William Donald Schaefer held public office in Maryland for decades, serving as Mayor of Baltimore from 1971-1987, Governor of Maryland from 1987-1995, and Comptroller of Maryland from 1999-2007. He was well-known for his attention to detail and also for publicity stunts, including a taking a dip in the seal pool at the National Aquarium when he lost a bet. During his career in Baltimore, several national magazines dubbed him “Baltimore’s Best Mayor.” Composer Jonathan Jensen and playwright Rich Espey have a written a musical about “Willie Don” that’s now playing at Fells Point Corner Theater in Baltimore. Tickets are only available on a standby basis at this point; more information is at fpct.org/doitnow or 410-878-0228. I chatted with Jonathan Jensen about the process of creating the show and the current production this week.
