Lifeline Theatre’s production of “The Adventures of Pinocchio” is performed by actors and puppets, but it never really occurred to composer Michael Vitali that many of the songs would be performed by a wooden boy. “Pinocchio is a marionette and he sings parts in about 10 out of the 13 numbers and I have to admit that I fought the idea a little bit,” he recalls. “But when I saw Pinocchio perform, it was only weird for about 30 seconds.
Vitali also collaborated on the lyrics with Steve Totland, who wrote the adaptation. Vitali studied Italian folk music of the last two or three centuries before writing the score for Pinocchio.
“I used different styles like the Broadway musical or English music-hall style for “Favor for a Friend,” sung by Cat and Fox, who are two conmen who try to swindle Pinocchio out of his money, and a more operatic or operetta style for the Blue Fairy because she is a gentle guide and I wanted a more delicate sound.”
Totland’s adaptation, Vitali says, is quite faithful to the original version written by Carlo Collodi. Vitali tried to put himself on the same wavelength as the marionette.
“In a way, creating the emotion is like acting,” he says. “I tried to become Pinocchio and picture myself in a black forest in the middle of the night with scary sounds, and then I tried to open up my imagination and hear what music should be playing.”
Vitali grew up in Philadelphia and studied chemistry in college and then worked in advertising. All along, though, he was a closet composer.
One day, after seeing actress Donna Blue Lachman in a play, he happened to see her at a restaurant. He went over to talk to her and ended up writing the music for a play in which she portrayed Mexican artist Frida Kahlo.
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For Vitali, the real highlight of composing comes after the work is done.
“Music is an art of communication,” he explains. “When I read a script and I feel scared or happy, I try to translate that into musical terms, and when I see the audience respond, it’s worth writing home about.”
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“The Adventures of Pinocchio,” begins Jan. 14. Showtimes are 7 p.m. Fridays, 3 and 7 p.m. Saturdays, 1 and 5 p.m. Sundays through Feb. 27, Lifeline Theatre, 6912 N. Glenwood Ave., $5-$12, recommended for ages 6 and older (children under 3 not admitted); 312-761-4477. Some of the cast has been ill, so please check first to see if any performances have been cancelled.