Pudding Picks Liang To Compose Musical

David W. Liang '00 has a few qualms about playing a drag role.

The next logical step? Composing music for men dressed in drag.

Liang, who was selected this week to compose the music for the Hasty Pudding Theatricals' (HPT) 152nd annual show--in which actors in drag play a key part--has already set such gems as "Livin' Libido Loco" to music.

This year's HPT production "The Jewel of Denial"--inspired by the 1985 adventure "The Jewel of the Nile"--will be Liang's vehicle.

The show is first set in London, but the search for a purloined jewel drives the characters to Egypt. These exotic locales allow Liang, who is currently the musical director of the Harvard Krokodiloes, to explore a wide breadth of music.

"Although my style is jazzy, the show calls for music with influences from Broadway, Latin and Middle Eastern music," he said.

Liang's experience singing for the Krokodiloes sparked his interest in HPT.

"I have seen the [Hasty Pudding] club and the [Upstairs at the Pudding] restaurant, but this is the side of the Pudding I have never touched," he said.

In his role as composer, Liang uses the lyrics authored by the show's writers, Andrew D. Dudley '00 and Nicholas P. Grandy '00.

"[Liang] is very, very competent," Dudley said. "He does things with lyrics and automatically hears things in the words that we never would have thought of."

"He is an exceptional musician," Grandy agreed, noting Liang's ability to "improvise and compose music on spot."

"When we are sitting with him and ask him to change a chord, to make it slower, faster, happier or sadder, he can arrange what he is doing really quickly," Grandy said.

Even in the short time Liang has been working with Dudley and Grandy, he has influenced change in the lyrics.

"There are certain songs where [Liang] will think of bits of Egyptian or British songs I would not have thought of, which enhance the show and make it that much funnier," Dudley said.

"It's a huge brainstorming session," Liang said. "We see what's best for the show and have to compromise to achieve the product that's best for the Pudding."

Liang was selected out of four potential composers by the HPT's executive board in consultation with Music Supervisor Allen G. Feinstein '84 and Music Director Dan Ring '99.

The month-long composer comp culminated in performances of music written by each composer.

"Although all four people are very talented composers and musicians, we just enjoyed [Liang]'s melodies very much," said HTP vice-president Robert E. Schlesinger '00.

Although "The Jewel of Denial" marks Liang's first foray into the world of composing, he says composing is a potential career.

"I definitely want to stay in the entertainment industry, but I don't yet know in what capacity. This has just been an unbelievable experience," he said.