By: Savannah Halle
Daniel Walter, a first-year Music Education & Composition major, challenged himself with a brand new task: sound design on St. Norbert’s production of the musical Company. Company follows the story of Robert, a bachelor who contemplates the idea of marriage on his 35th birthday, and his friends as they explain the pros and cons of having a spouse.
Though the specifics of sound designing may prove to be difficult, Daniel is bringing years’ worth of experience to Knights Theater. He has previously played Seymour in Little Shop of Horror, Eddie in Mamma Mia! and the Frog in St. Norbert’s fall play: Wonderland! Not only has he had plenty of experience in the spotlight, but he has also worked countless jobs behind the scenes. From serving as a student director in The Lion King Jr. to being the music director for Shrek. Jr. His dream role is to play either Billy Flynn in Chicago, or Tevye in Fiddler on the Roof. After seeing the Broadway shows Finding Neverland and Matilda during a New York trip in 2015, a passion was sparked within him. He knew from then on that the magic of the music and live performance was something he wanted to keep in his life for a long, long time. Daniel tries to participate in at least one musical a year and was planning to start getting involved right away at St. Norbert. When he heard that the theatre was putting on Company, a musical written by his favorite musical composer, Stephen Sondheim; he knew he had to get involved. The typical routine of an audio designer usually involves fiddling with the audio board; like checking the microphones, coding in sound effects, and adjusting the music for both the audience and the cast. Daniel will work on that for a few hours before joining the pit orchestra or the cast for their rehearsal. This process is both an independent and collaborative activity, and certainly has its own challenges and difficulties with every rehearsal. After working with this show during J-Term, he is most excited to hear Emma Peterson (Joanne) sing “Ladies Who Lunch” and Evan Larson (Robert) sing “Being Alive.” He was looking forward to it even before rehearsals began.
Being part of the Honors program has helped Daniel while working with Company in many ways. Through the program, he has learned how to manage his limits and how much he’s able to handle to maintain a healthy work-life balance. While he is working on the musical, he has found ways to manage his stress in a healthy and happy way. Though he hasn’t yet been able to take any theater classes with his heavy class load, being able to partake in all of the theater opportunities that St. Norbert provides the perfect amount of theater in his life. To learn more about the shows performed at St. Norbert, check out Knights on Broadway and The Arts at SNC on the college’s website.
