Craig Barna remembers his years growing up in Saratoga fondly.

"It's a great place to grow up. I was very fortunate," he says.

At a young age, Barna's interest in music became noticeable to his parents.

"Probably around age 4 or 5 is when I really started getting into musical instruments. My parents realized it and put me in situations that helped me grow. They exposed me to a lot of culture when I was very young," Barna recalls. "When they realized my interest, they did as much as they could to encourage me. I was very lucky."

Barna says his parents, Lillian and Eugene, who still live in Saratoga, enrolled him in a local program called Music Craft.

"It was sort of like a musical preschool; it was very revolutionary for its time. It was a great way to be introduced to music. I got my musical background there," he remembers. "I studied with Sue Shannon and Clarice Lincoln in Saratoga; they were my instructors."

Barna went on to attend Saratoga High School, and started working with San Jose Civic Light Opera—now called the American Musical Theater of San Jose—playing keyboards for many of their shows. Barna says he also participated in some of the drama productions at his high school.

"I did some plays there. Judy Sutton was the drama teacher," Barna remembers. He says the program at Saratoga High School is a great place for theater hopefuls to get their start. "They did a lot of different plays. It was a great training ground. I was lucky to be in an area that afforded so many opportunities to a young performer."

Barna continued his studies at the University of Arizona in Tucson, and his career definitely started kicking into high gear.

Today, at the age of 48, Barna has many accolades to speak of. He has conducted shows on Broadway, shows in Los Angeles, and for many prestigious stock and regional theater companies across the country. He has conducted national tours of Singin' in the Rain and Grease, starring Jack Wagner, and has worked on both the Broadway and touring productions of Jesus Christ Superstar with Ted Neeley and Carl Anderson, and the ever-famous Cats.

Some may recognize him from a few of his TV appearances as well—Barna has appeared on The Today Show, The Rosie O'Donnell Show, the televised 1999 Tony Awards, and the A&E TV production of Peter Pan.

In addition, he has also conducted concerts for Presidents Ford and Bush.

Barna says one aspect of the industry he especially loves is when he gets to record productions he has worked on. He has recorded albums with Jay Records and the London National Symphony Orchestra.

"I've been very lucky in that I've been able to record many of my productions, and now I have recordings of a lot of my work," he says. He says he looks forward to his trips to London to record at Abbey Road. For those who recognize that name, it is the same studio the Beatles used to record in, and Barna says he often gets to play the same piano the legendary band used.

For live musical theater, Barna says the position he is most often hired for is that of musical director. In fact, that is the role he is playing currently, on a 35-week tour of Peter Pan, starring Cathy Rigby. The touring company is now in town for a run with the American Musical Theater of San Jose, presented at the Center for the Performing Arts in downtown.

As the musical director of a major musical theater production such as this one, Barna says he has many tasks to care of.

"I'm wearing a few different hats on this show. The producers wanted the show re-orchestrated, so I was called upon to do additional dance arrangements and vocal arrangements," he explains. "The job itself involves teaching all the new performers the show and all the vocals—anything musical in the show that happens, I teach them. It's also working with all the local orchestras when we get into each town."

Barna explains that for this touring production, he is traveling with a staff of four other musicians—the drummer and three keyboard players, including one keyboard player who is also the assistant conductor. Occasionally, Barna says, the assistant will conduct rehearsals, allowing Barna to sit in the audience where he can observe and take notes. "I'm also the contractor on the show, so I hire all the travel musicians, and I am the liaison with the local contractors who hire the local musicians that play in each city across the country," he says.

Touring companies can be a unique experience, with much less time to get all the pieces together than a normal show affords. Barna said this production began in La Mirada, Calif. The local show was put together in 10 days, with a few days of rehearsal for each musical element of the show, such as vocals, orchestra, and so forth. The sets and backdrops arrive on long trucks and are moved in by crew members hired through a local union.

The final piece of the puzzle that Barna provides as musical director is to conduct the show during performances.

Peter Pan most recently wrapped up in Las Vegas, and is now in San Jose through Nov. 7.