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Many of us have had teachers who demanded or inspired us to reach greater personal potential. David Katz had such a muse in the legendary classical music conductor and teacher Charles Bruck. Katz trained under Bruck at the Pierre Monteux School for Conductors and Orchestral Musicians and received his undergraduate degree from the Hartt School in Hartford, Connecticut, and the experiences (some hilarious, some horrifying and all memorable) form the thesis of Katz's one-man play, Muse of Fire, which makes its Chicago Premiere in an extended run February 20-March 23 at Theatre Building Chicago. The work debuted in 2005, under the direction of the late Charles Nelson Reilly, and Katz has toured it ever since. So what made the late maestro such a force to be reckoned with? "This man was famous, or infamous for the way he demanded things from his students. (Bruck) was an old-school tyrant who yelled, screamed, insulted, degraded and hit in order to get his students to come out of themselves and be whatever artist they may be." Bruck was that way with everyone, Katz relates, including waiters and waitresses. "He was impossible, and every time you were in his space you would wonder what was going to happen now. He was one of these people who could never be satisfied, even with the fried clams." In spite of (or perhaps due to) the conductor’s bad behavior, he consistently turned out some of the greatest talent in the country.
"He did not suffer fools, whether or not the fool was world famous, and he always looked for ulterior motives." Katz remembers one particular incident where be brought the teacher a bag of blueberries, having no ulterior motives other than a nice gesture. "He looked at me, looked at the bag and said, 'Is this a bribe?' I said, 'No, it's just blueberries' And he said, 'It won't help' and closed the door." Bruck also knew when he could get a laugh at a student's expense, such as when he asked an aspiring student conductor to raise his arms higher, higher and highest still. He finally smirked, "It's so easy to get you to look ridiculous." Katz and his friends and peers would do anything to win the maestro's attention or respect, even if it made them look like fools, and they wouldn't forget those lessons either.
Katz himself has been ruminating on some of those lessons for 20 years or so, having first delivered a lecture on Bruck, who passed away in 1995. His difficult and demanding subject began to call out for a theatrical arc, and after 4 or 5 months of actual writing, "Muse of Fire" made its theatrical debut at the Acadia Repertory Theater in Bar Harbor, Maine. It seemed a logical "parallel track," as Katz explains his mutual love of theatre and music, which fuse together so magically in this opus. A real Renaissance man, Katz is a playwright, actor, conductor, composer and even occasional set painter, which he revealed as he took a break from technical rehearsal at the Theatre Building to talk with Theatre in Chicago. He also has long term connections with the Windy City, having served now as Musical Director of the Chicago Bar Association Symphony Orchestra for 22 years, and a previous stint as associate conductor of the Elgin Symphony. He felt Chicago would be an ideal spot for a long run, because "Chicago is such a great town for emerging theatre and new pieces."
Katz hopes audiences will be moved by the music and the story he tells, although he is quick to point out that a background or even interest in classical music is not essential to appreciating the play. "Music lovers will recognize a wide variety of music from all periods, some stand alone pieces and others just hints. And the non-music lover will hopefully find a theatrical, dramatic experience that is worthy of their interest." Katz travels with his own sound designer, Gregory Davis, and the music acts as almost a second character in the play. "There are times I speak with the music or over the music, and it becomes a dramatic framework for the scene. I respond to the energy the music is giving me. Coupled with the story and what I am doing dramatically, I hope to create a truly unique experience for the audience."
Working with Director Charles Nelson Reilly on the piece really helped shape Katz's real life experiences into a dramatic focus. Katz recalls Reilly as a director, editor and confessor who brought his irrepressible sense of humor to everything he touched. "Charles had a tremendous amount of humor and could get his point across and make you laugh hysterically at the same time.” Having an outside set of eyes was imperative to Katz's process, because as Reilly told him, "Otherwise you’re wearing too many hats. I think writers have a tendency to pour everything into the basket, and some things have to come out of the basket." Muse of Fire has been tightened up since its debut as Katz strives to distill the essence of the play's dramatic direction.
Finding the stamina to perform a full-length solo piece that comes in just under two hours could be a daunting prospect to some, but Katz feels, "It's a part of the craft and the professional nature of being an actor. You finish one performance and you’re very emotionally up from that, then two hours later you crash and feel awful, but the next day you remember there's another audience. Whether it’s 5 or 500 people, if you believe in what you’re doing you get through. I figure I have it easy. Vanessa Redgrave just did a one-person show 8 times a week on Broadway and I’m only doing 4 shows a week (in Chicago)." Muse of Fire will continue in several other cities (many of Katz’s engagements, unlike Chicago, are one-night stands), and a Canadian tour is in the works for this summer. He also hopes that his play will eventually land Off-Broadway, as he believes New Yorkers will find much to appreciate in the story. "I think I have a wonderful, powerful, touching story to tell, and I love to engage an audience in that experience."
For tickets to Muse of Fire, call (773) 327-5252 or visit ticketmaster.com.
Click here to watch a preview of "Muse Of Fire"
Joe Stead
Theatre In Chicago News Contributor Joe Stead has spent over 20 years as a critic, director, designer and performer. His reviews currently appear online at www.steadstylechicago.com.