HMC Gets Wicked with Summer Concerts Celebrating Composer Stephen Schwartz
Heartland Men’s Chorus will present “A Little Bit Wicked,” a concert devoted to the music of composer Stephen Schwartz, June 13 and 14, 2015, at the Folly Theater. Featuring songs from his Broadway and film musicals, the repertoire will span more than 40 years of work by the prolific composer.
“Stephen is one of the rare modern Broadway composers who straddles the line between musical theatre and popular music,” says Dustin S. Cates, HMC artistic director. “Songs like ‘Corner of the Sky’ and ‘For Good’ have become popular favorites because they are so accessible, but his music and lyrics are so dramatically rich they resonate deeply with audiences.”
Winner of three Academy Awards®, four Grammy Awards® and four Drama Desk Awards, Schwartz is one of the most popular musical theatre composers of all time. During the 1976-1977 Broadway season, he had three shows (“Pippin,” Godspell” and “The Magic Show”) running on Broadway simultaneously.
In 2008, when his blockbuster “Wicked” reached its 1901st performance on Broadway, he became the only songwriter in Broadway history to have three shows run more than 1900 performances.
The concert will include songs from Schwartz’s Broadway hits, as well as songs from his film musicals “Enchanted,” “Pocahontas” and “The Hunchback of Notre Dame.”
The Chorus will also present a recent piece by Schwartz called “Testimony.” With lyrics taken directly from videos recorded for the It Gets Better Project, which aims to prevent LGBT youth suicide, “Testimony” is a powerful composition that reflects the resilience of LGBT people in the face of harassment, violence, and discrimination.
“A Little Bit Wicked” is the final concert in HMC’s 29th season. The group regularly performs with more than 120 singers and draws the largest audience for choral music in the region.
Heartland Men’s Chorus will present “A Little Bit Wicked” at 8:00 p.m. June 13, and 4:00 p.m. on June 14. All performances are at the Folly Theater, 300 W. 12th Street, Kansas City, Mo. Tickets range in price from $15-$40 and are available at https://hmckc.org or by calling 816-931-3338.
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