The art of putting
words to music

Kids Stuff
By William Feldman

Welcome to Kids Stuff. Today’s column includes a review of Enchantment Theatre Company’s new production The Velveteen Rabbit, along with a visit with today’s most respected music composer, Don Sebesky.
The Velveteen Rabbit runs through Sunday at the new Suzanne Roberts Theater at Broad and Lombard streets. After two years of planning and eight months of preparation, The Velveteen Rabbit had its preview in Delaware. Enchantment Theatre took Margery Williams’ The Velveteen Rabbit and made it its own with some new twists and excitement, but keeping with the original storyline.
As with all of their productions, they use distinctive handmade masks, pantomime, magic, illusions and life-size puppets. However in this production they even had a puppet that was 9 feet tall.
The plot basically is how this little boy chooses this velvet brown plush toy rabbit to become his special playmate that he needs to fall asleep with. The production sends a message to families and children. The story basically says love makes you real. It is meaningful in a very simple way. That is the whole idea of the story, the book and the show.
The Velveteen Rabbit CD by Don Sebesky, lyricist Gloria Nissenson and Don’s wife Janina Serden, a singer and songwriter, received a 2007 Grammy nomination for best musical album for children. The 50th annual Grammy Awards will be broadcast live from the Staples Center in Los Angeles on Sunday, Feb. 10, on CBS.
Don Sebesky, considered one of the most talented and respected composer-arrangers in music today, was born Dec. 10, 1937, in Perth Amboy, N.J. He has had about 22 Grammy Award nominations; won three Grammys as a composer and arranger from the big jazz bands of the 1960s and some of the classic jazz recordings of the 1970s, to stage, film and television; a Tony Award and in television, has received three Emmy nominations for his work on shows such as Allegra’s Window on Nickelodeon; The Edge of Night on ABC and The Guiding Light on CBS.
His educational background consisted of studying music composition at the Manhattan School of Music. He has had so many influences in the musical realm given his interests in classical and jazz music. He felt the greatest influence as a child was from Johann Brahms in the classical field.
He began playing piano at age 10. Later he played the trombone, but, he said, "the trombone was a means to an end, as I really wanted to compose music."
Don broke into television in 1965 when he joined the writing staff of the Jimmy Dean Show. As the music director from 1967-68, he composed the show’s theme and all its arrangements.
"It was a country music show. Every country music person who was anybody came through those doors and came on that show, from Johnny Cash on down," Don recalled.
One of his best memories from that show was meeting his mentor, Peter Matz, who went on to become Barbra Streisand’s arranger and conductor, and who became one of his best friends.
Don got his start in film by composing the score for Muppet-creator Jim Henson’s Academy Award-nominated short film, Time Piece, in 1968.
He has composed and arranged recordings by Grover Washington, Quincy Jones, Nancy Wilson and many more. What was it like working with those artists?
"Great. You learn from every one of them," said Don, who just worked with Nancy a couple of weeks ago at a concert with the Pittsburgh Symphony.
"She is doing really well. It is always fun working with people who are talented," Don said.
Later, in 1991, he composed and arranged for such artists as Liza Minnelli, the Boys Choir of Harlem, Michael Feinstein, Sinead O’Connor, Prince, Tony Bennett and Barbra Streisand. Does he remember what he writes?
"There are so many notes that I write every day. I can barely remember what I wrote yesterday," he joked. "There are so many notes that go into the FedEx pouch and off they go. Out of sight, out of mind."
Don has also worked with George Benson, Christina Aguilera, Vanessa Williams, Britney Spears, Barry Manilow, Bette Midler, Rod Stewart, Cyndi Lauper and Kevin Spacey and others.
I read that Don’s music can be heard on many commercials for companies such as General Electric, Nike, Pepsi, Kodak, Cheerios, Hallmark, Calvin Klein, Hanes, Corning, Hershey’s and more.
Don decided to go into Broadway in 1984 because it was a natural outlet.
"When the record business changed to some degree, it provided a natural outlet and a natural spin-off. I got to do what I like to do most, which is to write. It just led me into another frame of reference," he said.
How did he get involved with Enchantment Theatre?
"Elizabeth Healey from Healy Entertainment in New York called up and asked if we were interested in having them do a presentation featuring our music," he said. "She had heard we had done this record that we had made a CD of."
He went down, took a look and thought it would be a good idea. The record of the show is called, Love Will Make You Real, based on The Velveteen Rabbit. He described its music as being aimed for children’s sensibilities.
"It is kind of romantic in places, but there are a lot of different influences in it," he said. "I would say it is sort of like theatrical pop."
This was inspired by a great appreciation for this classic bedtime story that he and his wife read to their daughters. It took about two months to write the piece.
Don said his greatest accomplishment was raising his two daughters, Elizabeth and Olivia. He told me that both of his daughters enjoy music and are musicians. Olivia has a new CD out called Stay With Me.
Don had the best response when I asked him what he would like his legacy to be: "Put your pencil on the paper and see what happens."
In five to 10 years he essentially sees himself where he is now, except probably traveling more. He sees his current project possibly leading to performing with symphony orchestras all over the world.
Listen up — Don had two pieces of good advice.
First, when a kid first comes home from school, if he does not head for his instrument before doing anything else, he doesn’t want to be in music.
Second, if you are considering any other career besides music, you should not go into music.
"It is too competitive out there to let a child go down a road without adequate preparation and passion," he said.
Go to www.enchantmenttheatre.org for more information about the theater. In my opinion, this was its best production yet.

• • •

Almost everyone, of all ages, loves to eat soft pretzels with yellow mustard. Well here is your chance to munch on some fresh ones just made. Fifteen lucky winners will receive 10 pretzels from the new Philly Pretzel Factory, opened and operated by Jason and Kathleen La Brie (more on that in next week’s column).
Their store is located at 1687 Grant Ave., in the Grant Plaza shopping center. The phone number is 215-677-1537.
Just answer this trivia question: The pretzel is believed to have been invented by what monk in the 6th century? Hint: It’s a country shaped like a boot.
Deadline is Friday! Send all e-mail to wmkidscolumn@aol.com ••
Columnist William Feldman can be contacted by e-mail at wmkidscolumn@aol.com