BWW Interviews: A Precious Time for Manjovi

Singer/songwriter Dan Manjovi's "Somethin's Comin' My Way" is featured on the soundtrack and in the Oscar-nominated Lionsgate film Precious: Based on the Novel ‘Push' by Sapphire. Manjovi wrote "Somethin's Comin' My Way" at the request of the film's director, Lee Daniels, whose previous films include Monster's Ball (producer), Shadowboxer and The Woodsman.

"Somethin's Comin' My Way" was included in its demo form for the film's premiere at the 2009 Sundance Film Festival. After Precious took the festival's Grand Jury Prize and was optioned by Lionsgate with Oprah Winfrey and Tyler Perry as co-executive producers, "Somethin's Comin My Way" was re-recorded for both the film and the soundtrack. The current version was also arranged and produced by Manjovi, and the featured vocal performance is by Grace Hightower, who is the only artist to appear on the soundtrack and in the film. The soundtrack is executive produced by Lee Daniels and Mary J. Blige and is currently available in stores and on iTunes.

The New York native is a favorite on the New York club scene. In addition to two independent CD releases, Manjovi recently completed the romantic musical comedy I Am, I Will, I Do for which he wrote the book, music and lyrics. The video for his song, "Things'll Get Better" was voted Video of the Year for the 2009 Voters Choice Awards on QNation FM and the song is featured on United For The Ride, Volume 1 CD.

David Byrne of The Windy City Times cheers, "Manjovi has a knack for penning pop pleasures, coming across as a hybrid of Elton John, Dave Matthews and Kenny Loggins." Joe Siegel from Edge publications states that Manjovi's music is "designed to soothe the spirit and make you think more closely about the world we live in. Manjovi has scored a major success on both counts."

Manjovi's formal education includes Music Composition at The Julliard School and Music Performance at N.Y.U. As a musician, Dan Manjovi performs annually at New York's Piano in the Park Concert Series in Bryant Park and at leading venues such as the Bitter End, the Canal Room and the Sidewalk Café. In 2006 his band appeared at the Tribeca Film Festival/ASCAP Music Lounge with John Mayer, Nellie McKay and Elvis Costello.

BroadwayWorld recently spoke with Manjovi about his time prior to this years Oscar telecast and here's what he had to say....

This must be very exciting for you to have written a song for an Oscar nominated film?

I am so blessed and grateful to have had the opportunity to not only contribute to this groundbreaking film, but to also have had the totally extraordinary opportunity to work with Lee Daniels. In working with Lee, I learned so much about the process of incorporating songs and music into film. That knowledge will guide me into all of my future projects.

Tell me how your involvement in this project came about.

I became involved with Precious through Grace Hightower. Grace is a client of mine - I have been her singing teacher and vocal coach for the past few years. In late 2007 Grace told me that she had been cast in the film (she plays a social worker) and that Lee was looking for original songs. It all happened pretty quickly at that point. I read the novel Push on which the film is based, Grace arranged a meeting with Lee, and he told me what he was looking for musically. I wrote "Somethin's Comin' My Way," Grace and I recorded it, and happily, Lee said he loved it! The film's subsequent success has been nothing short of serendipitous.

Was the song written with Grace Hightower in mind to sing the composition?

Absolutely! Grace has a wonderfully rich and haunting alto voice, so I specifically tried to incorporate that quality and blend it with lyrics that would capture what I felt was Precious Jones' quiet perceptiveness and inner strength.

Does this open any new doors for you in the music business?

Yes, because working on a project such as this somehow gives you instant credibility. I have a lot of material available for licensing. There's a song of mine called "Daddy Longlegs" which would be great for a children's show, or any show for that matter! You can listen to just about everything I've ever recorded on my website www.danmanjovi.com (click the "Sound" button)

Tell me a little bit about I Will, I Am, I Do.

I AM, I WILL, I DO is a new, original romantic musical comedy about being true to whom and what you love. It is about doing what you love, and being with whom you love, even through setbacks and disappointment.

Dave Abbott, 37, is a gay musician who makes a living playing music for straight weddings. Tired of playing weddings in a state where gay marriage is not legal (New York), and frustrated that his career as a composer has stalled, Dave wants to quit Party City, the "company" he and his friends Nancie and Richard Peterson started years ago during grad school. Meanwhile, Nancie and Richard have their own set of marital tensions revolving around money and long-simmering resentments. Enter the Bride and Groom, Valerie and Tony, whose wedding is being planned by Party City. In the final week before their third attempt at a trip down the aisle, Valerie and Tony are bickering over details for their wedding. Valerie thinks that yet again Tony is commitment-phobic, but in reality he's keeping another secret that could affect their wedding. The Best Man, a young associate attorney namEd Harris Barnsworth, is scheduled to sing the couple's first dance, a treacly love ballad called "I Am, I Will, I Do" at the reception. But first he must rehearse with Dave. What happens in the days leading up to the wedding takes Dave and Harris, Valerie and Tony, and Nancie and Richard by surprise. To everyone's "rescue" comes the food-loving self-styled talk show host cum blogger cum Minister, Dr. Lara Larinski.

Was it difficult writing this show?

I have enjoyed writing it, and can't wait to begin my next one! That said, musicals are the most challenging medium, I think, largely because of the specificity of the structure of a musical. Namely that it is the songs that must ultimately drive the plot, the action, the conflict and its resolution.

What inspired this piece for you?
MANJOVI: It was something quite personal, actually. When I first began playing professionally, the easiest gigs to find were playing keyboard and singing in pick-up wedding bands and ceremonies. After awhile, I started to see all the built in irony and humor of a gay man playing for straight weddings when gay marriage is illegal. I also saw how doing pick-up gigs such as these can be a distraction from one's true career goals. And those two things are what the character Dave is wrestling with in I Am, I Will, I Do.

Has the show had any staging as of yet?

There was one initial (and very successful) reading after Act I was first written. That reading helped in the completion of Act II, and now the show is fully written, scored and ready for workshop and development!

Any chance we might see this show move to New York?

That's the plan. I have been extremely fortunate to have the guidance, encouragement and frequent advice of Bob Lupone, who is Dean of the New School Drama Department and Artistic Director of MCC Theatre Company here in New York. He is also a terrific guy, and a very talented performer in his own right. He plays clarinet too! Another help has been Michael Kerker, who is Director of Musical Theatre at ASCAP. In fact, the folks as ASCAP have been terrific! Charlyn Bernal was so helpful in advice regarding my work on Precious, as was Mike Todd and Ken Cicerale here in New York.

I see that you attended Julliard. Was this experience beneficial to your music career thus far?

It was. I studied composition with Tom Pierson. He was someone who really encouraged me to be myself as a writer. He saw early on (way before I did) that my true gift as a writer was in writing lyric-driven songs, and not more classically informed idioms.

What type of advice would you give someone who wants to get into the music business?

Very simple: learn your craft and love your craft! A career in music involves huge commitment and tons of discipline. Learn and absorb everything you can - you never know when it will be useful. For example: I studied acting after graduating college, and toured and got cast in a few roles. Being in that environment helped me to learn about theatre, musical theatre and drama long before I ever thought about writing a musical. Two more things: pursue it only if it is what you truly love. And practice!
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Special thanks to Manjovi and you can find out more about this incredible talent on his website at www.danmanjovi.com and you can get the soundtrack to Precious now in stores and on iTunes.com. For now, ciao and remember, theatre is my life...although I do love music too!!