Stephen Schwartz's Captain Louie to Tour

By Andrew Gans
May 30, 2006

The family friendly musical Captain Louie, which played a brief Off-Broadway run at the Little Shubert Theatre last fall, will launch a national tour later this year.

According to a statement, the Stephen Schwartz musical will play a 2006-2007 tour that will be seen on "both coasts, the midwest, southeast and in the NY metro area." The tour has been booked by the Brad Simon Organization.

The musical, based on Ezra Jack Keats' children's book "The Trip," began previews Off-Broadway Oct. 28, 2005 with an official opening on Halloween, Oct. 31. The musical played six previews and 16 regular performances.

Captain Louie features a score by Schwartz, a libretto by Anthony Stein and direction by Meridee Stein. The Off-Broadway run was produced by Stein, Kurt Peterson and Bob Reich.

"Young Louie," according to production notes, "feels lonely and without friends in his new neighborhood. Looking for something to cheer himself up on Halloween Night, Louie returns to his old neighborhood in an imaginative journey on the wings of his magical toy, his little red plane. . . . Captain Louie is about friendship — the ability to make new friends and the importance of old ones."

PS Classics released the world-premiere recording of Captain Louie in May 2005.