The cast of TheWestWing reminisce about famed cellist Yo-Yo Ma's unforgettable appearance.
"When we did the Yo-Yo Ma piece," director and executive producer Thomas Schlamme immediately replied referring to the season 2 episode titled "Nöel." "That was extraordinary for all of us, that Yo-Yo Ma showed up. He showed up at 6:30 in the morning before call with a cello on his back, basically, a Stradivarius, which he allowed everyone to play.
In the episode, Ma performed the prelude to Bach's Cello Suite No.1 in G Major during the Congressional Christmas party. And the musician was a total pro on set, Schlamme shared. When the director told the musician they could prerecord his piece and mime playing when the cameras rolled, he demurred and opted to play live "for like 74 takes," Schlamme recalled.
Back to that duet with Hill and Ma, it actually happened offscreen. The actor, who is an accomplished professional tap dancer, passed time between takes by figuring out how to tap along to Ma's notes, and it left those present in awe. "Dulé started to do this tap dance and Yo-Yo Ma started playing the cello and it was the most beautiful moment of the absolute essence of creativity," Schlamme remembered.
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