Davy, 19, of Beverly, is music director and conductor for the show, and one of the composers of the original score.
“Austin already is having an extraordinary career, and it will just get bigger and bigger,’’ said Burgess Clark, executive artistic director of Boston Children’s Theatre. “He had an early calling and he is one of those unique kids who can make it happen.’’
When Davy was 7, he learned a classical music song from a CD by ear and played in it on the piano. He started taking lessons at 9, and became serious about the piano in high school.
He also became enamored with musical theater, and joined Boston Children’s Theatre as an actor and singer when he was 16. “I learned of his ability as a musician and was blown away,’’ Clark recalled.
Davy became a pianist and assistant musical director for the theater and taught at its summer program. After he made an a cappella arrangement of Madonna’s “Like a Prayer’’ for the theater’s choir, he was asked whether he could do other arrangements.
During his junior year at Beverly High School, he wrote the underscore for the theater’s production of “The Velveteen Rabbit.’’ His senior year, he worked as an organist, singer, piano accompanist, and music director for several local productions.
After graduating from Beverly High last year, Davy enrolled in the University of Hartford’s performing arts conservatory, the Hartt School. He is majoring in piano, but plans to include music direction, musical theater, and composing.
In October, at the initial reading for “Calvin’s Monster,’’ a new musical adapted by Clark and based on the book “Fairy Tale Moments’’ by Marcia Trimble, Davy met Jesse Soursourian, who had written the chords and melody for the score. Davy was brought on board to add the orchestrations, harmonies, and arrangements, and also wrote a few new songs.
