Stew (musician) facts for kids

Mark Lamar Stewart (born August 16, 1961), known as Stew, is a talented American singer, songwriter, and writer for plays. He is from Los Angeles, California.

Stew's Creative Journey

Stew has had an exciting career in music and theater. He has been part of bands, released solo albums, and written successful musicals.

Starting with The Negro Problem

In the early 1990s, Stew started a four-person band called The Negro Problem. In 1995, the band released many songs. One of them was a cover of "MacArthur Park". They also created a cool musical story called "Miss Jones".

Stew's Solo Music

Stew also released music by himself. His album Guest Host (2000) was named "Album of the Year" by Entertainment Weekly magazine. His 2002 album, The ... Dutch Painter and Other Songs, also won this award. Stew went on tour with musician Arthur Lee in 2002. In 2003, he was invited to perform in the Lincoln Center's American Songbook concert series.

Writing for Theater and TV

Starting in 2004, Stew began writing a rock musical called Passing Strange. He wrote the story, songs, and music with Heidi Rodewald. This musical won him a Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Lyrics.

Also in 2004, Stew wrote and performed "Gary's Song" for the SpongeBob SquarePants episode "Have You Seen This Snail?(Where's Gary?)". This song helped him get noticed on TV.

Passing Strange became very popular. It played in Berkeley, California, and then in New York City. Critics from New York Times and Variety praised it. In 2008, it opened on Broadway at the Belasco Theatre.

The play was nominated for seven Tony Awards in 2008. Stew received four nominations and won the award for Best Book. The play finished its run in July 2008. Director Spike Lee filmed the final performances for a movie. This movie was shown at the Sundance Festival in 2009.

As of 2016, Stew, Heidi Rodewald, and members of The Negro Problem were performing a live show. They also released an album called Notes from a Native Song. This project was inspired by the writings of James Baldwin.

Teaching at Harvard

Stew is now a Professor at Harvard University. He teaches students about writing musical theater.

Stew's Music Albums

Here are some of the albums Stew has released:

With The Negro Problem

• Post Minstrel Syndrome (1997)
• Joys & Concerns (1999)
• Welcome Black (2002)
• Blackboot (2003)
• Making It (2012)
• Total Bent (2018)
• Notes of a Native Song (2018)

As Stew

• Guest Host (2000)
• Sweetboot (2001)
• The ... Dutch Painter and Other Songs (2002)
• Something Deeper Than These Changes (2003)
• Gary's Song (Gary Come Home) (2005)

With The Lullabies

• Lullabies' Lullaby (2003)

With Double Naught Spy Car + Stew

• Panorama City (2014)

Awards and Recognitions

Stew has won many awards for his work:

• Guest Host, 2000 Best Album of The Year, Entertainment Weekly
• The ... Dutch Painter and Other Songs, 2002 Best Album of The Year, Entertainment Weekly
• Drama Desk Award for Best Musical – Passing Strange
• Drama Desk Award for Best Lyrics – Passing Strange
• Drama Desk Award for Best Music – Passing Strange
• Tony Award for Best Book – Passing Strange
• Tony Award Nomination for Best Musical – Passing Strange
• Tony Award Nomination for Best Actor in a Musical – Passing Strange
• Tony Award Nomination for Best Original Score (with Heidi Rodewald) – Passing Strange
• Tony Award Nomination for Best Orchestrations – Passing Strange
• Obie Award (with Heidi Rodewald) – Passing Strange

See also

In Spanish: Stew para niños