Interview: Theatre Life with AnnMarie Milazzo

Today's subject is living her theatre life doing a job that many don't understand or appreciate. AnnMarie Milazzo is a Broadway vocal arranger or, as she calls it, vocal designer. Her Broadway and off-Broadway credits include Next to Normal, If/Then, Spring Awakening, and Finding Neverland.

As a performer, she was seen in Bright Lights, Big City and can be heard on the show's cast recording. On February 17, you will be able to see AnnMarie on stage again for a one night only concert at George Mason University in Fairfax, Virginia entitled Off Book/Out of Bounds. It takes the Broadway catalogue and kicks it up a notch.

Vocal arrangements are something that many don't understand. I want you to take a song from one of AnnMarie's shows that have lots of harmony within it; say maybe "Light" from Next to Normal. Those big inspiring harmonies aren't the actors just picking a note and hoping every night. It takes a skilled person and true artist like AnnMarie to figure out, along with the composers, what will pack the most wallop and make sense musically. AnnMarie Milazzo is in a class with the legends of musical theatre vocal arrangers. Names like Don Pippin, Milton Greene, David Loud, and others all helped to create what are some of Broadway's legendary musicals. AnnMarie Milazzo is the next generation honing the fine and underappreciated craft of vocal arranging/designing.

Check out Off Book/Out of Bounds with AnnMarie Milazzo, and others this weekend at George Mason University for some fine vocal work and Broadway inventiveness onstage. Next time you listen to one of her shows, you'll hopefully appreciate her craft all the more.

Had you been working in another area of musical theatre before becoming a vocal arranger?

Yes, I was an actress before. I played the mom in Bright Lights, Big City. I came to New York, but I was only performing in bands. I fell in love with musical theatre which led me to the other side of the table.

Can you please tell us a little something about what is going to be happening on Feb 17th at George Mason University with Off Book/Out of Bounds?

Yes!!. It features some fabulous singers, a great band. The concert is a reimagining of Broadway songs by Peter Kiesewalter. There are stellar arrangements of Broadway standards including songs from Sound of Music, plus some opera as well.

I will be performing "Don't Rain on My Parade," "I Dreamed a Dream," and "Habanera" from Carmen.

Do you find that some composers give you more to work with to create vocal arrangements than others?

Because I work on new musicals it is a very collaborative effort between me and the composer. When I work with Tom Kitt, he's totally open. Duncan Sheik comes in with open arms as well. We develop it page to stage. As the piece starts to grow, it becomes a marriage between the two of you.

If you know you have an Idina Menzel or Alice Ripley in the show you are creating vocal arrangements for, does that give you a little more freedom to get a little more elaborate with those arrangements?

You never know who you're going to have when you start in on a show. I'll do a first draft and then fine tune as needed. If an actress can't do what I had originally intended, we'll make adjustments. The Spring Awakening revival was a prime example where I made changes from the original to match that cast.

What is the most challenging part about your job as a vocal arranger?

The fear of OMG, what if nothing happens?! Facing the everyday fear of if it will work coming out of someone's mouth and can I fix it so it does.

Do you have any upcoming projects you'd like to plug here?

Yes!! An exciting revival of Once on This Island. I'm orchestrating it with the show's original orchestrator Michael Starobin. It's a new concept for the material and Stephen Flaherty and Lynn Ahrens are so open. I'm also working on a fun Noel Coward piece called Me and the Girls. I'm writing it with Douglas Carter Beane and Billie Jay Stein. It was created at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts.

Special thanks to George Mason University's Assistant Director of Marketing & Communications Camille Cintron Devlin for her assistance in coordinating this interview.

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