Realize everyone you meet is a new contact that can be a potential lead to an entertainment employment opportunity. Follow up, help out, and always be kind. Two different guys that I gave employment to early in their music careers now run major Publishing Companies. Both these men are now very helpful to me, and someone I can always call for a favor.
As a part of our series about creating a successful career in theatre, I had the distinct pleasure of interviewing Mark Brymer.
Working in New York City, Los Angeles, and Dallas, turnkey producer Mark Brymer has carved out a singular profile as the man who can arrange almost anything in entertainment. In his successful, decades-long career, the music producer, theatrical producer, author, arranger, orchestrator, and composer has stayed relevant and kept busy in the ever-shifting entertainment industry through seeing change as an opportunity for growth.
Most recently, when Six Flags Entertainment Corporation became interested in the explosion of immersive/in-person experiences, they called Mark. Now, he’s premiering the captivating Halloween experience, Dr. H.H. Holmes’ FREAKSHOW at the Six Flags Over Texas theme park. Mark’s groundbreaking Dr. H.H. Holmes’ FREAKSHOW promises to raise the bar for theme park theatrical productions through employing Broadway talent in the production.
Over the years, Mark has parlayed his gifts as a musical arranger and composer into a vastly varied career in the entertainment industry. He is a global trailblazer in both the children’s music education and entertainment industries with such clients as McGraw-Hill, Disney, Warner Bros., Hal Leonard, Music Theater International, and Rhino Records. Mark co-wrote and produced the title song, “Digga Digga Dog,” for Disney Film Studios’ 102 Dalmatians, starring Glen Close. He’s written and produced over 150 live production musical shows for Six Flags theme parks. In addition, he’s written, produced, and mixed scores for the dinner/arena attractions Pirate’s Voyage and Dolly Parton’s Stampede. Since 1995, Mark has headed up the full-service music and live theatrical show production company, WOW! Entertainment, Inc.
Thank you so much for joining us in this interview series! Can you tell us the story of how you grew up?
My family moved quite a bit until I reached Junior High, from Florida, to South Carolina, to New Jersey, to Tennessee to St. Louis, MO. I typically say I grew up in St. Louis.
St. Louis is a great arts town. From the Muny Opera Summer Musicals, to a wonderful symphony, and Julliard trained piano teachers, to arts in the public schools, I received a wonderful music education.
Can you share a story with us about what brought you to this specific career path?
When I turned 16, I really wanted to get a job at the new theme park in the St. Louis area called Six Flags Mid-America. It seemed to be a “cool” place to work, and I felt lucky to be hired. Unfortunately, I landed a job in Food & Beverage working in back kitchens at various in-park restaurants. This was not the “cool” job I had hoped for. I found out about an opening running spotlight at the Palace Theater in the park, and got it. The Food & Beverage department was more than willing let this slow working 16 year old move departments. Once I started the spotlight job in the Entertainment Department, I’ve worked on shows for Six Flags Theme Parks ever since.
None of us are able to achieve success without some help along the way. Is there a particular person who you are grateful towards who helped get you to where you are? Can you share a story about that?
At the time I started working at Six Flags, the corporate VP of Entertainment was Mr. David Blackburn, who ran the internal Show Productions department for all the parks in the Six Flags chain. I met Mr. Blackburn in my third year of employment at SFMA. I had started playing piano in the band at the Palace Theater. Mr. Blackburn was always giving opportunities to young people who worked in the entertainment department. He soon gave me opportunities to be an audition pianist for multiple parks for the next couple of years. From that point on, my goal became to start writing some of his theme park shows. In college I began arranging cabaret style show for groups of singers. I made a demo of one of these performances and sent it to David Blackburn and at the same time, I transferred to UNT, in Denton, just north of Dallas, TX in order to study music arranging in my fourth year of college. That fall, Mr Blackburn offered me an opportunity to write two different shows at Six Flags Over Texas, the premier park in the Six Flags chain. I would not be where I am today, if I hadn’t received this incredible break at such a young age.
You probably have a lot of fascinating experiences. Can you tell us the most interesting story that happened to you since you began your career?
Getting the opportunity to write songs with, and produce vocals for Dolly Parton was a true highlight of my career. I still remember the day Dolly called me on my cell phone. Dolly and I worked multiple times in the both Nashville and Los Angeles studios on songs for her Dolly Parton’s STAMPEDE and her PIRATES VOYAGE Dinner Arena attractions in Branson, Pigeon Forge and Myrtle Beach.
It has been said that our mistakes can be our greatest teachers. Can you share a story about the funniest mistake you made when you were first starting? Can you tell us what lesson you learned from that?
Once, when I was producing a vocal with Dolly Parton in the studio, I thought she was sounding a little too raspy. Instead of saying why, I just asked her to take a sip of water before she sang her next vocal line. She did, and we moved on. A little later in the session I made a similar request. She stopped and asked me if she needed to take a “big spit” to make me happy? Clearly, I was mortified, but we both laughed and I told her what I had been thinking. She relaxed the entire room by saying, “well then, just tell me”. I learned that day that it’s important, no matter how big the star is you’re working with, to just to relax, be honest and be yourself.
What are some of the most interesting or exciting projects you are working on now?
It’s hard to top my 2023, writing and producing 9 different shows for Six Flags Over Texas. This year, we’re remounting most of those shows for SFOT. I have been presenting these shows to other Six Flags theme parks to possible produce for their park in 2024.
I’m most excited about a new show concept my team and I are conceiving for 2025. Again it will involve spectacular specialty acts, multiple video and lighting components, along with talented singers and dancer. I’ve also been able to bring in one Broadway’s hottest new choreographers, Karla Puna Garcia, too this exciting new project. Stay tuned for more info on this spectacular.
You have been blessed with success in a career path that can be challenging. Do you have any words of advice for others who may want to embark on this career path, but seem daunted by the prospect of rejection, lack of support, or failure?
Yes, I have been blessed with an incredible career. I always encourage young people interested in a career in Entertainment to help everyone they can along their way. Don’t say “no” and reject, say “yes”. Helping might be volunteering to sing or dance in a project, help find a costume, run a spotlight, or work your social media channels to help them. You never know who will become a big star in the future. A simple favor you did for someone starting out, can turn into a future opportunity you never imagined.
Which tips would you recommend to your colleagues in the live performance industry to help them to thrive and not “burn out”?
Keep training and learning new aspects in the entertainment industry. This is not only good for your brain, but you never know where the next opportunity will appear in the forest of entertainment.
What are your “5 Things You Need To Create A Highly Successful Career in Broadway, Theater or Live Performances” and why?
- Training is crucial. Yes, some people are born with “it”, but training can help anyone possess “it”. For training, I’m a big believer in the “ten-thousand-hour rule” discussed in the book, “Outliers”.
- Realize everyone you meet is a new contact that can be a potential lead to an entertainment employment opportunity. Follow up, help out, and always be kind. Two different guys that I gave employment to early in their music careers now run major Publishing Companies. Both these men are now very helpful to me, and someone I can always call for a favor.
- Being located in a major Entertainment locale is very important for creating opportunities. The five years I lived in Los Angeles were not my most successful, but were invaluable in my entertainment education that helped be achieve success in the years that followed.
- Diversify as you grow your talent. While doing one thing very well is wonderful, it might become the thing that people suddenly don’t want to see or hear. Diversification in your Entertainment abilities will enable you to pivot quickly.
- See as many shows and performances as you can. It’s invaluable. It gives you incredible ideas and reveals new pathways to your future in entertainment.
For the benefit of our readers, could you describe how the skill-sets you need in a theater performance are different than the skill-sets you need for TV or Film?
My career focus is really only geared to a live theatrical experience and the music listening experience. TV and Film are a very different animal.
You are a person of enormous influence. If you could inspire a movement that would bring the most amount of good to the most amount of people, what would that be? You never know what your idea can trigger. 🙂
Bring kindness to all that you do and want to achieve.
Can you please give us your favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Can you share how that was relevant to you in your life?
Nothing comes to mind. Sorry. ☹
We are very blessed that some very prominent names in Business, VC funding, Sports, and Entertainment read this column. Is there a person in the world, or in the US with whom you would love to have a private breakfast or lunch, and why? He or she might just see this if we tag them.
I’d like to meet with Richard A. Zimmerman, the President and Chief Executive Officer of Cedar Fair. He’s worked his way up in the theme park industry and turned all the Cedar Fair parks into a family friendly, live show friendly, exciting experience. He’s also helping lead the merger between Six Flags and Cedar Fair theme parks, which will create an incredible powerhouse in the Theme Park industry. “Mr. Zimmerman, let’s do lunch!”
How can our readers continue to follow your work online?
Your readers can follow me and my company, WOW ENTERTAINMENT on FB or LinkedIn, or on our website, wowentertainment.net. I can also be reached anytime at [email protected].
This was very meaningful, thank you so much! We wish you continued success!