April 22, 2012
Here’s a photo of Javier Munoz, Olivia Mell, and Cameron Folmar rehearsing TOTALLY DIVINE last summer where we did our first staged reading of MARRY HARRY as part of New York Stage and Film’s Powerhouse Season at Vassar College.
We’re now in the midst of our AMAS Musicals workshop of MARRY HARRY in New York. TOTALLY DIVINE opens ACT 2 with Bernard – the faux French wedding consultant extraordinaire – transforming Cudicini’s Restaurant into a magical wedding fairyland – assisted by his entourage of designers including Wayne – his rapper assistant! In this recording Cameron sings Bernard, Javier sings Wayne, and Olivia and Javier sing backup. Jeff Caldwell is the musical director/pianist.
Hear a clip from Totally Divine
April 22, 2012
Dan’s been working on an intense and beautiful project – producing the demo CD for a children’s musical called I NEVER SAW ANOTHER BUTTERFLY. It’s based on the true story of kids who were imprisoned at the Nazi concentration camp Terezin – and whose poems and drawings survived to tell their stories.
The music is by Betsy Alexander and lyrics are by Joe Robinette. The cast includes Jonathan Brody, Philip Deyesso, Kate Lippstreu, Howie Michael Smith, Jordi Wallen, and April Woodall – with musical direction by Jeff Caldwell.
Here’s a clip of the rough mix of Jordi and Howie (accompanied by Jeff) singing an excerpt of THE GIFT – one of the more lighthearted songs in the show!
Hear a clip from I Never Saw Another Butterfly
April 22, 2012
Here’s a clip of music Dan made for a short animated film – DIVOMENCO POP – by Liz Goldberg and Raymond Ercoli. It’s a trancey homage to flamenco dancers. Enjoy!
Hear a clip from Divomenco Pop
August 9, 2011
This is a short (9 minute) documentary video about our history as dance/theater artists working in Philadelphia in the late 1970′s and early 1980′s – a glimpse into our pre-musical theater work when we began discovering and creating “performance art musicals”. The other artists featured in the film are Jano Cohen, Terry Fox, and Ishmael Houston-Jones. The film is by Carmella Vassor Johnson. In 2010 Philadelphia Dance Projects commissioned us to re-envision and re-stage several of these works using young local dancers.
June 17, 2011
Our new musical MARRY HARRY had a reading at New York Stage and Film’s Powerhouse Season at Vassar College in July 2011 and is being workshopped by AMAS Musical Theatre in NYC in April 2012. The music is by Dan Martin and lyrics are by Michael Biello. The book is by Jennifer Robbins. Directed by Kent Nicholson. This clip is an excerpt from YOU OPENED A DOOR – the final song in the show. Sung by Harris Doran as Little Harry and Jill Paice as Sherri. Fred Lassen is the pianist.
Hear a clip from Marry Harry
June 17, 2011
Hear a clip from Breathe
Christine Barbush, J.J. Criss, Jillian Louis, Robin Marcotte, and Seth Peterson sing the Prologue from the 2004 Philadelphia cast recording of our musical Breathe. Jeff McDonnell is the musical director and pianist. The Prologue is the first of seven musical “rituals” that introduce each of the show’s musical stories.
From Rob Lester’s CD review at TalkinBroadway.com (2/17/06): “Composer Dan Martin and longtime partner lyricist Michael Biello can dazzle you with a complex, contemporary witty patter song and then turn around and devastate you with naked emotion … The cast embues their multiple roles with personality and open-hearted singing … The music is varied, sometimes presented mosaically in bits that spurt and repeat or come at you in fragments … Other melodies have a legato elegance and satisfying completeness. Nothing is pat, but while the melodies are challenging and daring, they are not esoteric or inaccessible. The listener is allowed to breathe, too.”
The CD is available online at www.cdbaby.com/cd/martinbiello
June 17, 2011
Hear a clip from Sticks and Stones
Piano music Dan wrote and recorded to accompany an outdoor sculpture show in 2005 – Sticks and Stones: the making of a sculpture garden. Curated by Eileen Tognini at the home of Lis and Mike Kalogris. Invitation photo is by Debra Rosenblum. The music from this except was written to accompany sculptor Martha Posner’s fabulous Red Bed.
June 17, 2011
Hear a clip from Why Not a Fairytale?
Erin Dilly and Randy Redd sing Why Not a Fairytale from The Cousins Grimm. Jeff Caldwell is the pianist. Photo is of Danni Smith as Jackie Grimm and Chad as Leon Grimm in the Chicago production (2009).
June 17, 2011
Hear a clip from Strange Now
Dan sings a techno-pop song on our 1992 album Human Being (out-of-print). From Will Grega’s review in the All Music Guide: “Compassionate, raunchy, romantic and beautiful, Martin and Biello’s talents seem unending. Two of the most covered and cherished songwriters in our community.”
June 17, 2011
Hear a clip from Evening Meditation
Instrumental music for Debi Dunn’s CD of guided meditations. Susan Hui wrote in New Visions Magazine “… Dan Martin’s floating music transposes one to the peaceful realm of contentment and bliss …”
CD available at Amazon.com
