Sweat, Swat and All – Yap Loves His Pit
By Dave Zurawik, the Milwaukee Sentinel, August 29, 1975
Donald Yap works in a place that even his employers call "a pit." It's hot in there. The work demands precision. The precision demands total concentration.
In the pit, you sweat, swat mosquitoes and squint through the darkness. If you are very good in the pit and sometimes lucky, you will go unnoticed.
That's the kind of place Yap works in. And he loves it. Yap, with his bachelor's and master's degrees from the Eastman School of Music, loves directing music in the Melody Top Theater's orchestra pit, mosquitoes, sweat and all.
"Of course all this is going to sound corny as anything," Yap says, "but I'd say the Melody Top is my favorite theater in the country. I love it there. And I've directed the orchestra in quite a few theaters."
Yap has worked in most of this country's major theaters. It started in 1955 in Hawaii.
"I had graduated Eastman as a pianist and was teaching at the University of Hawaii," he says, "when I got my first call."
"A little community theater in the area asked me to handle the music for THE PAJAMA GAME. Well, of course, I'd never seen the play, but I decided it might be fun."
"So, I went out, bought the cast recording and a baton and stood in front of the mirror at home for hours and hours, practicing as a conductor."
"From then on, I've been hooked. I've been doing this sort of thing all over the country for the last 20 or so years. It's a great way to travel."
From the beginning, Yap has traveled first class. He has directed on Broadway and regularly takes charge of the pit at theaters like the Arie Crown in Chicago and Meadowbrook in New Jersey.
"The Arie Crown production was a good one," he says. "It was Gwen Verdon in DAMN YANKEES, and I had a 25-piece, full Broadway-size orchestra. Because Gwen is so demanding a performer, it turned out to be a wonderful production. But I wouldn't pass up my 15 weeks each summer at the Melody Top for it or any other production I've worked in. Does that sound like I'm in love with Milwaukee and the Melody Top?"
Yap has to be in love with Milwaukee, at least a little. He left a production of SOUTH PACIFIC in Hawaii to return to the Melody Top this summer.
"Well, I've been doing the Melody Top since 1970, and I couldn't bear passing it up. It's a special situation."
"First of all, we use 11 musicians and myself – a total of 12 performers – whereas 25 would be used on Broadway. But, instead of creating problems, it makes it more enjoyable."
"The orchestra pit, you see, is a very unique place. You are practically under the lip of the stage, cramped down there and you can go stir crazy. There is no in between. You have to get along."
"Well, at the tent here, we have fewer people, and some of the musicians have been with me since I came here. There's a sense of camaraderie."
"The other thing is the quality of the ensemble here. All the dancers read sheet music. It makes my job so much easier. Plus, there's Jim Smock and Stuart Bishop, two of the finest and most talented people in the business. I worked with both of them at Meadowbrook before I came here. We can cut corners, save time, because we think along and ahead of one another. It's a very strong staff. There's little wasted effort."
Yap is not unfamiliar with wasted effort and lack of cooperation within a staff.
"I won't name the town," he says. "But it was the largest one in Texas – that shouldn't give it away. I also won't name the star of the show. No hints on this one."
"Anyway, just before opening night, he wanted the entire opening number transposed into a different key. Having 25 musicians, this meant quite a bit of scoring for me. We pulled it off, got the charts together, and the star walks out and does the song in the monologue. He talks it. For two weeks, each night he talks it. Why he needed it in a different key if he was going to talk it was beyond me. That wouldn't happen at the Melody Top. Marty (Wiviott) wouldn't let it."
"I'm not saying everything is perfect. Sure there are problems with an outdoor theater."
"There was the time in SOUTH PACIFIC when, just as we gave the singer her lead-in chord, a train whistle sounded. We kept trying to lay the chord out there. Each time, the whistle sounded, like it was scored. Finally, she just started in."
"And the mosquitoes. You look at the charts, there are stains all over from dead mosquitoes."
"But these are small problems when you put out a quality production. In fact, when you have a feeling like the Melody Top's, you laugh more than anything else about things like the train whistle and mosquitoes and all the work. In fact..."
In fact, Don Yap works in a place even his bosses call a pit. And he loves it.
Mib Bramlette and Donald Yap, musical director/conductor, backstage at PIPPIN (1978).
Orchestra Pit Musicians
1963 SEASON. Joseph Aaron, Harry Bendlin, Willam Boyden, Joseph Gregar, Burt Johnson, Willie Keller, Thom Mason, Edward Mumm, John Rhea, Roger Ruggeri, Stephen Swedish, James Keeley and Arnold Becker.
1964 SEASON. Edward Mumm, James Clark, John Rhea, Richard Metzger, George Powers, Sherman Friedland, Joseph Aaron, Sandra Flesher, Ronald Martinson, Roger Ruggeri, Arnold Becker, James Keeley and Joseph Laspisa.
1965 SEASON. Edward Mumm, Fred Clem, Charles Schlueter, Victor Knutzen, Gene Watts, Joseph Aaron, John Hibler, Joseph Gregar, Ron Martinson, Roger Ruggeri and Roy Schneider.
1966 SEASON. Edward Mumm, Virginia Randall, Roy Schneider, Roger Ruggeri, Joseph Aaron, John Hibler, Vic Knutzen, Charles Schlueter, Roland Pandolfi, Barbara Fraser and Mark Berman.
1967 SEASON. Joseph Aaron, Mark Berman, Sandra Hahn, John Hibler, Richard Kimball, Richard Metzger, Edward Mumm, Roger Ruggeri, Charles Schlueter, Roy Schneider and Rudy Uhlik.
1969 SEASON. Edward Mumm, Jon L. Olson, Howard Inglefield, Lyle Victor Knutzen, Roy Edward Schneider, Basil Tyler, Donald Haack, John Hibler, Joseph Aaron, Pat Junkunc, Norman F. Wegner.
1980 SEASON. Conductor: Donald Yap; Strings: Edward Mumm, Ann Norden, Jerome Franke; Reeds: John Hibler, Joseph Aaron, Bonnie Cohen; Brass: Phil Ruektenwald, Jeff Pietrangelo, Ken Howlett; Keyboard: Stephen Bates; Bass: Tom McGirr; Percussion: Roy Schneider.
1982 SEASON. Trumpets: Philip J. Ruecktenwald, Thomas Schlueter, Gordon Johlke; Trombones: Kenneth C. Howlett, Stephen Blonien; Reeds: John Hibler, Joe Aaron, Arthur B. Ulichny, Ronald A. Carr, Gale Stolz, Monte Perkins; Bass: Thomas Alan McGirr; Drums: Roy E. Schneider, Linda Raymond; Piano: John/Jon Olson; Violins: Edward Mumm, Eric Segnitz; Contractor: Edward Mumm.
1983 SEASON. Trumpets: Philip J. Ruecktenwald, Thomas Schlueter, Gordon Johlke; Trombones: Kenneth C. Howlett, William Rose, Ralph Hutchinson, Robert Kammermann, Donald Haack; Reeds: John Hibler, Joe Aaron, Gail Stolz, Ron Carr, Linda Jones, Neal Bardele, Curt Hanrahan, John Kirchberger; Guitar: Don Linke; Violin: Eric Segnitz; Bass: Thomas Alan McGirr; Drums: Robert Kriefall; Piano: Jay Alger; Tuba: Dan Finley; Contractor: Ed Mumm; Assistant to the Contractor: Joe Aaron.
1984 SEASON. Piano: Michael Duff, Jayne Latva; Bass: Thomas McGirr; Drums: Robert Kriefall; Reeds: Joseph Aaron, John Hibler, Arthur Ulichny, Linda Jones; Oboe/English Horn: Bonnie Bohen; Trumpets: Tom Schlueter, Gordon Johlke, Tom Baker; Trombones: Kenneth Howlett, David Ruck; Cello: Paul Gmeinder; Violins: Jerome Franke, Eric Segnitz, Tim Klabunde, Christian Prevost; Guitar: Donald Linke; Jack Grassel; Contractor: Edward Mumm; Assistant to Mr. Mumm: Joseph Aaron.
1985 SEASON. Piano: Dale Rieling, Jeffrey Lewis, Robert Gaffin Rabb; Bass: Thomas McGirr; Drums: Robert Kriefall, Linda Raymond; Reeds: John Hibler, Arthur Ulichny, Joseph Aaron, Bonnie Cohen, Linda Jones; Trumpets: Tom Baker, Kevin Carberry, Mike Betz; Trombones: David Lucier/Lussier, David Ruck; Horns: Wesley Hatch, Tim Trotier; Violins: Edward Mumm, Eric Segnitz; Oboe: Paul Kramer; Harp: Jeanne Kahn; Guitars: Roger Brotherhood, Donald Linke: Keyboard: Ted Kosik; Contractor: Edward Mumm; Assistant to Mr. Mumm: Joseph Aaron.
1986 SEASON. Piano: Michael Duff, Terry Woods, James Valcq; Cello: Tom Smith; Harp: Christopher Sidenius; French Horn: Wes Hatch; Reeds: Joseph Aaron, John Hibler, Bonnie Cohen, Arthur Ulichny; Trumpets: Tom Baker, Michael Betz; Trombone: David Lussier; Violin: Eric Segnitz; Bass: Thomas McGirr; Percussion: Robert Kriefall, Linda Raymond; Contractor: Edward Mumm; Guitar and Banjo: Jack Grassel; Assistant to the Contractor: Joseph Aaron.
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Ruta Lee whipped through the rehearsal of a song from THE PAJAMA GAME (1977) with Melody Top music director Donald Yap at the piano.