Conversations in Color: Exploring North American Musical Theatre - Paperback

by Sean Mayes (Author)

Step into a world where the brightest creative minds of contemporary musical theatre share their insights and inspirations.

Conversations in Color unveils the untold stories and perspectives of remarkable artists of color shaping the stage today. Delve into captivating interviews with visionaries like André De Shields, Alex Lacamoire, Baayork Lee, and many more, as they discuss the intricate artistry behind crafting unforgettable musical experiences.

Unlike any other, this groundbreaking book offers an indispensable resource for the theatre industry. Explore the multifaceted process of musical creation through conversations with directors, choreographers, music directors, orchestrators, stage managers, writers, librettists, artistic directors, and fight directors. Discover the secrets of their craft, from project preparation to rehearsal techniques, career insights, and personal anecdotes. Drawing from Broadway and regional productions across North America, these exclusive interviews provide invaluable firsthand knowledge that transcends boundaries.

Conversations in Color fills a vital void in musical theatre studies, shedding light on the absence of diverse perspectives. Immerse yourself in the minds of leading creative practitioners, gaining practical steps and inspiration for your own artistic endeavors. Whether you're a professional or aspiring performer, director, or designer, this book serves as a compass, guiding you towards excellence.

Unlock the secrets of musical theatre's most extraordinary talents: a vibrant world of creativity awaits, where voices that have been under-acknowledged are finally heard, and where passion and innovation reign supreme.

Author Biography

Based out of New York City and Toronto, Sean Mayes enjoys a varied career internationally as a conductor, music director, orchestrator, arranger, composer, author, and educator across North America and Europe, spanning the range of numerous musical styles between Broadway, theatre, opera, classical, and pop.

In New York, Mr. Mayes serves as a conductor between two Tony Award-winning Broadway productions, sharing his time as Assistant Conductor of MJ and Associate Conductor of Hadestown.

Internationally, Mr. Mayes serves as Musical Supervisor of the Finnish premiere of Come From Away, and in Fall 2022, served as Music Director and Conductor of the new musical Mandela, inspired by the life of Nelson Mandela and co-produced by the Mandela family for production at the Young Vic Theatre in London, UK.

As Music Director for Broadway luminary André De Shields, Mr. Mayes was Music Director, Orchestrator, and Arranger for An Evening With André De Shields with the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra in 2021.

Select recent work includes serving as Composer and Musical Supervisor of the National Tour of Fall On Your Knees, the stage adaptation of the best-selling Canadian novel; Composer for the Stratford Festival's 2023 Mainstage production of King Lear; Music Supervisor of AFROPUNK @ Lincoln Center, Music Supervisor of Rent: In Concert at the Kennedy Center, and Composer and Conductor of Aportia Chryptych, commissioned by the Canadian Opera Company for production in 2024.

As an author, Mr. Mayes' writing and scholarship is dedicated towards unpacking systemic issues surrounding representation, having previously published on disproportionately represented Black music directors (Reframing the Musical, Palgrave Macmillan, 2019), and the retracing of Black British musical theatre history in An Inconvenient Black History of British Musical Theatre (Bloomsbury, 2021), which was celebrated for release in concert at Wigmore Hall, London, in September 2021.

@maestromayes