for a
stage application because
of their compact dimensions and
superb
sound
quality"
A new
theater company came into bloom last spring in Los Angeles, offering "Broadway’s
Best in Concert" performed by Hollywood’s top entertainers. Thanks to David
Abell Fine Pianos of Los Angeles, CA, a pair of Yamaha GranTouch digital pianos shared the
curtain during the premiere season, which closed last fall.
Similar to the celebrated Encore Series in New York, Reprise! offers a subscription series of timeless Broadway musical productions at the 500-seat UCLA-Freud Playhouse. The innovative productions are semi-staged, and the actors carry their scripts and share the stage with the 10 musicians who comprise the orchestra.
Led by Artistic Director Marcia Seligson, a well known writer and live event producer, Reprise! not only provides a home for musical theater in Los Angeles but also attracts Hollywood talent to the stage. "In southern California there is a vast pool of film and television actors with musical theater backgrounds who would love to perform in live shows, but their schedules will not permit a long run or a tour," she explained. "Reprise! fills the need for these performers, as well as giving the Southern California audience an opportunity to locally experience a broad spectrum of the best of American musical theater.
Since its launch, Reprise! has performed three classic productions to sold out audiences: "Promises, Promises" with Jason Alexander of Seinfeld; "Finian’s Rainbow" with Rex Smith and Malcolm Gets of Caroline in the City; and "Wonderful Town" with Lucie Arnaz and Stephanie Zimbalist.
Veteran Broadway musical director Peter Matz conducted the music for all three productions, adapting the original scores for his 10-piece orchestra. Matz created several original orchestrations as well as new vocal arrangements of the classic show tunes to accommodate the instrumentation. Because each production lasts no more than three weeks from the first rehearsal to the seventh and final performance, Matz needed a piano that could withstand frequent moves in and out of the theater without going out of tune. Consulting his longtime friend and local piano dealer, David Abell, Matz struck gold with the Yamaha GranTouch series of digital pianos: the GT1 digital grand and GT10 digital upright. "I realized these pianos would be perfect for what we’re doing," he explained. "They sound and feel like the real thing yet are compact enough to fit on stage, short enough to maintain eye contact with the other musicians and they don’t ever go out of tune."
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A Grammy, Clio and three-time Emmy Award winner, Matz has directed, arranged and composed in every entertainment medium for legendary stars including Noel Coward, Marlene Dietrich, Barbra Streisand, Bernadette Peters, Lena Horne, Bing Crosby, Liza Minnelli, Tony Bennett and Sarah Vaughan. His television credits include The Carol Burnett Show, where he was music director for eight years, and scores for more than 40 television movies.
Matz is well acquainted with Yamaha pianos. He owns a ClavinovaÆ, DisklavierÆ as well as other Yamaha instruments and visits David Abell Fine Pianos regularly to keep us with the latest models. Sales associate David Kreisberg thought Matz would appreciate the GranTouch series. "We have found that these instruments are ideal for a stage application because of their compact dimensions and superb sound quality,"he said. "We’re thrilled that someone of his stature is interested in the GranTouch,"he added.
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Jason Alexander and Jean Smart in "Promises, Promises,"part of the Reprise! series at UCLA’s Freud Playhouse. |
According to Kreisberg, Reprise! is one of the many
professional organizations for which David Abell Fine Pianos provides Yamaha instruments.
"We get so many requests for products that we actually have to decline
some,"Kreisberg said. He has already set aside instruments for Reprise! to use next
year. The company expects to extend its production runs to 15 performances. For more
information, contact Reprise! at (310) 305-1523. 
