Be Our Guest with Scott Logsdon and Aaron Gandy

Musical Theatre Radio presents "Be Our Guest"

SCOTT LOGSDON has written the book/lyrics for STICKS & STONES (with composer John McDaniel) which had a premiere concert starred Audra McDonald, Javier Muñoz, and George Salazar for Lady Gaga’s Born This Way Foundation/BC/EFA; 12 DAYS TILL CHRISTMAS (with composer Dana P. Rowe, currently in development as a film with Jerry Mitchell attached); JOYCE JACKSON’S GUIDE TO DATING, (with composer Steve Marzullo) which premiered in Orlando and was seen in concert at 54 Below; AN AMERICAN COUNTRY CHRISTMAS CAROL (with various CMA winning and nominated composers) THE CRINOLYNNS and LOVE (r)EVOLUTION, a song cycle covering 120 years of LGBTQIA+ history, both written with Aaron Gandy. Both STICKS & STONES and JOYCE JACKSON won the Florida Theatrical Association’s New Musical Discovery Competition. JOYCE was featured in the NAMT Composer’s Concert Series and was a finalist for Richard Rodgers/ Jonathan Larson Awards. Scott has written Broadway specialty lyrics for Roundabout Theater Company’s Tribute to Alec Baldwin (directed by Scott Ellis) and the GYPSY OF THE YEAR Competition for the LES MISERABLES company, as well as for notable performers including Jason Alexander. Logsdon was vetted by the Cole Porter estate to rewrite lyrics for the documentary, Fabulously Fake: The Real Life of Kenneth Jay Lane. With Dana P. Rowe, he wrote the theme song for the series Stars In the House. His non-musical plays include THE BOIS (an all-male, contemporary take on the classic play THE WOMEN), which received a staged reading at the Abbey in Orlando, and THE MOURNING AFTER (a dark comedy.) As an actor, he was an originating cast member in the LES MISÉRABLES national company. He’s been seen in such roles as Thenardier, Sweeney Todd, Billy Bigelow, Che, El Gallo, and King Herod. He has performed across North America as a soloist with symphonies and as a guest star in the award-winning Sondheim Unplugged at 54 Below in New York City. His many directing credits include CHESS, THE FANTASTICKS, DRIVING MISS DAISY, THE GLASS MENAGERIE, and the southeastern premiere of SECRETS EVERY SMART TRAVELER SHOULD KNOW. He holds a degree in musical theatre from Shenandoah Conservatory and received a Distinguished Alumni Award for work in the field of musical theatre.

Aaron Gandy

A specialist in American musical theater and American popular song, Aaron Gandy's concerts and recordings embrace the best of Broadway from Kern to Lloyd-Webber, while encompassing Swing, Jazz and the golden age of Hollywood. Recent recordings include the all-star Jule Styne In Hollywood (PS Classics) and the upcoming Busker Alley (Jay Records). In 2004 he conducted the premiere recording of Kay Swift's Fine & Dandy on PS Classics featuring Broadway's Carolee Carmello and HBO's Mario Cantone. Upcoming recordings include Alec Wilder's Miss Chicken Little (originally broadcast on CBS television in 1953) and a restoration of Walter Donaldson's jazz-age romp Whoopee! Regarded as a leading authority on composer Vincent Youmans, Mr. Gandy restored and conducted the premiere recording of Youmans' final Broadway score Through the Years starring Metropolitan Opera Soprano Heidi Grant Murphy.

Mr. Gandy restored the original film orchestrations for Rodgers & Hammerstein's The King and I, and Irving Berlin's White Christmas. His restoration of the original film orchestrations for Rodgers & Hammerstein's Oklahoma! was performed by the Hollywood Bowl Orchestra in 1997.

Mr. Gandy's Broadway credits include Disney's The Lion King, Urinetown, and Dora the Explorer Live! at Radio City Music Hall. He has concertized with The Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center, The Chicago Humanities Festival, 42nd Street Moon, Cami Hall, San Francisco's 42nd Street Moon, The Museum of Television and Radio, Symphony Space, Tribeca Performing Arts Center and solo appearances with Davis Gaines, Leslie Uggams, Christianne Noll, Jerry Hadley, Jim Dale, Dick Hyman, Lainie Kazan and Glenn Close.