Description

From his writing ofGodspell‘s score at age 23 through the making of the megahit musicalWickedand beyond,Defying Gravity: The Creative Career of Stephen Schwartz, fromGodspelltoWicked takes readers into the world of the legendary Broadway and film composer-lyricist. In this authorized biography, drawing from her interviews with Schwartz and his collaborators, author Carol de Giere focuses on the behind-the-scenes stories for Schwartz’s hits and disappointing flops. Readers will find colorful anecdotes and insights for his licensed musicalsChildren of Eden,Pippin,Working, and others.Defying Gravityalso includes Hollywood stories, beginning with a new foreword by composer Alan Menken.

This updated and revised second edition delves into Stephen Schwartz’s creative process for the new stage musicalsThe Hunchback of Notre Dame,The Prince of Egypt, and other shows. It provides additional insights on Schwartz’s early work with Leonard Bernstein and his more recent international work onWicked. It offers additional “Creative Notes” – a popular feature of the first edition – with comments from Schwartz about overcoming creative blocks, collaboration, and the artistic life.