Composer Stephen Schwartz on ASCAP’s Musical Theatre Fest, Shares Update on ‘Wicked: For Good’

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Stephen Schwartz is back hosting the ASCAP Foundation Musical Theatre Fest.

The two-day event is scheduled from May 5th through 6th, taking place at the Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts, which is located in Beverly Hills.

The opening event at the festival, titled “Songs From the Cutting Room Floor”, will showcase forgotten tunes from some of Broadway’s most popular productions. Composer Jason Robert Brown (Schwartz) along with Irene Sankoff and David Hein (“Come From Away”) will present an engaging evening filled with intimate performances and behind-the-scenes tales about songs that were cut to create the perfect musical.

Schwartz often finds himself discarding tunes from his musical creations. His forthcoming Broadway production, titled “Queen of Versailles,” is under construction at the moment. As he confides in EbMaster, there are approximately a dozen songs for this show that were initially composed but eventually left untouched during the creative process. He further elaborates, “Writing musicals involves continuous development. Rarely does a musical not include songs that were written for it during this phase and later eliminated or replaced, as these decisions are made based on what’s proving effective and what isn’t.

The evening is presented with support from the Gary Geld Musical Theatre Foundation.

On May 6th, Schwartz is scheduled to lead the ASCAP Foundation’s Musical Theatre & Librettist Workshop, showcasing an exclusive pairing of fresh musical productions that might soon be gracing Broadway. During these performances, composers will share snippets from their new works, and following each act, Schwartz will facilitate a discussion with the creators and other industry veterans.

The workshop commences featuring the innovative duo of Roslyn Catracchia and Peter Seibert, showcasing a segment from their latest musical production titled “Piney Needlesmith and the Path Less Taken.

Tonight’s second performance will feature Julian Hornik, Khiyon Hursey, and Mark Sonnenblick performing numbers from their latest musical production titled “Weekend”.

As Schwartz explains, every night holds “pieces of wisdom.” He adds, “It’s hard to predict where they might originate. Over the years, I’ve learned more from facilitating a workshop than anyone else. They are always thought-provoking and unique, as each gathering brings together distinct writers and panelists. Consequently, you never know when someone will share something profound or offer a breakthrough.

Besides organizing the workshop, Schwartz is also diligently working on “Wicked: For Good,” the sequel to the 2024 film “Wicked.” The composer and lyricist shares, “We’re trying to stay focused because there’s a lot of work ahead, but it’s exciting – both encouraging that the first movie was so well-received and daunting. We have high standards to meet.” The film is scheduled for release on November 21 and continues the storyline of the long-running Broadway hit. Schwartz further notes, “I can’t deny feeling a bit of pressure because of that, but they call it a good problem to have.

Previous participants of the ASCAP Foundation Musical Theatre Workshop are distinguished figures such as Steven Lutvak (“A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder”), Glenn Slater (“School of Rock”), Matthew Sklar & Chad Beguelin (“The Prom,” “Elf the Musical”), Marcy Heisler and Zina Goldrich (“Dear Edwina,” “Ever After”) and Khiyon Hursey (“Spirited,” “Sean’s Story”). The event is backed by the Kenward Elmslie Fund.

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2025-05-05 18:17