The Broadway Sinfonietta, a trailblazing, new, all-female orchestra founded by Egyptian-American orchestrator and music director Macy Schmidt teams up with Broadway’s Shoba Narayan (Hamilton, Wicked), director Sammi Cannold (Evita at City Center, Ragtime on Ellis Island), music producer Emily Marshall (Be More Chill, Head Over Heels), and Director of Photography Kate Montgomery to create “Here Comes the Change,” a music video celebrating the election of Vice President Kamala Harris on the eve of the inauguration. This video was made possible thanks to the generous support of Todd and Elizabeth Donovan (Natasha, Pierre & the Great Comet of 1812).
"Tomorrow the world will change,” says Narayan, “A glass ceiling will be broken. Women and immigrants of America will see someone like them within the highest levels of leadership in the world. Regardless of where you stand politically, this is a significant moment in our history as we watch the first Black and South Asian woman take office. As artists, we hope to share this message of unity and hope. I hope this historic day is a step forward towards a more equitable world, where people of all races, genders and backgrounds have the opportunity to reach for the stars. And I look forward to telling my own children that no dream is too big."
While The Broadway Sinfonietta has an ever-growing roster of female, predominantly BIPOC musicians, this music video, “Here Comes the Change,” arranged and orchestrated by Schmidt with additional vocal arrangements by Marshall, features vocals from Narayan along with 8 female musicians, including: Maria Im (violin), Chiara Fasi (violin), Tia Allen (viola), Susan Mandel (cello), Julia Adamy (bass), Elena Bonomo (drums), Macy Schmidt (piano), and Elizabeth Steiner (harp). The video also features Ember Sheth-Mody, Maven Sheth-Mody, Sheetal Sheth, and a choir of BIPOC female theater artists, including: Renee Albulario, Maiya Blaney, Nadia Dandashi, Samara Goldberg, Stephanie Gutierrez-Diaz, Savy Jackson, Ashley Lalonde, Anisha Nagarajan, Yamuna Meleth, Anu Mysore, Shea Renne, Sushma Saha, Sabrina Santana, Leah Vicencio, Geena Quintos, and Salena Qureshi. The video was recorded last week at the SAE Institute in NYC and all musicians and crew members were COVID-tested before filming. The project is produced by BroadStream in association with Wherehouse Media and The Broadway Sinfonietta. To donate to The Broadway Sinfonietta via SheNYC Arts, visit shenycarts.org/sinfonietta. “Here Comes the Change” is written by Kesha Sebert, Drew Pearson, and Stephen Wrabel.