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Nathaniel Stampley with pianists Jamie Schmidt and Leotha Stanley
Directed by Malkia Stampley

Mead Witter School of Music Guest Artist Series

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In:spiration/fluence

Time, circumstance, and a dream shapes an individual. Nathaniel Stampley reflects on experiences, family, philosophers, musicians and world leaders who influenced and guided his life and career. From Milwaukee to Broadway and beyond, he intimately reflects on his own challenges and successes, infusing music from Paul Robeson, Sam Cooke, George Gershwin, Jason Robert Brown, celebrating traditional gospel music, spirituals, and Broadway favorites!

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Website

Nathaniel Stampley, Broadway credits include: CATS, The Gershwins’ Porgy and Bess, The Color Purple (original production and the revival), and The Lion King. He had the pleasure of playing “Mufasa” on the West End in the Disney UK’s The Lion King. National tours: The Gershwins’ Porgy and Bess (Los Angeles NAACP Award nomination), Ragtime and Orpheus Returns. Off-Broadway performances: The Secret Life of Bees, Atlantic Theater Company, Big Love, Signature Theatre (NY); Fiorello! and Lost in the Stars, NY City Center’s Encores!; and The First Noel, Classical Theatre of Harlem (AUDELCO Nomination). Regional performances: PAUL ROBESON, Crossroads Theatre Company;The Bridges of Madison County (Joseph Jefferson nomination), Man of La Mancha (Joseph Jefferson Award Actor in a Principal Role- Musical) Marriott Theatre; The Gershwins’ Porgy and Bess, The A.R.T.; Abyssinia, North Shore Music Theatre; Pacific Overtures, Chicago Shakespeare Theater; Strike Up the Band and One Touch of Venus, Auditorium Theatre’s Ovations! series; Violet, Once on This Island and Big River (Joseph Jefferson Award nomination), Apple Tree Theatre; Milwaukee Repertory Theater’s The Color Purple, Dreamgirls, and Man of La Mancha; Showboat, Sacramento Music Circus; The Skylight Music Theater’s Harriet, the Woman Called Moses, El Capitan, Girl Crazy, The King and I, Porgy and Bess; and the U.S. premiere of Hatuey; Memory of Fire, Music Theatre Group.

Nathaniel’s concerts include: The Marriage of Figaro and Songs from Around the World with the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra. He recorded with the Elgin Symphony Orchestra (Naxos) and performed American Favorites from Gershwin to Copland and Home for the Holidays concerts. He performed Something Wonderful, a Rogers and Hammerstein tribute concert, at Lincoln Center; The Weill Music Institute concert series at Carnegie Hall: Musical Explorers and Link Up with the Orchestra of St. Luke’s. Other concerts include Lyrics and Lyricists and Musical Introduction Series at the 92Y, The Block, the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra, El Paso Symphony Orchestra, the Springfield Symphony Orchestra, Grand Junction Symphony Orchestra, West Michigan Symphony, and Bernstein’s MASS (Deutsche Grammaphon) and West Side Story with the Philadelphia Symphony Orchestra conducted by Yannick Nézet-Séguin. Nathaniel directed 19 Secrets and Painted Red for Sacred Ground Productions. He was a voice artist on the animated series, NFL Rush Zone (Nick Toons). He also appeared on the hit television shows, Law & Order: SVU (NBC), The Blacklist (NBC) and Blue Bloods (CBS). He is an Artistic Associate at the Milwaukee Repertory Theater. He is also a Lunt-Fontanne Fellow awarded by the Ten Chimneys Foundation with master teacher and mentor Ms. Phylicia Rashad.

He is a Milwaukee native, and a proud graduate of the University of Wisconsin. He is currently in Paradise Square in Chicago through December 2021 and will return to Broadway starting February ’22.

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Malkia Stampley is a native of Milwaukee, Wisconsin where she attended Marquette University for Theater Arts with additional training at Skylight Music Theatre and Milwaukee Repertory Theater. She recently joined Goodman Theatre in Chicago as Producer.

Malkia began directing in 2016, conceptualizing Black Arts MKE and Marcus Center for the Performing Arts’ annual production, BLACK NATIVITY. She has since directed for First Stage, Milwaukee Black Theater Festival, Northern Sky Theater, Milwaukee Fringe Festival, American Players Theater, Skylight Music Theatre, Milwaukee Repertory Theater. She recently curated and directed the Broadway-themed virtual concert production, “If Not Now, When?” for Milwaukee Jewish Community Center, working with editors, musicians and performers across the country. Malkia recently directed ShaWanna Renee Rivon’s POWER TO THE QUEENDOM for Texas State University’s 2021 Black and Latino Playwright Celebration under the leadership of Eugene Lee. Malkia is currently directing THE GIFT OF THE MAGI by James DeVita and Josh Schmidt at American Players Theatre. As a budding playwright, Malkia co-authored LINES, commissioned and produced by Madison, Wisconsin’s Theatre LILA in 2018. Malkia is a founder of Bronzeville Arts Ensemble, established in Milwaukee in 2013, where she served as Producing Artistic Director for three years. As one of the founders of the Milwaukee Black Theater Festival, Malkia served as Artistic Producer, leading an in-person, multi-venue season in August. She is a proud alum of Broadway for Racial Justice’s inaugural 2021 Casting Directive Fellowship, a groundbreaking program aiming to diversify casting in theater.

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Jamie Schmidt’s eclectic career has taken him from his hometown of Madison to over 100 cities across North America: as music director of the national tour of The Lion King; music director of the first national arena tour of the Radio City Christmas Spectacular; and conductor for Liza Minnelli, who handpicked him to conduct her symphonic tour with the St. Louis, Atlanta, San Diego, Indianapolis, Roanoke, and Dallas Symphony Orchestras. As of this writing, he is happily back in New York City as Associate Conductor of Aladdin on Broadway.

Jamie has served as music director/conductor for the Kennedy Center Spring Gala; the NY Drama League Gala honoring Angela Lansbury; the gala re-opening of the Eisenhower Theater at the Kennedy Center; and the world premiere of the new musical Meet John Doe at Ford’s Theatre in Washington, D.C. He was associate conductor/pianist for the Kennedy Center and Broadway runs of the revival of Ragtime.

As music director and pianist/conductor for the Long Wharf Theatre’s production of Guys and Dolls, Jamie created new, acclaimed orchestrations. He was the founding music director for American Girl Place Theaters in both Chicago and New York, supervising the original productions of The American Girls’ Revue and Circle of Friends, and conducting the original cast recordings of both shows.

A veteran of a baker’s dozen of Broadway shows as pianist, international credits include music director/pianist for the American delegation for the Spring Friendship Arts Festival in Pyongyang, North Korea; Artist-in-Residence with the Holland Music Sessions, Amsterdam; and Artist-in-Residence at Banff Centre for the Arts, Canada.

Jamie is the proud recipient of degrees from the University of Wisconsin-Madison: Master of Music in Opera Conducting, and Bachelor of Music Education.

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As the former Assistant to the Director of Community Relations in the Office of the Chancellor at UW-Madison, Leotha Stanley worked with many schools in Madison and the surrounding area promoting education, graduation, and a college education for all.

Since his early years in Milwaukee, Lee excelled in music and athletics.  He began playing the piano for his church choir at the age of 13.  In high school, college, and post graduation, he was a track and field star, specializing in the long jump.  He was co-MVP his senior year at UW.  Lee graduated from the University of WI in 1978 with a degree in education but also managed to start a gospel choir at UW and released an album of original songs several years later.

After graduating from college, Lee traveled throughout the US and Europe representing the US competing in the long jump and qualified for the US Olympic trials in Los Angeles. Lee joined the US Team in a dual track meet with England in 1987 bringing home a silver medal.

Lee was a paramedic with the Madison Fire Dept. for eighteen years while working with countless schools in Madison and throughout the Midwest as an artist in residence teaching many different genres of music to children. He has written two books of music for children, has composed scores of songs and has been the music director for the Mt. Zion Church in Madison for 34 years.

Lee has also composed music for the Madison Symphony, performed at the Governor’s mansion and has appeared at many civic events. He has won numerous honors for his work in community service, music, and youth development.

Lee is married to Tamera and has four children who have taken after him and his talents.

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This event is generously supported by the Anonymous Fund.