Naruto, a teenage boy in Hidden Leaf Village in Japan, is fighting to become his village’s Hokage, an honor bestowed on the strongest ninja. After years of ostracization and ridicule as a boy, he resolves to earn his village’s respect by forming strong friendships, accomplishing impossible tasks, and overcoming all obstacles.

Naruto’s stubborn optimism and unshakeable confidence have earned him a place as one of the most popular anime characters of all time. The anime series ran for 220 episodes, prompting spin offs, movies, and more. And now, fans can watch the show alongside a live orchestra.

Emily Marshall

Before NARUTO: The Symphonic Experience comes to the Ellie Caulkins Opera House on April 1, check out this interview with the conductor and music supervisor, Emily Marshall.

DCPA: What does a typical day as conductor and music supervisor include?

EM: We have a 17-piece band and orchestra that we’re traveling across the country with. As the conductor and music supervisor, I’m in charge of holding rehearsals, leading soundcheck, managing the band, and then conducting the shows each night.

DCPA: How is conducting alongside a recorded visual element different than conducting a live Broadway performance?

EM: I worked in the world of Broadway for several years before I started conducting these film concerts. On Broadway, a lot of conducting is actually done from the piano. So, I would be playing the piano and using my head and my hands (when I could) to conduct the rest of the band.

Stick conducting for an orchestra is totally different. It feels more like I’m creating my own musical language without playing an instrument. I also find there are more moments to connect with the rest of the orchestra than if I was conducting from behind the piano.

As for this concert, there are a lot of technical elements that go into shows like these. We travel with a crew who sets up the videos and technical pieces, including a video monitor that works like it does in a film scoring session. There are streamers that run along the screen, which mark different moments and cues in the music, as well as a measure counter to let us know where we are in the music. I’m constantly watching the monitor, reading the cues, and listening to and leading the orchestra.

DCPA: As a musician, is there anything particularly exciting about Naruto’s music?

EM: The show features segmented bits from the series, what I like to call the ‘greatest hits.’ It’s not like we’re playing a full three to five minute song at one time. We’ll play t30 seconds in one style, and then a fight sequence will happen, and then it’s another minute in another style. It can be tricky to follow so many moving pieces, but it’s also a lot of fun.

This is also one of the first live concert performances I’ve done with vocalists. They’re so incredibly talented, and I think it adds a cool pop-rock element to the show.

The music is exciting and fast-paced, and I think it gets the audience really invested in the performance.

DCPA: Do you see audience members dressed as characters from the show? Does having that kind of committed audience fuel your performances at all?

EM: Absolutely. I don’t get to see the audience too often since I’m turned around to face the orchestra, but the moments I do see them are so special.

There’s a little speech at the beginning of the show, where we tell the audience this isn’t a traditional, buttoned-up, stuffy orchestra performance. We invite them to cheer at their favorite moments or when they see their favorite character. We want the audience to have fun, and we’re inviting them on this ride with us. Seeing them in character or whatever brings them on the journey is exciting for them, and ultimately, it’s exciting for us too, because we feel and feed off their energy.

DCPA: How did you get your start in the music industry?

EM: I started playing piano when I was seven, and I think I always knew that I wanted to have a career in music, but I wasn’t sure what exactly I wanted to do. When I was in college, I initially pursued audio production and got into the classical performance program. Trying different things showed me that I loved the collaborative elements of music, playing and working with other people.

Then, someone asked me to music direct a theatre performance. I didn’t really know what that meant at the time – but I knew I liked the words ‘music’ and ‘directing.’ I realized then that music directing for theatre allowed me to combine many of my different skills, acting as a kind of liaison between the different languages everyone spoke, from the choreographers to the singers and musicians.

I worked on Broadway for many years and ultimately turned to these concert series. There’s not one specific path you take for this career, so I’ve been forging my own and finding what works best for me.

DCPA: What are some of your favorite parts about touring for these concert series?

EM: Since I’ve done a few tours now, I find it really fun to revisit cities I’ve been to before. I have my favorite little shops and restaurants, and even favorite dressing rooms at different theatres.

I think traveling is such an amazing way to experience different cultures, from trying new foods to meeting so many new people. It’s really cool that my career has afforded me the possibility to travel to all of these different places, meet all of these people, and experience all of these things that I wouldn’t have been able to otherwise. I’m so grateful that’s the case.

DCPA: To close this out, we have one final question. If you could conduct any movie or show live in concert, what would you choose?

EM: That is such a tough question, there are so many to choose from. I think I would choose a movie with a fantastic score, something like Lord of the Rings or Titanic. I’ll just have to wait and see what comes along next!