Ruling Passion - A Musical Comedy About Richard III - Book & Lyrics by Deborah Osment Ryan - Music by Dennis Chandler

Dennis Chandler Gets to Try His Hand at Composing Stage Music

Deborah and Dennis met back in the early '80s after Dennis expressed, to his long-time dear friend and mentor B.B. King, that he wanted to compose music for the stage. The blues legend said he knew the perfect person to introduce him to: Detroit entertainment critic and reporter Deborah Osment Ryan. "Timing seems right for you two creative-types to finally meet", was the way B.B. put it. So they did. It happened when Dennis and his wife Liz were "running on the road" with him, (as B.B. used to call the way family and friends had to catch up with him while he was working on tour). Thanks to B.B. becoming so popular, one of his Motor City gigs was for two weeks in one place. There the foursome got to spend some quality time together (and in a quality place, too, for it was the new Dearborn Town Center Hyatt Regency). B.B., who admittedly loves to oftentimes play "Mother Hen" with such close friends, managed to steer the two creative-types to many a late-night coffee klatch (held in B.B.'s suite after his performances). In addition Deborah-the-music-reporter managed to get other blues legends to come 'round for conversations of the musical kind. (Read: jam sessions) It was during those two wonderful weeks at the Hyatt that Deborah and Dennis spoke of collaborating on a couple of future projects. One such project discussed was her idea of A Musical Comedy about Richard III. That idea appealed to the Composer-in-Chandler. She said she would get back to Dennis after she wrote the book and lyrics so that he could write the music!

A few years later, Deborah did send Dennis the book and lyrics for him to begin working on writing the music. Just as work was begun on the music, Dennis was struck down by cancer! After his incredible battle (and his near-death experience "Go back, my son, it is not yet your time. Your calling is on Earth!"), he completed the score. For Dennis, this play's music is particularly meaningful and seemed fittingly titled "Ruling Passion", for he began the music before he began the treatments for leukemia. Rounds of ravaging chemotherapy left him listless physically but not mentally. Desire to write the-music-in-his-mind gave Dennis a much-needed positive focus.

For Deborah, the play took on a less favorable focus. To explain, after she moved from Detroit to L.A. (reasoning that more opportunity might come her way to do creative writing), she set what would have been for her, easily attainable goals: Become a screenwriter, do movies that make money so that she could mount plays. (Not just her own plays but those of other writers, too.) Her dream lost its luster when one of her sons, David Ryan was killed (tragically in an accident caused by a drunken driver on a Hollywood freeway).

Thus, bittersweet were the rewards of a successful reading of the play (and before an audience of Shakespearean actors, yet). Deborah called Dennis from L.A. to inform her then-convalescing collaborator that "the music was overwhelmingly received!" To quote the lamented, late Norm Maybaum , (then considered "the" premiere theatre figure and power behind the famed Westwood Theatre ), "Incredible music, who is this composer?"

After Dennis' battle with cancer, (click on the bar on the left titled "The Journey" to learn more about his victory over leukemia), it has been a long, long "coming out of the woods", so to speak. Plus, now that time has helped to heal emotional scars, too, Dennis and Deborah feel ready to mount this play and dedicate "Ruling Passion" in memory of Deborah's late son, David.

What's needed now are more Angels. Angels of the Broadway variety, that is... For example, what about someone like an Al Pacino (whose movie "Looking for Richard" speaks volumes of the interest in Richard III), or what about someone like a Kevin Kline (who is famous for his love of things Shakespeare)? Perhaps Deborah and Dennis can get the attention of an Angel known for bringing the best to Broadway... famed choreorgrapher and one often nominated for awards (like a Tony this year for the "Full Monty")... Gerry Mitchell! Calling on any Angels listening out there, in cyberspace.

Forget about Broadway Angels (for now). What about English Angels, i.e., in the town near where Richard III met his demise? Market Bosworth in England?

An open note to The Powers That Be in Bosworth: What say you to "A Staged Reading of Ruling Passion"? Just think, what better place? The Preserved Battlefield where Richard fell. What better time? To stage a reading since it's The 525th Anniversary Year of his passing. Pray tell, "It could happen".

What's In A Name?

In the meanwhile, Deborah Osment Ryan continues to pay her dues. It's not beneath industry friends to tell her in order to draw attention to her work (The play's the thing, remember?) "Put the accent on the "Osment" part of your name!" Why? Who knows? Some Hollywood-types might notice her maiden name. After all, genius is said to run in most families. (But then so does madness.) But, a couple of names on the Osment Family Treedid make it BIG. One is Dolly Parton and the other is the young actor, Joel Haley Osment. (Recall his fine acting in films like "Sixth Sense", "Artifical Intelligence", "Pay It Forward", etc.) It would be wonderful to see him in a role in "Ruling Passion".