Staging a DISASTER: a conversation with director Gary Crumm who is overseeing the debut of this recent Broadway musical at Desert Stages Theatre

the cast of DISASTER! at Scottsdale Desert Stages Theatre
photo by Wade Moran

by Julia Bashaw

When you hear the word ‘DISASTER’ you probably don’t immediately think of a satirical ’70s themed Broadway musical. Yet after a 2012 tryout and a 2016 Broadway run, this unique show makes its Arizona premiere at Desert Stages Theatre this Friday night.

Director Gary Crumm explained the show as, “all of the classic 70’s disaster movies rolled up into one night.” Written by Seth Rudetsky and Jack Plotnick, Disaster! originally premiered in 2012 and played on Broadway in 2016 where Gary’s son Max played Scott in this original Broadway cast.

“The show will always have a special place in my heart because my son was in it, he was a part of that creative process of taking it to Broadway. So there is a little bit of him in it,” Gary acknowledged.

This musical is set in 1979 Manhattan on a floating casino and discothèque where multiple natural disasters start to befall the characters, with 70s music in the center of the chaos.

“I think that’s a big draw!” exclaimed Gary. “You think about disco music and 70s music, it was just fun. It was a party, there are no hardcore life events going on in the music. There are soft songs, and love songs, but also great dance your butt off songs.” Hence the major satirical and comical elements of this production which Gary has had a blast directing at Desert Stages. “I love kinda cheesy camp, things that are funny, satirical. It’s not a deep Macbeth character setting but you're seeing all of these different lives thrown together in this one tumultuous night and then you get to see how it all unfurls.”

Gary Crumm

Gary’s son, Max Crumm, was actually supposed to direct this production with help from his father, but Max ended up booking another Broadway show. Gary was the Desert Stages' Board's first choice to direct the show once Max was no longer available.

Gary laughed and said he was thrilled when he was offered to direct the entire show. “It wasn’t hard to twist my arm, I was like, yes!”

The cast and crew have been working hard on this production since late November and their opening night is this Friday, January 11th. The production will run until February 10th and there are three added Thursday shows on January 24th, 31st, and February 7th, along with one Sunday matinee on January 13th.

Not only is this special for Gary because of his son, but also because he has been in direct contact with one of the writers of the musical, Seth Rudetsky. Seth knew Max from back in 2007 when Max was competing on the reality TV show “Grease: You're the One That I Want” which was designed to pick the Danny and Sandy characters of the upcoming Broadway revival of Grease.

Gary said that was a “crazy absolutely phenomenal, exciting, and stressful experience” but in the end, Max won and made his Broadway debut playing Danny in the show. By knowing Seth, Max knew that the regional rights to the show Disaster! were going to be available and wanted Desert Stages to do it. Once the directing was passed on to his father, Seth worked directly with Gary on the show and did something truly special.

“He sent us updates. Sometimes a whole new scene, or he re-envisioned a song. There are things in this show that nobody else has done.” Gary explained. “There’s a whole new brand new mega-mix of all the music at the end of the show that has never been done before. So we are the premiere of that as well. And we got it like last week!”

the Desert Stages cast rehearing the show
photo by Julia Bashaw

Virginia Olivieri is the Director of Marketing at Desert Stages Theatre and she emphasized this situation. “This is such a unique opportunity for this particular show because you don’t normally have access to the composer or the writer or the playwright. Either half the time they’re dead or they are just so famous. So this show presented a really amazing and unique opportunity for Gary and for the cast and crew to have the creator, the mother of this baby, give them stuff to do that truly makes this the Arizona Premiere because there are things in this show that weren’t even seen on Broadway. This is the first time the new things will be seen, and on our stage.”

For Desert Stages to be able to have direct contact with one of the writers of the production has proved to be a beneficial, rare experience but also a bigger challenge. “I feel a responsibility in trying to bring in these new pieces,” Gary said. “To present them in a light that makes him proud. I’ll be anxious to see what he has to say, I’ll be anxious to see what Max says.”

Desert Stages is essentially the guinea pig as Seth rewrites, changes, and adds his new visions to his show. “No matter the situation, you want to make the playwright proud,” stated Olivieri. “This is their work and you’re taking their work, what they’ve created in their head and presenting it to them in a sense. I think no matter how good the show is, you want to make that person proud.”

Max Crumm and Seth Rudetsky are both coming into town and attending performances. Rudetsky will be having a TalkBack on January 18th after that Friday show. In order to attend you do have to purchase tickets for that night’s performance of Disaster!.

“I just hope they come and laugh their butts off,” Gary reflected. “They are going to leave with a smile. There is nothing about this show that is taxing, nothing about it is going to make you overanalyze your life, it's not terribly introspective. It is just in your face comedy, it is fun, the music is great, the kids and the adults dance their asses off. It’s got everything. I just hope that it reaches enough people out there.”

CLICK HERE for more information on this production, which runs January 11th to February 10th