INTERVIEW: Two Tisch grads go ‘revolutionary’ for new musical
Photo: Madame Clicquot: A Revolutionary Musical, written by Lisette Glodowski and Richard C. Walter, will soon release its stage recording on CD. Photo courtesy of the artists / Provided by Fortune Creative with permission.
Madame Clicquot: A Revolutionary Musical, featuring book, music and lyrics by Lisette Glodowski and Richard C. Walter, recently released a studio cast recording on digital platforms, with a CD version due Friday, May 12. The recording is an EP featuring six selections from the musical, which is centered on the historical figure of Barbe-Nicole Clicquot Ponsardin, a person who lived during the French Revolution and greatly impacted the Champagne industry, according to press notes.
Madame Clicquot is meant to draw attention to this remarkable woman who went against the social rules of the day and and decided to carry on the family business after her husband died. She took her Champagne profession to international heights, along the way meeting a motley variety of important figures from the history books, including Napoleon Bonaparte himself.
The recording of the musical comes courtesy of Brainstorm Records, Yellow Sound Label and 35th Parallel Productions. Recently Hollywood Soapbox exchanged emails with Glodowski and Walter, two graduates of NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts (both majoring in musical theater arts), about the new project. Questions and answers have been slightly edited for style.
Where did the genesis for this musical come from?
WALTER: Veuve Clicquot was always a family favorite for celebrations, and over time I grew curious about the story behind it. I brought up the idea to Lisette, and she was immediately captivated by a story about Barbe-Nicole Clicquot Ponsardin and her daring rise to international success by breaking the status quo. The first time we sat down to work on this show, the song “The Man He Chose For Me” came spilling out, and we never looked back.
GLODOWSKI: I grew up in wine country, California. So when Richard presented the idea about writing this epic musical about this Champagne and the brilliant and complex woman behind it, all with the backdrop of the French Revolution and Napoleonic Wars, I knew we were the right writers for the job. Over the past five years, we have worked endlessly to research and fine tune our adaptation of her story, making sure it is historically accurate and authentic. We also drink a lot of Champagne.
WALTER: For research. Obviously.
What do you love about the song “Life on the Edge”?
WALTER: “Life on the Edge” is such a special song to us. It is the first time we really get a glimpse into the playful dreamer that lies at the heart of Francois Clicquot.
GLODOWSKI: Barbe-Nicole was skeptical of their arranged marriage and risk-averse after the events of the Revolution (“Revolutionary”), but Francois’ charm and zest for life proved impossible to resist. This is the moment in the show where they form a true partnership. Kevin Massey, who sings this song on the album, captures this moment completely and melts all of our hearts while doing so.
What do you think Clicquot’s story has to say in the 21st century?
GLODOWSKI: Madame Barbe-Nicole Clicquot Ponsardin was known in the 19th century as the first modern businesswoman. She lived in a man’s world and was surrounded by war and political turmoil. Although 250 years later things are … better … we still live in a world where women are underpaid, under-appreciated and everything in between.
WALTER: We hope this story can inspire people to keep working hard and going after their dreams no matter how many times they are told no.
How would you define the term “revolutionary”?
GLODOWSKI: For us, revolutionary means a major shift in the world. This resonated with us as a theme for this show not only because of the political climate of the time period, but because Barbe-Nicole was a revolutionary her entire life.
WALTER: From taking over the wine business after Francois’ tragic death, to inventing a new way of making Champagne (that is still used today), to pulling off a daring stunt to get her wine overseas before her competition, she made decisions that changed the world.
How do you two collaborate? What’s a workday like?
WALTER: We will usually text the other one with an idea, whether it is a moment in the show we want to dig into, a voice memo of a melody, a tune on a piano or a snippet of lyrics that feel exciting.
GLODOWSKI: Our collaboration is very back and forth, and as often as possible we like to work in the same room so we can bounce ideas off each other in real time. Almost every song in Madame Clicquot was written with the other one there to say, “Oh, yes! More in that direction” or “Absolutely not. What are you thinking!” to shape the work as we write.
Is the hope of releasing this album to garner more attention for the stage production?
BOTH: Absolutely.
GLODOWSKI: We have been lucky to pair with 35th Parallel Productions from the beginning of writing the show. They have taken us through multiple industry readings in New York, to a sold-out concert version in Hilton Head, South Carolina.
WALTER: And now to this unbelievable album, with this unbelievable cast and crew. What we need next is to see the full production with lights, costumes, staging, choreography and everything else. When we listen to this 13-piece orchestra playing our songs, we can’t help but imagine how big and wonderful the full production will be, and we hope when others close their eyes and listen, they can see it, too, and get just as excited as we are.
You both have extensive educational backgrounds with impressive degrees. How has education positively impacted your career?
WALTER: We were so incredibly lucky to be able to study at Tisch School of the Arts together. Not only are the professors brilliant, but the program is so unique and really allowed us to be part of the theatre community in New York, working with and learning from some of the best composers, lyricists, actors, directors, choreographers and titans of our industry.
GLODOWSKI: The late Sarah Schlesinger was our adviser for our thesis work, and we are grateful every day that we had the chance to study with her. She was an immensely talented writer, passionate educator and an endless fountain of wisdom. I think it’s safe to say Tisch changed our lives.
By John Soltes / Publisher / John@HollywoodSoapbox.com
Madame Clicquot: A Revolutionary Musical — Studio Cast Recording is now available on digital platforms and will be released in CD format Friday, May 12. Click here for more information.
