A note from
David Chase
To me, the greatest compliment as an arranger is when someone asks, "So what did you do?" My goal is to be invisible -- to create work that is both surprising and inevitable, and do it in a way that no one consciously sees my hand at work. That, of course, makes it hard (to borrow an apt metaphor) to toot my horn. But the truth is that every bit of music you've ever heard is arranged by someone -- sometimes, it's the composer, but in the theater and pop music worlds, it's more often that invisible arranger.
Trude Rittmann was the most important woman in the musical theater in the 20th century, and I guarantee you've never heard of her. But you know her work. Every time you sing along to "Do Re Mi", you're probably singing what she wrote ("Do mi mi, Mi so so…"). AND she wrote all of the nuns' music in The Sound of Music. AND she wrote and/or arranged the Carousel Ballet. Small House of Uncle Thomas. The Embassy Waltz. The dance in Shall We Dance. The Ländler. The dances of Brigadoon, Camelot, and many, many more. But her goal, always, was to do it as if she were Richard Rodgers, or Fritz Loewe.
Never draw attention to yourself.
The history of arranging is filled with names you've probably never heard, but you know their work: Peter Howard, who wrote "The Hot Honey Rag" based on a melody by John Kander. James Raitt, who made Forever Plaid sing. Genevieve Pitôt. Kay Thompson. Luther Henderson. Betty Wahlberg. Roger Adams. John Morris.
Like all of them, I love telling stories through music. I love it when the music, the lyrics, the movement, and the visuals all come together to take us on an emotional, cathartic journey.
This does not happen by chance. This happens with passion, craft, and a collaborative spirit.
Welcome to my world.
— DC
david chase biography
David Chase has been Music Director, Music Supervisor, and/or Dance Arranger for 40+ Broadway productions. He has two Emmy Award® nominations for Music Direction for NBC’s live telecasts of The Sound of Music and Peter Pan, plus GRAMMY® and Olivier® nominations.
David has written multiple arrangements and orchestrations for the Boston Pops (including their signature “12 Days of Christmas”), The Kennedy Center Honors, Essential Voices USA, and Radio City Music Hall.
Television includes conducting, arranging, and orchestrating for The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, Crazy Ex-Girlfriend, Schmigadoon!, The Gilded Age, and Étoile. David appeared onscreen in Season 5 of Maisel as the announcer and bandleader for ‘The Gordon Ford Show’.
Other conducting includes numerous film scores (recently: The Last Showgirl) as well as multiple productions at the Lyric Opera of Chicago. His choral arrangements are published by Hal Leonard.
David lives in New York City with his wife and Drama Desk nominee Paula Leggett Chase, and their two sons. Learn more at DavidChaseMusic.com.
david chase awards
Ovation Awards
WINNER
Best Music Direction
Flower Drum Song
- Music Supervision and Orchestrations by David Chase
- Music Direction by Charles duChateau
Olivier Awards
Note from DC: As opposed to the Broadway League, the Brits understand that all relevant members of a Music Department are worthy of recognition, so nominations may include any and all of the people involved in creating a theater score. This category was started in 2014.
NOMINEE
Best Original Score or New Orchestrations
Anything Goes
- Dance Music Arranged by David Chase
- Music Supervision by Rob Fisher
- Orchestrations by Bill Elliot
Grammy Awards
NOMINEE
Best Musical Theatre Album
Nice Work if You Can Get It
- Produced by David Chase, Bill Elliot, and Robert Sher
- Music Supervision by David Chase
- Vocal, Dance, and Incidental Music by David Chase
- Orchestrations by Bill Elliot
Emmy Awards
Note from DC: The Emmy Award for Outstanding Original Music and Lyrics, while awarded solely to the writers, do in fact honor the Arranger(s), Orchestrator(s), and Music Producer(s) with a certificate of recognition. The Emmy Award for Outstanding Choreography does not recognize anyone on the Music team, but is no less reliant on our contributions, so I include those nominations here. The Emmy for Outstanding Music Direction is currently awarded only for live television events, so Schmigadoon!, for example, was not eligible.
Also, the term “Music Director” cannot officially be used on non-live TV and Film projects due to insecurity on the part of the Director’s Guild of America and their concern that the viewer will be confused by the term “Music Director”. Silly people. Hollywood survived for decades using the term “Music Director” and no one was confused. There is currently no universally accepted and allowable term for what is clearly the position of “Music Director”, which has led to a plethora of terms in use in the industry, none of which are fully accurate.
WINNER
Outstanding Original Music and Lyrics
“Corn Puddin’” - Schmigadoon!
- Music and Lyrics by Cinco Paul
- Arranged by David Chase
- Orchestrated by Doug Besterman
- Produced by Scott Riesett, Doug Besterman, and David Chase
WINNER
Outstanding Original Music and Lyrics
“Antidepressants Are So Not a Big Deal” - Crazy Ex-Girlfriend
- Music by Rachel Bloom and Adam Schlesinger
- Lyrics by Rachel Bloom, Jack Dolgen, and Adam Schlesinger
- Arranged and Orchestrated by David Chase
- Produced by Steven Gold
WINNER
Outstanding Choreography
“Antidepressants Are So Not a Big Deal” - Crazy Ex-Girlfriend
- Kathryn Burns
- Arranged and Orchestrated by David Chase
WINNER
Outstanding Music Direction
The 2011 Kennedy Center Honors
- Conducted by Rob Berman and Rob Mathes
- Barbara Cook and Meryl Streep segments: Music Direction and Arrangements by David Chase
NOMINEE
Outstanding Original Music and Lyrics
“Your Personal Trash Can Man” - The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel
- Music by Curtis Moore
- Lyrics by Thomas Mizer
- Arranged and Orchestrated by David Chase
- Produced by Stewart Lerman
NOMINEE
Outstanding Choreography
“Good Enough to Eat” - Schmigadoon!
- Choreographed by Chris Gatelli
- Arranged by David Chase
- Orchestrated by Mike Morris
NOMINEE
Outstanding Choreography
“Your Personal Trash Can Man”, “Dream Kitchen” - The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel
- Choreographed by Marguerite Derricks
- Arranged and Orchestrated by David Chase
NOMINEE
Outstanding Choreography
“Corn Puddin’”, “Tribulation”, and “With All of Your Heart” - Schmigadoon!
- Choreographed by Chris Gatelli
- Arranged and Conducted by David Chase
- Music Direction by David Chase
- Orchestrated by Doug Besterman
NOMINEE
Outstanding Choreography
“Painkiller” - Goliath
- Choreographed by Fred Tallaksen
- Arranged and Orchestrated by David Chase
NOMINEE
Outstanding Music Direction
The 2010 Kennedy Center Honors
- Conducted by Rob Berman and Rob Mathes
- Steve Martin segment: Music Direction and Arrangements by David Chase
NOMINEE
Outstanding Music Direction
Peter Pan Live!
- Music Direction by David Chase
- Music Arranged and Conducted by David Chase
- Orchestrations by Doug Besterman and Danny Troob
NOMINEE
Outstanding Music Direction
The Sound of Music Live!
- Music Direction by David Chase
- Music Arranged and Conducted by David Chase
- Orchestrations by Doug Besterman
Tony Awards
* Note from DC: The role of a Dance Music Arranger is not currently recognized by the American Theatre Wing. The Tony Award for Best Choreography nonetheless tacitly honors the intensely collaborative and symbiotic relationship between Choreographers and Dance Music Arrangers.
WINNER
Best Choreography*
Justin Peck - Carousel
- Additional Dance Music Arrangements by David Chase
- Original Dance Music Arrangements by Trude Rittmann
WINNER
Best Choreography*
Peter Darling - Billy Elliot
- Additional Dance Music Arrangements by David Chase
- Original Dance Music Arrangements by Martin Lowe and Martin Koch
WINNER
Best Choreography*
Kathleen Marshall - Anything Goes
- Dance Music Arrangements by David Chase
WINNER
Best Choreography*
Kathleen Marshall - The Pajama Game
- Dance Music Arrangements by David Chase
WINNER
Best Choreography*
Rob Ashford - Thoroughly Modern Millie
- Dance Music Arrangements by David Chase
NOMINEE
Best Choreography*
Warren Carlisle - The Music Man
- Dance Music Arrangements by David Chase
NOMINEE
Best Choreography*
Warren Carlisle - Kiss Me, Kate
- Dance Music Arrangements by David Chase
NOMINEE
Best Choreography*
Denis Jones - Tootsie
- Dance Music Arrangements by David Chase
NOMINEE
Best Choreography*
Rob Ashford - Evita
- Dance Music Arrangements by David Chase
NOMINEE
Best Choreography*
Kathleen Marshall - Nice Work if You Can Get It
- Dance Music Arrangements by David Chase
NOMINEE
Best Choreography*
Rob Ashford - How to Succeed…
- Dance Music Arrangements by David Chase
NOMINEE
Best Choreography*
Rob Ashford - Promises, Promises
- Dance Music Arrangements by David Chase
NOMINEE
Best Choreography*
Rob Ashford - Cry-Baby
- Dance Music Arrangements by David Chase
NOMINEE
Best Choreography*
Rob Ashford - Curtains
- Dance Music Arrangements by David Chase
NOMINEE
Best Choreography*
Rob Ashford - The Wedding Singer
- Dance Music Arrangements by David Chase
NOMINEE
Best Choreography*
Bobby Longbottom - Flower Drum Song
- Dance Music Arrangements by David Chase
NOMINEE
Best Choreography*
Kathleen Marshall - Kiss Me, Kate
- Dance Music Arrangements by David Chase
NOMINEE
Best Choreography*
Rob Marshall - Damn Yankees
- Additional Dance Music Arrangements by David Chase
- Dance Music Arrangements by Roger Adams, Tom Fay, and David Krane
** Note from DC: Similarly, there is no Tony Award for Music Arrangers, and the last Tony Award for Music Direction was given in 1964. Therefore, the Tony Awards for Best Score and for Best Orchestration (the latter of which began being awarded in 1997) tacitly recognize the otherwise unacknowledged contribution of the Arranger(s), Music Directors, and Music Supervisors. FWIW, had the Best Orchestration Tony existed at the time, I have no doubt that Doug Besterman would have been nominated and perhaps won for Damn Yankees in 1994, and the same for Harold Wheeler and Side Show in 1998.
WINNER
Best Orchestrations**
Martin Koch - Billy Elliot
- Additional Dance, Vocal, and Incidental Music Arrangements by David Chase
- Music Direction by David Chase
WINNER
Best Orchestrations**
Don Sebesky - Kiss Me, Kate
- Vocal, Dance, and Incidental Music Arrangements by David Chase
- Music Direction by Paul Gemignani
WINNER
Best Orchestrations**
Doug Besterman and Ralph Burns - Thoroughly Modern Millie
- Dance Music Arrangements by David Chase
- Music Direction by Michael Rafter
- Vocal Arrangements by Jeanine Tesori\
NOMINEE
Best Orchestrations**
Simon Hale - Tootsie
- Dance Music Arrangements by David Chase
- Music Direction and Vocal Arrangements by Andrea Grody
NOMINEE
Best Original Score**
David Yazbek - Tootsie
- Dance Music Arrangements by David Chase
- Music Direction and Vocal Arrangements by Andrea Grody
NOMINEE
Best Original Score**
Robert Lopez and Kristin Anderson-Lopez - Frozen
- Additional Dance Music Arrangements by David Chase
- Music Direction and Vocal Arrangements by Stephen Oremus
NOMINEE
Best Orchestrations**
Larry Hochman - Kiss Me, Kate
- Vocal, Dance, and Incidental Music Arrangements by David Chase
- Music Direction by Paul Gemignani
NOMINEE
Best Orchestrations**
Jonathan Tunick - Carousel
- Additional Dance Music Arrangements by David Chase
- Original Dance Arrangements by Trude Rittmann
- Music Direction by Andy Einhorn
NOMINEE
Best Orchestrations**
Larry Hochman - Hello, Dolly!
- Dance Music Arrangements by David Chase
- Original Dance Arrangements by Peter Howard
- Music Direction by Andy Einhorn
- Additional Orchestrations by Jonathan Tunick
NOMINEE
Best Orchestrations**
Danny Troob - Rodgers and Hammerstein’s Cinderella
- Vocal, Dance, and Incidental Music Arrangements by David Chase
- Music Supervision by David Chase
NOMINEE
Best Orchestrations**
Bill Elliott - Nice Work if You Can Get It
- Vocal, Dance, and Incidental Music Arrangements by David Chase
- Music Supervision by David Chase
NOMINEE
Best Orchestrations**
Doug Besterman - How to Succeed…
- Vocal, Dance, and Incidental Music Arrangements by David Chase
- Music Supervision and Direction by David Chase
NOMINEE
Best Original Score**
Elton John and Lee Hall - Billy Elliot
- Additional Dance, Vocal, and Incidental Music Arrangements by David Chase
- Music Direction by David Chase
- Orchestrations by Martin Koch
NOMINEE
Best Orchestrations**
Jonathan Tunick - Promises, Promises
- Dance Music Arrangements by David Chase
- Original Dance Arrangements by Harold Wheeler
- Music Direction by Phil Reno
NOMINEE
Best Original Score**
Alan Menken, Howard Ashman & Glenn Slater - The Little Mermaid
- Dance Music Arrangements by David Chase
- Music Direction, Vocal and Incidental Music Arrangements by Michael Kosarin
NOMINEE
Best Original Score**
Adam Schlesinger and David Javerbaum - Cry-Baby
- Dance Music Arrangements by David Chase
- Music Direction by Lynn Shankel
- Orchestrations by Chris Jahnke
NOMINEE
Best Orchestrations**
Dick Lieb and Danny Troob - The Pajama Game
- Vocal, Dance, and Incidental Music Arrangements by David Chase
- Music Supervision by David Chase
- Music Direction by Rob Berman
NOMINEE
Best Original Score**
Matthew Sklar and Chad Beguelin - The Wedding Singer
- Dance and Incidental Music Arrangements by David Chase
- Music Supervision by David Chase
- Music Direction by James Sampliner
- Orchestrations by Irwin Fisch and Harold Wheeler
NOMINEE
Best Original Score**
Jeanine Tesori and Dick Scanlan - Thoroughly Modern Millie
- Dance Music Arrangements by David Chase
- Vocal Arrangements by Jeanine Tesori
- Music Direction by Michael Rafter
- Orchestrations by Doug Besterman and Ralph Burns
NOMINEE
Best Orchestrations**
Doug Besterman - The Music Man
- Vocal and Incidental Music Arrangements by David Chase
- Music Direction by David Chase
- Dance Music Arrangements by David Krane
NOMINEE
Best Orchestrations**
Harold Wheeler - Little Me
- Vocal and Incidental Music Arrangements by David Chase
- Music Direction by David Chase
- Dance Music Arrangements by David Krane
NOMINEE
Best Original Score**
Henry Krieger and Bill Russell - Side Show
- Vocal, Dance, and Incidental Music Arrangements by David Chase
- Music Direction by David Chase
- Orchestrations by Harold Wheeler
memories & milestones
This is my dad in high school with the Baritone Horn, plus my Aunt Marianna on the Alto Horn (aka the Peck Horn if you ask Meredith Willson). My grandmother Lora was the self-taught church pianist at Jane's Chapel on Muddy Creek Mountain for over three decades.
Meanwhile, Amy mom was tearing up the ivories at the West Virginia Chopin competition. She thought it was important that all her kids learn to play piano. I hated every second of piano lessons.
It all began on February 26, 1964 in Durham, NC.
I always hated practicing. Not quite two years old here.
My very first television appearance, courtesy of my dad and a recently purchased refrigerator.
Hallowe'en, 1976. John, Amy, Susan, and me. My mother had made my George Washington costume for a special Bicentennial presentation for my 6th grade class. The glasses really make it.
Shenandoah at Woodson High School, fall of 1980. I played Papa Charlie (with silver spray paint in my hair). More importantly, even though I had no idea what I was doing, I re-orchestrated the score. Why? Woodson usually did plays in the fall - they were cheaper to rent than musicals. Drama teacher Joan Bedinger wanted to do Shenandoah but said we couldn't afford the rental cost of a musical, so I agreed to write it all down to save money. I later found out that she had in fact paid the proper royalties but thought it would be a good challenge for me. Teachers are amazing.
My stage debut (age 15) in My Fair Lady as Freddy Eynsford-Hill. Nice period-appropriate sideburns. Henry Higgins was played by the great New York actor Robert Stanton, who, in a wild coincidence, turns out to be Paula's second cousin once removed.
Woodson High School, Fairfax, Virginia. This is, as you may have guessed from the bow ties, the very height of fashionable in 1980. The jackets are crushed velvet with a blue rose pattern. I played Alto Sax starting in 5th grade, then moved to Tenor in 7th grade. By 10th grade, as you can see here, I was the height of jazzy hipness. The best part is that to my right sits flautist Janet Axelrod, who, four decades after this photo was taken, commissioned a piece for her album Act One.
Special shout-out to the great T.T. Lawrence, our intrepid and very patient band teacher.
This is the closest I got to becoming a serious actor. Still had the 80's hair, though. That's Ken Howard (yes, that's his real name) playing Curly. He had 80's hair, too. I also designed the set, which included a giant hillside with lots of clumps of real (dried) grass. Impressive, but it was definitely a fire hazard.
Of Mice and Men in 1981, with David Bockman. It was high school, so we had to cut the 4-letter words. Do you see the rabbits?
Another shot of me as George from Of Mice and Men, with Jamie Stokols as Curly's Wife. In the play, George is described as "small and quick". I was never quick, and I certainly was never small, just thinner…
The cast of Between the Sheiks at the Harvard Hasty Pudding. I was in the show and wrote the score, with book and lyrics by Peter Sagal (NPR's Wait, Wait, Don't Tell Me) and Jess Bravin (The Wall Street Journal). I'm under the "I". Squint and you'll also find playwright Jonathan Tolins (Elspeth), Leonard Dick (The Good Wife), and Ty Warren (Head of Production at Netflix), plus a bunch of future lawyers, doctors, and captains of industry. All dressed as Dallas Cowboy Cheerleaders. Don't ask.
Everyone who joined the cast of Forbidden Broadway had their caricature drawn by then-unknown-artist Ken Fallin, and it hung on the wall of the theatre throughout the run. This was the only time of my life that I wore contacts. They were hard lenses because of my astigmatism. Ken captured the the discomfort of my eyes perfectly.
Boston's production of Forbidden Broadway (Steve Essner, Michael McGrath, Toni diBuono, and Karen Murphy) was part of the grand opening of the New Worcester Foothills Theatre in 1987. This was a life-changing evening for me, because I met Broadway legend Peter Howard. It's the first time I had heard the term "Dance Arranger", and I was fascinated. He talked with me for an hour about what he did for a living. I loved it.
Peter had come to the gala to accompany Lee Roy Reams and a group of dancers from 42nd Street. I was smitten -- I wanted so much to be in that world -- making music that accompanied the power, grace, and athleticism of dancers.
The Boston company of Forbidden Broadway in 1988. Phillip George, Toni diBuono, Jeff Lyons, and Dorothy Kiara. I'm the one with the most make-up. The NYC show was dark at the time, so we debuted all the new material, which included the extended Les Mis spoof. ("At the End of the Play, You're Another Day Older" and "God, It's High" were my favorites).
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The Damn Yankees Broadway Revival Cast Recording at the Hit Factory. This must have been taken after they figured out how to connect the headphones. We recorded the Overture without them.
Damn Yankees was my first Broadway show as Music Director, and Doug Besterman's first as Orchestrator. We've done countless shows and projects together since. All thanks to James Raitt.
A thoughtful moment at the Damn Yankees recording. I'm conducting with James Raitt's baton. It's the only baton I've ever conducted with, to this day.
Jerry Lewis joined the cast of Damn Yankees in January, 1995. We had dinner every Saturday between shows. He would always get the liver and onions. Here's me and Paula at a dinner he hosted for the company at his favorite Italian joint in the Village.
At the cast recording of the original Side Show with orchestrator Harold Wheeler and record producer Mike Berniker. I could write an entire book on this show.
This was a rehearsal for Broadway on Broadway, and it was the first time we had all heard Harold Wheeler's magnificent orchestration for "I Will Never Leave You". Emily Skinner and Alice Ripley get props for dressing alike, but they're clearly not really attached here.
For The Music Man (2000), Stro had the brilliant idea of starting the show with a baton flying out of the pit at the top of the show, and revealing the orchestra onstage. This was my first appearance on the other side of the footlights since Forbidden Broadway. The fun part was everyone running back down to the pit during "Rock Island" to get back in time to play the final chord.
In the pit for The Music Man (2000). Blue is my color.
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During rehearsals for Flower Drum Song, Mary Rodgers threw a party for everyone involved. I got to play the Rodgers family piano. What a treat. With me are dear Alvin Ing (who had been in the original run of the show, and was in our version as well) and Wayne Blood, longtime Rodgers and Hammerstein Organization music guru. Watching in the corner is Ma-Anne Dionioso and her young son. So many generations of R&H lovers.
How to Succeed was a blast. Dan Radcliffe, Darren Criss, and Nick Jonas were all brilliant, and unique. I had just spent the day teaching Darren all the music in the show. The perfect bookend to this happened in the spring of 2025, when my son Dashiell (age 23) taught Darren's daughter (age 2) music in several NY Kid's Club classes.
At The Sound of Music Live! recording session at PowerStation. We used the Broadway pit orchestra of Cinderella.
We learned a lot during the live broadcast of The Sound of Music. For example, if one has to conduct the a cappella nuns' choir just off camera, one needs to wear white gloves so the nuns can see your hands in the dark. We discovered this during the afternoon dress rehearsal and the only gloves they could get before airtime were, like the Grinch's heart, two sizes too small. During this particular shot, we were all off-camera, but I wore the gloves nonetheless.
With the incomparable Mark Weglinski aka "Wedge" in the sound truck during the The Sound of Music Live!. True story: Audra decided on the day of the broadcast that she wanted to start "Climb Ev'ry Mountain" without an intro. We adjusted the playback file, and sweated bullets as the moment neared. She also isn't one to visibly breathe before singing (a surefire way for a conductor to figure out a singers' intentions), so the odds of disaster were high. Wedge caught her downbeat perfectly, and Audra soared to the heavens.
No, this is not real. But in 2016, Wells Fargo put out a very offensive ad campaign using photos with taglines like "An actor yesterday. A botanist today. Let's get them ready for tomorrow." Since my path was literally the exact opposite, I made this mock ad as a form of protest. Wells Fargo had to issue an official apology to artists everywhere.
On set for The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel as the bandleader for "The Gordon Ford Show". No, it's not really 1961. And no, the original photo wasn't that grainy.
"Ladies and Gentlemen, it's…" As the bandleader and announcer for "The Gordon Ford Show" on Season 5 of The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, I got to use my mid-century, mid-Atlantic, fake-TV-announcer voice without irony. Well, maybe a little irony.
