#BehindtheCurtain: Get to Know Richard Dueñez Morrison
Stephen Sondheim is one of the most iconic musical theatre composers in history, with innumerable classics attributed to his name. He is also known, however, for creating some of the most challenging musical theatre work to perform. It is no small feat to tackle a Sondheim score, but we know there is no one better suited to do so than SDMT’s resident Music Director, Richard Dueñez Morrison! For most of our patrons, you will recognize Richard as having Music Directed countless productions with SDMT over the course of the last few years, but Sweeney Todd is especially exciting because Richard and the band members are actually incorporated into the story! It’s not often you get to experience the Music Director being on stage and a part of the production itself. As if playing a Sondheim score isn’t already challenging enough, we decided to give the band blocking too! Both patrons and critics alike have praised the band’s excellence, and we can absolutely attribute that to the leadership and proficiency of Richard as our Music Director. In the following blog, we are so excited to share Richard’s answers to some of our favorite questions to help you get to know him a bit more. And then once you finish reading, be sure to purchase your tickets to come see the full cast and band of Sweeney Todd performing until October 20th on the SDMT Stage!
Tell us a little bit about your music directing background. How did you get into it and what made you fall in love with it?
I grew up singing and playing classical piano, and discovered theater in high school at San Diego School of Creative and Performing Arts, where I participated as a crew member and stage manager. I majored in stage management in undergrad and was a professional stage manager through my 20s. My career took a left turn when I had the opportunity to work with kids at San Diego Junior Theater, utilizing my musical background to be a voice teacher and music director. It was an unexpectedly good fit for me, so I stuck with it, learning on the job. Eventually, I evolved to working with professional actors and opening my own voice studio, and here we are, however many years later. Music direction combines my loves of music and theater, and I’m very happy to be here.
Photo by Karli Cadel
Does Sweeney Todd have any special meaning to you? What made you want to be a part of this production?
Sweeney has always been one of my favorites, since I stage managed in high school. Sondheim is my favorite writer of musical theater. Every note, lyric, and rhythm he wrote was chosen deliberately to express character and story. In a Sondheim score, the material is richly layered and emotionally complex. You wind up asking a ton of questions as you study the material, and the magnificent part is that all the answers are in there. You just have to look.
As SDMT’s resident Music Director, you’ve been a part of many projects here where the cast sings to tracks. This show we are so excited to have a live band. How has it been having live musicians for this production?
The reason we don’t usually have live bands/orchestras in this space is because there’s literally no room for them, unless they’re onstage. To make this happen, we need a show with a small cast, virtually no dancing, and a very small band. Our production of Sweeney fits that bill. It also has an incredibly difficult score, making it harder than usual for actors to sing with tracks. And honestly, it felt sacrilegious to mount Sweeney Todd without live musicians. So I hired four of my favorite musicians to join me, and we’re having a blast making this music and telling this story several times a week. It’s very difficult and very rewarding.
Photo by Karli Cadel
Do you have a favorite scene or number in the show? Maybe a number that’s your favorite to get to play?
“The Ballad of Sweeney Todd”, which begins and ends the play, is so fun to play in both spots. We start off the show with some pretty extreme and unsettling music that invites the audience into this ridiculous dark world. And when it’s all over, we say goodbye in a way that asks the audience to reflect on what they’ve just seen and consider there may be a Sweeney in all of us. And the music and lyrics that accomplish this are THRILLING.
For someone who has never seen or heard of Sweeney Todd, what’s something you would love to tell them when coming into this production? Or what’s something they should know ahead of time?
Sweeney Todd is like nothing you’ve seen. It’s very dark, very funny, and very unique. Let yourself buy into the heightened reality and enjoy the ride.
If you were to open up your own shop, what would you be selling?
Easy answer: cheese and crackers!
Photo by Karli Cadel
Sweeney Todd Creative Team:
Director: Jason Blitman
Music Director: Richard Dueñez Morrison
Choreographer: Katie Banville
CLICK HERE to buy tickets!
Photo by Julie Licari
