by Charlie Barnett | Aug 9, 2020 | Charlie's Blog, News, Theatre
I guess we are are in scramble mode, trying to figure out how best to use our creative energy during this Covid time. I started a new musical in March with two book-writers; Richard Lasser from Seattle and Robert P. Young from Detroit. It is called When We Get There. It stems from a story I wrote nearly ten years ago, but has been changed and massaged into a new and wonderful piece of theatre by a lot of brilliant work by Robert and Richard. Basically it is a story of four people who drive from New Jersey to march in Selma in what turned out to be “Bloody Sunday” in 1965. We had a few terrific actors join us for a Zoom table read last week. We were fortunate to have Broadway veterans Allison Briner-Dardenne read the part of Rose. Q. Smith played Mary. Erick Pinnick read Terrance and Safiya Harris (pictured) played Dawn. 
We learned a ton about our small but mighty show. Once there is theatre again, this show will be ready!
by Charlie Barnett | Jul 15, 2020 | Charlie's Blog, News
Director Jonathan Gruber recently finished a feature-length documentary that I had a great time scoring. The film, Upheaval, tells the story of the late Israeli politician Menachem Begin — it’s a tough walk through the minefields of Israeli politics and history. Jonathan is such a skilled filmmaker that he makes this scorching subject look easy to tackle. The music, of course, all had to be made using the instruments I can play and record at home, along with synth elements. Once a score is recorded, I usually sit down with the director to review the film scene by scene, but of course we couldn’t do that in person right now. Instead, we shared my screen over Zoom, and I am happy to report that is possibly the very best use of the Zoom platform.
by Charlie Barnett | Jul 1, 2020 | Charlie's Blog, News
Earlier this year, I was commissioned by Michael McCarthy, the Canon of Music at the Washington National Cathedral, to write a choral piece based on the Seven Last Words from the Cross. As you may already know, these are actually phrases, not words: they’re the last seven things Jesus Christ said during the Crucifixion, including “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.” Whatever your relationship to religion — my own is very distant — these are very beautiful and evocative words to work with, and it was an honor to set them to music. The piece, called The Last Seven Words, is scored for children’s choir, harp, string quartet and chamber organ. The idea was for the Cathedral to take its children’s choir and this piece on tour to Spain and Portugal in March. That tour was cancelled, for obvious reasons, but I hope the piece can reach its audience one day soon.
by Charlie Barnett | May 21, 2020 | Charlie's Blog, News
Hard to believe that January was only four months ago. At the end of that month, I played a solo show — my first in decades — in Germantown, Maryland. I was nervous about it, but it went well enough that I quickly booked a few more shows and went into the studio to record the music while I had it under my fingers. Of course, all the subsequent shows were cancelled, but bassist Greg Watkins and I were able to wrap up the recording sessions in the first week of March, and I finished the mix and the mastering remotely. It is a collection of folk songs, spirituals, and singer-songwriter style originals that will be going out to radio stations as a folk album in a few weeks. If you absolutely can’t wait to hear it on your local folk music radio program, you can listen to samples or purchase it here.
by Charlie Barnett | May 15, 2020 | Charlie's Blog, News
I am proud to live in the forward thinking state of Maryland. A state that listens to scientists, and a state that supports the arts. I was just awarded one of the Maryland State Arts Council’s Independent Artist awards. Here is the full list:https://www.msac.org/press-release/maryland-state-arts-council-announces-2020-independent-arts-award-recipients
by Charlie Barnett | May 15, 2020 | Charlie's Blog, Events, News, Theatre
My stage play about George Gershwin’s friendship with Arnold Schoenberg — Twelveness — has been produced as an audio performance by the Crowded Kitchen Players of Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. The show is available at https://crowdedkitchen.podbean.com/
I am extra-ordinarily proud of this. And especially now in our time of quarantine, this can be a nice way to spend 90 minutes.
Here are the deets:
May 3, 2020
Legendary American pianist and songwriter George Gershwin and Austrian composer Arnold Schoenberg volley tennis balls, music theory, and musings on the meaning of art on a Beverly Hills tennis court and over dinner and drinks in a series of entertaining and provocative conversations that may never have taken place. But, they should have.
This play takes place largely in the last months of 1936 and early 1937. George Gershwin would die on July 11, 1937 from an undiagnosed brain tumor. He was 38 years old.
Arnold Schoenberg was famous for his serial compositional technique, the twelve tone row. He would live, teaching and composing, until 1951.
Written by Charlie Barnett
Produced and Directed by Ara Barlieb and Pamela Wallace 2020
Featuring Dan Ferry as George Gershwin, David Oswald as Arnold Schoenberg, Trish Cipoletti as Ginger Rogers, Syd Stauffer as Gertrud Schoenberg
Music by Charlie Barnett
(Running Time: 1 hour 30 minutes)
We learned a ton about our small but mighty show. Once there is theatre again, this show will be ready!
I am proud to live in the forward thinking state of Maryland. A state that listens to scientists, and a state that supports the arts. I was just awarded one of the Maryland State Arts Council’s Independent Artist awards. Here is the full list:https://www.msac.org/press-release/maryland-state-arts-council-announces-2020-independent-arts-award-recipients