Call Answered: Or Matias Interview: Musical Directing Josh Groban & Neurodivergent Theatre Company Actionplay
Jun 17, 2022
Or Matias is an Obie award-winning Composer, Lyricist, Orchestrator and Music Director. Or has worked extensively with Josh Groban, The Trans-Siberian Orchestra, Ingrid Michaelson, Phillipa Soo, Dave Malloy, Rachael Yamagata, Rachel Chavkin, tap dancer Andrew Nemr and countless others.
Or was the Music Director and Conductor for the hit Broadway musical Natasha, Pierre, and the Great Comet of 1812, which was nominated for 12 Tony awards.
For the past year Or has been the Musical Director for the neurodivergent Theatre Company Actionplay.
In this interview, Or answered my call to share:
- Exploring his work as musical director with the neurodivergent theatre company Actionplay and what draws him to it
- Highlighting the Arts for Autism Broadway Concert and their upcoming performance, including the song and Broadway collaborators
- Sharing behind-the-scenes stories from working with Josh Groban and on Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812
- Revealing fun personal favorites and dreams to give audiences a sense of who he his beyond his work
- So much more
Connect with Or: Website, Instagram
This Monday (June 20, 2022), Or will be the Music Director for Actionplay’s performance during the 6th annual Arts for Autism Broadway Concert. The concert will be presented at Broadway’s historic Gershwin Theatre at 7:30pm.
Or Matias with the cast of Actionplay's The Surface
Photo Courtesy of Or Matias Social Media
1. For the past year you’ve been the musical director for the neurodivergent theatre company Actionplay. What made you want to become involved with this company? I've always loved working with young artists, specifically within communities that do not have nearly enough access to artistic education and expression.
Finding Actionplay was somewhat of a serendipitous match made in heaven - I had heard of their work years prior, and during Covid I came across a notice that they were looking for a music director. After a few brief conversations with Aaron and Jackson it became clear that we would have much to learn from one another, and we dove right in.
2. What is the most rewarding part of working with Actionplay? Unequivocally: the generosity and spirit of the company. Each and every one of the talented artists involved with Actionplay is a unique storyteller and beautiful collaborator. I am still blown away by how this piece was built from equal contribution among the actors and staff. It's easily the most equitable and generous process I've witnessed in a very long time.
3. Actionplay is performing at the 6th annual Arts for Autism Broadway Concert. Can you tell us a little bit about the event? I must admit that I do not know as much as I possibly should about the event itself! I have, of course, been scouring the website and following Jacque Carnahan's glorious vision and work.
It's nothing short of inspiring to see how this incredible event came from oodles of good and heart. And Jacque supplies one of my favorite quotes of all time, when asked how the event landed at the illustrious Gershwin Theater: "I called them. You never know until you ask."
4. What song are you going to perform and do you know what Broadway talent will be performing with you? We are going to be performing the song "Selkie-Free", from our show: The Surface (or, that one time Atlantis washed up on the beach). The song is our act-one finale, sung by the character of Ona (our wonderful actress Sandy Gladstone Karpe.) For this performance, Ona will be performed by Broadway powerhouse (and my wonderful friend!) Natalie Charle Ellis, along with a chorus of Broadway singers and our amazing Actionplay ensemble.
Or Matias and Josh Groban
Photo Courtesy of Or Matias Social Media
Let's switch gears to some general/fun questions.
5. One lesson Josh Groban taught you by working together? The most glorious singer in the world is also one of the hardest workers in town. Be humble and do the work.
6. Biggest musical mishap to happen during Natasha, Pierre, and the Great Comet of 1812? During previews, they had done some work on the techno track of our huge number, "The Duel." Something happened with the programming when the track was re-cued for the show, and when the electronic beat fired, it was more than 50% faster than it should have been.
The actors all immediately looked at me for answers, and I signaled for them to keep going. I shut off the track and whispered instructions to our pit drummer throughout the whole number, replicating what should have been in the track. All in all it was quite magical!
7. Favorite piece of furniture? Oversized chair in our living room - for napping, reading, getting stuck scrolling (grr) at the end of the day.
8. Favorite TV Show & Movie you could watch over & over again? I'm shamefully terrible at TV! I really hate onscreen conflict and so I have a hard time watching all of the amazing shows everyone talks about.. We fall asleep to The Office every night, though I often have to skip through scenes of conflict like when Jim gets pummeled by snowballs.
9. If you could be any animal, which one would you be? A cheetah! We always say at home that I'm a monkey in the winter and a cheetah in the summer.
10. Dream you still want to fulfill? Watching Leo Messi play live and score the best goal of his career. Or play an acoustic set with Taylor Swift.
Composer Or Matias
Photo Courtesy of Or Matias
More on Or Matias:
Or Matias is an Obie award-winning composer, lyricist, orchestrator, and music director based in NYC. Or has worked extensively with Josh Groban, The Trans-Siberian Orchestra, Ingrid Michaelson, Phillipa Soo, Dave Malloy, Rachael Yamagata, Rachel Chavkin, tap dancer Andrew Nemr, and countless others.
Or was the music director and conductor for the hit Broadway musical Natasha, Pierre, and the Great Comet of 1812, which was nominated for 12 Tony awards. Other select music director and music supervisor credits include: Octet at the Signature Theater (NYT Critic's Pick; Obie Award), for which he also produced the cast album (released by Nonesuch Records and Warner Music Group); First Daughter Suite at the Public Theater (NYT Critic's Pick); Preludes at Lincoln Center, in which he also co-starred as Sergei Rachmaninoff (Lortel Award nomination); and Moby Dick at A.R.T. (Elliot Norton Award nomination).
Or's original musical, The Wave, received its world premiere at the prestigious Landestheater Linz in 2020, and won top prizes at the 2021 Germany Tony Awards, including ‘Best Musical’, ‘Best Score’, and ‘Best Book’.
Or was a member of the 2020 New Dramatists Composer-Librettist Studio and the 2019 Composer-in-Residence at the venerated SPACE on Ryder Farm. He holds a BM from The Juilliard School and an MFA from NYU. Or is a Yamaha Artist.
