BWW Exclusive: Stephen Schwartz Talks Possible PIPPIN Movie, New Musical SCHIKANEDER & Much More

BroadwayWorld's Kevin Pollack was lucky enough to get a one-on-one exclusive with Oscar and Grammy winner and 6-Time Tony nominee Stephen Schwartz this past weekend on his stop through Chicago at The McAninch Arts Center at College of DuPage in Glen Ellyn, IL. His tour stop was only one of a few for a show entitled "An Evening with Stephen Schwartz and Friends," which included acclaimed cabaret and stage performer Scott Coulter and Tony-Winner Debbie Gravitte.

During the concert, Coulter wowed the audience with such numbers as "Just Around the Riverbend" (Pocahontas), "Corner of the Sky" (PIPPIN), "Out There" (Hunchback of Notre Dame) and "So Close" (Enchanted). Coulter's amazing vocals soared as he harmonized with Stephen's other guest, Debbie Gravitte. With her vivacious personality and big voice, she swept through songs like "Blame it On the Summer Night" from RAGS, "It's An Art"from WORKING, "Defying Gravity" from WICKED and an amazing duet with Coulter of "In Whatever Time We Have/As Long As You're Mine." Schwartz accompanied the duo on piano throughout the concert and sang through some of his own songs including a new tune titled "Can You Imagine That," from his new upcoming show HANS, as well as WICKED faves "For Good,"and "The Wizard and I," and a cut song from the musical titled "Making Good." He also treated the audience to performances of "Two's Company" from THE MAGIC SHOW and "Forgiveness' Embrace," a sweet song from his solo album "Uncharted Territory."

Following the concert, Schwartz sat down with BWW to speak about his impressive career in theater, his new musical SCHIKANEDER, new upcoming original productions for the Princess Cruise Lines, and the possibility that the beloved musical PIPPIN may one day make it to the big screen!

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How is composing for the stage different than composing songs for movies?

It's not actually, because both tasks, essentially, you're trying to tell the story, you're trying to luminate character. In both cases, they're story-driven. The only real difference in the media is on stage. Sometimes the best moment in a whole show is the leading man or lady, who stands at the middle of the stage, you hit them with three spots, and they sing for three-and-a-half minutes. Then, it's really exciting. But on film, there's a reason they're called motion pictures. So that you have to envision that the camera will always have some way to be moving. So you have to design the song with that in mind.

Can you tell us a little about your newest musical Schikaneder that premiered in Vienna, Austria? I heard recently that producers are eyeing it for London and Broadway.

You know, if they are, that's great! It's a project that I did for the Raimund Theater in Vienna, and it's the story of an 18th century impresario named Emanuel Schikaneder and his tempestuous relationship with his wife Eleonora, and how, in a strange way, that relationship led to the creation of The Magic Flute, because, Emanuel Schikaneder was the librettist and the commissioner, and the original Papageno in The Magic Flute.

Being a lyricist as well as a composer, did you relate yourself into the show at all?

Well sure! He was a fascinating character as was his wife. It's sort of a backstage romantic comedy. Somebody described it as Kiss Me Kate meets Amadeus, and I thought 'you know what? That's a pretty accurate description.'

How long did it take to write that show?

Well, like most musicals, it was about a 5-year process.

Can you tell us a little about your show Mit Eventyr/My Fairytale? I know that was a one-time show for you?

Yeah, that's a show that I did in 2005 for the bicentennial of the birth of Hans Christian Andersen. It was produced in Copenhagen during the bicentennial. But, interestingly enough, I don't know if you know this, but I have a partnership that has come up in recent years with Princess Cruise Lines. And I've been helping them to try and up the level of their entertainment and bring them shows not necessarily by me. We'll do one a year that they will do on their ships, and right now, the plan is, in 2018, to do a shortened version of Mit Eventyr, which would be called Hans, as in Hans Christian Andersen, for their ships.

Right now they're still performing Magic to Do aboard the ship?

I mean, once the shows are on the ships, then they run. So Magic to Do is still on their three ships, I think. Then, a new show I brought them called Born to Dance is just, even as we speak, premiering on the Star Princess. It will be on two ships. Next year, we're doing a show being created by John Tartaglia, which will be Asian themed, based on a Japanese folktale and will involve puppetry. That will be 2017. Then, Hans will be in 2018 if all goes according to plan.

I know the cast recording of Magic to Do was just released. How involved were you with that and with these shows?

I bring them the ideas, then the Princess executives need to approve them. Obviously, there are built-in producers on the Princess staff, as well as the individual directors on the shows, so I sort of function as an executive producer and try and help with the development of the show, and obviously be there for late rehearsals and at least one of the presentations on the ship. So, yeah, I would describe my role as somewhere between curator and executive producer.

Children of Eden has enjoyed enduring success in the community and educational theater circuit. Will you ever make an attempt to bring it on or Off-Broadway?

Well, the problem with Children of Eden is its size. It is written as a semi-oratorio, which means it has a big chorus that sings. So, in some ways it's similar to the issue with Hunchback of Notre Dame, which also is big because of the choir for Broadway. I mean, people always think Broadway shows as being sort of the biggest production. But actually, they're not because of the expense. You're actually limited in cast size and orchestra size, and there are bigger things, and much more you can do in other productions. For instance, the show that I've just done in Vienna has an orchestra of 35 people, which for Broadway you said I'd like to have basically The Magic Flute orchestra for this, you'd be laughed out of the room.

Speaking of Hunchback, you and Alan Menken have worked together on three Disney films; Pocahontas, Hunchback of Notre Dame and Enchanted. With you both being songwriters, how does that process work for you guys?

Well Alan and I have been very good friends for a long time. We live about ten minutes from one another, we socialize together, we play tennis together, etc. Our collaboration has always been an easy and happy one. Alan is quite a skilled lyricist in his own right, and I think it helps that each of us knows the other person's task. But, we're very respectful of each other's turf. I mean, Alan definitely has the final word in terms of music. He writes every single note of the music, and I have the final word of lyrics. But we will make suggestions to one another.

Listening to your music, I hear a lot of influence from 60's artists in your writing, such as Laura Nyro, Jimmy Webb, Joni Mitchell and James Taylor, who you worked with on Working. Was that an era of influence for you?

Hugely, absolutely! That's when I was sort of coming of age if you will, and it's when I really got interested in pop music, and those writers that you mentioned and some others as well. I would say the Motown sound was very influential on me. Also, some of the early 60s bands like The Mamas and the Papas, Jefferson Airplane, those were very influential. And you mentioned Laura Nyro, who is a huge influence on me musically.

What was it like collaborating with James Taylor on Working?

Well, James is obviously a great songwriter, and every time I hear his voice it puts tears in my eyes. I do remember going to James' apartment because he had an idea for a song for the character The Millworker in Working, which was not a character that I thought was going to be musicalized. Then James said, "No, I just had a thought about this." And I remember going to his apartment and he took out his guitar and he had two yellow legal pads, on which he had written lyrics, and he started to sing "Millworker" and I was as far from him as I am from you right now. Then I suddenly thought, "Oh my God, he sounds just like James Taylor!" It was so thrilling to hear that voice. He's a really great writer and a really fine man too.

Working got revived in Chicago a while back. What did you think of that?

I loved the revival here in Chicago, and of course, it had two new songs contributed by Lin-Manuel Miranda, which were of course brilliant. And I just heard from somebody that it's about to be done in London.

You've released two solo albums over the years; Reluctant Pilgrim and Uncharted Territory. Are there plans for a third album?

I've been thinking about doing a third album for many years and have just not had the time to do it. But, the album I want to do will be called Murdered Darlings, and it's basically going to be an album of cut songs. I think I may sing some of them and then try and get some other people, maybe who were originally going to sing them or something like that. But it will be cut songs from shows and songs that maybe people don't know as well. It will be that and maybe some pop stuff. Over the years, every show has songs that don't finally make it into the show or there are more obscure works that people don't know like the Hans Christian Andersen show or the Princess Cruise line shows. So it will be a compendium of songs like that.

How did it feel bringing Pippin and Godspell back to Broadway and having it play to a modern audience?

I think it always plays to a modern audience. I was very fond of both those revivals. The Pippin revival I just thought was sensational and Diane Paulis' work and whole conception for it and the combination with the Cirque du Soleil thing I thought was brilliant. So, I was very happy with that, and I really liked the Godspell revival too. One of the things that was satisfying about both of them, particularly with Pippin, was we tinkered around with the show, and I think it improved the show from the original because it was a chance to revisit the material as well as the production.

Is there another show of yours that you'd like to see revived?

Sure! I'm always happy when somebody talented decides to do a revival. Again, it's a chance to revisit the show. I don't think this has been announced, but Goodspeed is going to do Rags next year, and that will be extensively revised. For that revival, I'm happy for that opportunity to revisit that, because that show has always been problematic. We've never really gotten it right, so this is another chance to try to do so.

Now, I know Wicked will see reality as a film in 2019?

Yes, that's what they're saying. The fact is we just started working on the movie. Winnie's at work on the screenplay, and Stephen Daldry who's going to be directing is starting to do some work with the design in concepts, etc. It'll take as long as it takes. Maybe we'll be ready for 2019. I know Universal Pictures would like that. I can't absolutely promise that will be the case.

Are there any other shows of yours you'd like to see on the silver screen?

Well, there continues to be talk about a Pippin movie, and I do think there is a way to do that cinematically in a kind-of Fellini-esque way that could be really cool. There's some serious discussion about that so that may or may not happen. There's no definite plans, but I have hopes that that may eventually come to pass.

In 2009, you collaborated with John Ondrasik and Five for Fighting. What was that process like?

John just called me. We've become quite good friends since then. I love the song "Slice" that we did together. We're actually talking about a possible theatrical project together, and we actually have meetings about it in New York this month with potential writers, so we'll see if it develops into something. But, yeah, he's become a good friend. We've discovered in the course of our collaboration that we're on very different sides politically, and yet we like each other very much. So, something in that has led to the idea of a show that deals with that kind of idea. He's a terrific songwriter, pianist, guitarist and singer. He's a real fine guy.

Photo by Joan Lauren