Orchestrator instrumental in 'Jersey Boys' success
By: Emily Cary
Special to the Examiner
November 29, 2009
Show runs through Dec. 12 at National Theatre
If you go"Jersey Boys"
Where: National Theatre, 1321 Pennsylvania Ave. NW
When: Through Dec. 12
Info: $51.50 to $221.50; 800-447-7400; telecharge.com
Steve Orich had moved from New York to California to focus on scoring films and television when music director Ron Melrose called to alert him about a little musical La Jolla Playhouse was mounting and suggested that he might be interested.
"Even though he warned me that it had a very small budget because the show would run only five weeks, I wanted to keep one finger in theater and decided to do it," he says.
Not only did Orich become involved, but his efforts were rewarded when the "little musical" moved to Broadway and he received a Tony nomination for his orchestrations. "Jersey Boys," the story of Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons, took the street by storm, walking off with multiple Tony Awards, along with the 2006 Grammy Award for Best Musical.
Frankie Valli's signature falsetto and Bob Gaudio's clever compositions dominated dozens of Billboard hit singles during the 1960s. "Sherry," "Big Girls Don't Cry," "Walk Like a Man," "Rag Doll" and "December 1963 (Oh, What a Night)" all hit No. 1 on the charts. Although the teenage blue-collar drop-outs from Belleville, N.J., were unlikely candidates, they became one of the best-selling rock 'n' roll groups of all times.
Orich's job for "Jersey Boys" was to orchestrate the music for today's audiences.
"We didn't use the original Four Seasons charts," he said. "I listened to their recordings and decided to present the pops feel in a theater setting. The originals from the '60s and '70s were very slow, sparse and rough around the edges. The pit orchestras that used to be very large have shrunk for economic reasons, so we gave the songs body by using synthesizers and about 12 instrumentalists, some of them in the cast and on the stage.
"The music is plugged into a real story about the four singers that is powerful and emotional throughout," he continued. "One of the most touching moments comes when Frankie and his wife are splitting up and they stand on opposite sides of the stage singing 'My Eyes Adored You.' "
Normally an orchestrator's work is finished on opening night, but four years later, Orich has fun writing new charts for fresh venues, such as the "Tonight Show," Letterman and three appearances at the Tony Awards. For this past Fourth of July concert on the Mall, he gave the National Symphony Orchestra a lush feel with fresh emphasis on the horns and pizzicato strings.
During his versatile career, Orich has composed, orchestrated and arranged music for many stage shows, television series, specials and albums and has worked with such major artists as Helen Reddy, Judy Kaye, Petula Clark, Angela Lansbury and Tommy Tune. No project, however, began so modestly and exploded into the kind of international phenomenon that "Jersey Boys" has become with permanent companies on three continents.
"When I played in the orchestra pits on Broadway early in my career, the best you could be was as good as you were the previous day," he said. "Now I get a tune in my head, can't shake it, and wake up in the morning humming. I feel blessed to be working on projects that are so rewarding."
