Fresh off a workshop of “The Light in the Piazza,” Kelli O’Hara had a thought: What if there was a musical adaptation of the 1962 addiction drama, “Days of Wine and Roses”? It could be an ambitious project that reunites her with composer Adam Guettel and actor Brian D’Arcy James, with whom she had previously worked on the Broadway musical “The Sweet Smell of Success.”
In a conversation on Variety’s theater podcast, “Stagecraft,” O’Hara shared her excitement about the potential of this project. Little did she know that Guettel had already obtained the rights to it without her knowledge.
After 21 years of on-and-off work, “Days of Wine and Roses” finally had its world premiere at Off Broadway’s Atlantic Theater last year and has recently started performances on Broadway. Both O’Hara and James expressed their enthusiasm for returning to songs that pose challenges for both singers and audiences.
According to James, Guettel constructs his compositions in a way that doesn’t immediately introduce the melody. Instead, he focuses on conveying drama, character, and story through the music’s structure. When the familiar melody finally arrives, it becomes a deeply satisfying experience.
“He’s matching those vocal challenges to what the character is saying at the time,” O’Hara added. “When you learn it and digest it, you start to feel completely in sync with it.”
O’Hara also admitted that although she had initially envisioned doing “Days of Wine and Roses” in her 20s, she is grateful for the long development process. She now realizes that she probably wouldn’t have been ready for the role back then.
To hear the full conversation between O’Hara and James, listen to “Stagecraft” on podcast platforms such as Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and the Broadway Podcast Network. New episodes of “Stagecraft” are released every other week.
For more information about this story, you can visit the source link.
F5 Magazine