Bob Fosse's Dancin' is more than a Broadway show. It's more like a two-and-a-half-hour clinic packed with relentless drumming that showcases Gary Seligson's immense talent.
After witnessing his mesmerizing performance from the audience a few weeks ago, I had the chance to connect with Gary outside the stage door, where I warmly shook his hand. Considering the sheer amount of drumming he delivered throughout the show, I couldn't help but inquire whether he had to cool his hands off in buckets of ice after such an intense performance.
One of the standout moments in Gary's performance was his rendition of Gene Krupa's 'Sing Sing Sing' during the first 15 minutes of Act II, played entirely from memory. It was mind-blowing and a testament to his exceptional skill. And, of course, I must mention the phenomenal dancing featured in the show as well!
In 2000, Gary graciously allowed me to witness his performance in the Broadway musical Aida. Feeling uncertain about what to expect from an offer received at the time to play a Broadway musical called Footloose on an upcoming bus and truck tour at the time, I turned to Gary for guidance. I eagerly observed his skillful playing from the drum booth of that musical. To say that I was blown away would be an understatement. Little did I know that it would significantly impact my own journey in playing shows over the next twenty-three years.
Another opportunity arose when I watched Gary's performance in 'School of Rock' a few years ago, but it was an entirely different experience this time at 'Dancin.'
Before the second-to-last show on Saturday night, May 13th, I had the incredible chance to chat with Gary before I witnessed him playing the show in his drum booth in the pit of the Music Box Theater. It was not just a treat but also an unforgettable drum lesson.
When you watch the video below, you'll see how Gary graciously shares insights about his setup, the origin of the show, why he uses certain cymbals, how he collaborated with Jim Abbot and Sammy Merendino to integrate Forscore with MIDI for seamless page turns and a few other interesting things that you’ll notice.
Sitting next to Broadway royalty and observing his elaborate setup was an absolute pleasure. Unfortunately, the show closed on Broadway as of May 14th, so you've missed out on an extraordinary drumming extravaganza.
What an incredible experience!
Check this out:
Clayton Craddock hosts the Broadway Drumming 101 Podcast and has held the drum chair in several hit broadway and off-broadway musicals, including Tick, tick…BOOM!, Altar Boyz, Memphis The Musical, Lady Day At Emerson's Bar and Grill and Ain’t Too Proud. He has been a sub drummer on Motown, The Color Purple, Rent, Little Shop of Horrors, Spongebob Squarepants-The Musical, Evita, Cats, Avenue Q, and The Big Apple Circus. The next project he’s working on is The Hippest Trip – The Soul Train Musical.
Clayton has performed on various TV shows, including Good Morning America, The Colbert Report, The View, The Jimmy Fallon Show, The CBS Early Show, the Today Show, and the 2010 and 2019 TONY Awards at Radio City. He’s shared the stage with legends such as The Stylistics, Denise Williams, Chuck Berry, and Ben E. King and was in the Netflix DWYCK episode of Luke Cage with the Delfonics and the HBO version of Lady Day at Emerson’s Bar and Grill.
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Very cool!