ETC premieres Stephen Schwartz revue

It’s a busy week for Cincinnati theaters, with no less than four openings immediately following Labor Day. On Wednesday evening, Sept. 9, the first official performance — and the world premiere — of Corner of the Sky: The Songs of Stephen Schwartz as at Ensemble Theatre Cincinnati. A full house at ETC was treated to a round-up of songs by the veteran musical theater composer and lyricist. More than 30 songs from 14 shows (produced from 1971 to 2025) were performed by a cast of seven singers accompanied by solo pianist John Boswell.

The revue takes its title and concept inspiration from Schwartz’s song, “Corner of the Sky” from his 1972 show, Pippin. Lines from the number were projected on Brian c. Mehring’s evocatively lit, multi-level rooftop set. They served as prompts for various songs — on themes Schwartz has returned to in many of his shows about living to one’s potential and thriving in a nurturing world.

The singers, many of them current students or recent alums of UC’s College-Conservatory of Music, all had the pipes to deliver Schwartz’s impassioned tunes. Scott Coulter, a 1993 CCM musical theater who today is a Broadway mover and shaker crafting concert casting for symphony and pops orchestras, conceived and created the show — he’s been associated with Schwartz and had his permission to assemble a program like this. He was surely responsible for Schwartz’s personal attendance on opening night. (ETC’s D. Lynn Meyers read a proclamation from Mayor Aftab Pureval that Sept. 9 was “Stephen Schwartz Day” in Cincinnati.)

CCM musical theater department head Vincent DeGeorge staged and choreographed the 100-minute production with lots of spirited movement involving raised hands, as if the singers were testifying to the virtue of the songs they were performing. A set from Godspell that opened the show (with a rousing rendition of “We Beseech Thee”) set the pace for the entire evening.

There was not a weak voice in the cast, but several stood out. Klea Blackhurst (a “mature” talent and not a CCM produce, has a clarion voice and a sense of humor) did a great job with some of Schwartz’s novelty tunes, especially the bouncy “No Time At All” from Pippin. Jordyn Amani Jones, entering her senior year at CCM, had some show-stopping moments, including “Meadowlark” from The Baker’s Wife. Gavin Poronsky and Chanduni Herath, both second-year students at CCM, also showed off their chops: He imbued the tuneful “Popular” from Wicked with a warm sense of humor, while she used her piercing soprano for multiple numbers. Kenneth Early, a familiar actor on ETC’s stage, brought some soulful gravitas to his numbers.

Truth to tell, the ensemble numbers were unfailingly engaging, from Pippin’s “Morning Glow” to Wicked’s “For Good.” John Boswell’s piano accompaniment (performed on a revolving platform at center stage) played without sheet music was astonishingly effective. He provided the continuity and  support for all the fine singing, sometimes fresh and light, other times powerful and profound. Boswell was the production’s music director, and also filled the role of “The Songwriter,” as a kind of stand-in for Schwartz and the beneficiary of the songs fulfilling the multifaceted messages conjured up in response to “Corner of the Sky.

While ETC prides itself as a “premiere” theater that typically means mounting productions new to Cincinnati audiences but having originated elsewhere. Mounting the world premiere of a revue of music by one of Broadway’s most successful creators demonstrates a serious commitment to advancing its reputation by seeking out its “corner of the sky.” Cincinnati is lucky to have ETC as a key player in its theater community.