The Music of "Snow White"

When you think of a musical, chances are you probably think of fancy sets, costumes, special effects, and plenty of song and dance. But there is also what’s called a “play with music”, which is basically a musical on a much smaller scale. The Broadway hit Peter and the Starcatcher, about the origins of Peter Pan, is a recent example. Director Judith Fletcher wanted to include music in her adaptation of Snow White, so she commissioned music faculty member Anthony Lai to create an original score.

Lai is no stranger to composing for the theater. As an undergraduate student in 2005, he was recommended by G. Kevin Dewey, head of vocal music, to write instrumental music for Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night. Since then, he has written for several other HFCC productions, including Tales from the Arabian Nights, Wisdom and Wonder, The Odyssey, Movement Macbeth, and the upcoming Dinosaurus!.

Holding a Master’s degree in music from Wayne State, Lai teaches several courses including Recording Techniques, Music Notation with Finale, and the History of Rock and Roll. He has also written and recorded two albums, which are highly influenced by the Beatles and other groups from the rock and roll era.

“Although I’ve written for the theater before, composing for Snow White is definitely a departure for me,” Lai said. “I wanted to evoke a 1990s Disney/contemporary Broadway style, so I’ve done my best to emulate Alan Menken (composer of The Little Mermaid, Beauty and the Beast, and Little Shop of Horrors). The songs are distinctly musical theater, something which is not typical in my other music.”

The actors will do all of their singing live, but the musical accompaniment will be prerecorded. “In traditional musical theater, the instrumental ensemble has the luxury of following the singer,” Lai explained. “In this case, the music has to be written in a way where the performers can easily follow the recording.”

Before he could begin to compose, however, Lai had to get the vocal ranges of the singers. This told him how high or low he could write the songs, based on the types of voices he had to work with. “I also tried to match the lyrics and theme of the story,” Lai added. “I wrote all of the music on piano, then took it into the studio and orchestrated it on a professional quality synthesizer. I made sure to use the same instruments you typically find in a pit orchestra, to give it that Broadway sound.”

Audiences can come hear Lai’s music when the production raises the curtain next week.  Tickets can be purchased via the website http://theatre.hfcc.edu, or by calling (313) 845-9817 and making a reservation. Students with ID can get a special discounted admission rate.