|
 Stephen Schwartz was born in New York City on March 6, 1948. He studied piano and composition at the Juilliard School of Music while in high school and graduated from Carnegie Mellon University in 1968 with a B.F.A. in Drama. Upon coming back to live in New York City, he went to work as a producer for RCA Records, but shortly thereafter began to work in the Broadway theatre. His first major credit was the title song for the play BUTTERFLIES ARE FREE; the song was eventually used in the movie version as well. In 1971, he wrote the music and new lyrics for GODSPELL, for which he won several awards including two Grammys. This was followed by the English texts, in collaboration with Leonard Bernstein, for Bernstein's MASS, which opened the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, D.C.
The following year, he wrote the music and lyrics for PIPPIN and two years later, THE MAGIC SHOW. When all three were running on Broadway at the same time, Mr. Schwartz became one of a very small number of composers to achieve that feat. Next were the music and lyrics for THE BAKER'S WIFE, which closed before reaching Broadway after a disastrous out-of-town tryout tour in 1976. However, the cast album went on to attain cult status, leading to several subsequent productions, including a London revival directed by Trevor Nunn in 1988. Mr. Schwartz's next Broadway project was a musical version of Studs Terkel's WORKING, which he adapted and directed, winning the Drama Desk Award as best director, and contributed four songs to the score. He also co-directed the television production, which was presented as part of the PBS "American Playhouse" series. Subsequent theatre credits include a one-act musical for children, CAPTAIN LOUIE, music for three of the songs for the Off-Broadway revue, PERSONALS, lyrics to Charles Strouse's music for RAGS, and music and lyrics for CHILDREN OF EDEN.
He then began working in film, collaborating with composer Alan Menken on the scores for the Disney animated features POCAHONTAS, for which he received two Academy Awards, and THE HUNCHBACK OF NOTRE DAME. He alsoprovided songs for DreamWorks' first animated feature, THE PRINCE OF EGYPT, for which he won a third Academy Award for the song "When You Believe". Mr. Schwartz followed these film projects with music and lyrics for the original television musical, GEPPETTO, and two CDs on which he sings new songs, entitled RELUCTANT PILGRIM and UNCHARTED TERRITORY.
Mr. Schwartz then returned to Broadway with his most recent musical, WICKED.
Under the auspices of the ASCAP Foundation, he runs musical theatre workshops in New York and Los Angeles, and serves on the ASCAP Foundation board; he is also a member of the Council of the Dramatists' Guild. He invites those interested to visit his website at www.stephenschwartz.com.
ASCAP Board of Directors
|
