Backstage Spotlight: Lilly and the Pirates

Meet Composer and Music Director, Brett Ryback, and get your tickets for this family-friendly show running through March 15!

What inspired you to become a theater maker and music director?

I started in theater when I was 5 years old as an actor at my local children’s theatre (First Stage, Milwaukee — which is a co-developer of Lilly and the Pirates!) Being around other theater makers for most of my childhood showed me that it was possible to make a career out of it.

What kind of education prepared you for this career?

As a young person, I was part of a summer theater academy for many years that was offered by First Stage. That gave me the basic knowledge of theatre techniques. I also spent many countless hours listening to musical theatre cast recordings, reading scripts, and playing the piano at home, which solidified a lot of basic understanding of how to tell musical stories. I then went to college where I got a degree in music composition. I’m always reading books, taking classes online, and watching tutorials to keep learning about new techniques for writing and composing so that I can continue to build my toolset.

What school subjects that our students may be studying do you use every day?

English and writing skills are integral to what I do for my living. Understanding story structure, character analysis, thematic imagery and many other literary techniques are important to being a professional storyteller. I also have to know how to express myself clearly and convincingly in writing about that shows that I create. And math is super important to making sure I’m being paid the right amount!

What is your favorite part about being a composer and music director?

Music affects people on such a visceral, emotional level. I love being in the room with musicians and singers and making beautiful evocative sounds together. It’s the best job.

How do you take a musical from an idea to the stage? What was the creation and development project like for Lilly and the Pirates?

There’s a lot of instinct involved in adapting a book like Lilly and the Pirates to become a stage musical. My collaborators and I started by reading the book and sharing our ideas for how moments might become scenes and songs. Then we wrote down lots of different versions of those scenes and songs, kept the ones we thought worked best for the story we were trying to tell, and cut the rest. Then I have to write down all the music and record a mix of live musicians and electronic instruments to make the tracks sound nice and full. Eventually we have some actors read it out loud in front of an audience with a director, make more changes and adjustments, and then we’re ready to have a production!

Can you tell us about something in Lilly and the Pirates that you’re especially excited for our audiences to see?

The show is so fun, it’s almost like riding a wild roller coaster. I’m excited for audiences to watch Lilly encounter the different pirates that exist in our world. They are each so enjoyable in their own ways.

Lilly writes in her Worry Book when she is scared. When you are scared, what do you do to become more brave?

I do a lot of positive self-talk whenever I feel scared. I try to remind myself of the facts so that I don’t get carried away by things I imagine to be true, but aren’t necessarily true. I take centering breaths, and try to stay as present in the moment as I can.

What are three words you would use to describe this production?

Fun, tuneful, and adventure-filled!