Gayle Levant - Salvi Harps, Inc.

Writers Guild strike. But this is the 80thyear for the Oscars, and again, I feel like akid in a toy shop. I don’t know, as we sithere right now, whether or not the show’sgoing to go on.HC: But at this point there is some sortof show that you’ve been hired to do?GL: Yes, there’ll definitely be a show on[Feb.] 24th, as far as I know. The producer,Gil Cates, announced that there’s twoways they’re going to do it, and I don’tknow what those two ways are going to beyet, but I’m hoping with all my heart thatthe Writers Guild will allow the show tohappen full-blown, because obviouslynobody’s going to cross the picket line.HC: Right. And the Musicians Union, ofcourse.GL: No. We’re just holding our breath.I don’t know what’s going to happen.HC: Well, assuming it goes on as italways has, you’d have a week of rehearsal,120 cues…GL: 150.HC: And how do you manage all thatthe night of, because this is internationallive television?GL: That’s right. And it’s close to 150starts. That’s a huge, thick book that we’vegot sitting on our music stand. The firstpart of the week we’ll go into CapitolStudios and start rehearsing. Some yearshave been, well, not really song-oriented.This past year, we had a lot of good songs,and the artists came in to sing them, andthat was great. This year I’m sure we’llhave a lot of great songs again, so wehave to get them recorded, the artist has tocome in, hear the arrangements, and getused to what’s going to be done. Werehearse with them, and then we have torun down all the cues of the films thathave been nominated in every single category.What they do is they’ll take maybe16 bars, which will be a theme from eachof the films, and we’ll have—becausethere’s always five nominations in eachcategory—and we’ll have to spread outour music.HC: And be prepared to play…GL: …and be prepared. We have to befamiliar with all the music.HC: All the nominations.GL: It can really be enormous. Andthen we have what’s called the underscore,when we’re playing live to whateveris happening, and sometimes the underscoreis pre-recorded, if it’s going to a film,it has to all be…HC: …synced up.GL: …synced up, exactly. So we haverehearsals in the earlier part of the week,then we actually go to where it’s beingheld now, at the Kodak Theater—beautifultheater. We go in for a sound check in themiddle of the week to make sure thateverything’s okay. We then go back anddo more of whatever has to be done atCapitol, and then the show, which airs liveon a Sunday—it goes on the air at 5:30, Ibelieve. We come in Saturday night andrun the show down from top to bottom,then we run the show again from top tobottom on Sunday morning, then we havea meal break, and then we do the show.HC: But when you say you run theshow top to bottom, they still haven’tannounced who the winners in those cate-Harp Column •March/April 200829