'I feel a pull to being here': L.A. record producer finds solace in Newfoundland

Music producer Greg Wells has a love of Newfoundland, even if he can't find the words to explain it.

"I think about being here all the time when I'm not here, and I feel a pull to being here," he told CBC News.

The Los Angeles-based producer is back in the province, visiting his non-profit Trinity Hall in Winterton, a rural community about 140kms from St. John's. 

He came for work, but is also looking for some much needed rest time after a chaotic few months. 

Wells is the music producer for Wicked, starring Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande. The film released in November.  

"Wicked has exploded in a way that none of us really foresaw, " said Wells.

The film is breaking box office records and is nominated for ten Oscar awards, including best soundtrack. 

"Despite only being out for a few months, it is now the highest grossing film musical adaptation of all time," said Wells.

But the career high comes during a time of immense loss.  

Wells and his family are among the ten of thousands of people who lost everything in the Pacific Palisades fires in January. 

Along with his home, Wells lost his recording studio that took over three years to build. He lost a grand piano and even his Grammy awards. 

"But I can't let that knock me over," he said.

On this trip to Winterton, Wells held two special screenings of Wicked at his church-turned venue, and answered questions about the making of the film.

It was his first visit back to Trinity Hall since the fires and two sold out fundraiser shows for the venue hosted by Alan Doyle.

"Everyone kept telling me I needed to connect with Alan Doyle. I just thought, 'I don't want to go to him, because I know he's such a big deal here.' And then he reached out, very sweetly and said, 'How can I help?'"

Those performances raised enough money to keep the hall running for another year. And this week, Wells and Doyle are working on new music together.

Back in California, there are still a lot of unanswered questions for Wells and his family, as they are temporarily living at a friend's house in Santa Barbara.

But, his priorities are clear. 

"Mostly, it's about making sure my kids are OK. I've got to figure out how to dive into Wicked in a really productive way," he said. "Dealing with FEMA (Federal Emergency Management Agency), dealing with the insurance company. I kind of feel like I'm stuck in gel."

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