PEOPLE OF INTEREST
The MUSICAL DIRECTOR
BY SIOBHAN FITZPATRICK AUSTIN
In some ways, the life of Riverside Theatre musical director
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Ken Clifton is proof that the American dream is still
alive and well. Clifton, 45, grew up poor in Tennessee’s
Appalachian Mountains, was the first person in his large
extended family of agrarian farmers to go to college, and
today is Riverside Theatre’s new full-time musical director, a
position created just for him.
And in this genuine American story, the adage that life
comes full circle couldn’t be more appropriate as Clifton
started his career in musical theater 17 years ago in Vero Beach
at Riverside. At the time, he was working as the conductor at
a 6,000-seat mega-church in Orlando when he received the call
to audition from Riverside’s producing artistic director Allen
D. Cornell. “I had no idea who Cornell was, but I went,” says
Clifton, who ultimately accepted the job as seasonal composer.
After two years in Vero, Clifton left for New York, but he
kept his ties with Riverside and for the past 15 years has lived
between New York, Maine and Florida, free-lancing on and
off for Riverside Theatre during the high season. But three
years ago something changed. Clifton yearned to put down
roots and live in one place year-round. “I wanted to develop
ties with a community, and I wanted to develop new works,
but you need to be still for that, stay in one place,” he says.
Clifton had always loved working for Riverside Theatre,
but the musical director position was only for the season
— until a few months ago, when Cornell offered him the
full-time position. “Ken will be more than just a musical
director for productions at Riverside. He will be orchestrating
the scores to fit our needs, but more importantly his gifts
as a composer and writer will help Riverside in the next step
of its development, the creation of new works, new theatrical
pieces,” says Cornell. For Clifton, the opportunity couldn’t
be more fitting. “I was raised here; this is a theatrical home
for me,” he says. “And now I’m ready to roll up my sleeves
and begin to invest further into a place that has invested into
me. I’m grateful for the work, for the friendships, for the support
... and for now, until the plates move me on, so looking
forward to this concept I’ve only really heard about: home.”
During the high season, Clifton will continue to conduct
the orchestra, which includes the extremely challenging job
of editing famous musical scores like this past season’s Miss
Saigon and next season’s West Side Story and Crazy for You,
all of which are written for 50-member orchestras, adapting
them to a 10-member orchestra, the number of musicians
Riverside’s pit can comfortably accommodate. His job also
includes him working intensely with the actors, the majority
of whom hail from New York City, where Riverside has
a casting agent (more than 700 people auditioned for this
season’s Miss Saigon). “My work with the actors is like a master
class of character development. I ask them ‘why are you
singing,’ and negotiate every beat with them,” says Clifton.
“And I ask them ‘how can we make the orchestra an extension
of you?’ ”
Off-season in his new job, Clifton will have the opportunity
to create original works, primarily writing arrange-
ED DRONDOSKI
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Ken Clifton has worked
seasonally at Riverside
Theatre in Vero Beach for
the last 17 years and was
recently appointed full-time
musical director. A piano
in his office is one of the
necessities of the job.