Defying Gravity: The Creative Career of Stephen Schwartz, from Godspell to Wicked

Description

From his writing of Godspell s score at age 23 through the making of the megahit musical Wicked and beyond, Defying Gravity: The Creative Career of Stephen Schwartz, from Godspell to Wicked 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 colourful anecdotes and insights for his licensed musicals Children of Eden, Pippin, Working, and others. Defying Gravity also 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 musicals The 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 on Wicked. It offers additional Creativity Notes a popular feature of the first edition with comments from Schwartz about overcoming creative blocks, collaboration, and the artistic life.

Carol de Giere (Georgetown Connecticut) is a freelance writer focusing on musicals and creativity. In addition to writing the Stephen Schwartz biography, Defying Gravity, she is the author of The Godspell Experience: Inside a Transformative Musical and is currently writing several other books.

The second edition of Defying Gravity is a treasure-trove of information, stories, insights, and creative advice for anyone who wants to know more about Stephen Schwartz, or about the creative process of writing songs for the stage and screen. -- Ryan Luevano * Tin Pan L.A. * A stunning 512 pages (with photographs and handwritten notes), de Giere's book is a thoroughly fascinating read as well as something of a musical theatre master class in written form-one that has been lovingly lensed through the life and creativity of Stephen Schwartz. -- Linda Hodges * BroadwayWorld.com * This new version of what had been an already an impactful book offers deeper and wider insights into the creative mind of Stephen Schwartz ... As she did in the original edition, the author has captured not only the genius of the man, but his spirit, as well. -- Al Chase * The White Rhino Report blog *