{image1}"My personal fascination with Broadway musicals goes back to my own childhood. I remember my father, who shared with me what he did as a Seabee in World War II not by telling me war stories, but by taking me to see 'South Pacific,'" says Dr. Kevin Rozman, director of the upcoming Broadway Review, "LCA on Broadway."
"LCA" stands for the Lincoln Center of the Arts, an MPS middle specialty school, located at 820 E. Knapp St. The cast includes more than 100 students and five faculty members (including OMC's Molly Snyder Edler's husband, Jamie Edler) and the school principal, Maria Sanchez.
The review includes selections from 12 Broadway musicals, including "Gypsy," "Annie," "Damn Yankees," "Oliver," "The Wiz," "The Lion King," "You're A Good Man, Charlie Brown," "The King and I," "Hairspray," "Nine," "Mame" and "George M."
"This is an opportunity for students to participate in and view the magic of the Broadway musical, an art form they do not know and have not been exposed to a great deal," says Rozman, who will retire from MPS this summer after 18 years.
Rozman travels annually to New York and has seen well over 300 Broadway shows to date. "Last year I saw 'Nine,' the best musical revival of 2003, and 'Hairspray,' the best musical of 2003. Both shows are among the 14 featured in 'LCA on Broadway,'" he says.
Rozman earned his Bachelor's degree from St. Mary's University of Minnesota and a Master's and PhD from Marquette. He plans to join his family in Minneapolis this summer, but has not established any further retirement plans.
Jack Forbes, renowned pianist, is the show's musical director and Joe Gauthier, Molly Rhode and Tom Thoreson choreographed the performance.
"I did not see my first musical on Broadway until 1965," reflects Rozman. "It was Sammy Davis, Jr. in 'Golden Boy' at the Majestic Theater. It was pure magic and I was hooked."
A public performance of "LCA on Broadway" will be performed Wednesday, March 31 at 6 p.m. in the school's Ivory Hall, 820 E. Knapp St. For more information, call Artistic Director Dal Drummer at (414) 212-3401.
Molly Snyder started writing and publishing her work at the age 10, when her community newspaper printed her poem, "The Unicorn.” Since then, she's expanded beyond the subject of mythical creatures and written in many different mediums but, nearest and dearest to her heart, thousands of articles for OnMilwaukee.
Molly is a regular contributor to FOX6 News and numerous radio stations as well as the co-host of "Dandelions: A Podcast For Women.” She's received five Milwaukee Press Club Awards, served as the Pfister Narrator and is the Wisconsin State Fair’s Celebrity Cream Puff Eating Champion of 2019.
