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Apr 14 - May 9: This Side Of Paradise at Off-Broadway's Theatre St. Clement
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 Donna Drake, Philip Katz and Michael Shawn Lewis present John Tartaglia's Imaginocean.
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| Stetson University Interview |
Michael Shawn Lewis turns dreams into reality
Michael Shawn Lewis, now rehearsing for the Broadway premier of Andrew Lloyd Webber's new show, "The Woman in White", is right where he wants to be: My goal is to continue performing.
I'm so lucky to be doing what I'm doing.
He has sung the part of Raoul in Webber's "Phantom of the Opera" for several years, most recently with the national touring company in the United States,
but he has given that up to sing with the ensemble in Webber's new show. A lyric baritone, he studied with Mollie Rich in Stetson's School of Music and earned a bachelor's degree in Vocal Performance.
At Stetson he focused entirely on music, with no time for other activities. "I gave myself completely to my performance craft", he said, "which takes two to five hours a day practicing - that's time alone locked up in a tiny room honing your craft."
He received a master's degree in Music from the New England Conservatory in Boston, then moved to New York City to study privately.
He worked as a retail manager on Fifth Avenue to support himself and almost got sidetracked.
But in 1996 he visited Mollie and Bob Rich, both Stetson music professors at that time, while they were in Germany.
"We talked a long time", said Mollie Rich, "and I told him that the light was gone from his eye. He knew what I meant."
And during his visit, another former student told them that a German company was looking for someone to sing Raoul in "Phantom."
The Riches encouraged Lewis to try for it, helped him rehearse and took him to meet the director, who later chose Lewis from more than 200 who auditioned.
Lewis spent more than six years in Europe, playing Raoul in both German and Flemish.
He also sang the role of Marius in a German production of "Les Misérables" and of Emperor Franz Joseph in "Elisabeth", a German musical.
Lewis said he trusts no one with his voice but Mollie Rich, now retired but teaching privately.
"She taught me how to use my voice, how to sing healthfully." He still sees her for lessons about twice a year.
"I'm thankful for my education at Stetson", he said. "I learned more there than from my graduate studies.
My education at Stetson was wellrounded. I walked away from the music program with a wealth of knowledge that really empowered me."
He's grateful for other help, too. "Agents do all my contract negotiations, get me into auditions, help me take care of the business side of things.
We are people of emotion, not people of numbers. You need someone to fight for you", he said.
Asked why he'd trade a plum role in "Phantom" for an ensemble role in "The Woman in White", he said simply:
"It's the national premier of the new Andrew Lloyd Webber!"
Based on an English Victorian thriller, the show premiered last year in London and will open on Broadway in November.
In addition to singing with the ensemble, Lewis is learning to cover for the male lead.
"Advance sales are good", he said. "I expect the show will endure."
He also loves New York City. "It's my home now", he said. "I live in midtown, two blocks from Times Square in Manhattan,
in a little neighborhood called Hell's Kitchen - with the best restaurants in the entire city."
Born in California, Lewis grew up in the mountains of Tennessee and went to high school in Titusville, Fla. - but Broadway suits him now.
"My heart is in performance; I love what I do", he said. And he works hard.
"If you don't nurture your career and yourself, you may lose it", he said. "If you're allowed the exposure, you have to run with it, keep it alive. If I could talk to students today,
I'd tell them to pursue their dreams. Not to live in a dream world, but to birth those dreams into reality - it's the most fulfilling thing you do in life."
By Betty Brady
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