A fun-filled episode of BEHIND THE LENS as we take to the stage with ALEX RUIZ and VINCE GIOVANNI talking about their new play opening this week in Los Angeles – OVER TIME. But first, a bit of devilish fun thanks to our exclusive interview with composer NATHAN JOHNSON talking KNIVES OUT!!
First up is our exclusive interview with KNIVES OUT composer NATHAN JOHNSON. One of my Best Picture picks of the year, writer/director Rian Johnson delivers a flawless whodunnit thanks to superb casting, a rapier script, even sharper dialogue, and a score by Nathan that dances with the dialogue as if performing its own saber dance. The score is akin to “gothic whimsy” and tells its own chapters within this delicious film which only add to each character through themes and musical motifs. Listen as Nathan and I talk about not only the fun of this KNIVES OUT score, but its stylization a la the masters of the cinematic past – Waxman, Steiner, Herrmann, Alford, and Skinner – with not only the composition itself but the orchestration and instrumentation (most notably, strings and woodwinds), employing musical designs bending notes and using the Hungarian scale, developing individual themes for each character and the considerations and challenges with each, as well as Nathan’s own reflections of his journey as a composer and working with his cousin Rian Johnson as they went from the early days of banging cabinets with mallets to create the sound of drums and using glasses for strong sounds thanks to no money to KNIVES OUT and recording at Abbey Road with a full orchestra.
Hilarity ensues when we are joined live by ALEX RUIZ and VINCE GIOVANNI. Alex is already a favorite #BTLRadioShow guest having been in-studio prior for his then-series “Quien es Quien?”, but he now brings his collaborative partner and co-star Vince into the mix thanks to their new comedy play, OVER TIME. And what a mix it is!! While beyond fun, these two are passionate about their craft as is evidenced during our discussion. Co-writers, co-producers, and co-stars of OVER TIME, it is obvious that without the chemistry and friendship Alex and Vince have, a play like OVER TIME could not occur. Set on Super Bowl Sunday in Michigan, this is a tale of four friends gathered together for the big game, during which conversations and revelations about life bubble to the forefront in comedic fashion. You’ll love listening to these two as they talk about the challenges of writing and performing OVER TIME, much of which revolves around a surprise twist in the play – which they reveal for the first time on #BTLRadioShow, bringing in a female director – Eliza Hayes Maher, the collaborative balance that comes thanks to Vince’s strengths in theatre and Alex’s on the big and small screens, stage versus screen, and could OVER TIME become a travelling roadshow! OVER TIME opens December 5 at the Stephanie Feury Theatre in Los Angeles and runs December 5, 6, 7 and again on December 12, 13, and 14. All shows at 8pm!
