On Broadway honors Wicked good composer

Stephen Schwartz has been recognized for his many Broadway numbers with Academy and Grammy Awards, but the composer has never won a Tony Award, something Boston University's only musical theater company decided it would compensate for Saturday night.

Hearts were light and feet were tapping as more than 150 attendees hummed to Schwartz's tunes for BU On Broadway's spring showcase, "When You Believe: The Songs of Stephen Schwartz, a compilation of melodies from the composer and lyricist behind musicals including Wicked, Godspell and, most recently, Enchanted."

"This is kind of our dedication to him," Boston University On Broadway Membership Vice President Richie Hofmann said, "Our mini-Tony."

"I think the directors chose Stephen Schwartz for two reasons," Hofmann, a University Professors Program junior, said. "One, his songs have a great beat that the audience can groove to, regardless if they recognize the song or not. Second, the songs provide a good balance -- they're both challenging for the performers and accessible for the audience."

He said he was pleased by the high attendance and "fantastic" energy brought to the performance, which was somewhat of a departure from the company's recent productions.

"For a long time we had steered away from doing traditional musicals," BU On Broadway's Executive Treasurer Pamela Wong, a College of Arts and Sciences senior, said. "We've done a Disney showcase before, and performed a lot of rock and contemporary music, but not true musical theater. So for this show, we wanted to go back to Broadway's roots."

The audience was mostly BU students, but cast members' family and friends from all over Boston were also there to support the group's final showcase of the year.

The performance, featuring 21 of Schwartz's songs and accompanied by four student musicians, spanned from the 1970s to the present and sparked numerous whispers of recognition from the crowd.

"I really liked the music selection best," Emerson College junior James O'Leary said.

CAS freshman Cody Hayden, one of only four freshmen in the cast, said the close-knit nature of the group made for a "phenomenal experience," which he said clearly translated onto the stage.

"I plan on staying with BU on Broadway for as long as possible," he said.

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