Interview: MOZART IN THE JUNGLE Author Blair Tindall on Sex, Drugs, and Classical Music

Amazon's hit television show, MOZART IN THE JUNGLE kicks off its second season on December 30, 2015. The show follows a fictional (albeit, based in reality) orchestra in New York led by the exciting and controversial, Rodrigo de Souza (Gael Garcia Bernal) loosely based on LA Philharmonic conductor, Gustavo Dudamel. The show is based on Blair Tindall's novel of the same name of her experiences with professional classical music in New York and San Francisco. I had the fortune of speaking with Ms. Tindall about her transition from musician to author to TV consultant.

A native of North Carolina, Tindall attended the North Carolina School for the Arts and headed to the Manhattan School of Music for her undergraduate and graduate degrees. She has played oboe with the New York Philharmonic and the San Francisco Symphony as well as in the orchestras for such Broadway classics as MISS SAIGON, LES MISERABLES, MAN OF LA MANCHA and ASPECTS OF LOVE, just to name a few as well as, a solo debut at Carnegie Hall. She has played as a professional musician for over 23 years and is still going strong. In addition to performing and writing, Tindall also has taught at Stanford University, Mediabistro, UC Berkeley and Mills College. You can also hear her playing on film soundtracks such as CROOKLYN, MAD DOG AND GLORY, TWILIGHT and MALCOLM X.

Tindall went back to school to study journalism and worked at a number of publications as she worked on her novel. Mozart in the Jungle: Sex, Drugs and Classical Music was released in 2005. Jason Schwartzman approached her about the possibility of a television show shortly after and it has been in development for quite a number of years, finally premiering nearly ten years later. HBO originally passed on the series, but Amazon bought and produced it to everyone's delight. Schwartzman, part of the Coppola dynasty, joined with his cousin Roman Coppola and Broadway Powerhouse, Alex Timbers to write and produce the pilot. They assembled a star-studded cast to complete the project. Bernadette Peters plays Gloria Windsor who is based on a President of a symphony Ms. Tindall knew, while Lola Kirke plays Hailey, a version of Blair herself. The Malcolm McDowell role of Thomas Pembridge, Rodrigo's predecessor is completely fictional.

Ms. Tindall is delighted with the finished results. She is constantly amazed at Bernal who speaks five languages and is able to do improvisation in English which is not his native tongue. And it seems everyone is enamored with Bernal. Watch as Schwartzman describes one of his encounters with the star on set:

Dudamel himself has praised the production and will cameo this coming season. In addition to Dudamel, many classical music stars will guest in Season Two such as Emanuel Ax, Lang Lang, Joshua Bell and Conductor Alan Gilbert. However, and perhaps most importantly, Ms. Tindall will make an appearance herself as an usher. She does want it to be clear that the show is not a documentary, but a fictionalized version of the world of classical music with some basis in reality of people she has known throughout her storied career in the industry. She is currently still performing and playing for Broadway Shows and is working on another novel and screenplay.

Now with two Golden Globe nominations under their belt for Best Comedy Series and Best Actor for Bernal, MOZART is gaining some recognition. Amazon is putting out quality programming to join HULU and NETFLIX as streaming powerhouses.

Here is a preview for Season Two of MOZART in the JUNGLE:

Season Two premieres December 30th for ten episodes.

Photo Credits: Amazon and Walter McBride

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