Stew and Heidi Rodewald’s ‘Notes of a Native Song’

Guests: Stew, Heidi Rodewald

Marty is joined this hour by musicians STEW and HEIDI RODEWALD.  Their new rock-theater production Notes of a Native Song, which draws on the work of writer James Baldwin, begins its four-day run Thursday night at the Wilma Theater as part of the Philadelphia Fringe Festival. Stew formed the band The Negro Problem in the 1990s, eventually releasing music as a solo performer. He then went on to compose music and lyrics for rock-theater productions.  At this time, he began collaborating with songwriter Heidi Rodewald. Their first collaboration Passing Strange went on to win a Tony Award. We’ll hear about Stew and Heidi’s twenty years of collaboration, their creative process, and their newest piece.