STEVEN CURTIS CHAPMAN ACCEPTS 4TH BMI AWARD FOR SONGWRITER OF THE YEAR
Apr 23, 2010 Artist Updates
“YOURS” AND “CINDERELLA” HONORED FOR SONGS OF THE YEAR
“BEAUTY WILL RISE” GOES TO RADIO ON MAY 21
Nashville, April 23, 2010 – Steven Curtis Chapman was honored at this week’s Broadcast Music, Inc. (BMI) Awards as he took home his 4th award for Songwriter of the Year along with two more awards for Song of the Year for his powerful hits “Cinderella” and “Yours,” off of his 16th studio record This Moment. The annual BMI Christian Music Awards were held at their Music Row office in Nashville.
BMI saluted the writers and publishers of the past year’s most-performed songs on Christian radio and television. By contributing two songs each to the most-performed list, Chapman, TobyMac, producer/songwriter Chris Stevens and singer/songwriter Jason Walker shared the Songwriter of the Year title.
While Chapman was unable to attend the ceremony, standing in for their father were Chapman’s sons, Caleb and Will Franklin. The boys and their emerging band, Caleb, gave a touching performance of their father’s ballad “Cinderella,” inspired by their sisters Emily, Stevey Joy and Maria Sue.
In addition to his recent honors, the award-winning artist will be releasing the title track as his second single from his latest album Beauty Will Rise. The song goes for adds to radio stations on May 21.
For more information on Chapman, please visit www.stevencurtischapman.com.
Tags: Stephen Curtis Chapman
SHOW HOPE’S SPRING CELEBRATION PRESENTS
Apr 8, 2010 Artist Updates, Ministry
Rodgers And Hammerstein’s
“Cinderella”
In Concert
Friday, May 14th, 7pm
At Nashville’s Schermerhorn Symphony Center
This SHOW HOPE Spring Celebration Honors The Life
Of Maria Sue Chapman
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Nashville, TN – April 7, 2010 – show HOPE™ founders Steven Curtis and Mary Beth Chapman have dreamed for several years now to put together a major entertainment event for the Nashville community. They want to give back to this supporting community as well as to serve as a platform to celebrate and illuminate the mission of show HOPE, their adoption and orphan care organization. Their dream will soon become a reality on Friday, May 14th as show HOPE will present a unique concert production of Rodgers and Hammerstein’s “Cinderella.” With colorful costumes, a bit of dancing and a good measure of magic, the set will be Nashville’s breathtaking Schermerhorn Symphony Center and the music will be performed by the Nashville Symphony.
This not-to-be missed show HOPE Spring Celebration of “Cinderella” is being produced by Steven Curtis Chapman and directed by Matt Logan, and will feature an all-star cast, such as Jodi Benson (the voice of Ariel from Disney’s “The Little Mermaid”) as The Queen, BeBe Winans as the King, Heather Headley as the Fairy Godmother, and Alli Mauzey as Cinderella. More cast information and detailed biographies are listed below.
This one night only concert performance of “Cinderella” is the ideal selection for a spring celebration. The title, the same as one of Steven Curtis Chapman’s most well-known songs, “Cinderella” (from his 2008 project This Moment), was inspired by the Chapman’s two youngest daughters, Stevey Joy and Maria Sue, both adopted from China. With Maria’s tragic passing in May of 2008, the story of both the song and musical of “Cinderella” makes this event, as well as the compassionate work of show HOPE, more poignant than ever. The Chapman’s see this special spring event to be held on May 14th as a perfect way to honor the life of Maria, whose birthday was May 13th, while also celebrating the mission of their organization that exists to help orphaned children around the world.
Friday, May 14th at 7:00 pm
Schermerhorn Symphony Center
One Symphony Place, Nashville, TN
Schermerhorn Symphony Center
One Symphony Place, Nashville, TN
Ticket Prices are $30, $55, $80, $105, $130, and are available now at the Schermerhorn box office, online at www.nashvillesymphony.org, or by calling #615/687-6400. Notice: Additional box office handling fees and charges may apply to ticket purchases. Castings are subject to change.
ABOUT THE CAST:
Jodi Benson (The Queen) is best known for providing the speaking and singing voice of Disney’s Princess Ariel in “The Little Mermaid.”An Illinois native, Benson has lent her voice to numerous other films, TV shows and video games.
Heather Headley (The Fairy Godmother) has performed on Broadway in such musicals as The Lion King and Aida. From Trinidad & Tobago, Headley is not only a singer and actress but a songwriter, and record producer. She has won both a Tony and Grammy Award.
Alli Mauzey (Cinderella) is a California native who has acted on both TV (“Full House”, Harper Valley PTA”) and made her Broadway debut in 2003 as Brenda in “Hairspray.” She also starred as Lenora in “Cry Baby” and most recently as Glinda in “Wicked.”
Anthony Federov (Prince Christopher) appeared in the 4th season of American Idol, placing 4th overall. Along with a few reality TV appearances, he has acted on off-Broadway productions and this Russian-born actor/singer performs at various events domestically and abroad.
Jake Speck (Lionel), is a graduate of Nashville’s Christ Presbyterian Academy and is currently in the Broadway cast of “Jersey Boys.”
BeBe Winans (The King) is a Grammy Award-winning Gospel and R&B singer and member of the noted Winans family. Winans is also host of The BeBe Winans radio Show.
ABOUT show HOPE™:
Originally named after the Chapman’s first adopted daughter, Shaohannah’s Hope (now known as show HOPE) began with a simple desire to help “assist” families in the process of adoption, particularly by helping tear down the financial barrier that prevents many of them from bringing an adopted child into their home. In 2009, the organization celebrated the giving of its 2,000th financial grant (affecting the lives of children from 41 different countries, including many from the U.S.) and changed it’s name to show HOPE to reflect the fact that it has grown far beyond it’s initial vision of helping a few orphans find forever homes. In addition to giving financial grants, show HOPE empowers families, churches and communities with adoption and orphan care resources and advocacy efforts.
Originally named after the Chapman’s first adopted daughter, Shaohannah’s Hope (now known as show HOPE) began with a simple desire to help “assist” families in the process of adoption, particularly by helping tear down the financial barrier that prevents many of them from bringing an adopted child into their home. In 2009, the organization celebrated the giving of its 2,000th financial grant (affecting the lives of children from 41 different countries, including many from the U.S.) and changed it’s name to show HOPE to reflect the fact that it has grown far beyond it’s initial vision of helping a few orphans find forever homes. In addition to giving financial grants, show HOPE empowers families, churches and communities with adoption and orphan care resources and advocacy efforts.
In the summer of 2009, the doors to Maria’s Big House of Hope opened, a six-story facility located in Luoyang, China, which provides surgeries and medical care for special needs orphans. The mission of this healing home is to provide the highest level of care for these orphans who are in desperate need of surgeries and medical attention, thus enabling the children to thrive and increase the orphans’ chances of being adopted. Because of the healing home, the financial assistance, and its extensive resources, Show HOPE has become an internationally recognized “voice” for orphan advocacy and adoption awareness.
ABOUT “CINDERELLA”:
Based on the fairytale character and story of Cinderella, Rodgers and Hammerstein worked together to create their first collaborative effort written for television. “Cinderella” aired in 1957 on CBS and starred Julie Andrews as Cinderella. Broadcast in black and white, it featured songs still treasured today, “My Own Little Corner”, and “Impossible: It’s Possible.” After the success of the production, another version was presented in 1965 on CBS, and yet another in 1997 on ABC, starring Brandy, Whitney Houston, Bernadette Peters, and Whoopi Goldberg.
Based on the fairytale character and story of Cinderella, Rodgers and Hammerstein worked together to create their first collaborative effort written for television. “Cinderella” aired in 1957 on CBS and starred Julie Andrews as Cinderella. Broadcast in black and white, it featured songs still treasured today, “My Own Little Corner”, and “Impossible: It’s Possible.” After the success of the production, another version was presented in 1965 on CBS, and yet another in 1997 on ABC, starring Brandy, Whitney Houston, Bernadette Peters, and Whoopi Goldberg.
Tags: Show HOPE, Stephen Curtis Chapman
SHOW HOPETM OFFERS ITS 2000th FINANCIAL GRANT;
Oct 8, 2009 Ministry
Yet, Financial Resources Are Still Vital And Desperately Needed
Nashville, TN – October 8, 2009 – Steven Curtis Chapman and his wife Mary Beth are well-known for their long legacy of advocating on behalf of the world’s orphans. Show Hope, the non-profit organization they founded, mobilizes individuals and communities to care for orphans. The ministry also provides waiting children with families by giving financial grants to those adopting, and Show Hope is proud to announce that they have recently given their 2000th grant to an adopting family!
Since its inception, Show Hope has financially helped provide forever homes for over 2,000 orphans from 40 countries, resulting in a truly worldwide impact. Yet, still so much more pecuniary assistance is needed. Their Adoption Aid Grant program receives at least 150 new adoption assistance financial grant requests each month. Currently, at an average financial grant of $3,000-$4,000, Show Hope is able to help roughly 25-35 families a month, far less than the requested amount, by 60%.
Below is a testimonial excerpt from The Jones family (pictured below), one of the numerous families that have received a Show Hope Adoption Aid Grant. Through their their story, they share their adoption experience and the gift of Show Hope’s Adoption Aid Grant program:
The Jones family, adopted Nya from Ethiopia:
We had almost no money to apply toward our adoption, no idea who this child would be, and no clue how to convince our loved ones that this was indeed the Lord’s will for our lives. There were nothing but unknowns…
When we finally received the referral for our sweet girl, it all made sense. Of course this child was ours! We loved her more than life but still lacked the resources to complete our adoption! How would we get her home where she belonged? That is where Show Hope comes in. Unexpectedly, and at the exact moment most needed, we received a substantial grant from Show Hope! She went from an orphan to a daughter because of your generosity and love. There is no display of gratitude that would suffice for what you have done for us.
But the question remains: Who will go? Many families may be willing but are afraid to take the leap of faith because of the terribly high cost of adoption. That is why we thank God for people like you, who could use their resources for themselves but, instead, sacrifice so that these little ones experience the truth that they are not forgotten by God! Our daughter is too young to appreciate what you have done, but she will one day. She will be grateful beyond words as we are now.
Yes, Show Hope has financially helped provide for numerous orphans and families, just like the Jones’. Yet, it is imperative for Show Hope to obtain more financial assistance, through individuals and communities, to be able to help out the thousands more children and families that are in need of a forever home.
For more information how you can help through the Show Hope sponsorship program, thorugh a one-time donation and more, please visit:
www.ShowHope.org
and
www.ShowHope.org/Donate
Tags: Stephen Curtis Chapman
MICHAEL W. SMITH AND STEVEN CURTIS CHAPMAN CAP HISTORIC UNITED TOUR WITH MULTIPLE SELL-OUTS
May 6, 2009 Artist Updates, Tour
Reviewers Praise Concerts As “A Special Night for Fans to Remember and Cherish”
(NASHVILLE, TN) May 4, 2009 – GRAMMY® award-winning and multi-platinum selling artists Steven Curtis Chapman and Michael W. Smith wrapped up their highly successful United Tour last week, finishing a string of 44 shows with sell-out performances at Nashville’s Ryman Auditorium and in Chapman’s hometown of Paducah, Kentucky. That capped off multiple sell-outs on a historic tour that began last fall and continued into the spring, pairing the two iconic artists for the first time in their lengthy careers in front of a cumulative audience of more than 100,000 people.
Both artists performed music from their current albums – Chapman’s This Moment and Smith’s award winning A New Hallelujah, and A New Hallelujah – The Live Worship DVD – while also collaborating together on songs from each of their expansive catalogs. Those collaborative moments on stage became crowd-pleasers each night, giving fans an opportunity to catch shared glimpses of humor and inspiration between the two long-time friends. Concert reviewers caught on quickly to the special moments:
“From the honesty and transparency of discussing his daughter’s death to the energy and passion of their greatest songs to the warmth and joy in a loyal audience, Steven Curtis Chapman’s pairing with Michael W. Smith on their current tour is a night of inspiration, unity and family…. If your Christian faith is important to you, this is a night that’s as worshipful as it is wonderful and it’s certainly for you.” (Belief.net)
“Hopefully this won’t be the last time Smith and Chapman share the stage on tour together… and hopefully more artists will take cues from these guys on how to make a tour of talent a special night for fans to remember and cherish.” (JesusFreakHideout.com)
“When you get a ticket to a concert featuring Michael W. Smith and Steven Curtis Chapman, there are moments you hope for… These were moments that remind you iconic artists are fully capable of appreciating other iconic artists’ work.” (Rich Copley, Lexington Herald-Leader)
Creative Artist Agency’s John Huie notes, “The United Tour exceeded all our expectations. The way these two iconic statesmen of Christian music intertwined their sets and enjoyed singing each other’s songs is part of the creative process that is missing from a lot of live shows! Three cheers for Steven Curtis Chapman and Michael W. Smith for their history of great work and their humble ability to share it together! For those who were able to see it, this show was truly a night no one will forget!”
“Sharing the stage with Steven, both in the fall and again in the spring, was a privilege for me,” Smith says. “His consistency over the years as a great artist and a great man of faith was evident every single night of the tour. I feel like the timing of this tour, the timing for Steven and I to share the stage together, was God’s timing – and it was worth the wait. I’m so grateful to everyone who came out for the experience. Steven and I will never forget it.”
“The United Tour has been an incredible experience, and how amazing to get to tour with Michael,” Chapman adds. “He was an incredible friend and brother in walking through this time with our family. It’s been a profound opportunity to see friends around the country who have ached and prayed for us and thank them in person. And it’s been important and meaningful for me to declare these truths in my songs again. I think all of us that were part of ‘United’ have learned again at a deeper level the truth of what we’ve been writing and singing all these years… that God is faithful, even when life is hard, and that the Gospel is true and God is worthy of our praise. My sincere thanks to all who worked on stage and off stage, and to all who came to join us on The United Tour.”
Two of Christian Music’s most recognized and beloved artists, Chapman and Smith ended The United Tour on the heels of major Dove Award wins for both of them. Chapman took home the honors for the Gospel Music Association’s Artist of the Year and Songwriter of the Year, while Smith’s A New Hallelujah was named Praise & Worship Album of the Year as well as Inspirational Song of the Year. Together, the two artists have garnered a staggering eight GRAMMY ® awards, 100 Dove Awards, 78 No. 1 singles and more than 30 gold and platinum albums.
Show Hope™, the orphan care ministry originally founded by Steven Curtis and Mary Beth Chapman, was the sponsor for the United Tour’s 2009 spring leg. The tour’s response was overwhelming as over 2,400 individuals and families made monthly commitments to sponsor orphan care and adoption. With a mission to share the message of caring for the world’s orphans, Show Hope sponsors will be able to help more orphans than ever before find their forever families. Since its inception, Show Hope has financially helped provide forever homes for over 2,000 orphans from 40 countries, including the U.S. The ministry receives over 150 new adoption assistance requests each month. In addition to those needs, financial support to Show Hope also provides medical care, love and hope to orphans, and specifically special needs orphans at Maria’s Big House of Hope in Luoyang, China, which will house over 100 orphans at full capacity. For more information on how you can support the needs of Show Hope, please visit www.ShowHope.org.
Smith’s long-time ministry partner Compassion International (www.compassion.com) was able to benefit during the fall leg of The United Tour. More than 2,000 orphaned children in Compassion’s program around the world were sponsored as a result of the tour’s first 20 dates. “The fact that literally thousands of orphaned children’s lives were impacted through Compassion International in the fall and Show Hope in the spring is just an added blessing that came about through this tour,” Smith says.
The United Tour also formed a unique partnership with HearItFirst.com. With nearly 200,000 members, HIF proved itself the premiere online destination for behind-the-scenes videos and artist interviews with exclusive United Tour content featuring video of Steven and Michael interviewing each other. HearItFirst.com also partnered with the tour via a home page takeover, information to its members through its weekly newsletter, and a contest that won HIF fans free seats and backstage meet & greet passes in each city.
About Steven Curtis Chapman:
Steven Curtis Chapman has sold over 10 million records including two RIAA-certified platinum albums and eight RIAA-certified gold albums. Along with his GMA Dove and GRAMMY ® awards, Chapman has won an American Music Award, recorded 45 No. 1 US radio hits and been awarded 56 Dove Awards, more than any other artist to date. Since his recording career began in 1987, he has recorded 16 projects with Sparrow Records.
Chapman has performed at the White House and has appeared on multiple national programs via CBS, NBC, ABC, CNN, MSNBC, CMT, FOX News, the Hallmark Channel and E!, including Good Morning America, Larry King Live, CBS Sunday Morning, The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, and more. Chapman’s current recording, This Moment, has been propelled by his poignant hit single, “Cinderella.” Together, the album and single have sold more than 500,000 units and earlier this year This Moment was nominated for a Grammy. Last month, the Gospel Music Association awarded Chapman two of its highest honors: Artist of the Year and Songwriter of the Year. For more information, please visit www.stevencurtischapman.com .
About Michael W. Smith:
Throughout his 25-year career as a recording artist, Michael W. Smith has amassed an impressive catalog of achievements. His 21 albums have garnered multiple honors including an American Music Award, three GRAMMY ® Awards (from 13 nominations), 44 GMA Dove Awards and 33 No. 1 radio hits. In addition, he holds 16 Gold and five platinum albums for career sales approaching 15 million.
Smith, who was recently inducted into the Gospel Music Hall of Fame, has scored several film projects, written 11 books and has been featured by media outlets including, NBC’s Today Show, Good Morning America, NBC Nightly News, Larry King Live, FOX and Friends, Hannity and Colmes, USA Today, NY Times, The Washington Post, LA Times, Newsweek, has been named one of People Magazine’s Most Beautiful People and has presented multiple times on the GRAMMY Awards show. His tours consistently rank among the best attended in the country and he has performed to capacity crowds throughout the world. Constantly giving back to the community, one of his current projects is Rocketown–a nightclub for teens in his hometown of Nashville, Tenn.–which serves as safe place for young people to enjoy music and for artists to be discovered. He and wife Debbie Smith are the proud parents of five children. For up-to-date information on Michael W. Smith, please visit www.michaelwsmith.com.
