Utah Valley University School of the Arts invites everyone to Fly More Than You Fall. This show will run from September 12-28, 2019, at the Noorda Center for the Performing Arts in Orem, Utah. Front Row Reviewers recently corresponded with the writer, Eric Holmes, the director, Jeff Whiting, and the scenic director, Ann Beyersdorfer, of this new pre-Broadway production.
The Writer: Eric Holmes
Q: What is the craziest way you can think of to summarize the plot of this production?
A: An emotional thrill ride that will leave you breathless and hopeful that tomorrow you will fly more than you fall.
Q: If you had to describe the process of putting on this show with one word, what would it be and why?
A: Cathartic. I find that people who work on this show discover new ways to heal the losses they’ve incurred in their life. The same can be said for people who come watch the show.
Q: If any part of this production worked like a dream-come-true, what was that, and who is the responsible party?
A: The “Voicemail” song is incredibly effective. It seems to open up something in the audience, and you can feel something very special in the air when it happens. The responsible party is Nat. We had wanted to put a song in the show that expressed the deepest, darkest emotions of what it truly feels like to long for a parent who is no longer alive, but we couldn’t quite figure out the way in. During the Syracuse production, Nat turned to me and said, “I think I know what’s missing in Act Two.” We wrote the song in less than 20 minutes. It was so natural and so obvious, because it came from a very honest place within both of us.
Q: What is the most bizarre thing you’ve learned while working on this production?
A: I learned that if I write that a character flies on a piece of paper, Jeff Whiting will literally make that character fly on stage, and it’s one of the most magical things I’ll ever experience.
Q: What was the most critical part of this production that you were worried would fall apart but didn’t?
A: Honestly, the entire story was constantly at risk of falling apart. We knew it was going out on a limb, no pun intended, to tell a story about grief and to do it with humor. It was completely possible that this show would fall on its face. We were thrilled when it didn’t fall, but instead flew. Pun strongly intended.
Q: What do you do right before each performance to get ready? Right after each performance?
A: Nat usually music directs and conducts every show, so we have a ritual where we hug and then I give him strict instructions to not f*&% up. After every show, we talk endlessly about all the things we want to do to make the show stronger and more effective. Our job is never done.
Q: What is your favorite inside-joke from the show? Quote/line? Costume? Set piece? Etc.
A: It’s almost impossible to pick a favorite thing. I’ve been amazed by our set and how it works to tell the story. The details of the costumes really stand out to me. The characters in the story have Malia’s writing on pieces of their costumes. It’s wonderful! The song “Life Isn’t Perfect” is easily one of my favorite moments and personal reminders that we aren’t owed anything in life, and we all owe it to ourselves to do our best, no matter what life throws at us.
The Director: Jeff Whiting
Q: What is your favorite part of this production?
A: I think my favorite thing about the show is to see how the fantasy aspect of the show weaves in and out of the reality of a family dealing with a very real and stressful situation.
Q: Tell us about your cast.
A: We have a truly remarkable cast for Fly More Than You Fall. We flew in two actors from New York to play the parents (Jennifer Fouche and Thom Miller), who are truly phenomenal performers. The rest of the cast is local to Utah, and it’s amazing the amount of talent that exudes from this cast as a whole. They are wonderful triple threats. Some are quadruple threats, adding flying to their list of skills!
Q: What is your background and training as a director?
A: I’ve been working on Broadway musicals for 12 years, including Young Frankenstein, The Scottsboro Boys, Big Fish, Bullets Over Broadway, Hair, and have worked alongside five-time Tony Award winner Susan Stroman.
Q: What is the biggest challenge of directing in general?
A: I think the biggest challenge is to ensure that everyone – designers, actors, musicians – all end up telling the same story in the same way. It takes so many individuals to tell the story, and it’s my job to ensure that we are all heading in the same direction so the audience takes away the experience I’ve been dreaming about.
Q: What is the biggest challenge of directing this show?
A: This show’s biggest challenge is in creating the magical moments of fantasy that appear out of nowhere. It’s been a fun challenge to create these moments.
Q: What are the surprises and delights you’re finding in directing this show?
A: The biggest delight is to see the cast really breathing life into these characters in such a beautiful way. It really does take your breath away.
Q: What is the biggest disaster you’ve had as a director?
A: Haha – I can’t talk about it, but I certainly learned from it.
Q: How is it working with this demographic of cast and crew, compared to other cast/crews you’ve worked with?
A: Everyone in Utah is working so hard to make the show come together. The work ethic here is delightful, and I have no doubt that everyone is determined to make the show the very best that it can be. You are welcome to attend rehearsal tonight if you’d like.
The Scenic Designer: Ann Beyersdorfer
Q: If you had to describe the process of putting on this show with one word, what would it be and why?
A: I have two – resilience and adapt. We had unique setbacks in this process, but we took them all in stride, adapted when needed, and still created a beautiful, shared story.
Q: If any part of this production worked like a dream-come-true, what was that, and who is the responsible party?
A: The initial design process. Figuring out the world we will be telling our story in with Jeff and my assistants was SO FUN. Also, the “village” behind this show. We had some setbacks, and everyone really stepped up and out beyond their titled roles to care for this production and rise above the obstacles we faced.
Q: What is the most bizarre thing you’ve learned while working on this production?
A: There’s no coffee pot in the green room.
Q: What was the most critical part of this production that you were worried would fall apart but didn’t?
A: Off the record: too soon to answer. Hopefully the double turn table!
Q: What is your favorite inside-joke from the show? Quote/line? Costume? Set piece? Etc.
A: Off the record: anything that’s built and fully painted. On the record: the double turn table! And the center tree spiral stair. Our scenic charge artist built up the trunk of the spiral stairs with standard, off-the-shelf spray insulation foam and then carved it away with a box cutter to create bark!
Q: What have been the challenges of this project?
A: Figuring out how to best represent the duality of Malia’s physical world and the world of Willow’s paralleled story – where they are woven into each other and where they are distinct from each other – was an exciting challenge to crack! The timeline for this production has also been fast and furious. We designed this in about 2 weeks!
Q: What kind of research and planning went into creating these designs?
A: We did a TON of visual research and transitional studies. We pulled loads of photos of interiors, physical places rooted in Malia’s reality, fine art and art installations of story pages, mountains, birds, and books as a jumping off point, and then Jeff and I sat down and dreamt up what this world should be. We spent a lot of time studying the flow of the story and what our device would be to not only take us from location to location but to also help support the emotional gravity and obstacles that our characters face. The story we are telling is fairly episodic. My awesome design assistants helped me build various iterations of both digital and 3D models, generated storyboards of 48 scenes, and draftings depicting our design intentions. We landed on a multileveled rotating set to keep us moving through the story, and we can’t wait to share it with everyone!
Q: What kind of effect do you hope your audiences will see and feel as a result of your design?
A: I hope that they will feel the heart of this show. I hope the design supports the feelings that the characters are experiencing – excitement, overwhelming chaos and struggle, release and uplifting hope, and a little bit of some imaginative fun. To create a shared experience between the audience and what’s on the stage.
Q: Which other technical department did you work most closely with on this production, and what specifically did you work on?
A: I work closely with every department in order to tell the most truthful story to the intent of the writing as best we can. The collaboration on musicals is my favorite part! I work with the director’s and choreographer’s vision to best support their blocking. I work with the costume designer to help create the magic of quick changes and how the set or props can help support that. I worked with the lighting designer to figure out how to give him optimal lighting locations to best light the set so that he can better convey the atmosphere and sculpt emotions. I work with the actors to make sure that they are comfortable with their props and that the rooms and items that their characters interact with feel appropriate and work well for the story they are trying to tell – for example, I spent some time with Lexi, who plays Malia, looking at decor that would go in her room, and she even came in and helped to do some doodles and paint work on some of her character’s bedroom furniture to make it a little more personal. It’s been a really sweet and special process!
Utah Valley University School of the Arts presents Fly More Than You Fall.
September 12-28 (except Sundays), 2019 @ 9:00 PM, plus Saturday matinees @ 2:00 PM
Noorda Center for the Performing Arts, 800 W University Pkwy, Orem, UT 84058
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