Liz Callaway Will Celebrate Stephen Schwartz in New Album, The Wizard and I

Tony nominee Liz Callaway, who was Grammy-nominated for her latest album, To Steve With Love: Liz Callaway Celebrates Sondheim, will spotlight the work of Tony- and Oscar-winning songwriter Stephen Schwartz with a new album release, titled The Wizard and I: Liz Callaway Stephen Schwartz. The album will get physical and digital releases March 20 from Working Girl Records, with physical edition pre-orders shipping the week of March 9.

The album is based on Callaway's concert act of the same name, first presented at NYC's 54 Below last year. As at the cabaret venue, Callaway is joined on the upcoming album by music director Alex Rybeck on piano plus Ritt Henn on bass and Ron Tierno on drums. The album band is also supplanted by backup vocalists Ethan Carlson and Cole Wachman. Michael J. Moritz Jr. and Callaway produce.

“After many years of our happily working together as friends, colleagues, and even tennis partners, Liz has chosen to record a whole album of my songs. Of course I am honored and thrilled—but then, what lucky songwriter wouldn’t be?" says Schwartz in a statement.

Callaway will celebrate the album's release with a series of encore performances at 54 Below, set for March 18-21. The stage favorite will resurrect her Stephen Sondheim-themed act for a March 22 performance, coinciding with the late Broadway master's birthday.

Callaway received a Tony Award nomination for her performance in Baby, and was also seen on Broadway in Merrily We Roll Along, Cats, Miss Saigon, The Three Musketeers, and The Look of Love. Other New York appearances include Follies in Concert at Lincoln Center, A Stephen Sondheim Evening, Encores! Fiorello, and Hair in Concert. She sang the Academy Award-nominated “Journey to the Past” in the animated feature Anastasia. Other film work includes Jasmine in the two Aladdin sequels; The Swan Princess; and The Rewrite with Hugh Grant.

See the full track listing of The Wizard and I below:

1. "The Spark of Creation"
2. Intro: Welcome / Pippin
3. "Corner of the Sky"
4. "Lion Tamer"
5. Intro: My 1980 Variety Review
6. "West End Avenue"
7. Intro: Godspell
8. "Bless the Lord"
9. Intro: A Song That Gives Me Hope
10. "Beautiful City"
11. "I’m Not That Girl"
12. Intro: My First Time Meeting Stephen
13: Demo: "Just Around the Riverbend (excerpt)"
14. "The Wizard and I"
15. Intro: Tennis (and an Original Song!)
16. "Fearless"
17. "Cold Enough to Snow"
18. Intro: Animated Movie Songs
19. "Out There"
20. "Pippin Finale / With You"
21. Intro: We Didn’t Have Time for All of Them
22. "Stephen Schwartz Hit Medley"
23. Intro: My Favorite Song
24. "Meadowlark"
25. "For Good"