Artist of The Month- January- Nathan Koval
Our Artist of the Month is TheatreLab HK and Dove Tales Theatre Company co-artistic director Nathan Koval. Nathan's passion for musical theatre has been remarkable over the last few months. After bringing the very well received musical Urinetown to the stage, he is now taking an extra leap and bringing Broadway celebrities to Hong Kong for his next project, A Night On Broadway. We love Nathan's enthusiasm, and we hope more artists will be inspired to do more for our artistic community.
1. Name, Birthplace, age
1. Nathan Koval. Portland, OR, USA. I am 28 years old.
2. How does where you were raised affect your work?
I find I can let a lot of stress roll off me because of where I am from. Portland is a very laid back and relaxed city.
3. Where did you train?
I went to Emerson College in Boston, MA where I received a BFA in Musical Theatre.
4. What is your favourite style of theatre? Why?
My favourite style of theatre is musical theatre.
5. What was the best show you EVER saw?
Next to Normal on Broadway.
6. What was the best show in HK you EVER saw?
The best show I have seen in Hong Kong is the Merchant of Venice.
7. What piece of work are you the proudest?
I would have to say our most recent production of Urinetown. It was my first time directing an adult production as well as our companies first adult production in Hong Kong. The team of actors and production team were incredible and worked so hard on the project. Each actor poured their heart and soul into the show and you could really see it during the performances.
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8. What is your process like?
With musicals, I dive straight into the music. The music holds all the clues. I look at the words and what the orchestra is doing underneath the singer. The instruments underneath the singer kind of act as an inner monologue. Once I have it down as it is written in the score, I start to play around with it and develop my character.
9. What is your dream project?
There are too many to choose from. I'd love to put on the musical She Loves Me. It is such a beautiful and straightforward show that not many people produce.
10. What do you think about the arts and theatre scene in Hong Kong?
I think the arts scene in Hong Kong is growing, which is very exciting. It is a very supportive community that provides an opportunity for people to act who otherwise wouldn't have that chance with their everyday job. I would love to see Hong Kong make the jump up to the next level. To do this, I feel companies need to start paying the team that they put together for the show. Too many times I have seen companies spend enormous amounts of money on an incredible set and an amazing band only to bypass paying the actors. I feel as soon as you start paying the team, whether it just be a small stipend, split of the profit, or a salary, it raises the bar for everyone involved. The commitment to the project is much stronger, and there is a mutual respect between the actors and the companies they are working for. It is exciting to see a few companies taking this step, and you can see the difference in the productions that they produce. I hope more companies will start going this direction in the future.
For more information about Nathan's latest show, A Night On Broadway, click here.
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