By Rachelle Hughes
Desperate Measures lyricist/librettist Peter Kellogg and composer David Friedman have developed a system that works. After writing five musicals together they have found a theatrical partnership that creates comedic musical magic. They both have some heavy-hitting experience and exposure in the entertainment world, and together they have learned how to create their own kind of harmony for the stage.
Entertainment writer Alix Cohen summed it up perfectly: “In optimum pairing, the wordsmith wants people to laugh, the composer to touch people’s hearts. ‘I like to write tunes that stick to the ribs,’ Friedman says. ‘If Peter was in control, it might be a little sterile. If I was in control, you might throw up from emotion” (“Desperate Measures Rides Again,” Sandi Durell’s Theater Pizzazz [http://www.theaterpizzazz.com/desperate-measures-rides-again/], May 13, 2018).
Peter Kellogg spent twenty years in the advertising industry before he wrote his first play, the broadway hit Anna Karenina. On August 26, 1992, the Broadway production of Anna Karenina opened at the Circle in the Square Theatre in New York City where It ran for forty-six performances.In 1993 Kellogg received two Tony Award nominations for Best Book of a Musical and Best Original Score for the play*.* He certainly entered the theatre playwriting world with a grand entrance.
In 2000, Kellogg teamed up with Friedman to write the romantic comedy musical Chasing Nicolette which was initially titled Nicolette and Aucassin andplayed at the Westport Country Playhouse from August 28, 2000 to September 9, 2000. Although it was a short initial run, tweaks were made and the play had its off-Broadway debut in 2005. From there Kellog has been a prolific writer and teamed up with Friedman numerous times.
Kellogg writes the book and lyrics first and then brings it to Friedman who composes the music. Together they have worked on Stunt Girl (2009) inspired by trailblazer journalist Nellie Bly (who Kellogg first heard about from his wife), Money Talks (featuring Benjamin Franklin) and Desperate Measures (a musical wild west retelling of Shakespeare’s Measure for Measure). Desperate Measures (2004) is the oldest of this illustrious list, but like all of Kellogg’s and Friedman’s musicals continues to see ongoing productions at theatre companies throughout the country. Desperate Measures, especially, seems to be taking the award circuit by storm. Kellogg received the New York Musical Theatre Festival 2006 award for Excellence in Musical Theatre Writing (Book) for Desperate Measures and the 2018 Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Lyrics for the musical.
Attracting talented collaborators could be Kellogg’s superpower. He has also collaborated with two-time Richard Rodgers Award winner Stephen Weiner (The Honeymooners) on the world premiere of the musical comedy The Rivals (2018) based on Richard Brinsley Sheridan’s farce. In collaboration with Albert C Todd, Kellogg wrote the English lyrics for Unruly Horses, a musical conceived by Moni and Mina Yakim and based on the Soviet Union songwriter and folk hero Vladimir Vysotsky. The show features twenty-four musical numbers with English lyrics by Peter Kellogg and Albert C Todd and musical adaptation by Larry Hochman.
It is unknown what Kellog’s next project will be, but somewhere in Chappaqua, New York, he is hopefully writing another musical story to captivate theatre audiences.
David Friedman’s musical resume is epic. Born May 16, 1950, he has been a film and theatre composer, songwriter, author, lyricist, and conductor. By the time Friedman was seventeen, he had already earned a teacher’s certificate from Dalcroze Society of America (a musical education methodology using eurhythmics). His next stop in in his music education was the New England Conservatory where he focused on classical music, but he knew Broadway was calling to him.
“Throughout my stay at New England Conservatory, I studied classical piano and choral conducting, but I kept my Dionne Warwick and show albums hidden behind the Shostakovich symphonies. When I finished college, I went back to New York City, my home town, and immediately began music directing off-off Broadway theatre. This soon led to me conducting on Broadway and then, after I met Alan Menken, to conducting and vocal arranging Disney movies such as Beauty and the Beast, Aladdin, Pocahontas, and The Hunchback of Notre Dame,” he said in an interview with Adam Rothenberg (“Call Answered: David Friedman: ‘Desperate Measures,’ LaMott, & Kathie Lee Gifford” [Call Me Adam, https://www.callmeadam.com/interviews/mmwnrwxerpftlmj3hcrfx7axca6tam]).
However, despite landing a dream job with Disney and Alan Menken, Friedman still hadn’t found his musical destiny that would bring him real joy, He credits Menken with helping him make the leap he needed to make to become a composer full time.
Friedman tells the story in a Forbes interview with Jeryl Brunner of how Menken gave him the following advice: “You are depressed because you are supposed to be doing what I’m doing. I’m going to shoot myself in the foot right now, because we have a brilliant working relationship. But if I were you, I’d phase me out of your life and go write” (“What This Hit Composer Gave Up To Get What He Wanted Most,” [https://www.forbes.com/sites/jerylbrunner/2018/07/25/what-this-hit-composer-gave-up-to-get-what-he-wanted-most/#3f7da7ab5656] July 25, 2018).
Walking away from this opportunity and following his heart seemed risky, but for Friedman it opened new doors. As a composer Friedman’s songs have been recorded by Diana Ross, Barry Manilow, Nancy LaMott, Kathie Lee Gifford, Laura Branigan, LMNT, and Petula Clark, among others. His work as conductor/vocal arranger for Disney led to his writing music and lyrics for Disney’s Aladdin and the King of Thieves. He also wrote all the music and lyrics for three animated television series Happy Ness (ABC), Dragon Flyz, and Skydancers. He won The Johnny Mercer Award for Songwriter of the Year and The Backstage Bistro Award for Composer of the Year. His work has been performed at Carnegie Hall with the Boston Pops, on numerous albums and on Touched by an Angel, The Tonight Show, Good Morning America, and *Live, with Regis & Kathie Lee.*Friedman has recorded over 100 songs with Kathie Lee Gifford and collaborated with her for years on *The Today Show’*s segment “Everyone Has a Story.” He produced all of the late Nancy LaMott’s CDs and actively does what he can to keep her memory and voice alive. He is also the creator of a metaphysical method called The Thought Exchange, and the author of a book by the same name published in 2011. Friedman appeared in the 2012 documentary film The Thought Exchange, based on the book. In his book, Friedman admits to being diagnosed with severe agoraphobia at age twenty which is his inspiration for creating the Thought Exchange concept. He continues, in addition to all of his songwriting, to write metaphysical books. One of his most recent books We Can Be Kind—Healing Our World One Kindness at a Time is filled with essays and has stories about kindness. One of his greatest bucket list items is to have his song “We Can Be Kind” reach the entire world. He tells Adam Rothenberg in an interview that of all the songs he has written this is the one he hopes will reach the world (Rothenberg).
And David Friedman has written many songs in his illustrious and varied career and he does not seem to be close to done.
