WIL DARCANGELO: Bio
WIL DARCANGELO - biography - March 2008
Wil Darcangelo began his interest in vocal performance at the age of nine and though he has never been formally trained, he has been singing non-stop for nearly 30 years. Raised in church choirs, community choruses, school musical productions, school band, and eventually plays and musicals at the historic Stratton Playhouse in his hometown of Fitchburg, Massachusetts, Wil pursued his love of music and stage performance throughout his life. He eventually attended the American Academy of Dramatic Arts in New York City and made his living as an actor and small theatre producer in both New York and Toronto for several years. In 1999 he returned to his beloved hometown largely in an attempt to refocus his artistic interests and find his path in life. He produced Foothills Theatre Company’s 2000-2001 season in Worcester, Massachusetts and continued acting professionally in local theatres until he was offered his first symphony headline appearance with the Thayer Symphony Orchestra in 2004 at the Dukakis Performing Arts Center also in Fitchburg. Once given the opportunity to sing his own choices of music, in his own keys, and with free reign to develop his own performance style, for him there was no longer any contest between theatrical performance and concert performance. Stage musicals didn’t offer the type of flexibility and individuality he enjoyed as a concert vocalist and he stopped pursuing his theatrical stage career without a qualm. At the same time, Wil discovered that he could write original music. He premiered his first composition “Please Don’t Forget Me” with the Thayer Symphony Orchestra at the same symphony debut in 2004. It stopped the show and highly encouraged him to continue writing music. In preparation for his debut with the TSO, Wil requested an opportunity to hold a “practice concert” at his church, Rollstone Congregational, the week before the larger, symphony performance. The lofty and beautiful main sanctuary at Rollstone proved to be a wonderful concert venue of its own and Wil immediately approached the church cabinet about his helming the formation of a professional performing arts series to be executively produced by the church itself with Wil as Artistic Director; a position he still holds today. The Rollstone Performing Arts Series (R*PAS) is currently in its 4th season. Wil was awarded a Community Builder’s Fellowship in 2007 for creating the series. He also headlines a holiday concert as the traditional annual offering by R*PAS every December. Also in 2007, Wil formed his own band from musicians he’d worked with at Foothills Theatre and by April he’d been offered a jazz headline residency at a brand new martini lounge being built in downtown Fitchburg: the acclaimed Café Destaré. Favoring a non-traditional night, he currently appears there every second and fourth Tuesday with his 4-5 piece jazz ensemble and released a debut album of standards and one original tune that gives the album its title: “Tuesday is The New Saturday” in November 2007. Titled to draw attention to his unusual performance night, Tuesday, a significant portion of the proceeds from “Tuesday is the New Saturday” will go toward creating a professional performing arts mentorship and scholarship program for the City of Fitchburg in thanks for the constant mentorship the city provided for his own career.
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FACTS ABOUT WIL
Hometown: Fitchburg, Massachusetts
Born: July 1969
Musical Instruments: Decent singer, amateurish clarinetist, really crappy pianist. I’m pretty good at the triangle, though.
Musical Influences:
Randy Newman
Marc Shaiman
Carly Simon
Harry Chapin
Elton John
Alanis Morissette
Howard Jones
Harold Arlen
Richard Wagner
the Indigo Girls
Leonard Bernstein
Jason Mraz
Entrain
Henry Krieger
ABBA
Barry Manilow
Neil Sadaka
the Who
Kenny Rodgers
Kathy Mattea
Bette Midler
Vanessa Williams
Whitney Houston
Aretha Franklin
Michael Jackson
George Michael
Barbra Streisand
Sammy Davis, Jr.
Dolly Parton
Queen
Meatloaf
Harry Connick, Jr.
John Lennon
and all things blues and gospel.
Performing History: Began singing at age of nine, have since performed as a guest vocalist at Carnegie Hall in New York, performed the National Anthem several times for the Red Sox at Fenway Park, have had two headline sold-out appearances with the Thayer Symphony Orchestra, annually headline a holiday concert for the Rollstone Performing Arts Series in Fitchburg, Massachusetts.
Current Regular Appearances: I currently appear every second and fourth Tuesday as the resident jazz vocalist with my ensemble at the acclaimed Café Destaré also in Fitchburg. (see schedule page)
Recordings: “Tuesday is the New Saturday” (Nov 2007, NightStar Music) A compilation of music performed at Café Destaré. Includes my versions of “My Funny Valentine,” “Come Fly with Me,” “The Nearness of You,” “The Rose,” “At Last,” “Anything Goes,” “And I Love Her,” “Let’s Do It,” “Only You,” “Some Enchanted Evening,” and one original jump-swing tune “Tuesday is the New Saturday” composed by me! A significant portion of the proceeds from this album will go to create a professional performing arts mentorship and scholarship program for the City of Fitchburg. My next album, to be entitled “Wild Archangel” will be entirely original material of my own composition and will be recorded later in 2008.
Hobbies: Stained glass, writing, photography, clothing design/stitcher, small construction projects, various forms of design and craft work.
Spirituality: I am a student of many faiths. I am Buddhist in the sense that I believe attachment is the cause of suffering, I am Hundu in the sense that my spirituality is my lifestyle rather than my religion, I am a Freemason in the sense that I believe that I can be as a cornerstone to my community, I am a Christian in the sense that I believe forgiveness is the root of all salvation, and I am a student of Judaism in the sense that I strive to practice my faith with courage, conviction and remembrance. I attend Rollstone Congregational Church in Fitchburg, Massachusetts; 3rd generation. I am a Freemason at Aurora Lodge, also in Fitchburg; 3rd generation. I also attend Elderfaith rituals in Ashburnham, Mass. whever possible. Avid student of all world faiths since childhood.
Album Video Project: 4 music videos to be co-produced by Wil Darcangelo, the City of Fitchburg, and Fitchburg Public Access Television during summer of 2008. The videos will all be single-shot, high definition, tourism-based music videos illustrating not only the work of myself as a Fitchburg artist, but the community that has educated me. Intended mainly for the internet, the work will have a high-quality enough output to be used in larger media formats as well. The project is designed to raise the notoriety of not only my career and the “Tuesday” album, but also Fitchburg’s wonderful public access facility, FATV, and the burgeoning renaissance of the City of Fitchburg as a cultural destination.
Billboard Project: a 255-square foot illuminated billboard of the album design to be installed on the east side of the Café Destaré façade late spring/early summer of 2008 to coincide with the Album Video Project, conditions permitting. Workers’ Credit Union are principal sponsors and the remaining funds for this project will be raised by selling cameo appearances in the Album Video Project.
Long-term Goals: To set an example in the world as a product of his hometown community. To foster growth in areas relating to culture, education and prosperous self-identity using his hometown as a national model.
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Books That Have Formed Me
Books on My Shelf That I Have Read:
Helen Keller’s The Story of My Life
Audition by Michael Shurtleff
Son of a Witch by Gregory Maguire
All About “All About Eve” by Sam Staggs
The Amazing Power of Deliberate Intent by Esther & Jerry Hicks
Uncle Mame by Eric Myers
The Pursuit of Happyness by Chris Gardner
Armistead Maupin’s Tales of the City series
The Chronicles of Narnia by C. S. Lewis
Amazing Peace by Maya Angelou
Shakespeare’s Macbeth
Oscar Wilde’s The Importance of Being Earnest
I.E. An Autobiography by Mickey Rooney
The Seat of the Soul by Gary Zukav
The Kryon series translated by Lee Carroll
Toltec Prophesies of Don Miguel Ruiz by Mary Caroll Nelson
Possible Side Effects by Augusten Burroughs
Dress Your Family in Corduroy and Denim by David Sedaris
The Second Messiah by Christopher Knight & Robert Lomas
The Real Betty Page biography by Richard Foster
Me talk Pretty One Day by David Sedaris
Dry. by Augusten Burroughs
Left Behind by Tim LaHaye & Jerry B. Jenkins
The Book of Runes by Ralph Blum
Sister Carrie by Theodore Dreiser
Dante’s Inferno
Angles & Demons by Dan Brown
Edgar Cayce on Atlantis edited by Hugh Lynn Cayce
Dead Man Walking by Sister Helen Prejean
Huston Smith’s The World Religions
Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen
The Path of the Green Man by Michael Thomas Ford
Magical Thinking by Augusten Burroughs
Once Upon a Beltane Eve by Selene Silverwind
Astral Dynamics by Robert Bruce
Miss High and Mighty by Margaret Rome
Year of Impossible Goodbyes by Sook Nyul Chol
Greater Tuna, play by Jaston Williams, Joe Sears & Ed Howard
The Vampire Armand (and all of the Vampire Chronicles by Anne Rice
Every Single Harry Potter Book, twice. by J. K. Rowling
Portrait of a Killer; Jack the Ripper Case Closed by Patricia Cornwell
Angela’s Ashes by Frank McCourt
Free At Last – The Sudbury School a case analysis by Daniel Greenberg
The Parables of Jesus by Abigail Willis
Treehouses by David Pearson
Treasure Island by R. L. Stevenson
Quabbin Reservoir; A History and Explorer’s Guide by Michael Tougias
No Exit stage play by Jean Paul Sartre
The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd
Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet
Edgar Cayce on Reincarnation by Noel Langley, edited by Hugh Lynne Cayce
Mister God, This Is Anna by Fynn
Chaim Potok’s The Chosen
The Thorn Birds by Colleen McCullough
Ragtime by E. L. Doctorow
Stephen King’s The Green Mile
An Instance of the Fingerpost by Iain Pears
The Hours by Michael Cunningham
Umberto Eco’s The Name of the Rose
The Intimate World of Abraham Lincoln by C. A. Tripp
Terpin by Tor Seidler
Does Freddie Dance by Dick Scanlon
The Mists of Avalon by Marion Zimmer Bradley
Gypsy by Gypsy Rose Lee
Sybil by Flora Rheta Schrieber
The Inn of the Sixth Happiness by Alan Burgess
Tuesdays with Morrie by Mitch Ablom
To Kill a Mocking bird by Harper Lee
The Remains of the Day by Kazuo Ishiguro
My Way of Life by Joan Crawford
Sal Minneo biography by H. Paul Jeffers
Coder House Rules by John Irving
Harlow biography by Irving Shulman
Mirror by Gregory Maguire
The DaVinci Code by Dan Brown
Wicked by Gregory Maguire
Confessions of an Ugly Stepsister by Gregory Maguire
Books on My Shelf That I Am Currently Reading
The Bible (New English Version)
Lucrezia Borgia biography by Sarah Bradford
The Golden Ratio, The Story of Phi, The World’s Most Astonishing Number by Mario Livio
Science and Health by Mary Baker Eddy
Rasputin, The Saint Who Sinned biography by Brian Moynahan
Webster’s & Doubleday Dictionaries
Getting Things Done by David Allen
Lao Tsu’s Tao Te Ching
The Gift to be Simple; Songs, Dances and Rituals of the American Shakers by Edward Deming Andrews
The Gifts of the Jews by Thomas Cahill
Stonehenge by Bonnie Gaunt
Elton Trueblood’s The Humor of Christ
The Cathedral Within by Bill Shore
The Joys of Yddish by Leo Rostein
Coming Out to God by Chris Glaser
The Hidden Life of Dogs by Elizabeth Marshall Thomas
On The Road by Jack Kerouac
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Wil Darcangelo - back story
I got my first solo in church when I was nine.
In the fall of 1978, I asked the choir director of Rollstone Congregational, Mrs. Marion Dalton (now Rodgers) if it was okay for boys to be in the choir. In my experience only girls sung voluntarily. But I knew I wanted to sing. It was more than okay, she told me.
I loved singing in the children's choir. It was all girls and me. I felt like I had a harem. But my soprano sounded just like the rest of the gals. I blended in, I thought.
The choir director noticed otherwise, though. By Easter, Mrs. Rodgers asked if I'd like to sing a solo on Easter Sunday. YES! The song was called "One Early Easter Morning and I wanted to memorize it against the advice of Mrs. Rodgers. Adults memorized their music and so would I. And I did, too. I memorized the heck out of it right up until the moment before the second verse.
I stood up on the dais (where I still sing today) in front of a packed house, er, congregation and sang my heart out. The first verse went by and the choir chimed in the refrain in 4-part harmony back-up fabulousness. Yes, even at 9 I had back-up singers. While the refrain was still playing, I had the quick thought that Wow, that was easy, sure hope I don't forget the second verse... which I promptly proceeded to do, of course. And the verse began, but no sound from Billy. (Well, that's not entirely true, I did manage to utter a distinct "Oh my God." into the microphone. Did I mention that this was Easter?) I blanked utterly and stood there blinking for few bars while I waited to see what I was gonna do about it. Here was the pivotal moment in my future as a singer, fyi. This fragile second could have made me or broken me, I realize in retrospect. I don't know exactly at what point it began, but before long the choir began to sing my part to help me and then too the congregation began to sing the melody line without knowing lyrics, singing la's and doo's and da's to help me along. I stayed up on the dais until I remembered wher I was again and finished the song. I don't remember if they clapped or not (in my church clapping is a nice thing to do sometimes when something special occurs in the worship service - I think God likes clapping myself). But I returned to my seat and cried for the rest of the service. But I don't think I cried because I had failed; I somehow knew I hadn't. I think I cried because I was overwhelmed. They all carried me when I was lost. Some of the people who were there that Sunday write to me. They remember that moment as much as I do.
As time went on the church gave me other performing opportunities in pageants and the like until the pastor decided to take my talents into his own hands and decided the church would produce a play in which I would play the lead and they would sell tickets and everything. They actually produced a play for me! It was called "Why the Chimes Rang" and though there are many versions of the old story mine began with the words "Take heart, Steen." and ended with "God's chimes." Both spoken by me which was the tangible proof I was The Lead to me even though it was true in all other ways as well. I remember people being impressed, but it's hard to say. I was 15 at the time. I actually quit my very first part time job because of that play. The owners wouldn't give me the night off for the performance and I had to make the decision to quit or not do the play. No contest.
I have since began a non-profit performing arts series at the church that brings professionals and amateurs to those two exact spots where I first performed. The dais in the main sanctuary and the little stage with footlights and a red velvet curtain in the adjoining Cookman Hall. 2007-2008 marks it's fourth season.
Even though I have attended that church for most of my life off and on, I have never described myself as a religious person. Spiritual, yes, but not religious. I study all religions and Christianity is my first spiritual language, but by no means my only one. I also actively study Judaism, Hinduism, Buddhism, Islam, Paganism and I'm even a Freemason as well. That's why I devote my time to that particular organization: because there I can be who I am and have my own opinions and no one has a coronary.
During the run of my senior musical "The Velveteen Rabbit" in which I played the Little Boy, a local grand dame of the community theatre, Janet Cragin, came by and asked some of us in the cast if we were interested in auditioning for a musical they were performing soon called "Celebration!" I and a few of the others successfully auditioned and were cast as "Revelers" which I have since much preferred as the proper reference for 'chorus' or 'ensemble'. I had a blast being in the background then and I always have. I'm lucky I often get to be in front, but reveling with the revelers is so much more fun.
That show started a long relationship at the Stratton Playhouse. I performed in twenty shows there over the years and went on to move to New York to study at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts. I did well, but wasn't invited back for a second year. I'm sure they had their reasons, but I never knew what they were for sure. I was heartbroken for exactly 48 hours and then got headshots, went to 4 auditions and got a job. Better to make than spend, right? I'm STILL paying for that one year at the Academy. And the "U.S. National Tour" of "Rumplestiltskin" brought me my first "professional" job. I use quotation marks with purpose. "U.S. National Tour" actually meant six states and "professional" meant $365 a week and pay for your own hotel and food. We didn't have to pay for gas at least.
I left that tour after 3 months. I could have gotten my union card and a 1500 bonus if I'd stayed. The producer rigged that way so that people wouldn't be so inclined to quit the tour - it apparently was a regular occurance. If you stayed through the entire six months of the contract, he not only gave you an extra 1500, he offered to give you a backdated contract that stipulated all the Equity standards that were required at the time to join the union - AFTER the tour was over. Your first contract stated what you actually got which was substandard for the union and you wouldn't be considered for membership unsing that. The rules to join Actor's Equity have since changed. But it wasn't worth it to me and being a union member now (having actually earned it) is far more rewarding.
I returned to New York for a while, but was invited by a girl I went to school with to come up to Toronto and do a show. I loved the city so much I ended up moving there for six years. I worked all the time most notably to me as Christopher Wren in Agatha Christie's "The Mousetrap" at the Toronto Truck Theatre off and on for two years. At the time the show had been running for 23 years(!) and it still is the longest running play in North America. Several musicals as well, Job in "Job and the Snake" (world premiere), I played 3rd-Idiot-from-the-Left in a raucus musical version of Aristophane's "Clouds" and spent six months playing Mother Superior in Dan Goggin's "Nunsense". It wasn't a male production. We rarely told the audience I was a man, in fact. All the publicity and programs listed all the actresses by role and name and then finished "with The Reverend Mother as Herself". I even did tv a interview on Breakfast Television in character. I never meant for it to be a secret, actually. I just thought it was funnier to let people figure it out for themselves rather than make a big deal out of it and point it out as something to be distracted by. Sometimes I'd take my wimple off after the bow and there would always be people who actually didn't know. Remember that I'm Italian, here. There was no way for my beard to totally disappear even with heavy pancake and STILL people didn't notice I was a man.
I also formed a production company and produced small senior home and educational shows.
My last gig that I got while living in Toronto was my first cruise ship gig. Six months in the Carribean flanked on either side by Atlantic crossings from and to Italy where the ship was drydocked in preparation for the Canadian company that chartered it for those six months every year. I was hired by a British production company who provided the entertainment. At the time of the audition I was still playing Mother Superior and my agent called me to let me know that this company was looking for acts for the ship. I dragged the girls and our pianist down to the audition and we performed some of our cabaret act that I created to promote the show in the bars. It's the only time I ever went to an audition in costume and thankfully my last - I fervently hope.
The casting director politely asked me to come back later in the day by myself and dressed as a man. Singing Drag Nun wasn't really what they had in mind.
I went back and sang for them and got a call on Monday evening that they wanted to see me again on Wednesday morning. And the job is for MC, principal vocalist and stand up comic. Please prepare about 7 minutes worth of stand up material about Canada for the call back. What?!?
But I wasn't about to turn down the call back so I said, of course I write stand-up, and I hung up. At first I had no idea what to write. I'm not Canadian. But I had lived there for five years by this point and I knew that being an American in Canada was kind of funny at times. So I wrote about that and it was pretty easy. I memorized it and gave it perfectly at the call back. The routine - my very first stand up act written in 20 minutes - became a regular part of the show for the next six months. And I learned how to talk to an audience. Seven nights a week I talked to every passenger en masse and most of them in person as well. I loved every minute of it.
Now singing and concerts were floating int he back of my mind as I decided that six years as an illegal alien was enough and I decided to check out my hometown again. Everyone thought it would be career sucicide, but in my gut I knew better. I had a feeling that my real product was going to appear there in time.
I soon hooked up with Foothills Theatre Company in Worcester, Mass (parlaying a bit of exaggerated experience from having a small production company while in Toronto) and produced/production managed the 2000-2001 season. Earning my Equity card the old fashioned way by being cast as the Barber in the season's final production "Man of La Mancha", I often acted there in subsequent seasons.
One of the earlier productions I did in that building was "Damn Yankees" with Ted Lange (who played Issac the Bartender on The Love Boat tv series) and I talked the anthem talent coordinator Rick Subrizio into letting me fulfill a lifelong fantasy of singing the anthem at a Red Sox game by allowing the cast of the show come out and sing it in costume since the costumes were vintage-style ball uniforms anyway. He agreed and the cast all sang the anthem. I passed my own solo audition cd to Rick on the way out and hoped I'd get a chance one day to sing it by myself there. I figured I'd hear from him for next season if at all, but he called in only two weeks to do a fill in! The Angeles vs. the Sox and my name and face were on the jumbotron. It was awesome. I sang for them six times, most notably alongside legendary recording artist James Taylor once. Haveing lived in Toronto for six years Rick Subrizio usually gave me the Toronto games because I knew both anthems and I was scheduled for a day that James Taylor called to see if he could sing a game - he'd always wanted to. I got bumped. They felt badly, but I definitely understood. Mr. Taylor was only in town for a brief time visitng his son. I'd get rescheduled for later in the season. But a few hours went by and I got a call again. It seems that Mr. Taylor felt badly that I was bumped and he didn't know the Canadian anthem anyway - would I be willing to come and sing just the Canadian alongside Mr. Taylor who will sing the American? Hell yeah! It was broadcast nationally as well - my first broadcast, since they never televise the anthem singing anymore in baseball. But the were willing to do it for James Taylor and I was happy to go along for the ride! (I've since hired his brother also-legendary recording artist Livingston Taylor for my performing arts series at Rollstone.)
As the artistic people in my community got to know me, I was offered my first opportunity to headline with a professional symphony orchestra. In my hometown.
I debuted my first song "Please Don't Forget Me When I'm Gone" as part of my hour-long portion of the concert and it stopped the show. I wasn't even sure I could write good music; this was the very first fully-realized song that I'd ever written. But that experience made active virtually disappear from my radar. From that point on all I've wanted to do is concerts. Symphony, rock, nightclub, standards, orginal music, jazz, I don't care. Being myself on stage turned out to be so much more gratifying than being someone else. I haven't auditioned for anything since. I've done a few jobs here and there when people have called, but I haven't pursued it like I have the music.
The week after I was offered my next three concert gigs. A headline with the same symphony the following season as well as an appearance at their 4th of July fireworks concert and a brief set for an awards dinner benefitting the local boy scouts council.
The recipient of the award for that night was given the advance opportunity of selecting who he'd like to invite as key note speaker for the dinner, but he thought it might be nice to have me sing instead. We proposed it to the planning committee and it was approved pending financial talks. If I was doing a set, I wanted back up singers and a band. Singing with a piano alone wasn't going to cut it. I also had to hire a sound guy, so the price was adding up for this little 20 minute set. I called and told them what I'd have to charge and they said that they'd vote on it. It came back unanimous in favor.
But now I wanted to make sure that they got their money's worth. I had written that one song and figured "how hard can it be to do another one?" As it turns out I was not hard at all. All I did was look into the award recipient Mr. Frederick D. Healey, president of a local credit union and his community service works that earned him this recognition. I found out so much about not only Fred, but about all the others from my community just like him who had received the same award in previous years. It exhausted me just thinking about how hard they all work for the community and the things that occur on levels far removed from political but every bit as important. And the first line of "Carry On" came to me. "Weary. I'm so tired and I'm fearing I'm not inspired. How can I remove the speck from my brother's eye?"
I debuted my second song at my second concert. I was too nervous to put the song at the end of the set because if it didn't go over well it would end the set on a bad note. I put it second to last and planned to finish with a gospel version of "You'll Never Walk Alone" that I love to sing. But I needn't have worried. The song got a standing ovation. In the middle of the set. Two for two.
Then The NightStar Group was formed by my business partner Bruce D. Lawrence and suddenly we're int he recording studio making a single of "Carry On". I decided that 25% of the gross sales of the song would go to benefit The United Way of North Central Massachusetts, my local United Way, permanently and the song would be dedicated to Fred Healey for inspiring it. We recorded it on October 28, 2004. The day the Red Sox broke the curse and won the World Series. There was also a lunar eclipse that night...
Things have progressed nicely since then. I have continued to write and record music in preparation for a debut album and I have a great new band as well, I'm excited about the future...