Hitmaker Paul Williams Discusses his Musical for Skylight, ‘Fortunate Sons’

Expand

Photo via Skylight Music Theater

Paul Williams is a name synonymous with the top of the music charts, ruling with a wide range of talents, from soft pop to pop rock and pretty much everything else in between. 

His hits are as melodious as they are relentless: "Rainy Days and Mondays", "I Won't Last a Day Without You", and "We've Only Just Begun",for the Carpenters;  "An Old Fashioned Love Song,”  “The Family of Man” and “Out in the Country” for Three Dog Night. Then there’s Helen Reddy (“You and Me Against the World,”) and “Someday Man” covered by The Monkees, ironic in that the multi-talented singer songwriter auditioned for the group in its heyday but was passed over. 

More PW trivia: his tune, “Fill Your Heart” was recorded by David Bowie for his album Hunky Dory.  And Williams has the distinct honor for writing a song best known for the Muppets and in particular, Kermit the Frog (“Rainbow Connection.”)

Now 80, Williams has completed the music and lyrics for Fortunate Sons, a new musical set in 1969, centering on the turbulent times during the Vietnam War and the draft. Skylight Music Theatre is premiering the work through its first staged concert reading. Fortunate Sons features the book by Eric R. Cohen and Marc Madnick under the direction of Skylight Artistic Director Michael Unger.

Williams took some time out of his busy schedule to talk with the Shepherd Express about Fortunate Sons, the Vietnam War and all the musical influences of this times:

How did you first learn about the script for Fortunate Sons? 

Craig Shoemaker, the comedian,  is a friend of mine. He called and told me his pal Marc Madnick was trying to get in touch with me. Something about a musical based on the draft lottery of 1969. I thought it could be interesting. And then I read the script ... I couldn’t put it down. Or walk away. 

How did you go about composing the music?  For example, did you develop a thematic melody that repeated through the production?

My first thought … before I’d actually read the script… had been ‘they may not need me! Why not use songs from the ‘60s?  There are so many great songs from those years.’ Ha!  I heard them when they were new. Marc said they’d tried it and it didn’t work!  

I agreed.   

Simpler times but complex situations made for powerful emotions... conflicting needs and ill-timed opportunities. Those are the building blocks of the songs. Hidden lives revealed within the songs.  The inner voice of the characters deserve to be heard. And these people were so beautifully defined, their stories woven around the historic event that would change all of their lives. And two generations to write for—one song at a time.  

Was the process similar to writing individual songs? Different,  given that this is a musical? 

The truth is,  a song score has two functions of key importance. The numbers need to either advance the plot or illuminate the inner life of the characters. It’s not uncommon for pop songwriters to try to write hit songs. Hell, it’s in our DNA.  But the script is the holy grail. And it’s a great adventure when the writing is as good as this was. I thought the script was brilliant. The dialogue so natural. A middle-class family in Ohio. I was born and raised in the Midwest. I felt as if I’d known these people for decades. I already cared about them.  

When Marc and Eric invited me to come aboard, I said I wanted to write one song first to make sure it was as good a fit as I thought it would be. I wrote the first number, a description and a condemnation of the war in Vietnam called “Able-Bodied Men.” It lit the fire for me. I thought, ‘yes, I need to do this.’

Having lived through the ‘60s and having been opposed to the Vietnam War, how did that inform your current approach to the music? 

I wrote for the characters and not the decade. It’s not a period piece. Well, that’s not completely true. Yes, it’s all about what’s happening in Vietnam and the draft and the uncertainty. There’s a ‘horror show’ on television every night. People dying in living color on the evening news. That invasion into these wonderful people’s lives is what touched me and I think will be embraced by an audience. Emotional accuracy is the goal... and if a song reminds you of the Mamas and Papas... That’s never a bad thing 

Did the Creedence Clearwater Revival tune of the same name influence you in any way? If so, how? 

Creedence Clearwater, Crosby Stills and Nash, Joni Mitchell, James Taylor, Linda Ronstadt,  Jackson Browne... they all influenced me and their massive talent was music school for all of us. Specifically to this work?  It’s possible. There’s a song that is a tribute to Laurel Canyon and the iconic songwriters that live there.  Ground zero for Abby‘s creative ambitions. Home to the superstars of songwriting we all wanted to hang with. They’ve had a home in my heart since I was in my 20s. We all try to write our own truths. Or in this case RJ ‘s, Abby‘s, the whole Willet family‘s truths.  

As you became more familiar with the Willet family and the individual characters (i.e. RJ, Cliff, Abby) did any specific themes/images come to mind in composing the music? 

Of course. And one of the things I’m really proud of is we’ve created a story and songs that honor those who served and those who refused to. Those who sacrificed life and limb for their country and those who would have found it personally immoral to participate. In some ways everyone was crawling through glass… Being torn apart by the war in Vietnam.  

Are there any Vietnam veteran stories that have directly or indirectly influenced you in writing the music? If so, can you expound on those stories? 

There are films that have directly effected my thoughts about ‘answering the call!.’ From Paths of Glory to Apocalypse Now…  Forrest Gump’s Vietnam experience ... His friendship with Lieutenant Dan... touching. Tom Hanks and Gary Sinise doing amazing work. Abby has a song called “Between Here and Eternity” which certainly references the legendary ‘crashing waves love scene’ in From Here to Eternity. Maybe my favorite song in the show. Certainly one of them.  

How has working as a part of a larger team of creatives (i.e. Eric R. Cohen, Marc Madnick, Michael Unger) affected the process and creation of the music? 

Songwriting can be a very lonely process. Especially for film ... you write the songs and deliver but you’re not really on set and part of the action. Creating a musical is a family affair. I think it’s one of the things that I like most about writing for the stage. The first person to hear my songs is my music director, arranger and orchestrater, resident genius Chris Caswell. Kaz! He’s been playing piano for me and working on projects since The Muppet Movie in 1979. He was a big part of Random Access Memories, the Daft Punk album. He plays the new songs for me and it begins to sound like the music in my head. Only better. He’s remarkable.  

All the songs have had the benefit of Eric and Marc’s spot-on instincts about the characters. They are their ‘babies’ after all. Now comes the fun part… As we begin to benefit from director Michael Unger‘s creative touch,  music director Eric Svejcar’s musical sensibilities and the life force of the men and women performing Fortunate Sons for the first time. It’s an exciting time. I love my life! 

Ultimately the audience becomes our partner, revealing what works and what doesn’t. I couldn’t be more enthusiastic. Or grateful! 

From the start of this process to where you’re at now with the upcoming readings, what, if anything, has surprised you about creating music for Fortunate Sons? 

How real these characters have become for me. Their choices, their fate .. their love and loss haunts me. There are cultural stumbles, prejudice and heartache in those years that have sadly survived. It’s today’s shame too and Eric’s and Marc’s script has created a space inside the story where we can all live and learn. 

Live and love. In the end it’s a love story. I think the best ones usually are.  

Fortunate Sons will be live streamed Feb. 19-20.  Tickets are free but reservations are required. For more information and ticket availability, call the Box Office at: 414-291-7800, or visit: www.skylightmusictheatre.org