{"id":16179,"date":"2019-07-05T16:05:05","date_gmt":"2019-07-05T23:05:05","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.drumeo.com\/beat\/?p=16179"},"modified":"2023-07-10T07:36:56","modified_gmt":"2023-07-10T14:36:56","slug":"broadway-drummers-beetlejuice-the-musical","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.drumeo.com\/beat\/broadway-drummers-beetlejuice-the-musical\/","title":{"rendered":"Beetlejuice The Musical"},"content":{"rendered":"

One had a knee replacement. The other had a kid. They both don\u2019t sleep well. Despite that, Shannon Ford and Joshua Mark Samuels come to Beetlejuice the Musical<\/a> eight shows a week to create mayhem for the titular demon.<\/p>\n

For each poster in their drum rooms, there\u2019s a different musical style in the show. The opener goes from two bars of Mr. Rogers to two bars of death metal. Separated by a window, these vets effortlessly handle the pressure of playing for some of Broadway\u2019s most talented singers, and have a blast beat doing it.<\/p>\n

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How did your teamup work? Were you working together early?<\/strong><\/h5>\n

FORD (Drums): During the rehearsal process there was a lot of \u201cCan you cover that cymbal roll on this measure?\u201d It\u2019s a lot of tossing instruments back and forth, because it’s such a busy book that during rehearsal we had to have a little conference at least two or three times an hour.<\/p>\n

SAMUELS (Percussion): And then being in here there’s a wonderful ability to be able to really groove and look at each other. I think in a lot of pits, the drummer and percussionist are separate or they can’t see each other. I think having this window here really allows us to blend very well.<\/p>\n

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Beetlejuice is largely a comedy. How are you contributing to the funnies via drums and percussion?<\/strong><\/h5>\n

FORD: It’s original music by Eddie Perfect and orchestrations by our musical director Kris Kukul. The music itself reminds me of old Warner Brothers Bugs Bunny cartoons. Just playing the score paints a picture of the Beetlejuice world and the manic kind of fast comedy.<\/p>\n

SAMUELS: It was very fun because we got to experiment with all these different sounds. We would play something and maybe I would say, \u201cKris, I see what you’re going for; let’s try this.\u201d It would be wacky and kooky and we both had bags and bags of toys and cymbals and gongs, and we would try to add to the kookiness.<\/p>\n

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    On the right is a waterphone. It is responsible for every scary sound effect you hear in movies. Joshua plays it with a stringed bow.<\/div><\/div><\/li>\n
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    You both have to play loads of musical genres, sometimes in one song. How are you approaching that potpourri? (SAT word)<\/strong><\/h5>\n

    FORD: One way I approach it is dynamically. It\u2019s a study in contrasts. I really lean into the death metal stuff, and then pull back for Mr. Rogers land. \u201cOh, now we’re in ska land. Ok.\u201d So different dynamic levels was my main approach to the thing.<\/p>\n

    SAMUELS: I think we walk a fine line between trying to stay true to a genre that we’re playing, and then also what needs to be done onstage. Is this a comedy part? Shannon’s having to lay down a salsa groove but he\u2019s having to do fifteen-thousand dance hits, which is very difficult. Sometimes you play on one and three if that\u2019s what\u2019s needed on stage.<\/p>\n

    Author\u2019s Note: The show first ran out of town in Washington D.C., and that salsa number was originally a boy band number. They changed it for Broadway.<\/em><\/p>\n

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    So one of you gained a child, and the other gained a knee. Joshua, how\u2019s the child? (And congrats, by the way!)<\/strong><\/h5>\n

    SAMUELS: Thanks, he\u2019s awesome! I can’t speak complete sentences right now because I’m exhausted. My wife is very supportive. You’ll learn if you ever move to New York City or if you have a girlfriend or you’re married, you’re never gonna be able to practice in your space. But I have a studio in Midtown as well where I practice. It\u2019s with a bunch of other musicians.<\/p>\n

    Shannon you had a knee replacement about two months before rehearsal. Just…how?<\/strong><\/h5>\n

    FORD: In mid-December I had a total knee replacement for my right knee. I had to slowly relearn to play the bass drum again, because after surgery my shin calf muscles and everything were completely immovable. So I had to sit in my apartment with a practice bass drum pad and a single pedal and just try to get through a three minute song playing quarter notes.<\/p>\n

    Fortunately, the rehearsal process in most shows is playing for maybe 30 seconds and waiting for 30 minutes. I mean, you play a section of a song and then they’ll choreograph it or stage it or do scene work and you’re just sitting there. And it was a good thing for me because it allowed me to ease back into playing.<\/p>\n

    SAMUELS: Shannon\u2019s actually being very modest. He never complained once, and even with his knee surgery I’ve never heard somebody use his right foot so incredibly well. It\u2019s perfect.<\/p>\n

    FORD: It was after the Percocet!<\/p>\n

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    Crack the track:<\/strong><\/h5>\n

    Almost every song is a blast to play. \u201cThe Whole Being Dead Thing\u201d is the first full tune in the show. Here\u2019s that whole death metal to Mr. Rogers thing. A lot of the drumming is in a ska-like style, with some swing and Klezmer thrown in. The key isn\u2019t to just play the different sections, but to seamlessly switch between styles.<\/p>\n