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PEOPLE LISALOEB “My Favorite Things” Words by Marla E. Schwartz Lisa Loeb, the singing icon and Grammy- nominated sensation from the 90’s has reinvented herself again by writing a children’s musical Camp Kappawanna. Presented by City Theatre during its Summer Shorts Festival in honor of its 15th Anniversary Season, Camp Kappawanna was their first full-length children’s musical. Stephanie Norman, Co-Founder and Executive Director of City Theatre, along with the Adrienne Arsht Performing Arts Center, commissioned the musical. The show premiered at the Arsht and then transferred to the Epstein Center for the Arts in Davie. The idea that City Theatre and Lisa Loeb are continuously evolving and getting better year after year make this an ideal symbiotic relationship. Lisa began her career with the platinum-selling No. 1 hit song “Stay (I Missed You)” from the film and soundtrack for the movie Reality Bites and has parlayed this feat into a multi- dimensional career encompassing music, film, television, voice-over work and children’s recordings. Lisa has appeared in and produced two television series, Dweezil and Lisa for the Food Network and Number 1 Single, a dating show on the E! Network. 84 MIAMI LIVING She also recorded two award-winning children’s CDs, Camp Lisa and Catch the Moon with noted children’s musical artist Elizabeth Mitchell. In conjunction with her CD, Camp Lisa, she launched her own non-profit, The Camp Lisa Foundation, that helps underprivileged kids attend summer camp through its partnership with Summer Camp Opportunities, Inc. A Bethesda, Maryland baby, who spent her formative years in Dallas, Texas, Lisa came from a family that relished a wide variety of music. “Musical theater was a big part of how I grew up,” Lisa said. “I listened to the radio a lot, but my parents were of the generation where music was listened to in the house, (such as) Oklahoma, West Side Story and all those classic shows... I’ve always wanted to do a musical theater piece,” said Lisa, who became involved with City Theatre during last season’s festival when they wanted to use one of her songs, ‘Best Friends’ in one of the summer shorts. Camp Kappawanna is the story of Jennifer Jenkins an endearingly self- conscious twelve-year-old who is trying to discover her true self. She’s leaving home for the first time to attend an overnight summer camp. Camp Kappawanna is an enchanting tale for youngsters of all ages, but also enjoyable for adults who will be able to relate their own summer camp experiences to the ones taking place on stage. “My goal with the summer camp album, “My goal with the summer camp album, Camp Lisa was to bring summer camp to as musical is a perfect format for that..” many people as possible. I thought a family Camp Lisa was to bring summer camp to as many people as possible. I thought a family musical is a perfect format for that; we (Marco Ramirez, multi-award winning Hialeah born playwright, and herself –he wrote the book/she wrote the music and lyrics along with Dan Petty and Michelle Lewis) used a handful of songs from the CD and then we wrote a number of new songs once Marco had written the play,” Lisa explained. “Marco has a great sense of humor, is very smart, and makes really great references to current culture.”