by Carol de Giere
Defying Gravity takes readers into the creative world of Broadway and film composer Stephen Schwartz, from writing Godspell's score at age 23 through the making of the megahit musical Wicked. For this first authorized biography, author Carol de Giere draws from 80 hours of interviews with Schwartz and over 100 interviews with his colleagues, friends, and family. Her sympathetic yet frank narrative reveals never-before-told stories and explores both Schwartz's phenomenal hits and expensive flops. It includes a series of "Creativity Notes" with insights about artistic life, and more than 200 photographs and illustrations. Hundreds of quotes from Schwartz and colleagues.
Now also availalbe for E-READERS like tablets or phones, with many photos in full color.
Ordering sources: Defying Gravity: The Creative Career of Stephen Schwartz, from Godspell to Wicked
This Oscar and Grammy-Award winning songwriter's journey is one of sensational successes and dramatic flops. Without reliance on substance abuse to get through the lows, Schwartz continually picked himself up after discouraging reviews and experiences, and rose again for such achievements as creating the score for Wicked.
In July 2008, Wicked passed Pippin and The Magic Show in number of continuous performances on Broadway. All three have run over 1900 performances, making Stephen Schwartz the only songwriter in Broadway history with three shows that have reached this milestone.
Defying Gravity biography covers all of the musicals with Stephen Schwartz scores and/or lyrics.
Find out more by visiting http://www.musicalschwartz.com
Carol de Giere named the book after the exhilarating first act climax of Wicked when the show's heroine sings "Defying Gravity," the book attests to Schwartz's determination to follow his vision despite setbacks and negative criticism. Defying Gravity includes a multi-page spread about the collaborative development of the "Defying Gravity" scene and song in the show.
For more about the song visit the "Defying Gravity" page at MusicalSchwartz.com: "Defying Gravity" lyrics, etc.
...Stephen Lawrence Schwartz, the future award-winning composer-lyricist, had arrived at dawn on March 6, 1948, in New York City, where the Schwartz family lived until they moved to France fifteen months later. His father, Stanley (“Stan”) Schwartz, a disabled World War II veteran, used GI Bill funds for college tuition to enroll in graduate school in Paris.
During the family’s year and a half overseas, Sheila observed how quickly her son learned two languages. “He would speak to his little French friends in French and then he’d turn and speak in English to me.”
Even more noteworthy to his parents than his facility with language was Stephen’s love of music. His favorite toy wasn’t a stuffed animal or his little red wagon, but rather his phonograph on which he played yellow 78 rpm records. “There was always music in our house, since I’m a music lover,” says Sheila, who had sung in shows in high school.....
...He would always count his training in the dramatic arts as essential for his future artistic efforts. “I decided to go to drama school when I went to college, rather than majoring in music,” Schwartz explained to an interviewer later in his career. “I think everybody writing for theatre should take acting, because the processes are so similar. A lot of writers don’t understand how to get that internal process going, so they write songs that are nice but not really actable.”
He continually relies on lessons from the drama world for his work and teaching. “For me, when I am working on a musical number for a show, the story I am trying to tell comes first. It is a little like an acting exercise—I try to become the character, think about what the character’s action is (what he or she is trying to ‘do’ at that moment), and then express myself as that character would.”
It was at Carnegie, also, that he decided to focus on lyrics as well as music. “I had always wanted to be a composer, and then I began being my own lyricist in college because I couldn’t find people to write lyrics for my songs whose work I felt strongly enough about.
Thus he became that rarity in the world of musicals—a “composer-lyricist.”
....The main narrative of Defying Gravity covers musical-making creativity within the context of Stephen Schwartz’s career. From his childhood dream of writing musicals through Wicked’s opening on Broadway, the book follows the peaks and crises of his artistic life—a storyline that is reminiscent of a three-act play.
In Act I, Schwartz burst onto the New York City theatre scene with a succession of hits: Godspell, Pippin, and The Magic Show. With Act II, he faced a series of disheartening flops: The Baker’s Wife, Working, Rags, and Children of Eden in London. For Act III, he bounced back with songs for award-winning films, and the mega-hit musical Wicked.....
Why read this Stephen Schwartz biography? Anyone working on their own creative projects will enjoy the insights for artistic life in Defying Gravity, as the author quotes Schwartz and others sharing insights about the creative process.
In the "Creativity Notes," Schwartz describes tapping the subconscious mind, overcoming creative blocks, writing for character detail, surviving countless rewrites, working with feedback, and other topics.
Defying Gravity: the Creative Career of Stephen Schwartz, from Godspell to Wicked
Author: de Giere, Carol.
Title: Defying gravity : the creative career of Stephen Schwartz, from Godspell to Wicked / Carol de Giere.
Imprint: New York : Applause Theatre & Cinema Books, 2008.
Description: 535 p. : ill., music ; 23 cm.
Note: Includes bibliographical references (p. 514-519) and index.
Subject: Schwartz, Stephen; Composers -- Biography; Lyricists -- Biography; Musicals -- History and criticism.
ISBN: 9781557837455
Sample call numbers used in libraries: Library of Congress: ML410.S42 D44 2008; Dewey: 782.14 DEG or as biography B Schwartz
EVENTS PAGE: Carol de Giere and Stephen Schwartz appearances
Official website for Defying Gravity: the Creative Career of Stephen Schwartz, from Godspell to Wicked (musical theatre biography)