A Life Forever Changed
By Nicole Madison Garrett
Nineteen years ago, I was living in New York and was submitted to audition for a new musical that was taking place in Jackson Hole, WY. I had no idea where Jackson Hole was and because I speak French, had only one translation for the word, Teton.
Walking into the audition space at Nola Studios, I was introduced to three women: the writer, the director and a bouncy and energetic lady who was accompanying. I didn’t know if I should take her seriously.
I auditioned with an easy 16-bar belt. They liked my sound and asked to hear something else. The accompanist leafed through my book of music and found, The Miller’s Son by Stephen Sondheim from the show, A Little Night Music.
She said with much enthusiasm, “Let’s hear this!”
Was she joking? Everyone in the business knows you do not bring Sondheim into an audition because his music is tough to play! Was she trying to sabotage me? I tried to steer her in another direction, but she insisted. Well, she laid into the intro and my heart soared. This energetic and bouncy woman played Stephen Sondheim’s music better than any accompanist I had met and far better than I could sing it. Her accompaniment made me feel like a star. Little did I know it was Pam Phillips, the Music Director for the show I was auditioning, Petticoat Rules. I am convinced that she got me the job that day and would forever change the course of my life.
I later learned that about 20 years earlier on one fall day in Chicago, Illinois- where Pam was raised- her mother read in Aaron Gold’s gossip column of The Chicago Tribune that the Broadway show, Side By Side, by Stephen Sondheim had just closed in New York and was opening at the Drury Lane Theatre - WaterTower Place. Her mother insisted that her Cincinatti Conservatory graduate audition and Pam followed orders. When she arrived at the Drury Lane Theatre, Pam learned that she would be auditioning for Stephen Sondheim, Hal Prince, and Paul Gemignani; three of Broadway’s top producers and writers! They hired her the same day and her career in musical theatre took off.
Pam played the show, Side by Side by Sondheim and when it closed, she was hired to play, A Chorus Line at the Schubert Theatre and then, Godspell at McCormick Place. She also played jazz, classical, pop and musical theatre at the top of the John Hancock building and was the pianist and Assistant Conductor for the Chicago Company of, Evita, which turned into the first National Tour. Her husband, the late Keith Phillips played second keyboard and they traveled 2 years with Evita, finishing up with a 3-month run in Scandinavia.
In the fall of 1984, Hal Prince and Paul Gemignani asked Pam to play and conduct the Off Broadway show, Diamonds. This moved Pam and Keith to New York City where they worked the musical theatre scene for a little over a decade. They played the orchestra pits and rehearsals of many Broadway and Off Broadway shows and in 1991, Pam was hired to play and conduct what would become the Tony Award Winning musical, Crazy For You. (By the way her son, Andy was born three weeks before she started rehearsing.) When Crazy For You closed, Pam went on to musically direct, Cowgirls and that is where she met writer, Mary Murfitt who would become her friend and writing partner a few years later.
Pam and Keith made a decision to move to Jackson Hole, Wyoming and raise their son, Andy. They moved in 1996 and Jackson Hole had no idea what it was in for. Their musical contribution to this community shifted the type of music being offered. Pam and Keith met Stephen and Lisa Price and talked them into getting a baby grand piano for the lounge of the Granary. Together, they created a jazz night that has been running for 22 years.
Learning about Jackson’s history, Pam contacted Cowgirls writer Mary Murfitt, and they co-wrote the musical, Petticoat Rules: The Jackson Hole Revue. Petticoat Rules celebrated the history of our country’s first all-women town council and the friendship of Cissy Patterson and Rose Crabtree. During this process Pam was also creating Broadway and jazz concerts for the Grand Teton Music Festival and continued this development for over 10 years. She then contributed to play for the festival for another decade.
Pam taught private piano to hundreds of children and adults in this valley and helped with music education in the public schools. Her work in public schools included creating and administering TuneUp; a program that offered music teachers the opportunity to teach children in the classroom. Fully funded by the Grand Teton Music Festival, TuneUp helped preserve classroom music education in Teton County from 2003-2010, and in 2010, Pam and Keith received the Award for Creativity from the Cultural Council of Jackson Hole for their efforts with TuneUp and their many other creative contributions.
But, Pam’s hard work and creativity did not end in Jackson. Pam continued to keep up with projects outside of Jackson Hole. She toured with Manhattan Rhythm Kings, Betty Buckley, Two on Tap, and performed many solo piano concerts around the country, as well as recording two solo albums. She also collaborated with composer David Schlitz on the Broadway show, Tom Sawyer and continued to musically direct, Cowgirls, receiving the Best Music Directing Award for the San Francisco production.
Pam Phillips ability to play jazz, to swing, to play musical theatre, classical, country, R&B, hymns, and just about every other musical genre makes her the most versatile musician in this valley and she brought her deep passion and love of music to St. John’s Episcopal Church and Choir Wednesdays, Sundays, weddings, funerals, baptisms, and holidays for 21 years. We are so lucky to have been blessed with her talent!
When I hear people talk about how great the pianist is at St. John’s Episcopal Church, I inwardly smile because so many people have no idea the tremendous accomplishments of Pam Phillips. But, now you do!
Tags: Music / Worship / Clergy & Staff