If you didn’t get to Joe’s Pub last night to see Stew & The Negro Problem and grab a copy of the new album, Making It, all is not lost.
Stew in his breakup show, "Making It," at St. Ann's Warehouse in February 2010. (Copyright 2010, Steven P. Marsh)
The cover of Making It features a photo by Stew's daughter, Bibi.
First of all, let’s say “welcome black” to Stew & The Negro Problem.
It’s been 10 long years since Stew (born Mark Stewart in 1961) and his band The Negro Problem made a proper, official album: 2002’s Welcome Black. But on Tuesday, Jan. 24, the wait is officially over when Making It gets its official release.
Thank goodness. It’s long overdue. But you’ll surely find it worth the wait.
It’s a crazy, creative look at the breakup of Stew’s relationship with his longtime girlfriend and musical collaborator Heidi Rodewald. The breakup came in the run-up to the pair’s amazing theater project, Passing Strange, which briefly thumbed its nose at the Broadway establishment from the Belasco Theatre over six months in 2008. (It also lives on in a Spike Lee film of the show’s final performances.)
Heidi Rodewald and Stew. (Copyright 2009, Steven P. Marsh)
Stew and Heidi managed to survive the breakup and continue their artistic relationship, albeit not without some problems. This album documents the breakup, and in some ways, the promise of their continued collaboration.
This is Stew’s fourth album under the rather provocative name of The Negro Problem, though on this release on TNP records, the band is billed as “Stew & The Negro Problem.” And even though Stew seemed to abandon the band name in favor of his own moniker, Stew and Heidi haven’t released a rock album since 2003’s Something Deeper Than These Changes, billed simply to Stew. (Yes, there was a Passing Strange soundtrack in 2008, but that wasn’t a Stew record, let alone a Negro Problem record!)
Let’s just say it’s about time! It’s always seemed to me that Stew needs The Negro Problem to fuel his angry-not-as-young-as-he-used-to-be-man persona. (Truth be told, he’s used The Negro Problem name occasionally in recent years, but this seems to be a definitive return home.) Continue reading
Condola Rashad outside the Cort Theatre. (Photo © 2011, Steven P. Marsh)
When Will You Miss Me When I’m Gone? saw a preview performance of Stick Fly on Broadway, we had a great time. The show is flawed, never quite making a clear point while keeping the audience entertained.
But we decided to check out Lydia R. Diamond‘s play (being promoted far and wide in the name of Alicia Keys, one of the producers of the comedic family drama with a twist) even before we knew what the show was about. That’s because we we were blown away by the actor with a below-the-title billing who absolutely steals the show: Condola Rashad.
Keys will be attending the show and conducting “an intimate post-show conversation” on Monday, Dec. 19 and Thursday, Dec. 22.
Posted in Music, Review, Theater
Tagged @phloella, Alicia Keys, Condola Rashad, Cort Theatre, Daniel Breaker, Dulé Hill, Joe's Pub, Kenny Leon, Lydia R. Diamond, Mekhi Phifer, Passing Strange, Phylicia Rashad, Rosie Benton, Ruben Santiago-Hudson, Ruined, Shrek, Stick Fly, The Public Theater, Time Out New York, Tracie Thoms
It’s time for a better taste of The Negro Problem‘s fantastic show at Joe’s Pub on Jan 7 .
Here’s all the video Will You Miss Me When I’m Gone? managed to shoot in the crowded room.
The first clip is just an excerpt, the last minute or so of one of my favorite Stew/TNP songs, “Peter Jennings,” performed with as much joy and excitement as I’ve ever seen.
After that is “Willow Song,” a Stew and Heidi number that many in the audience hadn’t heard before. It was written for last summer’s production of Othello for Shakespeare on the Sound, an outdoor community Shakespeare program in Connecticut. (Stew and Heidi tackle Shakespeare’s Much Ado About Nothing for SotS Artistic Director Joanna Settle this summer.) It’s a beautiful, dreamy number that worked well in the play, but also stands alone surprisingly well.
Finally, for all you Passing Strange fans, there’s “Amsterdam.”
Enjoy!
Stew, Heidi Rodewald and The Negro Problem at Joe's Pub on Friday, Jan. 7, 2011. (Photos copyright 2011, Steven P. Marsh)
Stew, Heidi Rodewald and their current incarnation of The Negro Problem came home to NYC — to Joe’s Pub at The Public Theater — on Jan. 7.
What a homecoming it was. The show was rocking and well-paced, with old favorites — many reimagined in one way or another — and newer material from last fall’s Brooklyn Omnibus, a show premiered at the Brooklyn Academy of Music.
“Ken,” the never-fails-to-get-laughs tune about Barbie’s boyfriend Ken secretly being gay, was done with a reggae feel to it. And they did “Willow Song” from their music for last summer’s Shakespeare on the Sound production of Othello. They also did a great rendition of Stew’s self-proclaimed best song ever, “Gary Come Home,” written for TV’s SpongeBob SquarePants cartoon show.
The current incarnation of The Negro Problem, Stew and Heidi’s first project together, is really just the pair of them backed by Joe McGinty‘s Loser’s Lounge crew plus awesome longtime guitarist Jon Spurney. (Spurney wasn’t in the earliest incarnations of The Negro Problem, but then again, neither was Heidi. Spurn was, however, involved from the beginning with the material that eventually became the acclaimed musical, Passing Strange.)
The place was packed. The show was great. And it seemed to go by in a flash.
Will You Miss Me When I’m Gone? was thrilled to be there. We’ll shut up now so you can look at the photos. (Video will come later!)
Stew in his Utilikilt with a new approach to hairstyling, and Heidi at Joe's Pub.
Posted in Music, News, Pop and Rock, Theater
Tagged Heidi Rodewald, Joe McGinty, Joe's Pub, Loser's Lounge, Passing Strange, SpongeBob SquarePants, Stew, The Negro Problem
It’s good to see Lucinda Black Bear gearing up for a new album. And the first track, “Percival,” is out and it’s great. It’s also a song that conveniently references bears — in this case dancing bears, a subject that might get PETA interested!
Lucinda Black Bear is an energetic country-folk-rock band fronted by one of Will You Miss Me’s favorite musicians, Christian Gibbs. We discovered him when he joined the band for Passing Strange on Broadway, and quickly revealed himself as a fantastic guitarist and an all-around charismatic presence.
Ivanov (Rob Campbell) dances on the water of Lake Lucille in the magical conclusion to Chekhov's Ivanov. (Photos copyright 2010, Steven P. Marsh)
Lake Lucille echoed with the sounds of stagecraft for five days last week as a company of 60 actors, musicians and various other theater professionals put together a free, outdoor production of Ivanov, by Anton Chekhov, performed from a new translation by Curt Columbus.
This production of Chekhov on Lake Lucille was particularly welcomed because it marked the return of a neighborhood tradition. The annual run was broken last summer when host-producers Melissa Kievman and Brian Mertes moved to the West Coast for personal and professional reasons. But they kept their wonderful brownstone house — which is the centerpiece of the set for each Chekhov production — and managed to return this summer with a bigger-than-ever performance and neighborhood cookout and potluck supper at intermission.
Melissa Kievman, Brian Mertes and the band.
You could call it summer camp for theater professionals. Most of the volunteer staff spent the week living in tents, eating meals alfresco in the neighborhood and working to create a context for Chekhov’s drama in the suburban landscape of the Lake Lucille neighborhood.
It drew hundreds of guests to enjoy the creative staging under clear skies with moderate summer temperatures.
Dozens of neighbors and local businesses provided support for an undertaking that costs thousands of dollars. This year, the West Branch Conservation Association, Rockland’s Land Trust, helped produce the play with a grant obtained by the office of Assemblyman Kenneth P. Zebrowski and the late state Sen. Thomas P. Morahan. The Tisch East Alumni Council help with a microgrant for costuming.
The production uses the natural features. Here Ivanov makes an entrance from the lake itself.
Ivanov emerges, dripping wet.
Ivanov walks through the audience toward the stage.
As is often the case in Chekhov, the characters complain of boredom.
But Jesse J. Perez, who played Kosikh, choreographed some great routines to keep things interesting:
Check out more photos after the jump.
Dan Zanes.
Stew, of The Negro Problem and Passing Strange, has a lot on his plate these days, what with a new Shakespeare score being performed in Connecticut right now, a couple of musicals in the pipeline and some concert appearances. All of that is in the news section on the left side of Stew’s homepage.
Heidi Rodewald and Stew. (Copyright 2009, Steven P. Marsh)
For all the Stew completists who read Will You Miss Me When I’m Gone?, tomorrow is the most important upcoming date. Stew is one of the “special guests” at the FREE Dan Zanes Jam & Jubilee, The Battery 4th of July Concert and Family Festival, presented by River To River in Battery Park.
Gates open at 1 p.m., with festivities kicking off an hour later. You can spend the day in Battery Park, dancing to the rhythms of La Cumbiamba eNeYe and singing along to Dan’s brand of Broadway classics! In addition to Stew, guests include spoken word poet Caridad De La Luz (La Bruja) and Joan Osborn.
You can even participate in the fun, as musicians of all ages are invited to perform 76 Trombones in a spectacular 4th of July Parade! You can download the sheet music and get detailed information on the festival website.
It should be a blast!
Victor Williams is Othello in the Shakespeare on the Sound production, with songs and music by Stew and Heidi Rodewald.
Meanwhile, if you haven’t been to Connecticut to see Othello, directed by Joanna Settle with songs and music by Stew and his longtime partner Heidi Rodewald, there’s still time.
Shakespeare on the Sound‘s Othello is performed outdoors at 7:30 nightly (except Monday) through July 11 at Baldwin Park, 100 Arch St., in Greenwich, Conn. While Stew and Heidi don’t perform live, you’ll get the full impact of their work on the recorded backing tracks and live singing by the actors. Last year Stew scored A Midsummer Night’s Dream for SotS, and is was fantastic.
Seating is on the ground around the stage, so be sure to bring blankets or low chairs (nothing that would block the view of people seated behind you) for comfort. Or if you want to go first class, you can fork over a $50 donation for a reserved seat in on of SotS’s chairs.
And why not arrive early and turn it into dinner theater! It’s a great spot for a picnic before the show. There is a concession stand selling decent food and beverages, including wine and beer.
Admission is by donation. You could walk through the gate without paying a dime, but that just wouldn’t be right. Show your support for Stew and Heidi by dropping a donation at the gate. $20 per person is suggested, but more or less is just fine.
nically free, but donations are expected at the gae.
The park is right on the Long Island Sound and within walking distance of the Metro-North station. It’s a beautiful setting, easily accessible from NYC. Click here for transit info.
Posted in Concerts, Folk, Free, Music, News, Pop and Rock, Recordings, Theater
Tagged Battery Park, Dan Zanes, Fourth of July, Free, Greenwich, Heidi Rodewald, Joanna Settle, La Bruja, Metro-North, Othello, Passing Strange, River To River, Shakespeare on the Sound, Stew, William Shakespeare
Heidi Rodewald and Stew, creators of Broadway's Passing Strange, return to the stage this October. (Copyright 2009, Steven P. Marsh)
Stew and Heidi Rodewald, the creators of Broadway’s cult favorite Passing Strange, and this season’s Making It at St. Ann’s Warehouse will be back on the boards this fall with a show as part of the Brooklyn Academy of Music’s Next Wave Festival.
Stew in "Making It" at St. Ann's Warehouse in February. (Copyright 2010, Steven P. Marsh)
The show, called Brooklyn Omnibus, is billed as a 75-minute song cycle about the borough that Stew calls his part-time home (his girlfriend and their child live there) and where Heidi seems to have settled full-time. It’s scheduled to run Oct. 20-23.
Interestingly, the performers are listed as “Stew & The Negro Problem,” which could signal a return to form for the longtime collaborators. They’ve billed most of their band efforts in recent years as The Broadway Problem, or some other — I daresay more politically correct — variation on their original band name.
Stay tuned for more details!
Stew in his breakup show, "Making It," at St. Ann's Warehouse on Feb. 21. (Copyright 2010, Steven P. Marsh)
I avoided reading reviews of Stew and Heidi Rodewald‘s new show, Making It, playing at St. Ann’s Warehouse through tomorrow night. I wanted to go to tonight’s show with fresh, unsullied eyes, ears and mind.
But somehow I just couldn’t resist. And then, once I read the pan by Jon Caramanica, I just knew Stew had to have had something to say about it on his blog. Stew goes in fits and starts, but recently he’s been taking to the blog to set the record straight about inaccuracies in things that have been written about his work. And boy, he didn’t disappoint with his response to Caramanica. He wrote a highly entertaining, deliciously acerbic post that you can read for yourself by clicking here. (One inaccuracy that Stew didn’t correct in The New York Times review is the tagline that said the show “continues through Sunday,” it has another performance tomorrow (Monday) night. Has the Times‘ fact-checking department been eliminated?)
Bottom line here, is that everybody’s entitled to an opinion. But I couldn’t disagree with Caramanica more. Stew’s response may have been rather, ummm, emotional (understandably), but he’s still right. I don’t know what Caramanica was seeing the night he reviewed the show, but he must not have seen the show I saw tonight.
Sure, Making It is not Passing Strange. But it doesn’t pretend to be. It’s a document of a breakup — somewhat fictionalized, like every good work of art— presented in the form of a staged concert. And it rocks!
If you want to see this show, you are probably out of luck. The last show is tomorrow (Monday, Feb. 22) night, and as of a couple of minutes ago, there were only three seats left, priced at $78 apiece. But don’t take my word for it, check out the St. Ann’s Warehouse web site. If you do get to see it, you’ll be glad you made the effort. It is an amazing show.
Posted in Music, Pop and Rock, Theater
Tagged Heidi Rodewald, Making It, Passing Strange, St. Ann's Warehouse, Stew
Will You Miss Me When I'm Gone? 
