At DSF, music is an essential part of the theatre.
It sets the tone. It creates drama. It conjures emotion.
Under the direction of Music Director, Tom Abruzzo, Davis Shakespeare Festival premiered their resident instrumental ensemble to the greater Sacramento area on May 18th, 2019. DSF Music Ensemble’s first concert, Overture! celebrated the practice of the musical theatre overture, a tradition meant to usher in the general feeling of an entire work and introduce motifs of a musical. Overture! was a fitting theme for DSFME’s inaugural presentation, since they too were marking their start of a musical journey and establishing an expectation for their future programming.
On the night before the performance Megan Spurlock, DSFME’s Artistic Coordinator, was busily editing music sheets on her break from rehearsal. Spurlock, 24, is a Sacramento State Graduate whose been working with DSF for 6 years. She plays numerous instruments and sings. She, along with Music Director, Tom Abruzzo, have been ardently preparing for this production for six months. “Our ensemble is an homage to music’s facility in bringing drama to life,” Abruzzo said. “I am thrilled to be engaging both the Davis and Sacramento community of musicians in this experience.”
“There’s a need for music ensembles in the area” Megan said while printing out the new edits. “My hope is to spark community interest and bring people together for new, exciting experiences.” She continued, “We need to keep music alive; there’s truly something for everyone in this show.”
The orchestra, comprised of local musicians, played overtures ranging from the musical comedy era of the early 1920’s to modern musicals. The First Church of the Nazarene provided an intimate setting for the orchestra and vocalists’ emotionally rich sound. Many players are multi-talented and effortlessly switch from one musical instrument to another. The musicians had such range and control of their sound under the baton of the conductor, Abruzzo. The ensemble executed the performance with precision, fluidly moving from dramatic introductions to jazzy beginnings.
The 2019 DSF festival cast sang songs woven in-between overtures, previewing their musical chops for the upcoming season. The song selections ranged from the romantic to the inspirational. Daniel Sugimoto and Gabby Battista’s grand, sweeping duet set the tone for the rest of the performances; Megan Spurlock sang an emotional rendition of What is This Thing Called Love?; and Laurie Strawn, Dennis Beasley, and Martin Lehman delighted the audience with a show-stopping Shrek.
DSFME proved itself to be funny, poignant, and passionate. There truly was something for everyone.
Overture! demonstrated DSFME’s musical prowess and was a wonderful intro to a promising future. More concerts are planned throughout the year; the next will be a collaboration with Davis Chorale on July 21st. Stay tuned for more details!
By Mia Tapnio for Davis Shakespeare Festival
Photos by Yarcenia Garcia
May 20, 2019
