Stephen Schwartz visits MetroStage

There was “magic to do” when Broadway composer Stephen Schwartz arrived at MetroStage for his first look at the premiere of The Stephen Schwartz Project for the 3pm performance on Saturday, April 26th.

An hour before showtime, he sat down with Joel Markowitz (of DC Theatre Scene) to discuss what had attracted him to DC director/choreographer Michael J. Bobbitt’s concept - the unusual takes on his songs and the unconventional arrangements by John Cornelius II.

Schwartz flew to Houston to see the first workshop at Theatre Under The Stars (TUTS). Done with high school students, the concept of a showcase for young talent became part of the show.

Before closing, he talked about his upcoming project for Opera Santa Barbara, an intriguing opera titled Séance on a Wet Afternoon scheduled to open Fall, 2009.

Listen to Joel Markowitz's interview with Stephen Schwartz.

After the performance, he held a talk-back and answered many audience questions and he stayed to sign autographs and take pictures. Below is a photo of Director Michael Bobbitt, Stephen Schwartz and Producing Artistic Director Carolyn Griffin.

Announcing MetroStage's 2008-2009 Season

ROOMS, a rock romance
July 24 - September 7, 2008

Music and Lyrics by Paul Scott Goodman (Bright Lights, Big City)
Book by Paul Scott Goodman and Miriam Gordon
Directed by Scott Schwartz

Monica, an ambitious singer/songwriter and Ian, a hard driving rocker, become creatively and romantically entangled as they journey from their native Glasgow to London and New York and are catapulted into the punk rock explosion and a quest for stardom. A gritty rock musical, Rooms explores the universal desire to escape and create, to love and explore.

Cast will include Broadway performers, Natascia Diaz (Man of La Mancha) and Doug Kreeger (Les Miz). Most recently, Ms. Diaz was seen in Jacques Brel off-Broadway and locally in Kiss of the Spider Woman. Mr. Kreeger will be performing locally this Spring in The Visit.

Originally produced as part of the New York Musical Theatre Festival 2005. A co-production with Geva Theatre, Rochester, NY.

Isn’t It Romantic
November 20 - December 21, 2008

Written and Directed by David Koch
Music Direction by William Knowles

MetroStage favorite Jimi Ray Malary returns to MetroStage after past hit shows Ellington: The Life and Music of The Duke and Nat King Cole: King of Cool. This tribute features the songs that epitomize romance from three of popular music’s most prolific and enduring song writing teams: Jerome Kern, Rodgers & Hart and George & Ira Gershwin.

Direct from the Stackner Cabaret at Milwaukee Repertory Theater, Mr. Malary will be joined by Lori Williams (another MetroStage favorite featured in All Night Strut in 2005.)

Cool Papa’s Party
January 29 - March 8, 2009

Book and Lyrics by Thomas W. Jones II
Original music by William Knowles
Directed by Thomas W. Jones II
Music Direction by William Knowles

A 20th century musical odyssey through the eyes of the "last great American hipster." It is to Sammy Davis, Jr. and Nat King Cole what "Dreamgirls" was to the Supremes, Barry Gordy and Motown. Mr. Cool Papa's life stands on the world stage as a testament to the traveler, the survivor, the conqueror. And what a life defined by artistry, underscored by excellence and distinguished always by style.

Workshopped in Atlanta, this will be the world premiere, by the same artistic team that brought Bricktop and Three Sistahs to MetroStage last season. Featuring MetroStage favorite William Hubbard.

HEROES
April 22 - May 17, 2009

Written by Gerald Sibleyras
Translated by Tom Stoppard
Directed by John Vreeke

"Waiting for Godot" meets "Art"

Three soldiers in a Parisian veterans' home pass the time with tales that are at once achingly funny and piercingly sad. With his rapier wit and dazzling use of language, Tom Stoppard offers a brilliant new translation that mixes comic curmudgeonry, camaraderie and nostalgia.

A smash hit when it premiered in Paris, Heroes received four Moliere nominations. The London production won the 2006 Laurence Olivier Award for Best New Comedy.

CLICK HERE TO SUBSCRIBE NOW TO METROSTAGE'S 2008-2009 SEASON

Check out these moments from The Stephen Schwartz Project

What Everyone Is Saying About The Stephen Schwartz Project

"...the brand-new arrangements by John L Cornelius II soar in Bobbitt's bouncy revue, with medleys that blend well with enough solo material to feature almost every one of the nine bubbly performers." -Jolene Munch, The Examiner

"...Amber Iman Moorer, is still in college but possesses the poise and roof-raising voice of a seasoned professional, as does another student performer, Jobari Parker-Namdar." -Jayne Blanchard, Washington Times

"The Stephen Schwartz Project company (a cast of nine young, gifted performers) bookends the Project with rousing renditions of “The Spark of Creation” from Children of Eden." -GaryMcMillan, DCTheatreScene.com

"Director and choreographer Michael Bobbitt finds new ways to present well-known songs..." -Brad Hathaway, Alexandria Gazette Packet

"...this is a great venue to which I will certainly want to return. The cast showed tremendous talent and seemed to having fun with the material. The costumes were the best I've seen in a long time."

"[Florrie] Bagel enlivens 'West End Avenue' with her big, warm voice and ebullience and sings 'Since I Gave My Heart Away' with admirably straightforward lyricism. [Priscilla] Cuellar also eschews the vocal furbelows for simple, heartfelt singing in her solos 'Defying Gravity' ... and 'Where Is The Warmth.'" -Jayne Blanchard, Washington Times

"This is a lively musical revue... The cast is spirited with fine voices and the choreography is simple but well done."

"Felicia Curry is featured frequently enough to lift any audiences’ spirits, especially in the rousing “Ain’t It Good?” from Children of Eden.... Jobari Parker-Namdar delivers a very sweet rendition of “Cold Enough to Snow” that is heartwarming enough to melt a glacier. Kerry Deitrick sings beautifully through the challenging ballad, “Meadowlark"..." -GaryMcMillan, DCTheatreScene.com

"The cast's youthful appeal and skill with the demands of full-out Broadway-style singing make "The Stephen Schwartz Project" worth seeing." -Jayne Blanchard, WashingtonTimes

"...it was very entertaining... I think everyone should take advantage of this at this price. Where can you go in D.C. where any seat is a great one and be entertained at this cost? No where else."

"If you enjoy seeing a young troupe of talented performers sell the heck out of up-tempo tunes, catch this show." -Brad Hathaway, Alexandria Gazette Packet

Upcoming Special Event: Talk Back with Stephen Schwartz

Stephen Schwartz will attend the 3pm performance on Saturday, April 26th and he will hold a talk-back afterwards for about 30 minutes.

Tickets are still available for $38.00 by calling 800-494-8497 or visiting www.BoxOfficeTickets.com.

Mr. Schwartz was last at MetroStage when he attended a performance of Becoming George on May 2, 2006, and he participated in a panel discussion with director Brett Smock, Michael Kerker (ASCAP) and the authors of "How A New Musical Is Developed."

Schwartz has won almost every major award in his field including 3 Oscars, 3 Grammys, 4 Drama Desk Awards, 1 Golden Globe Award and a self-described "tiny handful of tennis trophies." Although his music has been nominated five times for Tony Awards, and he also received one nomination for Best Book of a Musical, he has not yet won a Tony.

Schwartz wrote lyrics for the successful 2007 Disney film Enchanted, collaborating with Alan Menken. Three songs from the film, "Happy Working Song," "That's How You Know" and "So Close" were nominated for the Academy Award for Best Original Song. A recent project is incidental music for his son Scott Schwartz's adaptation of Willa Cather's My Antonia. He has also written the theme song for the new Playhouse Disney show Johnny and the Sprites, starring John Tartaglia.

He is currently writing an opera based on the film Seance on a Wet Afternoon.

PROMO for The Stephen Schwartz Project

The Stephen Schwartz Project: Now Playing

Priscilla Cuellar sings "Defying Gravity"

Costume Ideas

Costume Designer Emily Dere has been working hard pulling together some contemporary outfits for the cast of The Stephen Schwartz Project.

Take a look at what's she got planned...

The Stephen Schwartz Project BEGINS April 10th

Producing Artistic Director Carolyn Griffin is pleased to announce that the world premiere of a new musical revue, The Stephen Schwartz Project, will open April 10 and run through May 25, 2008 at MetroStage. Conceived, directed and choreographed by Michael Bobbitt, The Stephen Schwartz Project will feature “wicked” new arrangements by John L. Cornelius II of Schwartz’s most beloved music.

In September 2007, this new revue was workshopped in Houston, Texas, with more than 45 students at Houston’s Theatre Under The Stars (TUTS). It included songs from Schwartz's legendary portfolio of award-winning hits; songs such as "Defying Gravity" from his latest blockbuster Wicked, "When You Believe" from the animated film The Prince of Egypt and "Spark of Creation" from Children Of Eden and had audience members jumping to their feet and roaring with approval throughout the performances. Mr. Schwartz was in the audience and was very pleased with the new arrangements. He will be attending the premiere here at MetroStage which will feature nine professional actors from the Washington DC area, and a five piece band.

Director and choreographer Michael Bobbitt is the Artistic Director at Adventure Theatre. He most recently directed and choreographed Petite Rouge at the New York Musical Theatre Festival. Locally he choreographed Once On This Island and Frog and Toad at Round House Theatre. He is currently collaborating with Mr. Cornelius on a musical adaptation of The Bingo Long Traveling All-Stars and Motor Kings. Music Director Doug Bowles is on the voice faculty at American University, is a private voice teacher, and performer and has music directed many shows including Grand Night For Singing, Always Patsy Cline and The Yellow Rose. His company SingCo Music has produced many cabaret style entertainments and includes the SingCo Music Orchestra.

The Stephen Schwartz Project will feature a wide variety of songs from this award-winning composer/lyricist. Songs from Broadway and regional favorites Godspell, Pippin, Children of Eden, The Baker's Wife, The Magic Show and Wicked, and award-winning films Prince of Egypt, Pocahontas and The Hunchback of Notre Dame will be performed with new arrangements and great choreography.

The set designer is Alex Cooper, costumes will be by Emily Dere and the lighting designer is Jason Arnold. Jessica Lee Winfield is the Stage Manager and Kevin Laughon is the Production Manager/ Scenic Artist.

The Stephen Schwartz Project will be in performance from April 10 - May 25, Thursdays and Fridays at 8pm, Saturdays at 3pm and 8pm and Sundays at 3pm and 7pm. Press Night is Sunday April 13 at 7 pm. Tickets are $35-40 and can be reserved by calling 1-800-494-8497 or go to BoxOfficeTickets.com.