INTERVIEW: Music of the Brill Building comes to NJPAC thanks to Scott Coulter
Beautiful: The Carole King Musical is one of the great success stories on Broadway. The show has been running for years and has brought new audiences to classic American tunes. At the heart of the musical are the songs that emanated from the Brill Building, a famed “musical factory” that pumped out hit after hit.
Scott Coulter, one of the most accomplished cabaret stars and vocalists, will interpret many of these “Brill Building” songs at a special concert at the New Jersey Performing Arts Center Saturday, May 14. Included in the setlist will be selections from King and Neil Sedaka. In many ways, 1619 Broadway, the location of the Brill Building, will come alive in Newark, New Jersey.
Coulter is a multi-award-winning vocalist with a slew of accolades to his name: five Manhattan Association of Cabarets & Clubs awards, five Bistro awards and two Nightlife awards for Outstanding Vocalist. Coulter’s concert is titled “You’ve Got a Friend: The Music of the Brill Building,” and he will be joined by special guest Rebecca LaChance.
Recently, Hollywood Soapbox exchanged emails with Coulter about the upcoming performance. Questions and answers have been slightly edited for style.
What attracts you to singing these legendary songs from the “Brill Building” era?
The story of the Brill Building is really the story of American pop music. The Brill Building sound defined an era of musical history, and the stories contained within those walls are legendary. What was great about the Brill Building was the fact that everything happened there: songs were written, they were rehearsed, they were recorded. All in that NYC block. I love the idea of all those folks working together to create the soundtrack to our lives. It was also a period where the singer-songwriter began to flourish, and that’s a big part of what we explore in our show.
Could you explain your process when you decide to use a song in a show? How do you begin the interpretation process?
Every show is different, so the process of song selection varies. For this particular show, I wanted to tell the story of two people who happened to be friends and who also happened to be two of the most successful singer-songwriters of all time: Neil Sedaka and Carole King. We use the songs they wrote to tell their stories, and most of the songs are sung in chronological order, which gives a sense of the evolution of not only the Brill Building sound but also of the songwriting style and craft employed by both Neil and Carole.
As for interpretation, it’s the back story of a lot of these songs that colors the interpretation. There’s a lot of fun stuff that comes out of particular song setups in this show. And then there’s the fact that a lot of these iconic songs that we identify with women were actually written by men. “Natural Woman,” for example, has a lyric written by Gerry Goffin, not Carole King. I think that’s fascinating.
How’s it working with Rebecca LaChance?
I love Rebecca. I’ve known her for many years. When she graduated college she auditioned for a show I direct in NYC every July called “Broadway Rising Stars.” It’s a concert produced by Scott Siegel for The Town Hall in NYC, and it features the top musical theater graduates from around the country. Rebecca came in and blew us all away. We’ve been working together ever since. I’ve felt like a proud papa watching her star ascend.
What do you like best when singing in New York’s iconic cabaret settings?
New York audiences just get it. They do. They are savvy and quick and willing to go along with whatever you throw at them. I love that.
What can fans expect at the NJPAC show? Will it be a time-traveling experience to the “music factory”?
I certainly hope so! I’ve been doing the show around the country for several years now — since before Beautiful opened on Broadway — and the audience response is always the same. This music touches people in a very unique way. It is the music of THEIR life stories, and it taps into all the joy and heartache and passion that comes with their memories of the past. People are also amazed at how excellent the songwriting was in those days. You look at a song like “Will You Still Love Me” — which was written by a then teenage girl — and go “Wow.” We tend to think of the Great American Songbook as being written before 1960, but that’s really not the case. These songs are part of the fabric of our lives and are just as relevant today as they were when they were written.
Could you describe some of your most memorable collaborations over the years?
I have been incredibly fortunate over the years to have worked with many of my musical heroes — and on a regular basis! I’ve been performing with Stephen Schwartz (Wicked, Godspell, Pippin) for 17 years now. We’ve traveled the world singing his hits (along with Debbie Gravitte and Liz Callaway), which has been a real gift. For the last couple of seasons, I’ve been touring with Sheena Easton in a symphony show and loving every minute of it. (Thank you, Steve Cook!) She’s a hoot and we have the best time together. Last year, I created a symphony show celebrating the music of Jerry Herman for The ASCAP Foundation, and getting to work with Jerry Herman was unreal. Talk about a legendary composer.
I’ve also been lucky to work with some incredible songwriters since I moved to New York in 1993. Some of the songs I got to premiere have gone on to become contemporary classics. I’m really grateful for the chance to make music with Marcy Heisler, Zina Goldrich, John Bucchino, Tim DiPasqua, David Friedman , John Boswell, Michael Holland and the like. Many days I have to just stop and pinch myself.
By John Soltes / Publisher / John@HollywoodSoapbox.com
You’ve Got a Friend: The Music of the Brill Building with Scott Coulter and special guest Rebecca LaChance will play the NJPAC Satruday, May 14 at 6 p.m. and 8:30 p.m. Click here for more information.
