Brian Eads, an IU Ph.D candidate and musical director and conductor for the recently postponed “Les Misérables” U.S. tour, discussed his career, education and favorite IU memories in a Facebook Live event at 8 p.m. Thursday on the IU Auditorium’s Facebook page.
Eads joined the stream live from his home in Nashville, Tennessee. Roughly 80 people watched.
Eads visited IU this year during the week of Feb. 4 for an eight-show-set of the musical. He is a doctoral candidate studying orchestral conducting at the Jacobs School of Music. While traveling with the musical, Eads was working on his dissertation.
While on tour, Eads said he focused on improving intonation and balance. He also incorporates acting notes from the stage into the musical direction.
“In that regard, I give full music leadership on the road to the show,” Eads said.
Eads featured “Les Misérables: Symphonic Highlights” during the livestream. He created the album in collaboration with David T. Clydesdale. He performed “I Dreamed a Dream” on piano and shared other recordings.
Eads described some of the difficulties in touring, including keeping himself healthy, but said he does not get discouraged after remembering certain members of the audience may have never seen the show before.
“There are some times where my shoulders are just killing me,” Eads said. “We try really, really hard despite physical and emotional fatigue. When we step out into that orchestra pit, we try really hard to bring our best.”
“Les Miserables” is not touring after the remainder of their 2019-2020 tour was postponed due to the coronavirus pandemic. Some shows are scheduled to take place in the spring and summer of next year.
Eads said members of the show are staying in touch, but it is uncertain when the show will return.
“We just don’t know,” Eads said. “But what we do know is that the world needs this message from the musical right now.”
