Jonathan Schwartz, executive director of the Modell Performing Arts Center at the Lyric (Photo by Kimberly Phillips-Simonetti)

Jonathan Schwartz plans to lead Baltimore’s Modell Performing Arts Center at the Lyric on a new path.

Jonathan Schwartz’s new gig as executive director of the Modell Performing Arts Center at the Lyric represents a significant change in direction for the 49-year-old Reisterstown resident.

Schwartz most recently served as chief of staff for Baltimore County Councilwoman Vicki Almond (D-2nd), and before that as legislative director for former Del. Jon S. Cardin.

Born in the Bronx, N.Y., and raised in New Jersey and London, Schwartz studied at Haverford College and the University of Pennsylvania. He moved to Baltimore with his wife, Dr. Jennie Faber, in 1993 for her OB/GYN residency at Sinai Hospital. They have two children, and the family attends Baltimore Hebrew Congregation.

Jmore recently spoke with Schwartz, who began his new position on Jan. 8, to learn about his plans for the Lyric.

What were some of your earliest experiences with the arts?

I grew up in a family where my grandparents always had subscriptions to the Met and to the symphony. I went to see a lot of Broadway shows. My father was in financial services, and when I was 11 we moved to London. We were only supposed to be there for 18 months, but my parents stayed there for 27 years, so I graduated from the American School in London.

You must have seen a lot of theater there.

One of our family traditions was going to Regent’s Park, where they have the open-air theater. From age 11, I saw Shakespeare [productions] there every year, which was amazing. One of the beauties of being in London is there were great opportunities for experiential learning. If you were studying something in English class and it was being performed somewhere, you could go see it.

Memories of particular performances you saw?

“Steel Magnolias” went on to be that wonderful movie with all the big stars, but originally it was just a straightforward play about half a dozen women in the beauty shop. I saw it probably 30 years ago and remember how incredibly powerful it was. You don’t need all the fancy scenery and the glamour. It took place on one set and told an amazingly powerful story.

The Lyric is known for hosting pretty grand productions. How do you encourage audiences to appreciate simplicity?

The Lyric is unique in Baltimore in that it brings in all sorts of performers. It isn’t a one-size-fits-all. It doesn’t just do ballet or do Broadway plays. It does a little bit of everything.

We also do the things that other venues aren’t doing. So it has children’s performances or Steve Martin. We’ll have comedians or rock stars. We want it to be the people’s theater, where there is something for everyone. Nobody is going to like everything we do, but everyone should like something.

It sounds like a challenge to market to all those different demographics.

Well, there’s some overlap, too. No community is monolithic. You may have a performance that appeals to a certain constituency, but maybe they come and enjoy something so much they’ll come back and try something else that is outside of their natural wheelhouse.

How did your background working in politics and policy prepare you for such a big job in arts administration?

The Lyric has chosen to go a different path. We have some great people in place who understand the arts. They were looking for someone to be more of a public presence, someone to be more engaged with the city. They also wanted someone from Baltimore. Our family is settled here. My children were born here and went to school here. This is home.

One of my goals as executive director is to reach out to community groups, whether it’s speaking at synagogues or going to churches or schools — any group that will have me or a member of the staff. We want to meet people where they are and listen to what they want.

Hope to attract younger audiences?

Different generations give to different causes and have different priorities. It’s our responsibility to give them a reason to support the arts. We don’t have a divine right to exist — we have to provide something that people want to be a part of.

What would you say to someone who asks why we should pay for the arts when people are hungry?

I’d say the goal of a great society is to do both. A great city like Baltimore has to take care of its citizens, it has to provide opportunities to educate its children, it has to provide opportunities in the arts and in athletics. If you want to see Baltimore as a significant city and a strong presence in our state and country, it has to do all of these things.

Martha Thomas is a Baltimore-based freelance writer.

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