Stephen Schwartz Updates – Composer on the Wicked movie set
News from the world of Broadway and film composer-lyricist Stephen Schwartz and biographer Carol de Giere — a fan newsletter.
PHOTO: Composer Stephen Schwartz checks out the Wizard’s Workshop on the Wicked movie set. He says, “I was there recording Jeff [Goldblum], and then I got to visit the set. I had no idea there was going to be such meticulous detail in the art direction and the props.” (Photo from February 2023 courtesy of Stephen Schwartz for The Schwartz Scene.)
1) Welcome from Carol
For this issue I obtained special permission to share two photos taken on the Wicked movie set (one above and one below). You’ll find exclusive updates on composer Stephen Schwartz’s Wicked movie work as well as his new musical The Queen of Versailles and more.
The news is drawn from my June 30th lunch interview with Stephen.
For future updates please LIKE our Facebook – Schwartz Scene page where I post news periodically. You can also check Stephen’s official site StephenSchwartz.com news section for updates.
If you haven’t already read my books Defying Gravity and The Godspell Experience you can find out more here: https://caroldegiere.com/books
2) The Wicked Movie Musical – On the Wicked film set; Recording notes
PHOTO: Stephen Schwartz stands on the yellow brick road (under construction) on the Munchkinland set for the Wicked movie, April 2023. (Photo courtesy of Stephen Schwartz for The Schwartz Scene.)
Over the past eight months, Stephen Schwartz has been creating the pre-recorded song tracks with the cast and his movie music team Stephen Oremus and Dominick Amendum. He has flown to the UK whenever one of the stars is scheduled to record their song(s). (We included his comments about recording Arianna, Cynthia, and others in previous issues of The Schwartz Scene.)
Jeff Goldblum and Michelle Yeoh
In my June 30th interview with Stephen, he talked about working with Jeff Goldblum. He knew Jeff previously from The Prince of Egypt animated feature, for which Goldblum voiced the role of Aaron. Schwartz noted, “The last time I saw Jeff was when we did the European press junket for The Prince of Egypt just before the movie opened (1998). He remains funny, quirky and extremely generous.”
In 2023, Stephen also worked with Michelle Yeoh for the Madame Morrible vocals. “I love that she was really game—she’ll just try anything,” he said. “When I worked with her, it was no more than a week or two after she won the Oscar, and she was still so easy-going and daring. And we just had fun in the recording studio because she’d never been asked to sing professionally before. She did great.”
“One Short Day” and More
He commented further about the recordings:
Carol de Giere: It’s nice for you to have a job as part of the filming process.
Stephen Schwartz: I’ve had a blast. It’s been so much fun. And I’m going over to London again the week of July 10th – this will be the last time while we are still filming. I’m going over for “One Short Day.”
CD: For a group recording?
SS: Basically just to be there. The pre-recorded vocals are done, but with the new choreography, they may need adjustments in the music. There is a little extra section in the movie version that doesn’t exist in the show. And that may need some adjustment on the fly.
The latest release dates for the Wicked movies are currently listed as November 27, 2024 for Part I and November 26, 2025 for Part II.
3) Stephen Schwartz Stage Musicals
The Queen of Versailles
Lindsey Ferrentino and Stephen Schwartz completed a full initial draft of their new musical, The Queen of Versailles, in time for a June reading. The musical is about David and Jackie Siegel, a Florida couple who are building the biggest private home in America. The production stars Kristin Chenoweth in the role of Jackie Siegel.
When asked how many songs he’d written, Stephen replied, “Too many! There are probably too many right now, but that’s what you do. I turn out a lot of stuff, to see what will really work. Lindsey and I both do this, the same as Winnie [Holzman] and I did when we were writing Wicked. We just overwrite and then, when we have a complete version and know more about the show, we start to cut.”
When questioned about the content and reason for the show, he explained that it is giving him a chance to investigate cultural transformation. “It’s an exploration of how what we call ‘The American Dream’ has changed and the consequences for both society and individuals. I think at its core, that is what the show is about to me.”
A workshop of the musical will be conducted this fall.
Picasso Musical
PHOTO: Actor Antonio Banderas, co-book writer Gordon Greenberg, and composer-lyricist Stephen Schwartz
Stephen Schwartz has started writing songs for a new musical related to the artist Pablo Picasso. Antonio Banderas is set to star and helped to conceive the show. Gordon Greenberg is co-writing the book with Caridad Svich and will direct the first production that is due to premiere at Banderas’ Teatro del Soho in Málaga, Spain, Picasso’s birthplace.
We look forward to future updates.
Wicked is 4th Longest Running Broadway Show – Schwartz Comments
On April 11th, Wicked became Broadway’s 4th longest running show, having played its 7,486th performance at the Gershwin Theatre. The show will celebrate its 20th anniversary on Broadway in October. It is currently in its 17th year in London. A U.K. tour will re-launch in Edinburgh this December. Wicked will return to Australia this summer (beginning performances in Sydney in August) and to Japan (beginning performances in Tokyo in October).
Stephen Schwartz reflected back on the days of Pippin that ran on Broadway from 1972 to 1977: “When I started, if you had a show that ran five years, that was miraculous. There were such a small number of shows that achieved that, and now, while everyone is obviously thrilled to have a show that runs five years, it seems so commonplace to have these shows-as-institutions that just go on and on forever. I don’t know exactly what’s changed, except for maybe the internationalization of Broadway, that there’s such a large tourist audience. Broadway used to draw much more from a local audience and so after five years everybody had seen the show.”
About Wicked’s long run he adds, “Of course I’m proud and thrilled, and still amazed!”
4). Special Events: Concerts
Los Angeles Events for Musical Writers and Others
Stephen Schwartz is part of the summer events organized by The Wallis & The ASCAP Foundation. He will lead the workshops July 17 – 20. See https://thewallis.org/show-details/musical-theatre-fest
Stephen Schwartz at 75 – Special Concert in London, September 17, 2023.
Stars of London’s West End will celebrate Stephen Schwartz’s birthday performing songs from Wicked, The Prince of Egypt, Godspell, Pippin, Children of Eden and other shows. (His 75th birthday was March 6, 2023.) Schwartz at 75 Concert in London
Defying Gravity: An Evening with Stephen Schwartz and Friends – With the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra, September 22-24, 2023.
From Godspell to Wicked and beyond, Grammy- and Oscar-winning composer Stephen Schwartz joins JMR and the Pops. Defying Gravity concert.
Stephen Schwartz and Friends Concert: From Godspell to Wicked and Beyond! With the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra, October 28th, 2023.
Grammy and Oscar-winning songwriter Stephen Schwartz shares his stories and songs from Broadway with a stellar cast of performers for an unforgettable evening of musical theatre. Buffalo concert
Children of Eden concert at Lincoln Center February 18, 2024. A grand concert is being organized for a rare performance of this musical in New York City. Check for updates on https://www.mcp.us/broadway-series
5). All Good Gifts: Summer Reading and Viewing
STREAMING TV
The latest season of the parody-style musical Schmigadoon, called Schmicago, is replete with homages to Stephen Schwartz musicals Pippin and Godspell (especially the movie version with the costumes and parables) and Pippin. Can you guess the reference to Pippin’s “Love Song”? Apple TV.
BOOKS
Jack Viertel’s The Secret Life of the American Musical includes a chapter called “The Wizard and I,” about the I Want song in Wicked and other musicals. https://amzn.to/3O3Ytbi
Newest: Magic To Do: Pippin’s Fantastic, Fraught Journey to Broadway and Beyond.
https://amzn.to/3D3iAAs
Defying Gravity 2nd edition – Signed copies are available.
Explore the career story of this remarkable artist, Stephen Schwartz. Defying Gravity takes readers through the making of Wicked, Godspell, Children of Eden, and other shows and movies. The book includes a series of “Creativity Notes” that reveal some of Schwartz’s creative strategies.
https://caroldegiere.com/defying-gravity/
The Godspell Experience with a Foreword by Stephen Schwartz is a colorful account of Godspell’s creative journey. It includes a song-by-song section, and delightful comments from the show’s original cast members. Come sing—and read—about love! https://caroldegiere.com/the-godspell-experience/ Signed copies are available
Previous Issues of The Schwartz Scene
If you missed previous issues covering Schwartz’s comments about the Wicked movie and many other topics, please visit our Back issue archive.
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About this online fan newsletter: The Schwartz Scene is an independent publication written for musical theater and film enthusiasts who appreciate the work of American composer-lyricist Stephen Schwartz. Although it does not formally represent Mr. Schwartz, Carol de Giere is in regular contact with the Schwartz office for updates and approval of his quotations. Send questions or comments by message at http://facebook.com/theschwartzscene (preferred) or by email to carol1 (at) caroldegiere (dot) com
Copyright 2023 by Carol de Giere. Journalists are asked to cite “The Schwartz Scene” newsletter if quoting, in brief, from this issue. Carol de Giere has exclusive rights, unless otherwise specified, for all materials included in the newsletter. Permission must be secured in writing before any part of it may be reprinted, except for the printing of one copy for the subscriber’s private use. Editor: Carol de Giere, 10 Library Place #909, Bethel CT 06801-0909.