Parting words: Travis Ploeger on why “musical improv is a thrill that can’t be replicated”
For nearly two decades, Travis Ploeger has been tickling the proverbial ivories — and the collective funny bone of countless audiences — as Founding Director and one of the primary music directors and accompanists of WIT’s longest-running and hugely popular ensemble, iMusical. Now, the beloved improvised musical group that he created back in 2006 is preparing to bid him a very fond farewell as he moves on to other endeavors… but not before he plays them out on a couple more high notes this coming Saturday at 9PM and next Saturday, July 26, at 9PM. WIT asked Travis to reflect back on iMusical’s origin story and its development, as well as what he’s up to next.
WIT: When did you first experience musical improv and what did you find so alluring about it?
Travis Ploeger: When I was in college at the Hartt School of Music, I taught at the Watkinson School in West Hartford, CT. A drama teacher, choreographer, and I (as a composer) worked with middle school and high school students to create original musical theater, teaching them technique at the same time. That was my first true experience in using improvisation to create musicals. After I graduated and moved to New York, I became the music director for Chicago City Limits (at that time, the longest-running comedy revue in NYC), and I learned to do it at a professional level in front of paying audiences! What makes it so alluring to me? When done right, I believe musical theater excites the brain more than any other artform. And when you add the instant honesty that improvisation can bring? It’s a thrill that literally can’t be replicated.
WIT: What inspired you to start a musical improv group and why did you choose to do it in DC?
Travis: One of the signature pieces at Chicago City Limits was a 25 minute improvised musical, which, while fun, was also full of very jokey and campy moments. I became obsessed with trying to develop an improvised musical form that didn’t rely on spoofing the genre, but actually had moments of depth and heart-pulling amidst the laughter. I wanted audiences to sometimes be almost tricked into thinking that what they were watching was an actual musical, rather than something improvised. I also knew that in order to have an ensemble that could stay together long enough to develop chemistry, I would need to move to a place with less competition and distractions than NYC. When I was ready to move, I had started dating someone who lived in DC… and that made the choice easy! We’ve now been married for almost 19 years and have two kids.
WIT: What were some of the early challenges you faced?
Travis: While the improv comedy talent here in DC was ample and fantastic, and I am so fortunate to have had a great partnership with WIT and its Artistic and Executive Director Mark Chalfant. We really had to build the show from scratch, and I had to teach concepts of both song structure and conventional musical theater and then have those blend with the tenets of longform improv comedy. It took a few years just to really get the tone of the show in the direction that I really wanted: not an improvised musical comedy show, but an improvised musical that happened to be funnier than normal because it was improvised, meaning cast members had to be willing to be vulnerable with their emotions on stage, and not be self-conscious about their singing. (Many of the performers, to this day, have never really performed musical theater until their time in iMusical.)
WIT: What are some of the most significant ways in which the group has evolved since 2006?
Travis: Early on, and to the surprise of many (I think?), I was valuing improv skills way more than singing skills. My gut said that the easier path would be to have a show with witty and bold improvisers who wouldn’t cause unintentional laughter through their voices, rather than a show with great singers whose improv was iffy. And while I definitely had some strong singers in that first cast, well… let’s just say that there were some long rehearsals at some people’s houses where I hoped the walls were thick enough to provide comfort from the foot-banging for downbeat recognition and the frequent vocal “fun” of elementary ear training. As we got more established as a group, and as the natural churn of ensemble members occurred due to life, we were able to be pickier when it came to overall musicality at auditions.
Another big change that has happened more over the last few years, as I have gotten older and (hopefully) a little wiser, is that my directorial style has become less authoritarian and more collaborative. This is partly due to changing cultural dynamics since Covid about how and why people choose to use their free time and energy, particularly when it comes to doing unpaid theatrical work. But I think another reason is the group agreement over what makes our show iMusical rather than another kind of improv show, with music or without. Since the ensemble has not only bought into the vision, but can express it and teach it to themselves and others, my time is spent with less teaching and more playing. It’s really been a privilege to get to work with such talented and wonderful artists.
WIT: Any words of wisdom for aspiring musical improv performers and accompanists?
Travis: First, rehearsals are about the process, and performances are about the product. For both to be successful, you need to value both appropriately. Second, prioritize storylines about sympathetic and believable characters. There is already so much suspension of disbelief needed in the genre of musical theater, doing this will increase the chances of your audience reactions being more favorable… and forgiving. Third, establish rapport with an accompanist through regular and frequent (and, if possible) paid rehearsals with them. It doesn’t have to be money they depend on to pay the mortgage… but it should at least cover their parking and a drink or two after rehearsal. It’s actually not about the money; it’s about what the money represents: their time is valued as a priority that you are willing to pay for. It will also make them less likely to bail for a competing gig!
WIT: What are your future plans and might we see you make an occasional guest appearance with iMusical?
Travis: If iMusical is going to have to cancel a show because their accompanist can’t make it, I’d be delighted to get that call. And I would enjoy the chance to revisit friends and experiences with an occasional guest appearance. But, I am truly excited to see what happens with this idea I had almost 20 years ago, once new perspectives and new energy have had a chance at it. After all, I can’t leave a legacy if I don’t actually leave, right?
I’m beginning my second year teaching music and theater at Kennedy High School in Montgomery County, MD. I’ll be focusing my artistic energy into revitalizing and growing our choir and theater programs, working to enhance student engagement, participation, and overall quality of experiences for not only the students, but for the entire school community. It’s not entirely unlike what I set out to do with iMusical back in 2006! If this new challenge can create even a fraction of that same joy? I’ll be a very happy man.
Photo of Travis Ploeger accompanying an iMusical performance in 2018 by Jeff Salmore.