Interview: Deborah Tedrick of GEARHEADS: THE MUSICAL at Lydia Mendelssohn Theatre

The Premier performance of GEARHEADS, playing at the Lydia Mendelssohn Theatre at the University of Michigan, is an original musical comedy, that follows the goings-on at an auto repair shop on a Saturday, when the shop’s owner and service manager are away, leaving the mechanics to run things. When a customer shows up needing a simple repair, she can’t get anyone to help her, because the guys would rather be anywhere else than at work. They turn their break room into a pseudo-frat house, and over the day, love is lost and found, the youngest mechanic has a coming-of-age experience, and the shop becomes a place where everyone belongs.

Broadway World Michigan: Can you give our readers a brief background of yourself and then your theatre career as an introduction?

Deborah Tedrick: I came from a very musical family; my dad was a well-known jazz pianist in Detroit, and my mom was a singer. Mom and Dad also owned a photography business, and as such, I was raised in an artistic and entrepreneurial family. After high school, I went on the road with a band, touring the USA and Canada for three years. At that time, I decided I wanted to get a degree in music, so I headed out to Los Angeles and got my Bachelor of Music from California State University. I then moved to Austin, Texas, for post-baccalaureate work in jazz and music theory. I moved back to Detroit and pursued music full-time; I attended The University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, for my MME but had to leave school short of graduation for family reasons. Soon thereafter, I finished my graduate studies at The University of Central Florida in Orlando with an MFA in Musical Theatre. 

Musical theatre has been a love of mine since I was a child. My parents took me to a local movie house, where they showed big-screen musicals, and they took me to see the touring companies of Broadway shows, and I was hooked! I've played piano all my life, with my dad as my first teacher, and I sang as soon as I could speak, with my mom teaching me the lullaby songs she sang to me. The song, Christopher Robin is Saying His Prayers, still brings me to tears because I can hear her strong, loving voice singing it to me. Dad was a jazzer, so he would show me how to make my Sonatinas sound amazing on the piano. What a wonderful legacy they gave me. 

Fast-forward a bit, and I feel like I've had several musical, theatrical, and artistic lives all rolled into one. I started singing with my dad's band when I was twelve, and I sang for weddings, in restaurants, and such as much as I could. I always loved working with youth, so I taught summer camps and wrote plays to be performed. I started to music direct, conduct, vocal direct, and branch out in various artistic and entrepreneurial ways. I started my company, InterACT Entertainment, and that took off as I worked as a director, producer, writer, performer, music director, booking agent, and event coordinator for corporate and private events, parties, and productions. 

Along the way, I added a "Second ACT" to my music and theatre business. I own an artisan company called Second ACT Soaps-n-Such. During the COVID-19 pandemic, when I lost 100% of my income in one day in March 2020 when Michigan shut down, I brought my other artistic abilities to bear to keep me moving forward, making art, and staying connected to and helping people. I could stay connected to my beloved youth and college-age students through my Bath-n-Body Products. People needed soap, and I had lots of it. it was so great to be able to pivot in that manner, which helped me and others as well. 

So, today, I look at my life and career, and I love them! I teach music and theatre in the Arts & Humanities departments of four different colleges/universities, and I truly love being a professor, whether online or in-person. I am an art, drama, and music teacher at two wonderful homeschools, and I love every minute there, too. I have a private voice studio where I teach youth and adults, some of whom have gone on to great acclaim and all of whom I'm proud of no matter what career path they take. 

As for musical theatre, I've produced, directed, music directed, choreographed, and otherwise been on the production team of more than 150 musicals. I love wearing many hats, and I love being able to help and serve in many capacities to help others reach their potential. The current musical, GEARHEADS, is wonderful on so many levels. The writer and Producer, Dave Nettleman, is a talented, kind, and passionate man whose music is as beautiful as it is nostalgic. I love working with him as Associate Producer and Music Director for this show. My theatre colleagues, Joey Albright (Director), Kristy Sikes (Choreographer), Christa Koerner (Costumer), and Alan Canning (Tech Director - also my husband!), are amazing to work with, and I am honored to mount this production with all of them, and a terrific cast, crew, and 20-piece live orchestra! 

What made you decide to / want to direct GEARHEADS: The Musical?

I love to do as many things as I'm able when asked. I met Dave through a friend of the guitarist, Michael King, who owns a studio in town. He was working on a demo recording of Dave's new musical, GEARHEADS, and he told Dave that I would be beneficial to the studio sessions as the vocal director and contractor for the talent. We had a wonderful time in 2023 doing the demo album, which was then sent to the United Kingdom for Simon Nathan, a well-known orchestrator, to orchestrate. We all worked well together, and after the studio recording was done, we moved into the live production, and here we are about to open the world premiere of the musical on August 10-11, 2024. What a great journey we've had. 

How would you describe GEARHEADS: The Musical in your own words?

It's a love story and a buddy production simultaneously. The music is reminiscent of the Golden Age of musical theater. There are nine couples; the men all work in a mechanic shop, and a woman who has a flat tire tries to find the mechanic who is helping her, as she is smitten with him. The men share a lot of jokes, antics, and general tomfoolery as the girlfriends and wives bring lunch to the men and comment on the shenanigans. The narrative holds some parallels to Guys and Dolls, and folks will likely laugh at the men in much the same way the wit of Runyonland works as a universally connective comedy. 

What was your introduction to GEARHEADS: The Musical?

I was introduced to the show through my guitarist friend, Michael King. Michael, Dave, and I worked in the studio together to get the demo going and send it out to be orchestrated to prepare for the live performance. 

Did you do any special research in preparing to direct GEARHEADS: The Musical?

As Associate Producer and Music Director, my research mainly consisted of asking the writer, Dave, questions. Dave is a rare breed in that he wrote the book, the lyrics, AND the musical score. He knows this show down to every "jot and title," and he is a wealth of information about his views, experience, and love of the Golden Age of Broadway Musical Comedy. We had a lot of fun along with our esteemed accompanist, Julie Steinmayer, and the 20-piece orchestra as we combed through the score and orchestrations to make sure they were as note-correct as could be possible in a first-time run of a brand-new musical. 

Do you have a favorite moment, line, or song in the show?

I absolutely love both the closers of Act One and Act Two. They are fun to sing, they're so happy, the music writing is wonderful, the lyrics fun, and the harmonies glorious. Dave wrote some wonderful pieces, and we thankfully found some solid talent to bring out the nuanced and intricate music. I love crunchy and inventive harmonies and phrasings, and Dave gave us some thrilling things to work with. We hope we make him proud! 

What makes the production of GEARHEADS: The Musical special, in addition to this being its premier?

First, Dave Nettleman wrote the book, the lyrics, and the score and is also producing the show. That's impressive. For him, the last ten years of his life have been his GEARHEADS baby, and we are excited to share this dream production with him and for him. Also special is that this production is centered around young people, yet it's written in the nostalgic Golden Era musical style. The majority of the cast are between 18 and 25 years old. For many of them, this is their first professional production. They are what's special, as they are truly special thespians. They bring so much fun, energy, and passion to this show; they inspire me daily. 

What makes the interpretation of GEARHEADS: The Musical unique?

It's a throwback to a different era, yet performed by contemporary musical theatre actors, most of whom are in the early stages of their careers. Their voices, whether speaking or singing, carry that contemporary sound and, combined with the Golden Era music, create a lovely melding of both styles. It works. As music director, I remind them to be careful of very overt pop inflections, yet it still should have a fresh "newness" to it without being overly contemporary pop sounding. They find that balance very well, and I'm proud of them.  

If given the chance to see something else or GEARHEADS: The Musical, why should people come to see your show? 

There are many reasons I hope people come to see the show. Firstly, I would like to say that we should support our own homegrown local "triple threat" writer, Dave. It's not every day you can see a show written by ostensibly your neighbor who wrote the book, lyrics, AND music. That's rare. And Dave is rare. In so many of the best ways! Come see a show where you can meet the writer in person! Come see the show that is contemporary but harkens back to the Golden Age of Broadway. Come see a musical that's family-friendly in its entirety! Come see a show in a beautiful old-style theatre as well; the Lydia Mendelssohn theatre is gorgeous. 

Why should people come to see the premier production of GEARHEADS: The Musical?

I hope they come because they love theatre, musical theatre, one of the performers, the production team members, or to support Dave, the writer. I hope they come because the arts are important, and to survive, we need an audience. I hope the adventurous come because it's an unknown entity, and they're the kind of courageous art lovers who just jump in and say YES! 

What would you say to someone about GEARHEADS: The Musical to get them to see the production?

Wanna see guys goofing around, being silly, trying to impress girls, and having fun? Come laugh at our loveable GEARHEADS as they are as eager and energetic as they are endearing. 

Do you have a personal social media contact you want listed for the readers?

Dave's Official GEARHEADS website is here: www.gearheadsthemusical.com

Debbie Tedrick: Associate Producer/Music Director website is:  www.interactentertainment.com 

The week after GEARHEADS, the director, Joey Albright, and I are offering a super fun youth theatre camp one-week intensive August 12-16th for 3-12th graders. Registration links are on my website. www.interactentertainment.com

All shows will take place at The Lydia Mendelssohn Theater at the University of Michigan.

Tickets for GEARHEADS: The Musical  can be purchased from the Michigan Union Ticket Office: https://mutotix.umich.edu/overview/5065

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