Music affects people on a deep intimate level. The expression of emotion, the classic guitar riff, the hit-ya-in-the-gut lyrics; all of these contribute to an intimate and very relatable experience. Dennis DeYoung is one of the most talented songwriters in rock music. He paints a picture with his music that brings listeners in, causes them to think, to imagine, and takes them on an artistic journey. DeYoung’s own journey as an artist has taken him on many adventures. From his early beginnings in Chicago to his successful time with Styx to an acting career, DeYoung continues to remain active and involved in not only rock music, but also theatre.
For many, Dennis DeYoung’s name is synonymous with the music of Styx, however, the singer-songwriter has also written music theatre scores. He first ventured into writing musical theatre while performing in the musical Jesus Christ Superstar in 1993. DeYoung recalled working on the very first songs for Hunchback of Notre Dame during the summer and that it was one of his most memorable writing experiences. He said, “From that auspicious start I knew immediately that I was creating something different from any of my previous work. It still remains for me my greatest accomplishment as a songwriter (dennisdeyoung.com).” Once finished, the musical received rave reviews, however, it did not move to Broadway after its run. Hunchback of Notre Dame – A Musical opened up the door for DeYoung to score another musical.
(Dennis DeYoung’s Hunchback of Notre Dame “With Every Heartbeat”)
DeYoung’s next musical theatre adventure was the classic 101 Dalmatians. Based on the children’s novel by Dodie Smith, DeYoung not only wrote the music score, he also co-wrote the lyrics with B.T. McNicholl. The songwriter talked about how much of an enjoyable challenge it was writing music for a family production, “I especially enjoyed the challenge of writing songs for a family show which had kids singing and dancing to my tunes (dennisdeyoung.com).” The musical debuted in 2009 and enjoyed a national tour through April of 2010. Most reviews on it were very positive with some critics thrown in, however, it was the second musical score for DeYoung, someone who admits he didn’t have any idea about writing for theatre.
(Dennis DeYoung working with the kids of 101 Dalmatians the Musical)
In an interview with Alabama Media Group, Dennis DeYoung talked about the difference between writing a rock song and composing a musical. The six-year process to write Hunchback was long and difficult. De Young said, “The thing about musicals is that they’re the most difficult forms of entertainment in the world…That’s why so many of them are crummy. The collaboration means you have a lot of input and a lot of people to please. You write a song for a band, though, and it’s got to pass muster with two people, and boom, it’s on the record (al.com).” Difficulties aside, DeYoung has successfully created two musical theatre scores which did well in their runs. He hopes to work with the Hunchback of Notre Dame score again to see it in production once more.
(Dennis share his views on writing music with passion. 101 Dalmatians the Musical)
Dennis DeYoung’s artistic journey began in Chicago then moved on to rock stardom with Styx and an acting career. All of which helped him eventually become a writer of two successful musical theatre scores. While most know DeYoung from his rock music, he has proven that he is an all-around talent in the entertainment world and will continue to make his mark on it.
~Jenna Jakes, WOGB
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