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Finding Eden — Greeley Central presents 'Children of Eden' |
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Written by Dan England
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Thursday, 06 March 2008 |
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“So how should I start the interview, I mean, what’s the first thing I could say?” Will Benich asks while he paces the office of Greeley Central’s Arts Magnet program.
Benich is about to interview Stephen Schwartz, one of the more successful composers for musical theater in recent years, and the guy who wrote the music and lyrics to “Children of Eden,” Central’s latest production. Benich, a junior, will perform in the play, which starts Wednesday, and he was given the chance to interview Schwartz to help him decide what avenue he wants to pursue in the magnet program.
So, as you might guess, he’s a little excited because Schwartz wrote “Godspell” and “Pippin” and, more recently, the smash “Wicked” and songs for the movie “Enchanted.”
“I mean, he’s the guy who did our play,” Benich said. “That’s, like, really cool.”
Indeed. Benich, after all, was just like Schwartz at one point, a guy interested in doing musical theater but not sure how to approach it. Schwartz studied piano and composition at the Juilliard School of Music while in high school and eventually went into musical theater in the hopes of combining elements of pop music with the more traditional, classical venues of theater. He was one of the first to stretch the boundaries a bit.
Benich also is considering mortuary science and law school, though he left that out of the interview.
When it’s suggested, finally, that Benich start the talk by thanking Schwartz, he nods his head.
“Yeah, thank you, that’s good,” he said. “I should say thank you.”
When the phone number is dialed, after several tries, Benich begins to talk to Schwartz (after thanking him, of course) and asks him about a high school production doing his plays. Schwartz agrees with Benich that they were initially intended for high school productions.
“But you hope you write something that will work for whoever puts it on,” Schwartz said.
Schwartz then gives Benich some advice about finding his way in the arts program. Schwartz studied piano and later composition but also studied all forms of theater, including direction, lighting and acting.
“Don’t try to do everything all at once,” he said while Benich nodded his head. “Pursue what you’re interested in now.”
Once he found his way, Schwartz went against common perception that pop music shouldn’t be used in musical theater.
“When I got my start, it was thought that pop music wasn’t suited for theater,” he said. “I disagreed with that.”
When the interview was over, Benich said he could relate to Schwartz’s comment that being a parent influences his work. He himself could relate to “Children of Eden,” after all.
“Part of that play deals with temptation, and there’s temptations for all of us,” he said. “Like not doing your homework or, um, other stuff.”
TO GO
• Greeley Central’s production of “Children of Eden”
• 7:30 p.m. March 12-13 and Saturday, March 15. 8 p.m. Friday, March 14
• Greeley Central auditorium.
• Tickets may be purchased by calling 348-5141
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