Will Burton graduated from the University of Michigan’s Musical Theatre program in 2011.  Since then, he has appeared in The Music Man, Fiddler on the Roof, and My Fair Lady.  He is currently in the chorus of Christopher Wheeldon’s Broadway production of An American in Paris. In this short interview, he shares his thoughts on the Gershwins and the show. What is your role in An American in Paris? I am in the ensemble, and I understudy two of the three principal men, Brandan Uranowitz (who plays Adam) and Max Von Essen (Henri). What is it like to work with Christopher Wheeldon? Before […]

Congratulations to the 2015 Broadway production of An American in Paris, directed by Christopher Wheeldon! The Gershwin-inspired ballet-musical made a strong showing at the 2015 Tony Awards with 12 nominations and 4 wins, the latter including: Christopher Wheeldon for Best Choreography Christopher Austin, Don Sebesky, and Bill Elliott for Best Orchestrations Bob Crowley and 59 Productions for Best Scenic Design of a Musical Natasha Katz for Best Lighting Design of a Musical Congratulations to the actors, producers, and those who brought Ira and George’s music to the stage. Thank you for keeping their artistry alive! Note that the Gershwin Critical Edition’s new score and […]

The events of October 10, 2014 will resonate for me for the rest of my years at the School of Music, Theatre & Dance.  On that Friday, the School offered to the world a reborn Steinway Model A once owned by George Gershwin, and generously donated by his nephew Marc Gershwin.  All the anticipation, all the work had finally merged into programs offered at Hill Auditorium that featured the works of George and Ira Gershwin, and lauded the partnership between the U of M and the Gershwin Archives. That Friday, the SMTD also offered a view of itself as a […]

Word travels fast these days, and whether by Twitter or word of mouth, news of the Gershwin piano’s restoration has traveled “out there”.   I’ve been observing the excitement build, as during the past month faculty and students have poked their head through the open door of the piano technology shop and inquired about the piano, or requested a moment or two to try it out.  Reactions have been favorable, ranging from “Oh my!  How long is this piano?” to “Wow, man!  I can really dig this piano!”  Whether polite or hip, the expressions on their faces tell me a […]

Piano technicians talk a great deal about voicing, it’s true.  Voicing, the process of tone manipulation  through the use of hardeners or softeners on the hammers, including the use of needles for poking the felt, is one of those topics about which one can devote volumes.   In the final analysis, though, it always comes down to the one question that matters most:  Can you make it sound like a Steinway? Of course, I don’t mean this in the sense of, “Can you make “Any Piano” sound like a Steinway?”.  I mean it in the sense of “Can you make this […]

Long since I was but a young boy, my older brother (and best friend) once insisted on the motto:  “There is no substitute for excellence!”  I think about that each and every time I put my marque on a keyboard action.  (Thanks, Frank!) There was a time when a man’s word was his reputation.  Even greater significance was put on his signature, or “marker”, as it was also known.  In piano building and restoration, the pride of one’s own signature on a keyframe, or a cheek block, is accompanied with the satisfaction of knowing that one has put one’s all […]

My piano restoration “brother” in the Gershwin Piano Restoration, Patrick DeBeliso, continually reminds me of the old adage:  “The Devil is in the Details”.  It’s a truism for so many things, and piano restoration is no exception.  Time and again, he and I have encountered “restored” pianos that have suffered from that one or two items, small as they may seem, that weren’t fixed, and yet have come to the fore and asserted themselves as a problem down the line.  The pedals, lyre, and trapwork always seem to fall victim to neglect.  Perhaps it’s because we put such emphasis on […]

On April 10, 2014, the Gershwin Model A Steinway came home to the School of Music, Theatre & Dance for the second time.  Their work completed, PianoCrafters engaged Piano Moving Specialists, a company out of Dearborn Heights, MI to deliver the piano to the Piano Tech workshop located next to the loading dock of the Moore Building.  The owner of the business is an affable fellow named Jack Carter.  He’s the best there is in the Metro Detroit area.  He handles every move personally, he cares about his crew’s safety, and he commands their respect.  The results speak for themselves; […]

It’s now April 2014 and we’re getting hints of Spring everywhere.  Aside from the welcome snowmelt, we’re seeing a little more green in the expanses of lawn across campus, and birds are chirping from the barren trees, claiming territory for the spring rituals of nest building and mating.  What a time of renewal! Such is the experience for the Gershwin Model A as well!  We now have strings!  And new keys! And a new hammer action!  It definitely is rebirth, a remaking of greatness. I visited PianoCrafters on Tuesday, April 1 to inspect the piano with its new strings, keyboard […]

In my earlier article about restoring an historic instrument, I promised to talk a little about soundboards specifically.  It’s a topic that can fill volumes, and goodness knows that piano technicians talk about soundboards a great deal.  Everyone has an opinion, of course, and that includes me! Of course, whenever the owner of a revered piano hears about soundboard replacement, there is concern that the piano won’t sound like it used to.  I think this is due to a certain urban myth about pianos and soundboards that gave rise to the phrase “the soundboard is the soul of the piano”. […]