Behind the Curtain: Interview With Dan Micciche - Music Director and Conductor of WICKED

Due to the global health emergency, Broadway theaters have found their bright lights dimmed and their houses dark for the first time in history. As the world works together to stop the spread of COVID-19, the theater industry has been put on hold indefinitely - theaters around the world have closed their doors in compliance with social distancing rules, and Broadway has been shut down in full since March 13. The Broadway shutdown has impacted the lives of all who work in theater industry, who are now facing uncertain and unprecedented circumstances.

In our Behind the Curtain interview series, we are speaking with Broadway musicians, stage managers, ushers, bartenders, and more, talking about how they are handling the current circumstances, and discussing the impact that the shutdown has had on the Broadway community.

Today, our Behind the Curtain interview is with Dan Micciche, the Music Director and Conductor of Wicked on Broadway.

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What is your job title? Tell me a little bit about what you do within the theater industry and how long you've been doing it for.

I am the Music Director and Conductor of WICKED (Broadway). I've been with WICKED as a whole for a little over 6 years...I was on the national tour for a while before joining the Broadway company. As music director/conductor I am in charge of maintaining the show's music integrity with the actors on stage/the orchestra/sound etc. Constant communication with my PSM/supervisor/creatives/actors/musicians is key and a must. I also work closely with Craig Burns at Telsey on casting for both companies.

What has communication been like since the shutdown with the people you were working with? Have you continued to maintain contact with them?

Of course, in addition to having working relationships, we are also friends. Not so much [communication] about the show, since we aren't rehearsing and such, but yes, I've had communication with people I am close to on the WICKED team.

How do you feel that people in the theater community have come together during this time?

I think it is wonderful and [we're] stronger then ever. The videos and beautiful art that has come out of it is extremely moving. Our union AFM Local 802 just released a stunning piece with some of the best musicians playing on it, as well as the beautiful video WICKED made to honor our First Responders. As always, I'm extremely proud to be a part of this community and company of WICKED.

What ways have you found to best deal with the current circumstances? Have you been doing anything during this time to keep the creative juices flowing?

Good question! Crazy enough, we bought and moved into our new house in Connecticut 10 days after the Broadway shutdown! So the blessing in that is the huge amount of time at home to work on house projects and spend time with my fiance Chase! To keep my brain creative and juiced up I've been coaching a lot on FaceTime, working with actors across the country on ANY material they want to work on, as well as speaking and working with certain universities and colleges that have contacted me. I'm very grateful for that and technology during this time. Also, it's been a great time to work on myself with my own self care that I do in my life, and connect with people in my life even deeper, even if it's through the phone and FaceTime/Zoom!

How do you think this will change the world of theater going forward?

Hopefully, we will all learn from this to live life more in "gratitude." A true sense of the word and meaning. To not take things for granted so much anymore, and enjoy the things and gifts that are right in front of our faces. Even during this very scary uncertain time, there is a lot of good and positive things that can and must come out of this.

Is there anything else you would like to share?

Well, thank you so much for having and asking me to do this! I look forward to the day we are all back doing 8 shows a week and creating and making stunning music, especially at WICKED! I miss working so much and miss the people I work with, being on Broadway and making this stunning show come to life. Also, if anyone is interested in coachings, they are welcome to message me on Instagram @danmicciche or use this link to sign up!

Link:

https://calendly.com/hititproductionsinc/danmiccichecoaching