Musically inclined

Legendary music director, Bryan Schimmel has some new projects in the pipeline. Following the latest production he was part of – The Rocky Horror Show – he now brings the internationally acclaimed Christina Bianco concerts to South Africa.

With his career spanning over 35 years, Schimmel said, “This last production of Rocky Horror was truly one of the easiest, most fun shows I’ve ever worked on.

“At one point I even said, it’s sinful that I am loving going to work every day. It was just joy from start to finish.”

Now that the Rocky Horror Show has come to an end, Schimmel is shifting some of his focus to new adventures.

“I will be doing something I have never done before but always wanted to do and that will be playing a character in a straight play. I’m a stutterer who will be playing the role of a stutterer. It’s opened me up to few things. I’m having to also take ballet classes so at the age of 55 I’m taking ballet for the first time and that is a whole different level of training.”

Music has always been a passion of his and at the age of nine, after discovering an unusual record, Schimmer knew that music would be part of his life forever.

“I got my first piano at the age of four and I always knew, at that time, at that moment, I knew I wanted to be in music. The memory that really signified I would end up in the musical theatre and related fields when I was nine.”

Reminiscing, he told a story about an aunt he used to visit in the then South Rhodesia now known as Zimbabwe.

He spoke about the stack of records she had and how he found one of them particularly interesting. Fast forward a couple of years, the record that inspired Schimmer was called Jesus Christ Superstar. Intrigued like nothing before, he knew music was his calling.

“It was so dramatic and so emotional, so noisy. It had everything from rock to theatre all rolled into one and that was it. That was the moment it was clear for me as a child what I wanted to end up doing.”

With many highlights in his career, Schimmer would like to pass his own wisdom onto young creatives. “I feel it’s so necessary to give back and pass on knowledge.”

He often teaches at the Stageworx Performing School of Arts.

He likes to wind down in a circle of friends who are not in the same industry mentioning the value in that.

Having been a Sandton resident for over 15 years one of his favourite things has been watching the growth of the suburb through the years. Location and accessibility is a plus while he also loves the city life.

Related articles:

https://www.citizen.co.za/sandton-chronicle/236175/musical-goal-inspire/

https://www.citizen.co.za/sandton-chronicle/233832/jazz-musicians-team-up-for-joy-of-jazz-performance-in-sandton-2/