When Indiana Musical Theatre Foundation got their own space, Alex Leavell’s dream to highlight Black voices came true.

In 2022, the IMTF program and marketing director began his Black History Month Concert Series with an ode to Sam Cooke, with Otis Redding following last year.

This time around, things are going to get a bit more funky with The Songs of Stevie Wonder at RKF Studios, tucked away at 2446 Lake Ave., on Friday-Saturday, Feb. 23-24.

“It’s going to be different,” Leavell said of this year’s show. “I’ve spoken to the band members and Peter Klopfenstein, our great leader of (The IMTF All-Star Band), and it’s much tougher, much more groovy. 

“Everyone is having a little harder time with it, just because it’s so funky compared to the others. Otis and Sam, that’s late ’50s, early ’60s stuff. It’s much more straightforward on the band side. Stevie was just so unique in the way he formed his music. It’s really hard to emulate him and his band.”

Taking on challenge

As the band of keyboardist Klopfenstein, guitarist Adam Robison, bassist Trevor Perkins, trumpeter Todd Roth, saxophonist John Leavell, and drummer Bray Coughlin carry the beat, Albert Brownlee, Prentis Moore, Martel Harris, Tamia Beverly, Roth, Jordan Weatherbe, Dave Ealy, Eric Biden, Fatima Washington, and Jake Wilhelm will handle vocals.

“It’s a much longer setlist this year,” Leavell said. “Stevie has had so many albums and his songbook is so massive. So, we upped it to about 26 songs, where in the past it’s been about 18.”

Showcasing the Saginaw, Michigan, icon was a no-brainer for Leavell.

“Stevie’s awesome,” he said bluntly. “When I bought my little record player my freshman year of college, my very first album I bought was Songs in the Key of Life. I just used to play that all the time in my dorm room. When my wife and I got married, as soon as we had our first kiss and walked back down the aisle to celebrate, ‘Signed, Sealed, Delivered (I’m Yours)’ was playing.

“He really is timeless. It’s crazy how long he’s been around and how much he has given to people who love music. He’s an icon.”

Vast catalog

Wonder’s been around since 1950, becoming blind shortly after his birth. He signed with Motown Records at 11 years old and released his first album, The Jazz Soul of Little Stevie, at 12. 

It was his fifth album, 1967’s Up-Tight, when he began to write more of his own material, garnering acclaim and earning two Grammy nominations with the album. He released 23 studio albums, winning 25 Grammys and creating such iconic albums 1972’s Music of My Mind, 1972’s Talking Book, 1973’s Innervisions, and 1976’s Songs in the Key of Life.

Choosing songs for the show was likely tough for Leavell to select since the hits are nearly endless, such as “I Was Made To Love Her,” “Isn’t She Lovely,” “I Wish,” “I Just Called To Say I Love You,” “Signed, Sealed, Delivered,” “Part-Time Lover,” “For Once in My Life,” “My Cherie Amour,” “Master Blaster,” “I Believe,” “Higher Ground,” “Sir Duke,” “As,” and, of course, “Superstition.”

“It’s so strange because some of his songs are very much, ‘I’m just going to sing a ballad,’ but then on other ones he’s riffing all over the place and there’s weird stuff going on,” Leavell said.

And his sound is never stagnant.

“He was someone who was willing to change with the times,” Leavell said. “When the ’70s rolled around, he got a little more funky, a lot more disco groove with it. In the ’60s, it was that straightforward soul music. In the ’80s, it was little more poppy. The thing with Stevie is, he’s been around so long you can track the years he was releasing his albums because they were all so different. That’s really unique for a singer.”

With an evolving songbook, Leavell said the show will keep you on your feet, as they will not be coming at you in chronological order.

“We’re just jamming,” he said. “I try to make a good mix of ballads versus his up-tempo stuff. I’m really practicing my DJ skills on this one to see how to work a crowd with this music. 

“It’s a very eclectic mix of music. I’m just doing my best to make sure the crowd has time on the dance floor but also some time to rest their dancing feet as well. They’re going to be dancing a lot.”

Celebration of Black performers

According to Leavell, those crowds are also getting larger, which might lead to even more performances in the future.

“We had so many people that came (last year) because they had missed out on the (Sam Cooke) show because they had no idea it had happened,” he said. “They said, ‘We’re coming back next year and bringing our friends.’ 

“We’ve already had a great start to ticket sales. We’re looking to make this maybe a three-show thing, a four-show thing in the future instead of just the two nights. We are getting some great feedback and people are really enjoying themselves out there.”

On top of showcasing iconic Black singers, IMTF’s Black History Month Series showcases incredible local Black talent. This month has already given us Fort Wayne Civic Theatre’s The Color Purple and Genesis Outreach’s Ragtime the Musical, productions showcasing Black stories and performers.

IMTF and Genesis Outreach actually worked together on Ragtime with the show’s producer and actor Albert Brownlee also performing in the Stevie Wonder show.

“He wanted to make sure (Ragtime) didn’t interfere with the Stevie show (dates) because he wanted this to be a collaboration sort of thing where we could have as many shows out there that celebrate Black voices and history,” Leavell said.

Along with Brownlee, Leavell is in Ragtime, as is Washington, Wilhelm, Ealy, and Moore, while Beverly stars in The Color Purple.

That leads to a quick turnaround for the performers, but it’s worth it.

“I think we as a community in Fort Wayne could do a much better job of celebrating Black voices and celebrating our Black artists,” Leavell said. “Even if it’s not a show geared toward a Black ensemble or Black cast.”

As for next year’s concert/show, Aretha Franklin is a possibility … Leavell is just waiting on the right female voices to step forward.

“My thing with Aretha is, I’m only going to do it if I have the massive female talent that I need to do that,” he said. “I mean, guys can sing it … but you have to have the female talent for it.

“I definitely want to get a female singer in here at some point. The three years of male singers is great and they’re fantastic, but I think we need to share the greatness of the female soloist as well.”