Stephen Schwartz: Last News

Jaden Thompson The music of Stephen Schwartz has undoubtedly changed the world. But, with the closure of the Mark Taper Forum and the L.A. arts scene in crisis, Schwartz, the Award-winning songwriter and lyricist behind hit Broadway musicals and Disney films that include “Wicked,” “Pippin,” “Pocahontas” and “Enchanted,” lamented the current state of commercial theater: “It’s a pretty bleak time right now. But there have been other bleak times.” He continues, “Post-pandemic it’s been challenging for new, more adventurous work to get produced and to find a foothold. Everything is pretty safe right now at a commercial point of view. There are a lot of brands out there… and it’s pretty difficult for interesting and original work to get through.”

Thania Garcia The Songwriters Hall of Fame will recognize Stephen Schwartz — the arranger and composer behind the music from “Wicked,” “Godspell” and “Pippin” — as the recipient of the 2025 Johnny Mercer Award at the Songwriters Hall of Fame Induction and Awards Gala, slated for June 12 at the Marriott Marquis Hotel in New York City. The Johnny Mercer Award is the most prestigious honor bestowed by the Songwriters Hall of Fame, is exclusively reserved for a songwriter or songwriting team who has already been inducted in a prior year and whose body of work is of “such high quality and impact that it upholds the gold standard set by the legendary Johnny Mercer,” per the SHOF.

Thania Garcia Kristin Chenoweth has signed with United Talent Agency (UTA) for representation in all areas. The Emmy and Tony Award-winning singer and actor is starring in and producing  ”The Queen of Versailles” through her own Diva Worldwide Entertainment. Set to make its Broadway debut in the 2025-2026 season, the musical will see Chenoweth reunite her with “Wicked” composer, Stephen Schwartz and made its world premiere at Boston’s Emerson Colonial Theatre last year.

Kristin Chenoweth, the Emmy- and Tony-winning singer-actor who will return to Broadway this fall in The Queen of Versailles musical, has signed with UTA for representation in all areas. 

Kristin Chenoweth is officially returning to Broadway this year!

UPDATE, with venue, dates: Producers Bill Damaschke, Seaview, Sonia Friedman, and Kristin Chenoweth announced that The Queen of Versailles will play this fall at the St. James Theatre, beginning performances on October 8, with an official press opening on Monday, November 10.

Wicked soundtrack on vinyl, which released in tandem with the film on last November, is back on the charts following Cynthia Erivo’s gravity-defying performance (sorry), alongside Ariana Grande, at the Oscars on Sunday night. The soundtrack is available in various formats including CD, double vinyl, double picture disc, and digital. Target and Barnes & Noble also offer exclusive editions including split pink and green vinyl, plus an alternative cover.

Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande brought their characters — and their tunes — from the hit movie musical to life at the 97th Academy Awards on Sunday night at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles, California.Erivo and Grande — nominated for Best Actress and Best Supporting Actress, respectively — performed a medley of tunes from across the “Wizard of Oz” universe to open Hollywood’s biggest night.First Grande, decked out in a ruby red gown, sang “Over the Rainbow” from the 1939 film “The Wizard of Oz.” Then, Erivo, dressed in a white gown with adornments, belted out “Home” from “The Wiz” stage and screen adaptations. And the two divas brought it home with a showstopping rendition of “Defying Gravity” from “Wicked.”Follow The Post’s live updates from the Oscars 2025 for winners, red carpet pics and moreIt was a theater kid fantasy that brought a little bit of the Tonys to the Oscars.Second only to the 13 nods for “Emilia Pérez,” “Wicked” landed 10 Oscar nominations, tying with “The Brutalist.” In addition to Best Actress and Best Supporting Actress, the movie is up for Best Picture, Best Visual Effects, Best Sound, Best Editing, Best Production Design, Best Makeup and Hairstyling, Best Costume Design and Best Original Score.However, none of the film’s tunes were eligible for Best Original Song since they were written by Stephen Schwartz for the stage production that opened on Broadway in 2003.And in a change from years past, none of this year’s Best Original Song nominees will be performed during the awards ceremony.But “Wicked” gave the show a broom-flying boost to start the night.

Harrison Ford will no longer be presenting at the Oscars tonight (March 2) due to illness.The 97th Academy Awards, hosted by Conan O’Brien, will take place tonight at the Dolby Theatre at Ovation Hollywood.The Indiana Jones actor was set to join a slate of presenters throughout the evening, including Halle Berry, Whoopi Goldberg, Scarlett Johansson, Cillian Murphy, Samuel L. Jackson, Miley Cyrus and many more.However, Variety reported that Ford’s reps said his last minute exit was due to a bout of shingles, with Ford said to have received the non-life threatening diagnosis Friday (February 28).Penélope Cruz, Amy Poehler, Bowen Yang, Emma Stone, Robert Downey Jr.

Jazz Tangcay Artisans Editor Music supervisors behind the songs of “Wicked” and “A Complete Unknown” led the winners at the 15th annual Guild of Music Supervisors Awards on Sunday night. On the TV side, the music supervisors behind “Agatha All Along” and “Baby Reindeer” triumphed.

Peacock announced this morning that Universal Pictures‘ musical sensation Wicked, starring Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande, will begin streaming exclusively on the service beginning March 21, along with the Sing-Along version and other bonus content. 

Jon Burlingame This year’s contenders for the original score Oscar are an innovative and international mix and, for the first time in more than a quarter century, two musicals are among the nominees: “Emilia Pérez” and “Wicked.” Three are past Oscar winners: German Volker Bertelmann (for “All Quiet on the Western Front”), Americans Stephen Schwartz (he has three, all for animated musicals) and Kris Bowers (curiously, not for music but for last year’s music-themed documentary short “The Last Repair Shop”). Three more are newcomers to Oscar: Englishman Daniel Blumberg and French composers Camille and Clément Ducol.

Talk about a gargantuan task. The feature take on Broadway musical Wicked, which is split up into two theatrical releases, had a first cut that was close to four hours long. Part 1 of Jon M. Chu’s 10-times Oscar-nominated movie was whittled down to 2 hours and 40 minutes. How long Part 2 is still TBD.

Jazz Tangcay Artisans Editor “Wicked” composer and lyricist Stephen Schwartz is set to receive the Icon Award from the Guild of Music Supervisors. Schwartz musical credits include “Enchanted,” “Godspell” and “The Hunchback of Notre Dame.” Music producer Bonnie Greenberg is set to receive the Guild’s Legacy Award.

Wicked star Ariana Grande has teased a new “pivotal” song for the hit musical’s sequel.Speaking on Variety’s Awards Circuit podcast, Grande touched on the vocal prep she undertook for her “dream role” as Glinda in Wicked, as well as the new song her character takes on in the second instalment, Wicked: For Good, which is set for release in cinemas November 21.The ‘Yes, And?‘ singer said playing the pink-loving witch came with a heavy sense of responsibility, and has already admitted it may change her vocals forever, having spent months transforming her voice to sing Glinda’s soprano parts.“From the moment it was announced, I realised this role would live with me forever,” she explained. “It’s an honour, but it also comes with so much weight.

Chris Willman Senior Music Writer and Chief Music Critic Although most of Greg Wells‘ professional life has involved producing or writing for big pop artists (including Adele, Katy Perry, OneRepublic & Timbaland, Twenty One Pilots and John Legend), he’s dedicated more of his time in recent years to working on films. Two and a half years, specifically (so far), as the music producer on both parts of “Wicked” — a job he describes as “Herculean” with very good quantitative as well as qualitative reason.

Chris Willman Senior Music Writer and Chief Music Critic Stephen Schwartz will see you now. The worthier wizard of “Wicked” is the one who wrote one of Broadway’s all-time top song scores and now, a little over two decades later, has overseen the transition of that music into a film that is almost certainly on the fast track for Best Picture contention.

Wicked: For Good.The second Wicked film will arrive in cinemas on November 2025 and the actress has revealed that there is a brand new song on the soundtrack for her character Elphaba. She helped bring it to life alongside the musical’s original composer Stephen Schwartz.“I collaborated on one of the new songs, and it’s so special to me,” she told Variety. “When we filmed it, the entire crew was in tears.

Cynthia Erivo helped pen one of the new songs in next year’s Wicked: For Good!

Todd Spangler NY Digital Editor Smash-hit musical movie “Wicked” is flying into homes this New Year’s Eve — with a load of deleted scenes, commentary and other extras. Following its theatrical run, the Universal Pictures film, starring Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande, will be available exclusively to purchase or rent on Dec. 31, 2024, on major digital platforms.

Universal’s Wicked, which will fly past the $400M mark this week at the domestic box office, has set a digital release in homes of Dec. 31. That’s a 40-day theatrical window for Wicked since opening to the best opening ever for a Broadway musical at $112.5M. Wicked is already the highest grossing movie based on a Broadway musical ever at the domestic box office.

Long before Wicked made the jump from stage to screen, the 1995 Gregory Maguire novel had Hollywood in a frenzy.