Meeting Canadian Steve!

Michael Rawley and Steve Schalchlin.
Like looking into a mirror!

It was when he said he loved Creedence that I knew Michael Rawley was going to be just FINE playing piano and acting in the role of Steve in this summer's Canadian production of The Big Voice: God or Merman?, said role based on the true life adventures of your favorite pioneering AIDS blogger.

We didn't have a keyboard available, so we sat in this conference room along with director, Sarah Quick, going through the score.

I was trying to more or less describe each one. (The opening number "Why" is based on the bass line from "Can't Hurry Love" by the Supremes, "I Want to Make Music," is a straight ahead ballad, etc.)

It was about four songs in that Credence came up. Maybe it was when I said he could play "James Robertson" as if it were "Have You Ever Seen The Rain?" That led to a long discussion about our love of All Things Fogerty and swamp music.

Then he made me go back and look over every song, asking me to connect them to Credence songs, not that I had any of them in mind when I wrote the score. I don't really think that way when I write. I play something, the music comes and it's there in front of me.

Altogether, we had a GREAT time. I have a feeling he's gonna be terrific. And what's even more amazing, he is doing the show with HIS life partner. So, they're a real life Jim and Steve!