BWW Interviews: Michael Korie Talks About the Oscar Hammerstein Festival at Bucks County Playhouse

Bucks County Playhouse is launching their first Oscar Hammerstein Festival this year. This festival was inspired by the mentorship Hammerstein offered Stephen Sondheim as a young man. One of the people teaching a workshop at the Hammerstein Festival is Michael Korie. Korie is a lyricist and librettist, who is known for writing the lyrics for the musical GREY GARDENS. I had a chance to speak with Korie about the Hammerstein festival as well as the importance of working with emerging artists.

Kelli Curtin: How did you get involved with the Arts?

Michael Korie: I studied music as a child, and I attended college on a harpsichord scholarship. I could not get work in the area of classical performance, so I worked at The Village Voice. I worked in newspapers until I was 25, and at that point I was burned out. I wanted to be a composer, so I attended a Lehman Engel workshop. It was at this point in my life that I realized that liked to write lyrics. I was fascinated by others who could do this, and I learned so much working with other composers.

Kelli Curtin: Why is Oscar Hammerstein important to the history of Broadway musicals?

Michael Korie: He IS the history of Broadway musicals; Hammerstein was there when the Broadway musical was being invented. He wrote what I consider the first musical, SHOWBOAT. Once he started working with [Richard] Rodgers he wrote the lyrics first. Hammerstein had the ability to find the voice in everyday people and convey this voice to the audience. He found a pathos that a regular audience could understand. Hammerstein had the ability to hook the audience through his works. For example, the drama happens through music. Look at the songs "Soliloquy" in CAROUSEL and "Bali Hai" in SOUTH PACIFIC. The action happens throughout the songs the audience is listening to.

Kelli Curtin: Could you tell me a little about your workshop at the Oscar Hammerstein Festival?

Michael Korie: I have found through my teaching at Yale that there are craft issues when it comes to younger people. They are not sure where to put the operative words in music so the lyrics zing. There are so many young people who are excited to write musicals, but they know very little about music. I find when I ask my students to show me examples of their work that the lyrics have no buoyancy. They are writing lyrics like poetry rap or rhyme, and they need to learn to work with music to make their melodies soar.

I find that it is a good idea to have a foundation in music first. I have my students create scenes with their lyrics, and I have friends who are Broadway composers, I borrow their music and have students write lyrics to fit the music.

Kelli Curtin: What is the importance of this festival for emerging artists?

Michael Korie: It is the first Hammerstein Festival at Bucks County Playhouse. It is a great place where great writers and emerging artists can experiment, fail, and learn in a safe environment that is not New York City. All of the successful artists need to stop complaining that there is no new or good musicals being written, this is an important step to have an active hand to create new work.

Kelli Curtin: Why, in your opinion is live theatre important?

Michael Korie: Live theatre is VERY important. We are losing so much of the communal experience. People do not go to movies anymore; everything has gone digital. It is so important to feel the music and voices one hears in live theatre. This experience transmits energy and immediacy. We really need to start making live theatre accessible to low income individuals and young people.

Kelli Curtin: What advice would you give someone who wants to be a lyricist?

Michael Korie: First, you need to find a means to make money in the meantime while you are creating. It is not a quick process. People need to have a passion to be a lyricist, as well as have an attitude that does not take no for an answer, but you have to be practical.

The Hammerstein Festival runs September 26-28, 2014 at Bucks County Playhouse. For more information and tickets visit Bucks County Playhouse's website at www.bcptheater.org.

Photos courtesy of Bucks County Playhouse