Music Direction
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Sondheim on Sondheim
Silhouette Stages | Director
"Music Director Rachel Sandler never fails to impress, and this production is no exception. Sandler has worked hard with these insanely talented folks to make the solo numbers shine, the duets blaze, and the ensemble numbers scorch. The harmonies and blending of voices are Broadway ready. Sandler is a gifted voice teacher and singer in her own right, so she knows what works and what doesn’t. And oh boy, are you in for a treat as you listen to some classic Sondheim tunes, some of which are well known (while others are less known) and some of which have been re-orchestrated which playfully takes the old and gives a new twist. I especially liked the version of “Something’s Coming” (West Side Story), reimagined. The audience is privileged to hear what Sandler has put together, and I’ll leave it at that."
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Head Over Heels
Iron Crow Theatre | Director
"Music Director Rachel Sandler is well known to the [Baltimore] theatre scene and Iron Crow is lucky to have her. Of course, the job is made easier when you have a cast of stellar voices such as this one. Even so, the help of a professional is required to hone harmonies, balance pitches, and draw out the best vocals from the cast and Sandler does this with aplomb. This production uses canned (pre-recorded) music as opposed to a live pit which can be a bit challenging, but this isn’t Sandler’s first rodeo and I could not detect (even if there was one) a missed cue or timing issue."
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Freaky Friday
The Maryland Theatre Collective | Director
"Sandler is a gifted muse when it comes to voice, and what the audience hears is a true testament to her ability to not only teach a score but to ensure that everyone is on their A game from solo numbers to ensemble pieces that ring out with glorious harmonies."
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Ragtime
The Maryland Theatre Collective | Director
"Special praise must be given to Sandler for her double duty as Music Director (with assists from principal vocal coach Carly A. Baron and choirmaster David Zajic) who gets a sumptuous, full sound throughout for this lush, emotional score. Combined with Zajic’s duty as conductor of the superlative orchestra, the music is the star of this elaborate evening, much as it should be, and the team that produced it have exceeded all expectations."
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Rent
The Heritage Players | Director
"Music Director Rachel Sandler gets the rest of the credit for the incredible singing sounds you hear throughout the performance, corralling complex musical harmonies together in a way that just swells to fill the room with both tonal and emotional intensity. Having the entire cast ringing out at their peak vocals and emotional capacity during “Will I?” particularly at the very end of that number, is one of the more stunning vocal moments in the show. Sandler works to bring the duets of the show together in a way that really helps augment the natural talent of the performing cast, guiding some of the performers through some seriously impressive vocal options."
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The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee
Artistic Synergy | Director
"Savior— (noun) “a person who saves, rescues, or delivers.” Musical Director Rachel Sandler is a true savior of this production with her pristine understanding of how to blend sublime harmonies and marry the intricately gorgeous sounds of her nine talented performers. S-A-V-I-O-R. Sandler is the crowning gem in the production team for this performance; the swells of sound, the emotional intensity that drives the group numbers, and the overall smoothness that is created when the company sings is a balm of beauty upon this show.”
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Gentleman Prefer Blondes
The Heritage Players | Director
"Musical Director Rachel Sandler and Director Tommy Malek work together with a bonded sense of productivity to achieve the spectacular performances and strong, stirring sounds from these dated, albeit lovely, musical numbers. “Park Scene” and “Pas De Deux” sound like choral exercises in French but Sandler makes them glorious choral exercises even though they feel somewhat superfluous to the overall performance."
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Sweeney Todd
The Heritage Players | Johanna
"Sandler possesses a siren’s soprano, perfect for the role of Johanna. What’s more is her technical use of her stellar vocal instrument, particularly in her marriage of emotional investment and breath control during “Green Finch and Linnet Bird.”"
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