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[0:00] Martín Acuña: Hi, everyone. I am Martín Acuña, and you are listening to Backstage Talk.

[0:19] Martín Acuña: Hello, everyone. Welcome back to another episode of Backstage Talk. Today, I am really privileged to open up the platform of this podcast to a new team that has developed a musical all over the world. So let me introduce you to Marcus Terrell Smith. He is the book writer and lyricist, graduated from the University of Arizona, where he received a BA in linguistics and a BFA in musical theater. The following year, he was accepted into the Actor's Studio Drama School at Pace University in New York, where he received an MFA in acting. Then we have Robin Schäfer. He is the composer. He is also a songwriter, a guitarist, and a multi-instrumentalist who resides in Cologne, Germany. He had considered himself only a semi-professional musician while pursuing a career in business administration until 2018, when he decided to do music full-time and now plays with several bands.

And finally, we have here Chris Sargent. He is in charge of the orchestration and arrangements. He has been an active member of the Chicago music scene for more than 15 years as an arranger, musical director, and conductor. Most recently, he was the music director for Drury Lanes and American in Paris, a winner of four 2020 Jeff Awards. So, guys, thank you so much for being over. I am really excited to chat with you about your show, Pup! A Chew Story. So, I'll let you say hello to everyone.

[1:57] Chris Sargent: Hi, everybody.

[1:58] Robin Schäfer: Hi, this is Robin.

[2:00] Chris Sargent: Hi, it's great to be here. This is Chris.

[2:02] Robin Schäfer: Absolutely.

[2:05] Martín Acuña: So, wow, this is big. I don't know where to start, but let's just dive into the book. Marcus, where did this idea come from?

[2:18] Marcus Terrell Smith: Well, it's actually kind of funny. So, I've known Robin for about 12 years now. When I was in grad school, I was his RA, actually. And so, he walked in with this guitar. And I was like, you have a guitar? He's like, yeah. And I said, do you write music? He said, yeah, I write music. I said, we're going to write a song. And because he was my resident, we just saw each other all the time and just started writing a lot of music all over the place. And we wrote an album. And then he was only there for like six months. And then he went back to Germany, but we stayed in touch and did a bunch of music. And since then, I've gone to Germany a couple times and visited him. And we still write music over Zoom and stuff.

So, then when the pandemic hit, we were kind of like, we should do something. And then, well, actually, I had visited him in 2019 in Cologne, and we were just writing music. And then we wrote one of the songs, which actually isn't in the show, but it's a great song about dogs and dog relations, as you can say. We're like, what are we going to do with this? And we decided we're going to put it in a musical. So, then when the pandemic hit, we just started tossing song ideas back and forth. And then finally, this idea about a dog and his chew toys going to Hollywood kind of formed. And then we just, you know, it was kind of, it went actually very fast for the most part when it came to, you know, the songs we wanted to write, because we were writing fast together.

And so, yeah. And then we got this thing. It's an incredible piece that we're very proud of. And entered a couple of contests, gotten a lot of good feedback, and got, like, top marks on it. So, we're going to take it as far as it can go with this Broadway, I believe.

[4:07] Martín Acuña: Hopefully, and I'm happy to know that. So, yeah, I do think that this project has the potential for Broadway. So, hopefully, fingers crossed, if we have any producer listening to this episode, I will leave Marcus' information in the description if you want to contact him. How was the process of developing the show until today? So, you just said that you started writing songs on Zoom, and how has that journey been until today? Do you want to say anything, Robin, or should I just keep going?

[4:44] Robin Schäfer: It's been interesting. I mean, the thing is, we've been used to this writing over the internet, actually, for a while. Like Marcus mentioned, like, over the years, like, we've known each other for 12 years. And over the years, every once in a while, we would, you know, chat up again and write a few songs. And so, we were kind of used to the process of not being in the same room while writing together. So, nevertheless, it was much more of a challenge doing a show like this, rather than just throwing back and forth some ideas about songs, and then making a song. Because this, of course, had a much broader context that everything needed to fit in. And also, I've never written like a full show like this, and this dimension, at least, before.

So, it was really, it was demanding, but it was also fun. A lot of fun, you know, like, especially during the pandemic, when not a lot of things were happening. And then we were grateful to have something to really work on creatively. And, of course, there was always the challenge of the time shift as well. So, either one of us, either one of us work in the middle of the night. But really, it was, yeah, exactly. And it was really, but it was, for me, really exciting to see and astonishing to see, in fact, how everything was growing and growing and growing. And we were really saying, okay, we're getting the story together, we're getting these pieces together. Everything kind of fits and connects together. And at the end, when it was there, it was really very, yeah, I mean, astonished and proud at the same time, you know, like, that we actually did it.

[7:04] Marcus Terrell Smith: Oh, no. So, then when we did it, it got to the end of, like, we actually had, like, a bunch of songs, and we had the book pretty solidified. It was, like, how are we going to get this into sheet music so that people can read it? And how are we going to make it so that an orchestra could interpret it? And it just so happened, I knew Chris Sargent. We were both at Book of Mormon together for a couple years. And so, during the time there, Chris and I would, like, write songs and stuff and go in the studio and record stuff. And he's just an all-around amazing pianist and orchestrator and all that good stuff. So, then I said, hey, Chris, do you want to be a part of this thing? And then, I guess, Chris, you could talk about how you felt about it.

[7:46] Chris Sargent: Sure. Well, even before I came on board, Marcus and Robin had pretty fleshed out demos of every song. I mean, they sound professional. Marcus is singing every vocal part, from the baritone to the soprano parts. It's really amazing. Robin's playing some amazing guitar, amazing bass, programmed all the drums. So, my job was to take it and make it look, you know, apply it to a musical theater setting where people could come in, sit down in front of the music, and hopefully have it sound like the demo sound. And also, eventually, to expand the orchestration, I'd like to add some horns. We can add some more keyboard sounds because so much of it is wonderfully guitar-heavy. So, we can definitely use a keyboard or two to enhance that sound with whatever it is, piano, organ, a lot of strings we can use.

We can even add some percussion in there when we need it. So, that's where I come in. And we're sort of in the beginning stages because, first of all, we just need to get everything, the piano vocal book, ready. So, it definitely took longer than I thought it would. And it's a bigger project than I thought it would be. But I'm so happy I was, I, you know, came on board. And it was also during the pandemic. And I wanted to still feel musically fulfilled. And so, it came around at the right time. To feel like, still like a, you know, valuable member of society, which, you know, I think a lot of artists started to feel like, where do we fit in during the pandemic? It was really tricky. So, not to go on a complete tangent, Martín, but that's kind of where I came into it. So, anyway.

[9:42] Martín Acuña: No, but I love it because this is all part of the creative process. And a show, I think that it's so valuable and brave and valid to keep creating and keep ourselves creatively and artistically engaged during such a difficult time of the pandemic, where our spirits were beaten to the ground. And so, I understand you when you just said that you wanted to keep being a useful human being during the pandemic. For me, it was this podcast. So, I get you.

[10:15] Chris Sargent: Oh, great. Yeah, yeah. It was tricky. You know, everyone handled it differently. And I think we should all be kind to each other as far as how, you know, some people were very productive. Some people started making sourdough bread, some people, you know. But, you know, and then some people were probably quite honestly a little bit depressed and at least during the start of it. So, I was happy to have something that I was not only held accountable for, but also that was a really fun musical project that still goes on and it's going to go on for hopefully years, you know. So, we'll see.

[10:49] Martín Acuña: Yeah, I love it. Marcus, I want to ask you, since you're the book writer, what is the story about in this musical?

[10:57] Marcus Terrell Smith: So, it's about a dog, a tripod, three-legged dog named Pup and his chew toy, which is a dragon. And it's basically a buddy story about, you know, the ebb and flows of their relationship as they embark on this quest to achieve their dreams in Hollywood. As they go along the way, they encounter some seedy characters who kind of drive them off the beaten path and get them involved in some zany situations. But eventually, they come back together and they realize the value of friendship and not to take that for granted, in a nutshell.

[11:42] Martín Acuña: I love it and it sounds just great. For Robin and Chris, composer and orchestrator, what does the music sound like in this show?

[12:04] Robin Schäfer: Do you want to take it away, Robin?

[12:07] Chris Sargent: I was going to say, you have to say it because you have the more objective opinion about it.

[12:11] Robin Schäfer: Oh, okay. Well, I'll just say quickly, there are a lot of different...

[12:16] Chris Sargent: Hmm. Wow. How do you... There's just so much great energy in the music. There's a lot of rock. There's some parts that sound like heavy metal. There's definitely some funky grooves, some kind of like island kind of grooves. So, it's a mixture, but the overriding... I would say the overriding sound is just... To my ears, it was fresh. It was not derivative of other musical theater. It doesn't really, to my ears, sound like anything else.

[13:01] Chris Sargent: So, we started this project during the pandemic, and it was really a way for us to connect and create something positive during such a challenging time.

[13:31] Robin Schäfer: Absolutely! We were all feeling isolated, and this musical became a way to express our feelings about friendship and support.

[14:01] Chris Sargent: Right, and the idea of a dog as a central character really resonated with us. It symbolizes loyalty and companionship, which is what we all needed.

[14:31] Robin Schäfer: And it also allowed us to explore themes of love and connection in a light-hearted way, which I think is important, especially now.

[15:01] Chris Sargent: We wanted to create something that would bring joy and laughter to audiences, and I think we’ve achieved that with "Pup! A Chew Story."

[15:31] Robin Schäfer: The creative process was really collaborative. We had a lot of brainstorming sessions where we just threw ideas around and built off each other’s thoughts.

[15:59] Chris Sargent: Yes, and it was so refreshing to work with a team that was so open and willing to experiment. We really pushed each other to think outside the box.

[16:27] Robin Schäfer: And the music! I mean, the score has so many fun and catchy tunes that I think audiences will love.

[16:57] Chris Sargent: Definitely! Each song captures a different aspect of the story and the characters, making it a well-rounded experience.

[17:27] Robin Schäfer: Plus, the orchestration adds so much depth. We really wanted to create a rich sound that complements the narrative.

[17:57] Chris Sargent: And the feedback we’ve received so far has been incredibly positive. It’s exciting to see our vision come to life.

[18:27] Robin Schäfer: I think it’s a testament to the hard work everyone put in, from the writing to the music to the staging.

[18:57] Chris Sargent: Exactly! And we can’t wait for audiences to see it. It’s going to be a fun ride!

[19:25] Robin Schäfer: For sure! And we hope it sparks conversations about friendship and community, which are so vital.

[19:41] Chris Sargent: And we’re also looking forward to the possibility of expanding the story in future productions.

[20:09] Robin Schäfer: Yes! There’s so much potential to explore different themes and characters as we move forward.

[20:37] Chris Sargent: It’s all about keeping the momentum going and staying connected with our audience.

[21:05] Robin Schäfer: Absolutely! We want to create a lasting impact with this musical, and I think we’re on the right track.

[21:33] Chris Sargent: And we’re grateful for the support we’ve received from the community and our collaborators.

[22:01] Robin Schäfer: It’s been a journey, and we’re excited to share it with everyone.

[22:29] Chris Sargent: So, if you’re looking for a heartwarming story about friendship, be sure to check out "Pup! A Chew Story."

[22:57] Robin Schäfer: We can’t wait to see you at the show!

[23:25] Chris Sargent: Thank you for having us on the podcast to share our journey!

[23:53] Robin Schäfer: Yes, thank you! It’s been a pleasure.

[24:21] Chris Sargent: And we hope everyone enjoys the musical as much as we enjoyed creating it.

[24:51] Robin Schäfer: Definitely! See you all soon!

[25:19] Chris Sargent: Bye!

[25:47] Robin Schäfer: Bye!