Everything old is new again
‘Schwartz Project’ Dazzles at
MetroStage
JeanneTheismann
For nearly 40 years, the music and lyrics of
Stephen Schwartz have been entertaining audiences on Broadway.
Now, it’s
Conceived, directed and choreographed by Michael J.
Bobbitt, “The Stephen Schwartz Project” is a musical revue of songs from
Schwartz’s many works in theater, film and television.
From “Godspell,” which
Schwartz scored when he was just 23 years old, to the recent blockbuster
“Wicked,” Bobbitt has created a masterpiece in this rousing musical tribute to
the award-winning Schwartz.
With a cast of nine multi-talented performers,
Bobbitt brings to life 28 of Schwartz’s best, if not always most well-known,
songs from Broadway shows like “Pippin” and “The Magic Show,” and films like
“Pocahontas,” “The Hunchback of Notre Dame” and “The Prince of Egypt.”
MetroStage favorite Felicia Curry is back once
again, dazzling the audience with her powerful voice and dynamic flair. The
triple-threat actress is especially showcased as she leads the ensemble in the
gospel themed “Ain’t It Good?” from “Children of
Eden.”
With the exception of Curry, the rest of the actors
are making their MetroStage debut, although you would hardly know it from the
superb performances turned in by the exuberant cast.
Each has a chance to shine, with several memorable
solos punctuating the show, including two from
Parker-Namdar delivers
the tender ballad “Cold Enough To Snow,” from “Life
With Mikey,” while Moorer
beautifully sings the Vanessa Williams hit “Colors of the Wind” from
“Pocahontas.”
Not to be out done, Florrie
Bagel captivates the audience with her mesmerizing rendition of “Since I Gave
My Heart Away” from the Disney musical “Geppetto,”
and Kerry Deitrick is
enchanting in “Meadowlark” from “The Baker’s Wife.”
But it’s when the cast comes together in the
rousing song and dance showstoppers that the talent assembled by Artistic
Director Carolyn Griffin is especially evident.
In “On the Right Track,” from “Pippin,” theater
veteran and
While it is Bobbitt’s vision that conceived this
engaging evening of entertainment, it is the unique arrangements of music
composer John L. Cornelius, II, that makes it work.
Cornelius, II, brilliantly tackled a diverse
selection of songs, penning fresh arrangements that seamlessly blend the old
with the new. He is particularly creative in his medleys,
simultaneously layering songs on top of each other rather than simply stringing
together abbreviated versions of the signature tunes.
Music Director Doug Bowles leads the talented
five-piece band while Emily Dere provides costumes
that are both contemporary and appropriate to the eclectic theme of the show.
One of the world’s most successful composers and
lyricists of all time, Schwartz has won three Oscars, three Grammys.
Four Drama Desk Awards and one Golden Globe Award.
With the success of “Wicked,” Schwartz joins Jerry
Herman as one of only two composer/lyricists to have three different shows pass
the 1,500 performance mark on Broadway, yet despite being nominated six times,
he has yet to win a Tony.
That may change, however, when “Godspell”
returns to Broadway later this year in it’s first
revival since ending it’s initial run in 1977.
But there’s no need to travel any further than the
edge of the