My March Madness

*Greetings from my back porch, where it’s actually warm enough to sit outside. I’m on day four of the aftermath of having a tooth extracted. The last month has been... a lot. But I’m grateful for all of it.

On Friday, March 6th, I got a text from my beloved musical director, Alex Rybeck. He told me he was in the ICU after complications from outpatient surgery to remove a kidney stone. The first week was scary, but I’m relieved to say Alex is doing much better. He was in the hospital for three weeks total and is now in a wonderful rehab center—one that has two pianos. He’ll hopefully be home in a week or two, and then, fingers crossed, will be strong enough to play for me in San Francisco May 8-9 for our album release shows.

After about a week of Alex being in the hospital, I realized I needed to find subs for my Cincinnati and 54 Below shows. Phil Reno and Larry Yurman, mutual friends of Alex’s and mine, saved the day. Phil played the Cincy and The Wizard and I shows, and Larry played my Sondheim show. It was no small feat learning these shows.

But wait, there’s more—Jeff Harner went to Alex’s apartment and found the music, my musicians Ritt and Ron got the bass and drum charts in order, and my friend Richard Rockage (while working on three Broadway shows about to open) put our eight-minute Stephen Schwartz Hits Medley into Finale to make it easier for Phil to play. I can't tell you how touched I was (and am) by all that everyone did for Alex and for me.

There was a lot to do—I made Dropbox folders with charts and MP3s, dropped off piano books to Larry and Phil, and scheduled rehearsals. The week of the shows was a whirlwind. On Monday, March 16th, I went to Larry’s apartment and ran through the entire Sondheim show for two hours. Then I walked two blocks to Phil’s apartment and rehearsed The Wizard and I for two hours. Then I went home and had some wine. The next day was the band rehearsal. Wednesday was opening night. In other words, wheeee!

It was Phil’s first time playing the show—and Stephen Schwartz was in the audience. No pressure! Phil was amazing, as were Ron and Ritt. And speaking of Stephen, it was a thrill to get to sing “Fearless” with him.

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Thanks to 54 Below for capturing this unforgettable moment of Stephen playing “Fearless” for me opening night.

Thursday was a day off. I spent it in my pajamas filling CD orders and getting ready for the album release. Then on Friday at midnight, the album came out. Nicholas was the first to congratulate me.

After two more performances of The Wizard and I Friday and Saturday night, it was time to switch gears—to Sondheim. On Sunday, I met Larry and the guys at 54 Below at 3:00pm to rehearse To Steve With Love. Larry had never run through that show with Ron and Ritt before. It was surreal, to say the least, to turn the page so quickly. But it went splendidly, and Larry did a beautiful job.

And if that wasn’t enough—while all of this was going on, I developed a toothache and a fever. I went to my dentist, who told me to see an oral surgeon and put me on antibiotics. The surgeon told me I had a very infected number 14 tooth and needed it extracted, but I had to find a date when I didn’t have to sing or fly for one to two weeks afterward. I originally chose last Thursday, but then I realized that was the Mets’ opening day, so I had it done this past Friday. Priorities!

After the surgery, I was told to only eat soft foods—smoothies, yogurt, cottage cheese—but what I really wanted was my mom. I had a flashback to her macaroni and cheese, the kind she used to make for me and Ann. I found the recipe in a cookbook she made for me back in the ‘80s.

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It’s so special to see Mom’s handwriting, and to feel loved and taken care of by her. What a treasure.

Mom’s been on my mind a lot lately. When I did my Cincy shows on March 14, I encored with “The Story Goes On.” At my second show, as the intro started, I realized that the next day was Mom’s birthday. I didn’t mean to say it out loud, but I told the audience. Singing that song that night, and sharing that moment with them, was pretty special.

I'm thrilled that The Wizard and I: Liz Callaway Sings Stephen Schwartz is finally out in the world. The response has been wonderful. Here's a lovely review.

And while “Fearless” didn’t make a Spotify playlist, I’m happy to announce it made ASCAP’s New Music Friday playlist. Never did I dream I’d be in the same playlist as Paul McCartney! Listen on Spotify

Thank you to everyone who has already bought or streamed the album—your support means the world to me. If you haven’t yet, you can buy the CD—autographed if you like—or the digital album directly on my website shop or on Amazon. You can also stream and download on all digital platforms.

My designer Robbie Rozelle made a special PDF of the 12-page booklet so you can read Stephen Schwartz’s liner notes, as well as mine, even if you don’t have the CD.

I’m going to be close to home for much of April—Dan’s final year on the Tony Nominating Committee means lots of Broadway shows to see. But coming up:

• Singing at the Metropolis Gala in Arlington Heights, IL

• The Wizard and I album release shows in San Francisco and London

• A very cool Burt Bacharach event at the Library of Congress in D.C.

CLICK HERE FOR MY FULL SCHEDULE

April 1st is my favorite day of the year—because of my sister Ann’s Facebook posts. I’m not sure what I love more: reading them, or imagining her in hysterics as she writes them. I dug through my Facebook archives and here’s one of my favorites, from 2023:

I’ll leave you with the video I made for my very first issue of Between Flights, back on September 16, 2023. Never did I dream that two and a half years later, I’d make a Stephen Schwartz album—and that this song would be my opening number!

That’s it for this issue of Between Flights. As always, thanks for reading.

Wishing you all a wonderful week.

xoxo Liz

* When I started writing this issue, I was on my back porch and the sun was out. But it always takes me much longer to finish. Now it’s after 10:00pm, the Mets just lost to the Cardinals, and I’m going to re-heat some of Mom’s mac and cheese.