Cole II - Fun with Photo / Singing on Soundtrack

Our Where Are They Now blog entry on Michael Cole received a welcomed comment from Carol de Giere (picutred to the left), webmaster of a comprehensive, free Stephen Schwartz e-zine (http://www.theschwartzscene.com/), brought to you by http://www.musicalschwartz.com/, the official fan site for Stephen Schwartz. The article and photo that appear below are sent by Carol, and they're a fun addition to the Michael Cole / Stephen Schwartz saga. We post them here with Carol and Michael’s permission.

Those with good memories (and some longstanding Richmond theatre knowledge) will know that the face that has been replaced by Stephen Schwartz's visage in the photo Carol sent is none other than Richmond’s own Joe Inscoe, TheatreVirginia’s Ebenezer Scrooge extraordinaire, pictured here (seated to the right) in our production of The Drawer Boy, with Brett Ambler and David Bridgewater.

And now the story from Carol:

Michael Cole doctored a photo that started as a publicity still from a production of Dickens’ A Christmas Carol at TheatreVirginia, in which Michael portrayed the role of Fred. Stephen Schwartz's face was added later. Michael provides background explanation for this playful photo in the text that follows.

"It doesn't happen often, but sometimes I sit down at my desk in my office on West 54th Street and among the to-do's and checks and bills, I find a hand written note from Stephen Schwartz on a yellow

legal pad asking me to go on some crazy errand. This errand might involve cab rides or trips on the subway. It might also include meeting so-and-so at such-and-such a place to pick up a package to be addressed and delivered to Federal Express so it will arrive at its destination by the next business morning. Or the note might instruct me to take the keys from the kitchen counter and move his car from one side of the street to the other on the days when 'alternate side of the street parking rules are in effect.' This errand includes sitting in the car for an hour until the parking rules allow me to legally park his car again.

One day Stephen was feeling very "Dickensian" as he was scribbling a note to me that would send me running all around the city doing his chores. He invented a "Pen name" and jokingly signed the letter Ezekiel Scrubb, Esq. When I see a note signed "Ezekiel" I know I'm off on a merry chase. He always apologizes to me before he sends me on one of these errands, and though I appreciate it, I never feel an apology is necessary. Aside from doing the usual bill paying and office managerial duties, a big part of my job is to do anything I can to make his life easier and less stressful. I decided I wanted my own pen name and now sign my notes to him simply 'Boy.' "

Michael also sends this current news:

Folks might like to know that Stephen Schwartz has a new Disney movie coming out in November of this year, and I had the terrific pleasure of singing on the soundtrack. Here is a link to the fantastic trailer for Enchanted - Music by Alan Menken, Lyrics by Stephen Schwartz:

http://www.collider.com/entertainment/news/article.asp/aid/4505/tcid/1

This is actually a different link than the one that Michael provided, but I couldn't make his link work on my computer. More info on Enchanted can be found on Carol’s e-zine at:

http://www.musicalschwartz.com/disney-movies-enchanted.htm