Composer Stephen Schwartz has given us the music for the shows The Magic Show, Working, Rags and The Baker’s Wife. Some of his other shows, however, are probably better known: Pippin, Godspell and Wicked. All his work will be celebrated in Kaufman Music Center’s Broadway Close Up: Stephen Schwartz which will run on Monday, December 7th and remain available through December 9th.
Coming together to celebrate Schwartz are three performers: Nikki Renée Daniels, Sean Hartley and Gabrielle Stravelli.
Daniels was just about to open in the revival of Stephen Sondheim’s Company when the pandemic forced the closing of theatre. She appeared as Clara in the 2012 production, The Gershwins’ Porgy and Bess and has also appeared in The Book of Mormon and the 2011 revival of Cole Porter’s Anything Goes.
Hartley is the producer and host of Broadway Close Up and also serves as director of the musical theatre division at Kaufman Music Center. He’s written lyrics for multiple musicals including Love and Real Estate with one of my favorite composers, Sam Davis.
Stravelli is no stranger to my columns at Cultural Attaché. She’s a wonderful vocalist and jazz singer whose old soul and song stylings betray her age. She’s insanely talented.
In addition to his theater credits, Schwartz has composed songs for Disney’s Pocahontas and The Hunchback of Notre Dame. He collaborated with Alan Menken on both films. A stage version of Hunchback has been for several years with a well-received production at New Jersey’s Paper Mill Playhouse in 2015.
With songs like Meadowlark, Magic to Do, Day by Day, Popular and Colors of the Wind, there will be plenty of material to choose from and opportunities for the cast to shine.
Tickets are $15 and allow for viewing for 48 hours. After the performance there will be a Q&A with Hartley.
Photo of Stephen Schwartz by Ralf Rühmeier/Courtesy StephenSchwartz.com
