- Stephen Schwartz on The Stephen Schwartz Project
- Interviewed by Joel Markowitz
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.
An hour before showtime, he sat down with Joel Markowitz 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 the conversation here.
And what were his reactions to the production?
In the talk-back session after, he told the packed house he admired how the cast took his songs and ran with them. “There are future stars in this cast.”
Director/choreographer Bobbitt passed on more notes from the visit. “The kids who grew up loving Stephen Schwartz songs are really digging this re-invention. John and I will look at ways to open the show so that Broadway fans know they are in for a different kind of night – we may change the title somewhat, and work in some new text explaining the project.
Other thoughts? Maybe drop a song and add one from Enchantment. I was excited to see how much Stephen liked the show at this stage. I’m thinking it needs one more workshop and then – who knows?”
Well, my wife and I love Stephen Schwartz (he’s my wife’s favorite composer) and we loved the show. Although the arrangements were different from the original, we loved what they did with the music. Yes, it was not the original, but what a way to pay tribute to the man’s music. Even Schwartz himself seemed pleased with what had been done and he expressed it at the Talk Back. He’s such a personable man and my wife truly cherishes the autograph gave her.
For those who read the earlier reviews, from several people who have seen the show more than once, the sound engineer seems to have gotten the message and significantly toned down the amplification. A touch on the loud side, but not painful and definitely enjoyable.
On the flip side, there are a couple of numbers that could use some rethinking. There were three ballads that turned into a “park and bark” performance where the performer did not move a lot. Although they did have nice voices, this tended to break the rhythm of the show up a little. I thought the little bits that were thrown into “Meadowlark” definitely kept the rhythm going, but the others need a little work at this point. The show definitely exhibits promis and the case truly show off their able talents, but could still use a little ore work.