Summer 2003

Part Five of Five. Back to Part Four...

VOICE: Where were you and what were you thinking on that night when "Gold" was heard by billions of people during the opening ceremonies of the 2002 Winter Olympics?

NAN: Well, I was slightly insane that night. My friends can attest to that. John and I were at our country house with Bobby Longbottom and Tom Kosis. We knew "Gold" was going to be in the opening ceremonies, but we didn't know when. As the moments ticked by, I was tearing my hair out and I called Frank about every half hour. He kept telling me to calm down, they were going to do the song, etc., etc. I called him again when it was getting very late and still no "Gold," and this time he started to sound worried. Then I got Linda on the phone and asked her what she thought. I was in such a state. Finally I heard the first few notes and I fell on my knees and said, "Thank God!" Then I just held my breath through the whole song- that's what you do, wondering if something's going to go wrong. I was in a state of suspended animation until it was over. I had to ask if it had sounded alright- I didn't even know. John later said, you know, falling on my knees, etc., was a little bit much. As it was. But it was an incredible experience, and the moment when I knew "Gold" was going to have a life.

VOICE: You should know that so many fans were going through the same experience as you on that night- calling each other and wondering when "Gold" would be heard.

NAN: I also wrote "Snow Falls" when we were in New Haven. Frank had given me this melody that I loved, what he called a "little motif" that he thought might come in handy somewhere as a recitative or something. I was looking out my hotel window at the snow- I have a major snow thing- snow, ocean, sky, moon, all of it. The lyrics just poured out of me in about 20 minutes. I had an instinct not to do any regular rhyme scheme, but to just let it rhyme where it wanted. "Gold," "Snow Falls," and "A Woman in His Arms" were the first songs I wrote, and actually "Gold" and "Snow Falls" are the only two that have remained completely intact to date.

VOICE: You mentioned the sky and the moon. What exactly is your fixation with celestial bodies?

NAN (Laughing): Yeah, Frank gets on me about that, too. I think a lot of times when I am writing a song, particularly a ballad, I am trying to compare feelings to something immense. My brain and my heart immediately turn to the sky and what's up in the sky. The expansiveness of the sky has always been an amazing thing to me. That's why I love islands like Martha's Vineyard and Nantucket, because you can see the whole sky spread out before you. The sky is also a romantic thing that I've carried with me since I was a teenager. I have a thing for oceans too, but that doesn't get used as much. We just changed a song for CAMILLE because they told me there was too much water imagery in the show. It's funny that you picked up on that, though. Every now and then Frank will say, "Too much wind and stars!" and I'll say, "Yeah. Yeah. Okay." There have been times when I've said to him, "I really don't agree with you," or "You're wrong and I'm right." But most of the time, I've got to tell you, if Frank says, "This isn't it," or "You can do better than this," he's right, and I listen. Frank is incredibly smart and very good at critiquing. But I love watching Linda with Frank; it's really hysterical. She's a very direct, honest person. If she listens to something he's doing and she doesn't like it, she'll just be very straightforward. "No. You gotta change that."

VOICE: What does Frank do?

NAN: I think he loves it. He says things like, "My wife will kill me if I don't change this." If Linda thinks a song is great, she'll say so. If she doesn't, she'll say, "You can do better." Occasionally, I'll do that with Frank. I'll say, "It's not quite right" or "It's not interesting enough." And he'll look at me and I'll say, "What?! I'm just being like your wife!" (Laughs)

VOICE: Can you tell us about any of the other songs in the show?

NAN: If you were at Carnegie Hall in February, you heard Linda sing another song from CAMILLE called "Coming Home," but now it's called "I'm Home." I wouldn't be surprised if the title goes back to "Coming Home." As soon as it was written, we started thinking about it as a concert song for Linda. She wants it to be her song to the audience. She wants to say, "This is where I belong, here with you." I did some tailoring of the lyrics before Carnegie Hall, but I have a few more fixes for the concert version, which I'll do as soon as I have time to lift up my head and breathe. I love watching Linda in concert- that inimitable, natural way she has which makes the audience fall in love with her. My favorite songs she sings are "Don't Rain On My Parade" and "Man of La Mancha." I love that triumphant side of her you hear in "Man of La Mancha," and we've decided to have the song Linda sings at the end of Act One be that kind of moment. There is also some of that triumphant sound during "In The Stone," the first piece of music you hear in CAMILLE CLAUDEL.

VOICE: It must be great working with Linda again on this new musical?

NAN: It is such a joy working with Linda. First of all, you have her voice, which is like no other. And Linda is very funny- we're definitely using that in CAMILLE. She has this loopy humor that I love. You've heard that laugh- it's great! And then she also easily expresses deeper emotions. Her feelings are so close to the surface that when you want Linda to show emotion, it is going to be real- very real. I don't know of any other performer quite like Linda in terms of her being completely unaffected. It's like you're sitting in her living room, though ironically, she would probably be more nervous if you actually were sitting in her living room. She is most at home with an audience when she's on stage. That's where she blooms and talks to you. The naturalness is incredible. Linda is so eager and because there is no ego there, she will go to the director and ask, "What do you think?" She is so beautifully flexible. To Linda, it's a simple thing. If somebody has a good idea, she's going to listen to it.

VOICE: Can you tell us about casting the other principal roles?

Michael Nouri and Linda Eder

NAN: We are thrilled with the cast. We had a huge number of actors who auditioned for the show, but only about 20 or 25 for the role of Rodin. We went through hundreds of actors in our heads before we chose the ones we wanted to see. Michael Nouri didn't come in till near the end. And- wow! Did he take us by storm! His whole being was Rodin. He was a tornado. Linda was doing a scene with him where they were arguing, and she was so into this argument- more than I had ever seen before. She was reacting to the fire Michael was sending out. We all immediately knew we'd found Rodin. After the argument scene with Linda, he said, "God! That was great. Can we do it again?" A lot of actors will ask, "Can I start over?" and you know it's because they feel like they didn't do it right the first time. With Michael, it was clearly just this sort of ravenous, grinning hunger to get back into it. He sang "Trembling Man" and "Woman In My Arms" and just became Rodin right before our eyes- his hands, his face, his voice, his eyes- and that's so galvanizing. It was just like when Doug Sills came in for PIMPERNEL. It was the same fabulous jolt- an actor walks into an audition and you say, "There he is! We found him."

VOICE: Can you tell us about the other major characters?

NAN: Matt Bogart will play Camille's brother, Paul Claudel, a very important role in the show. Paul Claudel was a complex guy- a poet, playwright and diplomat, and also a man who became fanatically religious. He and Camille adored each other and were very close as children, but there was a gradual parting of ways. Paul's presence overshadowed Camille's life. He initially did not have his own song but he does now. Matt gave a terrific audition, and he and Linda have great chemistry together. Milo O'Shea will play Camille's father and played that role at our October reading. Everyone fell in love with Milo, and when I say in love, I mean IN LOVE! No one wanted to let go of him when he walked out of the room. He is an extraordinary actor and so real. He's funny and touching at the same time. You'll love him! We didn't know if he would agree to go to Goodspeed, but he did. He loves the role, thank God. Camille was very close to her father, and he was her defender throughout her life. Polly Bergen will play Camille's mother and she's perfect for the part, which requires a great comic touch as well as every shade you can imagine of maternal shifts ( Since this interview, Polly has had to bow out of the role because of minor surgery. She is being replaced by Rita Gardner.) Camille's mother was a daunting woman- well, you'll see. She didn't have her own song originally either, but I've now written one- "Lost In The World." That's the song I find myself singing to myself all the time now because I like it a lot.

VOICE: The cast sounds extraordinary. Are you going to begin the show when Camille and Paul are children?

NAN: We are going to show them as children, but they will skip from age to age quite rapidly. Matt will have to do the biggest leap because he is basically eight years old at the start and has to jump to 45- not an easy task! But he did it very well in the audition.

VOICE: It almost seems too good to be true! After five years of hard work, the fans will finally get to experience another Knighton/Wildhorn musical.

NAN: It really has been a fascinating process, and that's just going to heighten as we get into the staging and choreography- the movement of the statues and so forth. This time around, I hope critics will finally listen to Frank's music. His work for CAMILLE CLAUDEL is so subtle, varied, beautiful.

VOICE: You've had many wonderful moments in your professional life. What do you consider to be your proudest moment?

NAN: My proudest moment. Hmm. Well, I guess it would actually be a series of moments, the times when I receive letters from people about what I've written. Those are the times I know I made the right choice in my life and when I am the happiest and the most at peace. Those letters somehow validate my life. People have written and told me my songs have helped them through difficult times. Doug Sills once received a letter from an Israeli soldier who said how much it helped him listening to "Into The Fire" every morning, and Doug then sent me a copy of that letter, which I cherish.

VOICE: What has been the greatest challenge in your career?

NAN: Well, God knows it was hard getting it started- you know, "the lawyer's wife," sitting in the corner til Frank pulled me out, and so forth. But now I guess my greatest challenge is collaboration, which I have to say is also so intrinsically necessary and valuable if I want to write well. It's a double-edged sword. Collaboration is wild. In musical theatre there are so many artists involved, so many different voices. In business, there is usually one leader who has the final say, but in theatre it's not that way. You've got to all sit around, talk over a problem and reach a solution that everyone agrees with, and do it, ideally, in total peace and harmony. It's a tricky thing, like walking a tightrope all the time- wanting to listen to everyone, trying to sense when they're right or when they're wrong, learning to make compromises, knowing when to stand up and say no, when to just give something a try even though you don't agree with it, and trying to make sure it never turns into an argument. This is very important to me because I hate fighting. I don't know how to fight- it's just not in my personality. If I ever do find myself shouting at someone, I feel kind of proud! It's a "Baltimore thing." It just doesn't come naturally to "Baltimore Girls" to put their foot down. So although collaboration is a challenge to me, in every sense, I'd also have to say that when it's done well, it's a rather astounding process.

VOICE: What career path might you have followed if you had not become a writer?

NAN: That is the question I really prepared for before this interview! And I actually lay in bed one night thinking about this answer. I might have been a zoologist or worked with animals in some capacity. I am an animal nut! Other than that, I might have chosen to be an actress, archeologist or minister. Or librarian. I love being around books, and as a kid, I thought the coolest thing in the world was to watch the librarian stamping out books.

VOICE: There are a lot of people who are happy you chose to be a writer. What do you enjoy doing when you are not writing?

NAN: Reading. That's the biggest thing. Books. But I also love crossword puzzles and jigsaw puzzles, games in general. And movies- old black and white mysteries and science fiction like "The Day the Earth Stood Still" and "The Uninvited"- the 30's through early 50's. That genre. I guess the happiest times for me right now are being with my family and my dogs.

VOICE: Gracie just opened her eyes when she heard that! What advice would you give to aspiring young writers?

NAN: First of all, always follow your own instincts. And don't give up. Don't let anybody discourage you. Read like crazy; read everything. Be aggressive and persistent until you get your foot in the door. It breaks my heart to know how many talented people out there don't get a chance. I even wrote a little lyric about it in CAMILLE, and no matter what, I am not going to let anybody make me cut it. Rodin sings about all the music that will never be heard and all the books that will never be read because people can't get their foot in the door. That, to me, is tragic. The most important part of my advice is to get your foot in the door and to try, without ever hurting anyone and without being abrasive, to persist until you make your voice heard.

VOICE: You must feel so blessed to have had Frank give you the opportunity to open that door.

NAN: I really owe an enormous amount to him, and I could go on and on about what a good human being he is- loyal, generous, caring. I have just grown to love him more and more every year. And he's so smart, a truly unique composer. He writes better melodies than anybody else around today, melodies that reach people instantly, touch chords. And Linda is like my new sister. At least that's the way I feel about her. Frank once said she and I are nothing alike, but we do have a lot in common, especially our love of animals and our need for solitude. And she likes jigsaw puzzles! We recently had the best night out at a bar in Connecticut, just the two of us, leaning across the table at each other, spilling secrets, and she put up with my cigarette smoke. I love her. You don't find many people like Linda and Frank in the theatre. They are two honest, decent people and I have an intense admiration for them. I love them like family, and that includes Jake!

VOICE: And we think that connection shines through in your work! It's been a pleasure talking with you. Thank you for taking the time to share the story of your creative journey so far.

NAN: You're welcome! Talking with theatre lovers, fans, whatever you want to call it- sharing it with people, that whole dialogue is what it's all about for me.

Return to the Interview List.