The Three Musketeers

by Ken Ludwig
From the Novel by Alexandre Dumas
   
The Utah Shakespeare Festival 2016

Director B.J. Jones
Scenic Designer Scott Davis
Costume Designer David Kay Mickelsen 
Lighting Designer Donna Ruzika
Sound Designer Joe Payne

Two bits of direction I always get from B.J., 1. Make the music feel modern, and 2. leave them humming the tune at intermission.  We both wanted the show to be light on it’s feet and scored like a movie.  It was important to me to hearken back to the films of the ’60s and ’70s, giving a sense richness and playfulness to the score.  The script is definitely adventurous, comedic, and heartfelt.  I attempted to accomplish all of these ideas with the use of thematic swashbuckling music written for movie trailers. Then, going a step further, I tempo matched existing music to drums and bass that I created.  I wanted the ability to have driving, lush music during David Woolley’s terrific fight choreography, and then to pull down to just pulsing bass and drums during dialog between swordplay.  It worked like a charm.  Listen below.  

Music and Effect demo.  

_{Photos by Karl Hugh}