Musically Minded

On May 24, TFK Kid Reporter Vicky Sun interviewed Meghann Zervoulis Bate, from Six, the Broadway musical. Bate is the show’s music director, conductor, and keyboard player. Read Vicky’s account below.

In October, Six will celebrate five years on Broadway. The musical is an award-winning sensation worldwide. It’s a showdown-style concert that empowers each of the six wives of Henry VIII to tell her story from her own perspective. 

On May 24, I experienced the spectacle firsthand on Broadway, in New York City. It’s a pop-culture remix of the lives of the six queens, complete with powerful vocals, dynamic choreography, a live band, and nonstop energy from start to finish. Leading the musical ensemble is Meghann Zervoulis Bate. I had the chance to interview her about her job and what goes into bringing a production like Six to life.

TFK Kid Reporter Vicky Sun: What made you want to work in musical theater?

Meghann Zervoulis Bate: When I was growing up, my dad was a rhythm-and-blues musician. There was always a piano in our house. My parents would play the radio, and legend says I would start playing along. 

I have always been interested in music in some way. In grammar school and high school, I played for musicals, choir, and church while studying classical music and doing concerto competitions. I always seemed more interested in playing music with other people. Theater is a perfect way to collaborate instead of just playing solo.

What skills are important for a music director to have?

It depends on the show. I’ll use Six as an example. On this show, important skills involve being able to collaborate with the full team: with the director, with the choreographer, the stage manager, the cast, the musicians, any external staff. . . . We are working together to make the show happen. 

Also, versatility of musical styles is really important. So being able to play pop, then being able to play a little bit of classical—like you saw today, when [Anne of Cleves] is on the steps and being dramatic, we play some classical-type music—but then we go right into R&B. It’s important to be flexible, musically, so that you’re playing accurately in all those styles. 

And then professionalism: being on time, making sure that all the bases are covered. There’s a lot of email and communication that happens. Communication is a large percentage of what we do. Everyone always says, “Oh, it must be so nice, you just have the show at night to do!” But the show is, in some ways, the easiest part for us, you know? We are working all day long, whether it’s in rehearsal, talking, planning, casting. . . . I always say 8 p.m. is the easiest time of the day, when we get onstage and start. 

Do you change the way you perform each night, depending on how the show is running?

So, at this show, in our ear[buds], we’re hearing [the beat] on many of the songs. Also the keyboard parts that I’m playing are pre-programmed. So it’s not something that I’m changing each day. 

What does change a little bit is the energy and the playfulness of the cast. You can tell sometimes if they’re bringing a special mood to the show. Also, what changes for me is that we have orchestra subs all the time. The drummer who was onstage today is not in our regular band. They’re a sub, but they play with us all the time. It’s fun, adapting to having some subs with us, and it kind of raises new energy.

What does a typical day look like for you?

There are a lot of musicals in their development stages, and we’re working on those during the day to help shape them and maybe get them to Broadway one day. So right now, I’m working on another musical down in Red Bank, New Jersey. It’s called Elephant Shoes. It’s with Deaf West [Theatre, a company that produces shows that use American Sign Language with spoken English]. So I’ll drive down to Red Bank and rehearse with them from about 10 to 3. Then I’ll come here, arrive at the theater, check on the show, check in with the staff and the actors, and then do our show at night. 

When I’m not working on two shows, a day might look like waking up, playing with my kids—I have two little children—then taking them to school, spending time with my husband, coming to rehearsal, doing the show. . . . Every day is very different, depending on if we’re putting in a new cast, or doing a press performance. It all depends.

Do you ever work on more than one Broadway show at once?

So, the people who are subbing—for example, the drummer who was there with us today, she may very well have a second. She may have our matinee, and then she might go play Hamilton at night. If you’re a sub, you could play in multiple buildings at a time in a week.

For us [at Six], this is my job. I can’t play any other Broadway shows right now because I’m supposed to be exclusively here. We can do some developmental work, like I was mentioning before, or we can play an off-Broadway show. But usually if you’re a regular, which is what I am on this show, then I’m exclusively here doing something. But the subs can play anywhere.

How long have you been with Six?

I’m the newest person to join the band. I joined the band only this March.
The original music director resigned. I went through a kind of audition class, an interview process, and it just worked out that the music supervisor and the other staff decided it was a good match.
I’m still learning the finer details of the show, because I just joined. 

What’s the most challenging part of your job?

One of the most challenging parts of this show is managing the flexibility each actress has. Because of the pop music style, each actress has certain riffs they’re allowed to do. We also have alternates, called “alts,” and each one knows multiple roles. Each performer has slightly different approved riffs for each role, so I have to keep track of all of them and make sure the music stays consistent.

Everyone comes into the show with different interpretations from the albums and recordings. Part of the music director’s job is maintaining consistency in the show.

How do you prepare before shows and collaborate with musicians and performers?

I like connecting with the musicians beforehand. Our dressing rooms are next to one another, so we joke around, catch up, and handle any business stuff before the show. This show also requires extra preparation because [the band is] visible onstage in costume, so we have to arrive earlier for makeup and wardrobe.

We check in with the actors before the show too—making sure microphones work, making sure they can hear me through my mic, and checking all the technical systems before curtain.

I also saw the little TV screens the actors can see you on. How does that work?

There’s a camera on me that sends video throughout the building. The actors use it to get cues and follow tempos. There’s also a percussion player downstairs who watches the monitor to stay together with us musically. The stage manager uses it too, so lighting and sound cues stay perfectly coordinated with the music.

Do you have a favorite part about working in musical theater?

I love the energy. It’s kind of indescribable, especially at Six. There’s this exciting connection between the performers, musicians, audience, and story. My last show was Cabaret, which had a very different feeling every night. But I just love the connection you get from live theater.

Do you have any advice for students who dream of working in musical theater?

My biggest advice is to become versatile in different musical styles. Practice R&B, classical, jazz, folk, bluegrass—everything. Modern musicals combine so many genres, and becoming familiar with all of them will really strengthen your musicianship.

This interview has been edited for length and clarity.