Chris Reza

 

info@chrisreza.com        (212) 470-2369

www.Legere.com

Chris Reza performs on Légère

clarinet and saxophone reeds.

Photo: Bryan Canonigo

One of New York’s freshest musical theater voices, established Broadway musician Chris Reza is now making a name for himself as an emerging composer, lyricist, and bookwriter.


With performance credits as both chair-holder (Fun Home, Radio City’s Christmas Spectacular) and substitute musician (Book of Mormon, Matilda, How to Succeed, etc.), Chris’ musical inspirations, training, and professional experience create the unique palette from which his bold artistry grows.

TRAINING


Chris holds a Masters Degree in Jazz Composition from the Manhattan School of Music where he studied with the world-renowned Grammy Award-Winning composer/pianist, Jim McNeely, and Grammy-nominated composer Dr. Edward Green. Furthermore, Chris holds two Bachelors Degrees from the University of North Texas (UNT) in Multiple Woodwinds Performance and Jazz Studies Performance. He is the recipient of multiple saxophone and composition scholarships as well as the 2009 UNT Outstanding Woodwinds Award.



EDUCATOR


With over 10 years of experience privately teaching composition, saxophone, clarinet, oboe, and flute to grade levels 4 through college, Chris is also a recurring guest lecturer at the Manhattan School of Music on topics such as “jazz in musical theater,” “music and dance in musical theater,” and “Broadway in the 1920s.”



PODCAST


Greenroom Conversations, a podcast dedicated to inspiring students and those finding their own path to “making it” in the performing arts, featured Chris Reza on his experiences breaking into the Broadway scene. The interview is available here.

Chris wrote the book, music and lyrics to Question 1, a new satirical musical dramedy about a closeted politician who becomes the center of Maine’s 2009 same-sex marriage debate. The show explores how the choices we make determine whether each of us contributes strife or kindness to humanity. Question 1 was selected and presented in the 2017 Theatre Resources Unlimited TRU Voices Musical Reading Series. Visit www.Question1Musical.com to learn more.


Chris’ recent commissions as a concert-music composer include a piece premiered by the 38-year English Horn veteran of the New York Philharmonic Orchestra, Mr. Thomas Stacy, and Grammy Award-Winning multi-instrumentalist, Mr. Paul McCandless. Chris’ music has been performed on three continents.

PERFORMER


Chris Reza plays 16 woodwinds including flutes, single and double reeds. Chris performed with the New York City Rockettes in the 2016 Radio City Christmas Spectacular Orchestra after winning the Lead Alto Chair. Having performed in more than 50 musicals, he was most recently the regular reed chair-holder in Broadway’s 5-time Tony Award-winning musical Fun Home. Chris is featured on Fun Home’s Broadway and Off-Broadway original cast recordings, beginning the opening number with the show’s notable English Horn solo. His Broadway subbing credits include The Book of Mormon, Matilda, Spider-Man: Turn Off The Dark, and How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying (starring Daniel Radcliffe). He also performed in the City Center Encores! Off-Center production of Alan Menken's musical God Bless You, Mr. Rosewater (featuring James Earl Jones), performed in the critically acclaimed Off-Broadway shows A Strange Loop and Carmen Jones, and performed as a local musician in the most recent national tours of Anything Goes and Jekyll & Hyde.


Additional work includes performances with distinguished individuals and ensembles such as Meryl Streep, Christine Baranski, Patti LuPone, Audra McDonald, Anika Noni Rose, Michael Cerveris, Stephanie J. Block, Marc Shaiman, Maureen McGovern, Jenn Colella, Lyle Mays, Grammy-nominated One O'Clock Lab Band, Plano Symphony Orchestra, Lone Star Wind Orchestra, UNT Wind Symphony, and numerous other ensembles. Chris is featured on the original cast recordings of the musicals God Bless You Mr. Rosewater, A Strange Loop, Alice By Heart, A Second Chance, and Tokio Confidential; multiple Broadway Carols for a Cure albums; and albums by the UNT Wind Symphony and 2 O’Clock Lab Band.



BROADWAY THEATRE COMMITTEE / LABOR ACTIVIST


Chris served as Vice-Chair (2017-2019) of the Broadway Theatre Committee, the liaison between the Broadway Musicians Community and the Associated Musicians of Greater New York, American Federation of Musicians Local 802, one of the largest local unions of professional musicians in the world. During his term, Chris:

  1. •modernized the committee’s communications and digital infrastructure

  2. •revived the practice of recording and publishing meeting minutes

  3. •doubled the number of Theatre Committee Delegates (members committed to representing their show’s orchestra)

  4. •helped jumpstart the conversation that paved the way for the creation and passage of Local 802’s new 2019 bylaw addressing workplace harassment

  5. •created the Theatre Committee’s Broadway Musicians Facebook Group


Chris founded Local 802’s Electronic Music Committee in early 2018 and served as its Facilitator through late 2019. He oversaw the development and rollout of Broadway’s first-ever industry-wide assessment of electronic music practices, the creation of Local 802’s first-ever Guide to Electronic Music, and the establishment of recommendations to help modernize our union’s contractual electronic-music provisions.


Chris served on the last two Broadway Contract Negotiating Committees. The 2019 negotiations produced the largest economic gains for Broadway musicians in decades.

Photo: Jenny Anderson

INTRODUCTION

WRITER