Interview: Dr. Edward W. Hardy of THE WOODSMAN at Barbershop Theatre
The violinist and composer shared how he got involved with THE WOODSMAN, the inspirations that shaped his work, and any challenges he faced while writing the music.
Creating a new work can be such an exciting journey, and being part of the team for a play like The Woodsman is quite the trip down the yellow brick road. I’ve already covered Street Theatre Company’s current production of the show, and I had since made contact with its composer after he had read my review. Dr. Edward W. Hardy was just a college undergraduate when he joined forces with James Ortiz and Jay Adana, and now the show is still thriving since its debut in 2012. The violinist and composer shared how he got involved with The Woodsman, the inspirations that shaped his work, and any challenges he faced while writing the music.
Dr. Hardy had yet to graduate from SUNY Purchase when James Ortiz and Jay Adana invited him to be part of the original creative team for The Woodsman. Serving as the composer, violinist, and music director, he had no idea that the experimental project would still be breathing more than a decade later. “Looking back, it was one of the experiences that really shaped me as an artist,” he shared, “and I'm grateful that the work continues to find new audiences.” Given the reactions from the crowd on the night that I saw the play, he and everyone on the original creative team should be proud.
It’s one thing to compose music for a musical, but it’s another thing to compose music for a play with little to no dialogue or lyrics. What inspired Dr. Hardy’s composition for The Woodsman was the musical storytelling. Given how the show relies so heavily on movement, breath work, and puppetry, he had to think about the composition differently. “I was watching a puppet breathe, watching actors move, watching a scene unfold, and asking myself, "What does this moment sound and feel like?"” he explained. “The music wasn't just accompanying the story; it became part of the storytelling itself.” The experience continues to shape how he assigns musical themes to characters.
When I asked Dr. Hardy which song was the most challenging for him to write, he couldn’t choose between “The Kalidah” and” Rusting Tinman”. “The Kalidah”, which is a tiger-headed bear creature that originated from the novel The Wizard of Oz, is the most physically demanding section of the score for the violinist. “It requires playing almost as fast as possible with both the right and left hands,” said Dr. Hardy. It also serves as a huge emotional transformation for the character of Nick Chopper, as it goes from beautiful to terrifying, concluding with the embodiment of a triumphant beast. “Because there is virtually no dialogue beyond his screams, the music has to communicate what the character can't say,” he said. The other song, “Rustic Tinman”, initially came together relatively quickly. However, as the lyrics changed, so did the song over the course of a year. “Musically, the violin part has these fast chordal passages supporting the voices and chorus, but emotionally, it feels like the true climax, as Nick accepts his fate as the Tin Man and continues chopping wood for Nimmie, ultimately rusting in the rain.” Despite the long and challenging process, the songs had given the composer the opportunity to make a music statement. Backpacking off of what he had previously learned from his mentor, James McElwaine, he stated that “the hardest thing to compose is knowing when to let the music breathe.”
Every composer has at least one favorite piece of theirs, and Dr. Hardy’s favorite song that he wrote for The Woodsman would have to be “Forever Yours”. “I think part of the reason is that I can hear so much of the person I was when I wrote it,” he confessed. “I was a young composer and a hopeless romantic, writing my feelings into a melody while I was still trying to figure out what my voice was.” Even more than a decade later, he can still feel that emotional connection of his college-aged self in the ways that others perform the song. “That's special to me because it reminds me that even when you're still developing as an artist, you can create something that outlives the moment in which you made it.”
Although this interview was mainly about the music of the play, I learned some fun facts about Dr. Hardy. I already knew that he was a musician, but I didn’t know that he was also an actor, having recently appeared in Anna Deavere Smith's “Basil Biggs”. Given that his father is a chef, he has developed a love for cooking over the years. “I love finding new recipes from the different cities and countries I'm privileged to perform in,” he shared. Other than a love for cooking and music, he also has a love for fashion. He even designs his own suits and tuxedos. “I also love finding unique pieces of clothing and either keeping them as they are, having them painted, or sewing appliques onto them.” When it comes to fashionable music icons, Dr. Hardy admires the likes of Michael Jackson, Prince, and Liberace. According to him, “They understood that an audience experiences a performance with their eyes and ears, and I suppose I continue to aspire to be more like them.”
The Woodsman runs for three more performances at the Barbershop Theatre August 27-29. All remaining shows are currently sold out, but please follow Street Theatre Company to catch the rest of their season.
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