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New Life at Duke Ellington

A new principal and a bevy of theater pros are trying to help the Duke Ellington School of the Arts revive its reputation. First hurdle? An ambitious production of "The Wiz."

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Gravátt nods, her attention drawn by the sight of two crew members having an animated conversation just out of earshot. The idea that a new problem could be brewing is worrisome.

"What is that about?" Gravátt asks, extending a manicured finger toward the men.

She quickly is assuaged by her stage manager, Nicole Leonard. "It's nothing," she tells her. Leonard's industry credits include working as a road manager for gospel superstar Fred Hammond as well as serving as the stage manager for the national tour of "Bring in 'Da Noise, Bring in 'Da Funk."

"Oh," Gravátt says as she exits the stage. "'Cause I don't want any surprises."

Much of Gravátt's tension originates from her decision to have two casts. The implications for rehearsals, costumes and performances made an ambitious pursuit twice as daunting. But Gravátt was determined to include as many students as possible. "I'm a grandmother," she says. "I couldn't say no to the babies. So I made that decision." Then she adds somewhat ruefully, "And no one stopped me."

Gravátt has been steadily employed since she left a teaching position at Ellington in the 1980s. Soon after directing "The Wiz," she will have moved on to the role of Ruby in the Kennedy Center' s revival of the August Wilson play "King Hedley II." And she is working as an understudy for Phylicia Rashad in the Broadway revival of "Cat on a Hot Tin Roof."

As someone who has spent her share of time with actors, Gravátt recognizes the unrealistic expectations that many of the students possess. "Most of them want to be stars . . . I'm trying to help them understand that it's not about stardom; everybody is not going to achieve that," she says. "What I try to encourage them to understand is that it's more important to be a working artist."

Nichalas Parker, who is one of the students playing the role of the Cowardly Lion, says that preparing for the show leaves little time for a life outside of Duke Ellington. "My dad complains because I never see him," he says. "It's like I'm a professional, and I'm not getting paid."

Gravátt believes it's important that students see the realities of working in the theater. "I have exposed them to the arts in a way that has shown [some of] them -- 'I can't do this for a living; it's too hard' -- which is a wonderful lesson to learn."

JOHNSON IS SURROUNDED BY PROBLEMS. In addition to being a producer, he is also the artistic director, which puts him at the center of "The Wiz." If Pullens is the visionary, calculating the play's potential benefits to the school, Johnson is the man behind the curtain -- synchronizing the musical's various components into the single production the audience will experience. It is Johnson who spent the summer in preproduction, making decisions about the creative concepts of the show as well as what they would cost to stage. It is Johnson who has lined up the dozens of theater professionals to serve the show, such as Grammy-nominated conductor e'Marcus Harper, who has worked with numerous artists, including Michael Jackson, Aretha Franklin and Carlos Santana; Brandee Mathies, who has designed costumes for Washington's Studio Theatre for more than a decade; and set designer Patrice Andrew Davidson, who has worked around the country staging revivals such as "Beauty and the Beast," "A Raisin in the Sun" and "Porgy and Bess."

Johnson's many years spent as a producer and director have prepared him for the formidable task of coordinating "The Wiz." "Everybody here has had a bad day, when they just lost it," Davidson says. "Everybody, except for Ken."

"I'm a servant leader, that's what I believe," Johnson says. "I'm there for you. And I'm gonna do whatever I have to do to facilitate your creative brilliance. I've found that that has led to just as much respect from people as parading around looking like you're in charge."