Oregon Music News

Flutist Kay Ragsdale plays 15 different flutes for The Lion King, which is currently playing at the Keller Auditorium through July 11th. She must be one of very few people in the entire nation who makes her living with such a variety of flutes. To find out more about her work, I talked with her on Friday and peppered her with questions.

How long have you been performing in The Lion King?

Ragsdale: I am an original member of this company; so I’ve been playing in this production for eight years. We just did performance number 3,300.

Wow! That’s got to be almost like a permanent employment gig!

Ragsdale: Yes, it’s like a dream come true for most instrumentalists

Since you’ve played the Lion King so much, could you play the show blindfolded?

Ragsdale: Absolutely not! Every performance is brand new. It’s like opening night. It’s like you’ve never done it before. You really cannot take this for granted. I play 15 flute in the show, and I cannot assume anything. It’s a lot like having 15 children. I hope that they all behave for the company – 2,000 of my best friends – that have come to see us. The instrument that I worry about that night is, of course, the one that behaves, and the one that I didn’t worry about misbehaves.

Why do you need 15 flutes?

Ragsdale: Each flute represents a different character on stage. I’ve got some vertical flutes. You should know that flutes can be vertical or horizontal, and I play flutes for this show that come from around the world. So in addition to the Western flute and piccolo that I play primarily on the Elton John tunes, I play flutes from Ecuador, India, China, Ireland, Germany, the Czech Republic – they are from all over the world.

Simba has his own flute. He has the inline pan pipes. I use a tiny set when Simba is a young cub, and then a bigger set for when he is older in Act II as a teenager. Nala is similar. She has a little tiny Chinese D’tzi. It is the size of your toothbrush. Its bore is the size of pencil lead. As Nala gets older in the second act, she gets a larger flute to represent how she has aged. Rafiki has a flute that you hear.

There’s a big flute that is a bansuri from India. It’s one of the largest of the transverse flutes. It is equal to our Western alto flute. But unlike Western flutes that have key extensions that can cover holes, the bansuri is keyless; so the distance between some of the holes is gigantic. So, it’s a challenging instrument to play. They have that very deep, low sound and represent the character of Mufasa.

Mufasa’s brother Scar has one of the largest flutes from the pan-pipe family. This one comes from Ecuador. It is called a poyo. It’s over five feet high; so you have to stand up to play it. It’s a South American style of pan pipe with two rows, instead of one single row that you find in Europe. In addition, for Scar, the style of music is different; so his character is quite distinct.

The Chinese D’tzi have an additional hole between the embouchure hole and the first finger hole. Over that additional hole you apply a membrane, which is actually the interior lining of a bamboo plant. This creates the sound of a kazoo, which a very traditional sound for China and other mainland Asian countries. It’s great for the jungle scenes for the birds.

It sounds like you are very busy throughout the entire show.

Ragsdale: Right; there’s no down time for me in the show. When one tune ends, I have to switch instruments for the next set. I have a music stand that has four trays attached to it, so that I can put all of my horizontal flutes of the trays. I have the organized; so I know exactly where each one is.

I have four sets of pan pipes, in addition to the two Simba pan pipes. There’s one set for the hyenas. I have them arranged on collapsible dish drainers. I also have another floor stand on which I can put flutes. If I can’t get to the poyo in time, then I’ve disassembled another one of my poyos so that I can pit up just the notes that I need.

On my lap, I keep two towels. I’ve arranged the flutes that I need for the next seven scenes so that they can warm up to body temperature.

Each instrument has wood or bamboo from different area of the globe; so they cool down and warm up at different rates. I have to be careful so that they don’t crack. Cold air in a bamboo tube will hasten cracking.

I spent an incredible amount of time in preparation – much of it for the choreography of how to turn the page of music and pick up the right instrument.

If you are sick, and the show has to hire someone as a replacement; wouldn’t that person freak out when they see all of these flutes?

Ragsdale: If I need a replacement for the evening, we make sure that we call someone who has done the show in the past. We have a company in New York for that purpose. There used to be two touring companies doing the Lion King; so there are a couple of other players who can fill in.

I enjoy showing these flutes to flute players around the country. Most regular American flute players don’t know that these flutes exist. One of my missions is to invite other flutist to see this collection.

Do you own all of these flutes that you use in the show?

Ragsdale: Yes, I do own these instruments. And Disney has purchased a backup set of instruments that I can use just in case something breaks. I keep the backups with me in the orchestra pit; so that I can pick up a backup in case I’ve got a critical problem.

I do all of my own repairs as well. I have to oil these instruments, and sometimes the oil is very specific. The bamboo instruments require oil that is indigenous to the area where the bamboo grew. I use a different oil on the Indian flutes, and another type of oil for the Chinese flutes, and so on.

I also spend a lot of time playing these instruments. You have to play the backups to get them ready for the show. If you don’t play them, then they will crack. Especially when you are in a tour like this one, you have to be right on top of the instruments. We traveled from Alaska to San Diego, for example. That’s two really different climates that can affect the flutes.

For me the best character in the show is the audience. It’s great to listen to the reaction of the audience to the music!

What is your background and training?

Ragsdale: I did my undergraduate degree at Indiana University and my masters in flute performance at Northwestern University. Then I played with the Chicago Civic Orchestra, and became an extra – a substitute in the Chicago Symphony for about 12 years. I was also a freelancer with the Grant Park Orchestra and the Chicago Lyric Opera Orchestra. I started to play the mega-musicals in 1989 – when Les Misérables came to Chicago and Phantom of the Opera and Miss Saigon.  I was able to continue on with Miss Saigon on its first national tour, played it on Broadway, then went on the second national tour.

I saw The Lion King the night that Princess Diana died. It was in the pre-Broadway try out in Minneapolis. I talked my way into a sold out show by purchasing a full-price ticket for an obstructed-view seat. It was right behind a pole. I stood during the entire show, and thought that this was the greatest thing I had ever seen, and hands down the best flute part I had ever heard.

The next night, I got to sit in the orchestra pit, and I sat way in the back, but I could see the flute player picking up one different flute after another, and I thought that this is for me! I went to New York to audition for the part. Then I had to wait three years to find out if I got the part. In the meantime, I got the part to play in Les Misérables on Broadway. Then 9/11 happened and Les Misérables closed. But I got a call for The Lion King!

Fortune strikes again!

Ragsdale: So the moral is never give up! I’m the luckiest person in the world. I’ve got the best job in the show!