Paul Pizutti has over fifty years of experience playing shows. He is a person everyone should listen to when it comes to understanding what it takes to have a successful career playing broadway musicals.
In this episode, we discuss:
Working on the musical ‘Candide.’
How he wound up playing the original ‘Godspell.’
How he handled playing a show during the New York City blackout of 1977.
What it was like working on the original ‘Evita.’
Why ‘Merrily We Roll’ Along came and went but is now a classic.
How a series of minor connections led to working seven years at ‘Cats.’
Sight-reading the TONY Awards show.
Leaving the business altogether for a short period of time.
Being the China club house drummer on Wednesday nights.
Recording the cast albums for Assassins and Crazy For You.
Working on Gypsy with Patti Lupone.
Observing the transition from playing shows with no monitors to personal monitoring systems in Broadway pits.
Here is a partial list of the shows he’s done:
She Loves Me
Far Away Places: Live at 54 Below w/Patti LuPone
The Other Duke: Tribute to Duke Pearson, How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying
Merrily We Roll Along
Another Monday Night, The Lady with the Torch w/Patti LuPone
Rodgers & Hammerstein's South Pacific, in Concert from Carnegie Hall
Pacific Overtures
Big Band Blues
Into the Woods
The Frogs/Evening Primrose
Kiss Me, Kate
Fifteen-Year Anniversary w/ Betty Buckley
Big
A Christmas Carol
Crazy for You, Assassins
Cats
Merrily We Roll Along
and many more!
Clayton Craddock hosts the Broadway Drumming 101 Podcast and Newsletter. He 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.
The Broadway Drumming 101 Instagram page: Instagram
The Broadway Drumming 101 YouTube page: YouTube
For more about Clayton, click HERE