This Classic episode goes back to 2021 with drummer Rich Rosenzweig. At the time, he was playing the drum chair for Company. Today, he is the drummer for Ragtime at Lincoln Center. Part One focuses on his early years, his training, and his path into the Broadway world.

What we cover in this episode

* How Rich transitioned from piano lessons to drums.

* Growing up in a home filled with music and support for the arts.

* Group snare drum lessons in grammar school and early practice habits.

* Playing in the basement, practicing with records, and discovering big band.

* Hearing Buddy Rich, Basie’s band, and how those experiences shaped his sound.

* Getting into jazz as a teenager and forming his first jazz groups.

* Studying at UNC Chapel Hill and balancing music with a liberal arts education.

* His obsession with film, film scores, and composers like Bernard Herrmann and Ennio Morricone.

* Moving to New York with pianist Frank Kimbrough and building a freelance life.

* Playing weddings, club dates, and the slow grind toward professional theater work.

* Watching Ray Marchica play The Will Rogers Follies and learning what Broadway drumming really requires.

* Subbing under conductor Eric Stern and facing a click track for the first time.

* Landing his first Broadway chair on State Fair and what he learned from that experience.

* Why Broadway drumming demands consistency, reading skills, groove, and a full understanding of the storytelling behind the music.

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Why this episode matters

* It gives a clear picture of how a Broadway drummer builds a career from scratch.

* It highlights the mix of training, influences, timing, and relationships that shape a long career on Broadway.

* It shows how jazz, film music, and classical Broadway scoring all feed into a drummer’s approach and musical identity.

* It offers practical insight for anyone who wants to pursue theater drumming at a high level.

Part Two will be released next week.

Clayton Craddock is the drummer for the upcoming Broadway revival of Cats: The Jellicle Ball, opening at the Broadhurst Theatre on April 7th. He is also the founder of Broadway Drumming 101 and the author of the forthcoming book Broadway Bound and Beyond: A Musician’s Guide to Building a Theater Career.

His Broadway and Off-Broadway credits include tick, tick…BOOM!, Memphis, Lady Day at Emerson’s Bar and Grill, Ain’t Too Proud, and The Hippest Trip: The Soul Train Musical, along with extensive subbing on shows such as Rent, Motown, Evita, Avenue Q, and the Hadestown tour.

Clayton is currently on tour with The Rock Orchestra and has appeared on The View, Good Morning America, The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, The Today Show, and the TONY Awards, and has performed with artists ranging from Chuck Berry and Ben E. King to Kristin Chenoweth and Norm Lewis.

www.claytoncraddock.com

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