The only other place to snag the disc is at the York Theatre Company's Off-Broadway home in Manhattan, where Captain Louie began performances May 4 under the direction of Meridee Stein. Performances continue to June 12.
PS Classics is devoted to the heritage of theatre music and American popular song. The new Schwartz disc went on sale at www.psclassics.com May 6.
Songwriter Schwartz, who is produced the CD, was in a recording studio March 21-22 with singers and musicians. The recording — a "world premiere recording" created prior to the York production — features orchestrations by Alex Lacamoire, under the music direction of Edward Barnes.
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Presented by the York in association with Meridee Stein, Pam Koslow and Kurt Peterson, Captain Louie is based on Ezra Jack Keats' "The Trip" and features a score by Schwartz and a book by Anthony Stein. Meridee Stein directs the musical with musical direction by Edward Barnes. Joshua Bergasse choreographs with multi-media design by Joshua Light Show. The remainder of the creative team for the York run features Elizabeth Flauto (costume design, based on the drawings of Ezra Jack Keats), Jeff Subik (set design, also based on Keats' drawings), Annmarie Duggan (lighting design) and Samone Weissman (production stage manager).
The cast of Captain Louie comprises Brandon M. Arrington, Alex Barboza, Jodie Bentley, Jimmy Dieffenbach, Kelsey Fatebene, Sara Kapner, Ronnie Mercedes, Sarah Stiles and Mark Whitten.
Captain Louie , according to production notes, "revolves around young Louie, alone and sad without having found any friends in his new neighborhood. To cheer himself up, he returns to his old friends in an imaginative journey on the wings of his favorite toy, a little red plane."
The musical, which celebrates the importance of friends, both old and new, runs 65 minutes.
Stephen Schwartz, a Dramatists Guild council member, wrote music and lyrics for Broadway's Wicked, Godspell, Pippin, The Magic Show, The Baker's Wife and Children of Eden. He penned lyrics to Rags, composed by Charles Strouse, and has also written for several film musicals, including "Pocahontas," "The Hunchback of Notre Dame," "The Prince of Egypt" and the TV musical "Geppetto." His solo CDs of new songs are titled "Reluctant Pilgrim" and "Uncharted Territory." Schwartz is the recipient of three Academy Awards, three Grammy Awards and three Drama Desk Awards. Wicked currently plays Broadway's Gershwin Theatre.
Captain Louie , which is scheduled to run through June 12, will play Wednesdays and Thursdays at 10:30 AM and 12:30 PM, Fridays at 6:30 PM, Saturdays at 11:30 AM and 2:30 PM and Sundays at 1 and 3 PM.
The York Theatre Company is located at 619 Lexington Avenue at 54th Street. Tickets, priced at $35, are now available by calling (212) 868-4444 or by visiting www.smarttix.com.
