Stephen Schwartz facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Stephen Schwartz
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Schwartz in 2022
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| Born |
Stephen Lawrence Schwartz
March 6, 1948 New York City, U.S.
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| Education | Carnegie Mellon University (BFA) |
| Occupation |
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| Years active | 1969–present |
| Spouse(s) |
Carole Piasecki
(m. 1969) |
| Children | 2 |
Stephen Lawrence Schwartz (born March 6, 1948) is an American composer and lyricist for musical theatre. He has worked for over fifty years. Schwartz has written famous musicals like Godspell (1971), Pippin (1972), and Wicked (2003).
He also wrote songs for popular movies. These include Pocahontas (1995), The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1996), and The Prince of Egypt (1998). He also worked on Enchanted (2007) and Disenchanted (2022).
Schwartz has won many awards. He has three Grammy Awards, three Academy Awards, and a Golden Globe Award. He was also nominated for six Tony Awards. In 2015, he received a special Tony Award.
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Stephen Schwartz's Early Life and Education
Stephen Schwartz was born in New York City. His mother, Sheila Lorna, was a teacher. His father, Stanley Leonard Schwartz, was a businessman. Stephen grew up in Williston Park, New York. He finished Mineola High School in 1964.
He went to Carnegie Mellon University. While there, he wrote and directed an early version of Pippin. This was with a student theatre group. Schwartz earned a degree in drama in 1968.
Stephen Schwartz's Career Journey
Starting Out in Theatre
After college, Schwartz returned to New York City. He first worked as a producer for RCA Records. Soon after, he started working in Broadway theatre. He became the musical director for The Survival of St. Joan. His first big credit was the title song for the play Butterflies Are Free. This song was also used in the movie.
In 1971, he wrote the music and lyrics for Godspell. He won several awards for this musical, including two Grammys. For the 1972 Toronto show of Godspell, he asked Paul Shaffer to be the musical director. This helped start Shaffer's career.
Next, he worked with Leonard Bernstein on Mass. This show opened the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. In 1972, Pippin opened on Broadway. Schwartz had started writing songs for Pippin in college. Both Pippin and Godspell are still performed often today.
Two years after Pippin, Schwartz wrote The Magic Show. This musical ran for almost 2,000 performances. By 1974, at age 26, Schwartz had three successful musicals playing in New York at the same time. His next musical was The Baker's Wife (1976). It closed before reaching Broadway. However, its cast album became very popular. This led to many new productions later on.
In 1978, Schwartz adapted and directed Working. He also wrote four songs for it. He won a Drama Desk Award for best director. He also co-directed the TV version for PBS. In 1977, Schwartz wrote a children's book called The Perfect Peach. In the 1980s, he wrote songs for a children's musical called The Trip. This was later updated and became Captain Louie. He also wrote music for Personals and lyrics for Rags.
Later Works and Film Success
In 1991, Schwartz wrote Children of Eden. Then, he started working in movies. He teamed up with composer Alan Menken for Disney animated films. He wrote lyrics for Pocahontas (1995), winning two Academy Awards. He also wrote lyrics for The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1996).
He wrote songs for DreamWorks' The Prince of Egypt (1998). He won another Academy Award for the song "When You Believe". He wrote music and lyrics for the TV musical Geppetto (2000). A stage version of this show is now called Disney's My Son Pinocchio: Geppetto's Musical Tale.
In 2003, Schwartz returned to Broadway. He wrote the music and lyrics for Wicked. This musical is based on a novel about the witches of Oz. Schwartz won a Grammy Award for Wicked's cast recording. By 2006, Wicked had played over 1,000 times on Broadway. This made Schwartz one of only a few composers with three shows running that long.
After Wicked, Schwartz wrote music and lyrics for a new musical. It was called Mit Eventyr or "My Fairytale". It opened in Copenhagen in 2005. His son, Scott Schwartz, directed the American premiere in 2011.
Schwartz went back to Hollywood in 2007. He wrote lyrics for the Disney film Enchanted. He worked with Alan Menken again. Three songs from the film were nominated for an Academy Award. He also wrote the theme song for the TV show Johnny and the Sprites.
In 2008, a book about Schwartz's life was published. It was called Defying Gravity by Carol de Giere. In 2009, Schwartz worked with John Ondrasik on two songs for the Five for Fighting album Slice.
In 2011, a new musical by Schwartz, Snapshots, premiered. It featured his well-known and lesser-known songs. In 2012, the San Francisco Gay Men's Chorus released "Testimony". Schwartz composed this song using words from Dan Savage's It Gets Better Project.
In 2015, Princess Cruises announced a partnership with Schwartz. He would develop four shows for them. The first show, Magic To Do, included a new song. Schwartz also wrote lyrics for Disenchanted (2022). He will also work on a live-action remake of The Hunchback of Notre Dame.
In 2020, Schwartz took part in a fundraising video. It was called Saturday Night Seder. Many famous performers were in it. They broadcast from their homes during the COVID-19 pandemic. The video explained the story of Passover and raised money for the CDC Foundation.
Stephen Schwartz's Personal Life
Stephen Schwartz married Carole Piasecki on June 6, 1969. They have two children, Jessica and Scott.
Stephen Schwartz's Major Works
Stage Musicals
- Godspell (1971) – composer, lyricist
- Mass (1971) – English texts
- Pippin (1972) – composer, lyricist
- The Magic Show (1974) – composer, lyricist
- The Baker's Wife (1976) – composer, lyricist
- Working (1978) – adaptation, director, composer, lyricist for 4 songs
- Personals (1985) – composer for 3 songs
- The Trip (1986) – children's show; composer, lyricist
- Rags (1986) – lyricist
- Children of Eden (1991) – composer, lyricist
- The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1999 Berlin) – lyricist
- Wicked (2003) – composer, lyricist
- Tiruvasakam (2005) – English translation of verses
- Snapshots (2005)
- Captain Louie (2005)
- Mit Eventyr – My Fairy Tale (2005) – contributed 6 songs
- Séance on a Wet Afternoon (2009) – opera
- Schikaneder (2016 Vienna)
- The Prince of Egypt (2017) – composer, lyricist
- The Queen of Versailles (2024) – composer, lyricist
Music Recordings
- Reluctant Pilgrim (1997)
- Uncharted Territory (2001)
Books Written
- Defying Gravity (2008) – biography
Film Work
- Butterflies Are Free (1969) – title song
- Godspell (1973) – composer, lyricist
- Pocahontas (1995) – lyricist
- The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1996) – lyricist
- The Prince of Egypt (1998) – composer, lyricist
- Enchanted (2007) – lyricist
- Disenchanted (2022) – lyricist
- Wicked (2024) – composer, lyricist, executive producer
- Wicked: For Good (in production) (2025) – composer, lyricist, executive producer
Television Work
- Working (1982) – composer, lyricist, adaptation, director
- Geppetto (2000) – composer, lyricist
- Johnny and the Sprites (2005) – theme song
Choral Music
- The Chanukah Song (We are Lights)
- Kéramos
- Thiruvasakam in Symphony (2005)
- Testimony (2012)
Awards and Honors for Stephen Schwartz
Schwartz has won many important awards. These include three Oscars, three Grammys, and four Drama Desk Awards. He also has a Golden Globe Award.
He has been nominated for six Tony Awards. In 2015, he received a special honorary Tony Award. This was for his work helping new artists.
In April 2008, Schwartz received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. In 2009, he was added to the Songwriters Hall of Fame. He was also added to the American Theater Hall of Fame in 2009.
See also
In Spanish: Stephen Schwartz para niños
