Since receiving his first Helen Hayes Award in 1994 for Sound Design, George Fulginiti-Shakar has earned two more of the coveted awards. A big part of the area theatrical and cabaret shows, he is in demand as music director, pianist and vocal coach.
Once again, his creativity is evident in the world premiere of “The Lion, the Witch & the Wardrobe” at Imagination Stage in collaboration with the Washington Ballet. Running through mid-August, the show based on the C.S. Lewis novel is a unique marriage of theater, dance and puppetry featuring a life-size puppet operated by three actor/puppeteers.
“I was involved in all aspects of the show beginning with auditioning the cast,” said Fulginiti-Shakar.
| If you go |
| ‘The Lion, the Witch & the Wardrobe’ |
| » Where: Imagination Stage, 4908 Auburn Avenue, Bethesda |
| » When: Through Aug. 12 |
| » Info: $10 to $27; 301-280-1660; imaginationstage.org |
“My first challenge was to coordinate the music composed by violinist/composer Matthew Pierce and the lyrics written by librettist Janet Stanford. Each character has a special theme. I had to make the music singable by setting the lyrics to the melodies and integrating the phrasing of the lyrics with the music. Most of the early issues were with the singers because I’m very particular about wrong notes and singing off pitch.”
He selected the actors for the range and quality of their voices while making certain that their appearance fit the role. For instance, the older brother had to be bigger than the younger brother. Then the ballet dancers and puppeteers were integrated into the story. The cues come from music provided by a recording done in advance.
This is Fulginiti-Shakar’s first venture combining ballet and puppetry, one he hopes will lead to more opportunities for boundary crossing.
“The key for bringing each production to life is an understanding of its unique story and unique solutions and the willingness to experiment and collaborate,” he said. “In this case, my challenge was dealing with three art forms not ordinarily connected. Because the lion puppet Aslan is operated by three people, I made a large playing area on the set where a huge puppet can move around.
“Once the show opens, my job is over. I will have trained all the singers and actors and the dancers will know exactly where and how they fit in. At that point, I will focus on ‘The Snow Queen,’ one of the Kennedy Center’s New Visions/New Voices projects scheduled for presentation later this year. Throughout the run of ‘The Lion, the Witch & the Wardrobe’ at Imagination Stage, I want the audiences to leave every day remembering that they saw some amazing stuff.”
