James Mablin, music director for Slow Burn Theatre Company's "Into the Woods."
James Mablin may be a newcomer to Slow Burn Theatre Company, but he is already speaking highly about the group.
“It’s been wonderful,” he said about his first experience with Slow Burn. “The whole thing’s been positive since Day One.”
Specifically, Mablin is the music director and conductor for Slow Burn’s current production of “Into the Woods.”
“Into the Woods” intertwines the plots of several Brothers Grimm fairy tales, exploring the consequences of the characters’ wishes and quests. Sondheim and James Lapine took the main characters from such beloved tales as “Little Red Riding Hood,” “Jack and the Beanstalk,” “Rapunzel,” and “Cinderella.” A story involving a childless baker and his wife ties the musical together. The couple yearns to begin a family. However, a witch has placed a curse on them, so they may not be able to have children. In addition, other characters may not get their wishes granted.
“The music is one of his most accessible scores,” Mablin said about the“Into the Woods’ score, adding that it includes songs to which you can hum.
The British-born Mablin, who has been a professional music director for 23 years, became interested in the performing arts when he was 12 or 13. That is when he saw “Les Miserables” in his native England. He added that the production was so riveting for him that he doesn’t recall breathing for the show’s roughly two-and-a-half hours.
Mablin originally trained to become a musical theater performer but realized “very quickly” that he wanted to be a conductor instead.
Today, he has musically directed and/or played keyboards for more than 100 shows. Mablin is a music director, composer, arranger, orchestrator, graphic designer and database designer.
See the review of the show here.
You still have chances to catch the production before it closes this Sunday. Remaining showtimes are at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Friday, and Saturday, as well as 1 p.m. Saturday and 2 p.m. Sunday. For more information and to buy tickets, go to www.browardcenter.org. or www.slowburntheatre.org.
