My guest on this episode is Eddie Perfect, a writer, composer and performer who is currently working on two projects for Broadway - King Kong and Beetlejuice.
Show Notes
One of the reasons I really wanted to talk to Eddie now is because he’s at a key moment in his career. He’s composer and lyricist for TWO major musicals - one that has just opened on Broadway and the other is set to open in the new year.
He describes the challenge of preparing two projects simultaneously, and as can be expected, it took us some time for to find a moment in his crazy schedule to record this interview. I’m very grateful to Eddie for making time on his Thanksgiving Weekend to speak with me from his New York apartment...and taking a moment away from his family, who you might occasionally hear in the background.
In this episode Eddie describes how he got started writing songs for his music theatre classmates, the joys and the challenges of collaborating on not one, but two musicals and I think you really get a sense of the master juggling act he’s pulling off. He’s a juggler with a BIG set of balls.
I hope you enjoy my conversation with Broadway’s newest Boy from Oz, Eddie Perfect.
In this episode we discuss:
- Eddie’s first exposure to theatre - family pantomimes at the Alexander Theatre in Melbourne
- Writing songs for classmates at the Western Australian Academy of the Performing Arts
- His preference for writing from a brief, whether from a singer or giving a context for the situation or scene you want the song to serve
- “I love singers and it’s fun writing for a particular voice.”
- “One of the most satisfying things I do in my life is sitting in my little corner of whatever room I’m in making demos. I really love it, it’s like my little shed.”
- Finding an “Australian voice” in music theatre both in terms of accent and in content
- The lack of support, system or pathway for creating new musicals in Australia
- the possible impact for the Australian industry if productions by companies like Global Creatures have some significant wins overseas
- Pitching and winning the role of composer/lyricist for Beetlejuice
- Mr Bungle
- Finite and Infinite Games - James P. Carse | Amazon | .pdf
- How to deal with the pressure and anxiety inherent in sharing your work with the world
- The place that awards have in helping you stay in the game
- What it’s like to be in the room (and the community) where it happens
- Juggling concurrent rehearsals for King Kong and Beetlejuice
- “There’s certainly enough on one show to keep you busy beyond your wildest imagination. Doing two shows is way too much - but I survived.”
- Who Eddie looks to for feedback, and his system for seeking and processing it
- “It’s hard. It’s so collaborative, and it’s such a strange dance, and the stakes are so high. It’s sort of terrifying but it’s also really lovely. There’s a real closeness that comes with that sort of collaboration.”
- Everything Was Possible - Ted Chapin | Amazon
- How you process the feedback you haven't asked for. How do you decide which feedback to pay attention to?
- Explore the visual design of Beetlejuice
Find Eddie’s shows online:
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A podcast about the big and small ways artists can change the world. Discover the unconventional approaches that artists have developed to create unique results in their lives and careers. Learn how you can apply these ideas to transform your own work.