How late Broadway composer embraced Topeka with song about civil rights and inclusivity

Celebrating inclusivity and diversity in the capital city is a focus of Visit Topeka and its newly released song.

"Topeka!" was written by the late Broadway composer Steven Lutvak and released in March. The song celebrates Topeka's commitment to its civil rights heritage and the spirit of the capital city.

Lutvak's husband, Michael McGowan said the song wasn't an ordinary song for Lutvak but a personal expression of their family's journey and values.

"Steven made a visit to Topeka to get to know the community a bit, and I think immediately felt the warmth and the embrace from everyone that he met in Topeka and that really was the origin point of 'Be yourself, see yourself, free yourself in Topeka,'" McGowan told The Capital-Journal.

Lutvak, a New York native, died in his work studio in Manhattan on Oct. 9. He was 65, The New York Times said.

Celebrating the community through music

Topeka has numerous landmarks, events and programs celebrating its civil rights legacy, such as the Brown v. Board of Education National Historical Park or the rainbow-colored Equality House standing as a vibrant symbol of LGBTQ+ right, a Visit Topeka release said.

Lutvak started the song with the following lyrics: “Topeka is a city with her arms open wide! Be yourself, see yourself, free yourself in Topeka." The video also features community members from all different backgrounds.

McGowan said Lutvak's creative process for writing a song was one that was never precisely calculated, but he always "jumped head first."

"At the time he passed, in addition to the song — which he was so deeply attached to — he was also working on five different musicals," McGowan said. "He was one of the busiest and most joyful workers I've ever seen."

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Lead vocals in the song are sung by Topeka native and Broadway performer Jeff Kready and his wife, Nikki Renee Daniels, a Broadway star herself.

Kready appeared in such Broadway productions as "The Great Gatsby," "Company," "Tootsie" and "A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder," which was a musical composed by Lutvak that earned four Tony Awards in 2014, the release said.

“Steven was deeply moved by the concept of a community celebrating diversity and inclusivity with such passion, especially when the national climate is so charged,” Kready said. “This excitement was palpable when he embarked on the ‘Topeka!’ project. Steven was deeply impressed and inspired by Topeka’s openness, which fueled his creative process.”

'Topeka!' song part of Visit Topeka's welcoming campaign

The song was commissioned by Visit Topeka, the convention and visitors' bureau for the capital city of Kansas, to anchor its 2024-25 campaign welcoming visitors. The timing of the launch aligns with the arrival of the 2024 Topeka City Guide, which was produced in English and Spanish and celebrates the themes presented in the song.

Sean Dixon, president of Visit Topeka, said the organization is honored to have worked with someone of Lutvak's caliber.

“We knew we wanted to create a classical Broadway-inspired musical number to capture the attention of travelers around the country," Dixon said. "Our mission was to make sure every type of family and person could see that Topeka is a community that would welcome them for who they are, and that this city will surprise you.”

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McGowan said he remembers Lutvak calling him to share the experience of being in Topeka.

"I remember him calling after that first day of visiting a number of places that were important to the history and the city and the community, and he was just so excited," McGowan said. "This born-and-bred New Yorker, he was so excited and charmed by how welcoming this community was and how excited they were about developing this campaign."

McGowan visited Topeka on Thursday with his and Lutvek's 7-year-old daughter, Eliot Lutvak-McGowen.

Keishera Lately is the business reporter for the Topeka Capital-Journal. She can be reached at [email protected]. Follow her on Twitter @Lately_KT.

This article originally appeared on Topeka Capital-Journal: How late Broadway composer Steven Lutvak embraced Topeka in song