The Grateful Dead’s music has been interpreted in all sorts of ways during the past 53 years, yet, until recently, one major type of stage has eluded that storied songbook: Off-Broadway. The recently launched production of Red Roses, Green Gold is here to change that. Written by Michael Norman Mann, whose work has long been inspired by the Dead’s music—including Cumberland Blues, the first musical comedy set to the music of Jerry Garcia and Robert Hunter—the new musical, currently showing at New York’s Minetta Lane Theatre, is set in 1920s Cumberland, MD, and “tells the fantastical and comedic tale of Jackson Jones and his family of swindlers as they gamble their way to love and riches.”
The play weaves in a number of classic Grateful Dead songs, mostly from the period that produced Workingman’s Dead and American Beauty, and features a cast full of multi-instrumentalists. Red Roses, Green Gold also has a few direct connections to the Grateful Dead family: Longtime keyboardist Jeff Chimenti, who is currently on the road with Dead & Company, serves as the production’s musical director, and Robert Hunter composed a new original song for the production, “Drunkard’s Carol.”
As he prepared for the Dead & Company’s fall run, Chimenti spoke about his involvement in the production, Hunter’s blessing over the work and his upcoming shows with Steve Kimock. He also looked back on highlights from Dead & Company’s recent summer run, saying, “That’s really a tough question as there are many great onstage memories to pinpoint one in particular. Let’s just say that I will keep the ones I have and will look forward to more.”
Let’s start at the beginning. How did you initially get involved with Red Roses, Green Gold, and how was the concept of the play first presented to you?
About a year and a half ago, I was initially put in contact with producer Gigi Pritzker, and I was made to understand that my name had been thrown in the hat for music director. After some phone conversations with her and an eventual introduction to her partner Ted Rawlins, I was told, “Looking forward to working with you.” They were quite comforting and so great to talk with; I felt good about signing on, knowing fully well this was foreign territory for me. Shortly after, I went to LA for a reading of it, basically being prefaced that it was a story to take place in the late 1920s with the Cumberland Gap as the location and would be utilizing material from the Workingman’s Dead and American Beauty studio albums from the Grateful Dead.
Michael Norman Mann has penned a few other plays based on the Dead’s music. Did you dig into those productions before you started arranging the music for Red Roses and, if so, what were the most surprising takeaways from those shows? Also, were there any other jukebox musicals you took in to prepare for this project?
Honestly I had no idea about Michael’s history. He was basically the first person I met walking into the LA reading. We instantly hit it off, and the rest is history. He’s a great guy. Again, I had no idea what was in store and also hadn’t checked out any other jukebox musicals, so I just followed my gut and the flow of what was happening. I preferred it this way—there was no other influence involved other than the job at hand.
The Garcia/Hunter catalog has been interpreted in many ways over the years, but this is the first full-length musical with a blessing the Grateful Dead family in a while. What about the project appealed to you at this point in your career?
I just looked forward to the new experience, really. I had no idea how involved it was to put a production like this on. With that, and endless hours spent together, I feel like I have a whole new family. Everybody was so great to work with, and [there was] extreme talent at hand from the whole group via the creative team, cast and production.
You’re credited as the play’s musical supervisor and arranger. How involved were you in choosing the songs that appear in the play, and were there any tunes you hoped to include that didn’t fit the play’s plotline?
The songs were pre-chosen, actually, as they were specific to tie the storyline together. I had the pleasure of working with the very talented Andy Peterson (Musical Director/Copyist/Additional Arrangements), and together I feel we accomplished a good treatment of the music, with songs set in accordance to the script and the characters specifically involved in the scenes. Some are full ensemble, and others are paired down. There is also an active “Pit” onstage where, at times, cast members that aren’t technically involved in scenes will just play as supporting musicians.
How much did the fact that this is an off-Broadway musical that will likely draw in fans from outside the Dead universe play into your adaptation?
The goal was basically—being that the Hunter/Garcia/Grateful Dead songbook is so diverse and deep—we just wanted to represent the music as best as possible to hopefully please those that are fans of the music as well as hopefully introducing this beautiful music to those who don’t know the material at all, and in turn have new fans of it as a result.
You were a regular presence at Red Roses’ preview run before heading out on Dead & Company tour and interacted with many fans around the theater. Did the audience’s reaction or input impact your thoughts on the musical or the songs’ impact in any way?
I definitely took feedback from conversations with attendees at the theater and yes, it resulted in some shuffling of cast members on instruments to make sure the songs that became affected by changes had the strongest impact while simultaneously trying not to affect the staging/blocking for those involved in the certain songs and scenes. Thank you, Rachel Klein, for your patience, curtailing and understanding with that process. Laughter.]
With Dead & Company and most of your recent projects, every show is guided by an overarching improvisational spirit, but, with a musical, the major goal is make sure the play is as tight and focused as possible. Talk about how you dealt with that change in your own process.
Ultimately, a main goal was to make sure that the cast/musicians had as much a grasp and understanding of this music [as possible], as it is challenging and not just something you can get by reading it off a score. I’m sure I drove them nuts with my constant reminders to internalize this music, to represent it as best as possible yet be able to put their own voice into it, so to speak. Meaning that even though songs are tightened up to keep things moving, they don’t have to be played exactly note for note each night. [You] just can’t have extended jams in songs per GD tradition—there is some jamming in there, though.
I was impressed how the cast of Red Roses worked their various onstage instruments into the set so they could pick them up at any moment. Can you talk about the process of blocking those scenes?
Honestly, that was essentially the brilliant work and vision of Director Rachel Klein—and Andy Peterson, for that matter. Albeit, as mentioned prior, I had made some changes on instruments for cast in some songs, but I wanted to just work within the parameters set by those two in order not to disrupt the overall flow.
I noticed at least one slight lyrical changes to make the Dead’s songs work with the overall storyline. Are there certain lyrical Easter eggs fans should look out for?
To my knowledge, there is only one lyric change that is in “Friend of the Devil,” and the fans will hear that immediately I’m sure. This was approved by Robert Hunter in order to fit the storyline. If you heard more, it was a case of miswording in performance, being that there are a lot of lyrics to remember, and those were taken note of and were made sure to be corrected. There is also the rarely heard last verse utilized. Aside from that, there is one more nugget unfamiliar to fans which is “Drunkard’s Carol,” a Hunter-penned drinking song or shanty-style song that is a come-together moment for the father/son characters [Jack & Mick Jones] in efforts to solidify the [Jack Jones] scheme to play into the story. I’ll leave it at that.
Between your work with Dead & Company, RatDog, Phil & Friends, Fare Thee Well and other Dead family projects, you have interpreted the Dead’s music in all sorts of ways in recent years. What has the process of arranging the Dead’s music in so many ways taught you most about the group’s body of work?
That it’s a never-ending process in the learning and performing of this music, as the approach and understanding of it always presents something new when in the midst of doing it. If that makes any sense. Laughter.]
When Dead & Company were first coming together, you served as something of a bridge between the three Dead alums and Oteil Burbridge and John Mayer, who were newer converts to the group’s catalog. Did you offer them any advice about getting up to speed on such a deep songbook?
John and Oteil are both amazing and accomplished musicians, obviously, as well as being wonderful human beings. I just tried to be a team player in the process of the starting of Dead & Company and offered any assistance to the learning curve if needed, as the songs/music/arrangements might now be different from the source material they may have been working from on their own.
Next month, you are playing two shows with Steve Kimock in Colorado. Can you talk about how your musical friendship has progressed over the years?
I met Steve roughly 20 years ago but really only started playing with him about 10 years ago. To me, I always felt there was a natural spiritual connection between the two of us. We just get each other without having to do anything other than be in each other’s presence. I treasure and look forward to any chance I have to play with him as he is brilliant at his craft.
Last year, you subbed for Marco Benevento in JRAD for a few shows. What was your takeaway from those gigs?
Being that Joe Russo and the gang are dear friends and all great players, I anticipated nothing other than big fun, and it was. Marco, if you need a sub again, I’m in. [Laughter.]
