamping the music?

• "Almost every new musical goes through enormous growth and change. Ours was no different.  We listen to friends, colleagues, audiences, critics - anyone who had anything to say about the experience of the show - and we cull the comments that make sense to us and then address the issues one by one."

Speaking of reinventing, the production john and jen will be returning to the stage. Are there any differences between this revival and past productions? What should audiences expect from this revival?
 

• "A new song!! Lots of little tweaks.  And two incredible performances.  I'm really excited about this production."

For those who aren't familiar with the show, can you tell them a bit about the story? How does the music connect with the characters?
 

• "John & Jen tells the story of a woman and her relationship to her brother from 1952 until his death in Vietnam in 1971. She then has a son, names him John (played by the same actor), and, racked with guilt and blaming herself for her brother's death, tries to mold her son in the image of her brother.  It's about learning how to let go and how to love without fear."

You have also composed/put together an oratorio entitled I Am Harvey Milk. What was writing this like for you? Can you tell us a bit about the process in putting this together?
 

• "This was an exceptional experience for me. It's the first time I've written about a gay character.  It was cathartic for me to write and thrilling to premiere it with the San Francisco Gay Men's Chorus of 300+ men and a 27-piece orchestra. And I got to perform the role of Harvey Milk.  We premiered it in San Francisco in June, 2013 and it's continuing to have a big life since then.  Most recently it was Lincoln Center's Avery Fisher Hall with Kristin Chenoweth, the Orchestra of St. Luke's and me, again, as Harvey Milk."

What are you most proud of, professionally and personally?
 

• "Enduring and thriving.  Artists are frequently criticized.  Learning how to accept the good criticism and jettison the bad is a lifelong lesson."

Who are you inspired by? (Fellow writers, composers?)
 

• "Great artists, living and/or dead, including:  Verdi, Bartok, John Adams, Adam Guettel, Benjamin Scheuer, Michael Chabon, Jhumpa Lahiri, the list goes on."

Do you have any other upcoming projects that you can tell us about?
 

• "Not yet! Lips are still sealed! Soon."