![]() ![]() As the house lights dim, you hear the faint distant sound of a single note (an ‘E’, to be specific) being played on an organ. Imagine, for a moment, you are sitting in the Imperial Theatre on Broadway on October 23rd, 1972. I knew every lyric and note thanks to the cast album and the original vocal selection book (now barely held together by yellowing scotch tape). The amazing score had been ingrained in my life since I was a teen. It was a thrill to connect with several super-talented musical writers that I so admired, all of whom recognized Stephen Schwartz’s score as being something almost revolutionary for Broadway. Twenty years ago, I was invited to write an article about the score of Pippin, and its significant influence on the Broadway scene and especially its composers and lyricists. (See also The Schwartz Scene Fall 2022 issue for the latest news.) It includes quotes from his interviews with noted musical theatre writers Craig Carnelia, Andrew Lippa, and Glenn Slater, as well as comments made in later years by Jeanine Tesori and Jason Robert Brown. (Photo by Michael Cole).Įditor’s note: For this guest blog post celebrating the golden anniversary of Pippin’s Broadway opening, Shawn McCarthy updates an article he wrote earlier that helps us appreciate the show’s role in musical theatre history. ![]() PHOTO: Composer-lyricist Stephen Schwartz stands beside posters of Pippin and his other hit musicals Wicked and Godspell, October 2022. Interview reprinted with permission by Cabaret Scenes Magazine ©2022 It includes many photos and Stephen’s answers on his songs, his songwriting process, the Wicked movie, and his approach to the future. SEE LINK BELOW for a PDF of “Stephen Schwartz With Honors” interview by Todd Sussman. I am especially glad The Schwartz Scene is able to post this piece, because the print issue with Stephen’s interview, a true collector’s item, is no longer available. The album included a rare and brilliant song he composed called “We Are Lights (The Chanukah Song),” so I included that in my questions. I was fresh off helping to edit the liner notes for a then forthcoming Kristin Chenoweth album called Happiness Is…Christmas. And I still remember the lasting impact the artistry of just the teaser trailer from Pocahontas had on me, which was devoted entirely to the song “Colors of the Wind.” I own his cast albums and soundtracks and have seen many of his shows. I have been a lifetime fan of Stephen’s work. (This was quite a gift for me, given Stephen’s work, at that time, on pre-production for Wicked filming, and his preparation of Disenchanted.) The answer was “yes,” if Stephen agreed to participate, which he did. When I learned Stephen Schwartz was going to be receiving the American Songbook Association (ASA) Lifetime Achievement Award, I immediately called Frank Dain, the amazing editor of Cabaret Scenes (sponsored by the ASA) and asked if I could interview Stephen. Stephen Schwartz receives a Lifetime Achievement Award, May 2022. ![]()
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