InDepth InterView: Stephen Schwartz On UPRISING OF LOVE Charity Event, WICKED Onstage & Onscreen, PIPPIN, THE HUNCHBACK OF NOTRE DAME, New Stage & Screen Projects & More

Today we are talking to one of the most successful and accomplished composers and lyricists in Broadway and Hollywood history all about his participation in next week's hotly anticipated charity event UPRISING OF LOVE, co-produced with Bruce Cohen, hosted by Jane Lynch and starring Sting, Patti LuPone and Billy Porter, among others - the one and only Stephen Schwartz. Schwartz sheds lights on what inspired him to curate and participate in the starry evening, as well as previews some of the entertainment set to be on hand and details what audiences can expect from the Dustin Lance Black-penned benefit to raise awareness of gay bullying and support equal rights for all. Additionally, Schwartz looks back at his many major musical landmarks and touches upon the current revival of PIPPIN as well as long-running Broadway hit WICKED and the currently in development film adaptation of it. Plus, Schwartz comments on the upcoming screen-to-stage adaptation of THE HUNCHBACK OF NOTRE DAME, currently set to premiere in La Jolla later this year. Furthermore, Schwartz shares news on the development of several current projects he is working on at the moment, including the new stage musical based on the life of Emanuel Schikaneder and the animated big screen A.R. Rahman collaboration THE MONKEYS OF MUMBAI, with remarks on the recent stateside premieres of new musical MY FAIRY TALE and musical revue SNAPSHOTS, too. All of that, thoughts on Ariana Grande, Mika and Kanye West sampling "Popular", GLEE covering "Defying Gravity", reflections on some lesser-known compositions from his solo albums RELUCTANT PILGRIM and UNCHARTED TERRITORY, thoughts on a Broadway production of CHILDREN OF EDEN and much, much more!

More information on UPRISING OF LOVE on September 15 at the Gershwin Theatre is available at the official site here.

Popular

PC: Bringing your world together with GLEE, Jane Lynch is going to be hosting UPRISING OF LOVE. I take it you are a fan?

SS: Oh, I am! Can I just say how wonderful she is?! I think she is so funny and delightful to see as a performer, so I think she is just going to be a fantastic mistress of ceremonies. She is just such a good person, too.

PC: How so?

SS: Well, I have been fortunate enough to get to know her a little bit and she is really, really kind and a truly humble person. I am so happy that she is going to be a part of this.

PC: And a vocal and active proponent of theatre, as well!

SS: Definitely. I know that she is excited to participate in this and I honestly could not think of anyone better to lead us through the evening.

PC: Your co-producer Bruce Cohen told me you approached him to do UPRISING OF LOVE at the Gershwin, home of WICKED for the last 10 years. Is that how you remember it all coming about?

SS: I don't know what is exactly accurate as far as how this all started, but I can tell you that the way that I got involved in the first place is this: back during the Sochi Olympics I happened to go to an event that was also called UPRISING OF LOVE, which Bruce also produced, and at that event I met a couple of the athletes from Russia and talked to some of the activists from there and it was really scary - the new anti-LGBT laws in Russia. Their concern, which I think was well-founded, was that there was a lot of attention on it now, because of the Sochi Olympics, and that the government was behaving somewhat because of that, but they were very frightened for their colleagues and friends that once the Olympics were over and the spotlight of the world was sort of off of them that things would get very bad for them. So, that was very compelling to me in hearing some of their stories about that.

PC: Understandably so.

SS: After that, I began thinking about these laws that were getting passed - and not just in Russia, but in Uganda and Nigeria and Brunei and how bad things are in other parts of the world; rights that we more or less take for granted here or in certain countries in South America and Western Europe. I mean, it's great that things are getting better in a lot of places, but I felt that this was a real, compelling problem with real, human victims and real damage being done to human lives. So, I found these people and their stories very compelling and I began thinking, "What could be done to focus a light on this internationally?" and, of course, Bruce was one of the organizers of the UPRISING OF LOVE event that I went to at the Sochi Olympics, so we began to talk about it and the possibility of doing something with Broadway and Broadway performers and doing it in New York. We wanted to do it at the same time that the U.N. would be in session because it is starting to become a concern for the U.N., as well. It all started to come together that way - so, that was the basis of the idea to do this in New York.

PC: How fascinating.

SS: Yeah - that's how it all fell together. It's become something that I feel very, very strongly about - especially since it is something that we can all actually do something about internationally. I mean, there are so many bad things happening in the world right now that we can feel powerless - there's not much I can do about ISIS - but this is something that by focusing international attention and by helping to empower organizations and individuals that a lot of good can be done and that a lot is do-able, in fact, in regards to this particular issue. So, I am excited to be able to be a little helpful by producing the UPRISING OF LOVE benefit with Bruce.

PC: Dustin Lance Black will be writing the entire evening, as well, adding further luster to the impossibly starry affair.

SS: Yes, he is! I actually don't know Dustin personally, but I know that he just jumped right in - obviously, he knows Bruce well because of their work together [on MILK]. The fact that he agreed to do this and jumped right in as far as writing the evening is so wonderful. Then, there are going to be some amazing video pieces, as well, from different places around the world that are fascinating and compelling themselves. And, as we've been discussing, we have performers from all around the world, as well. It's going to be very exciting - although, I hasten to add: it's not going to be very long.

PC: 90-100 minute shows seem to be increasing in popularity - and not just for benefits, and Broadway. Do you think the two-act format is falling away?

SS: You know what, I think it depends on the story - it always does. I mean, we could not do WICKED in 90 minutes - there is just too much story!

PC: You can say that again.

SS: I think it really just depends on the show. You know, I think that audiences are more than happy to sit through a relatively longer evening if they are engaged in the story and it doesn't feel padded to them - and I consider myself among those audiences. I just want to go and have an emotional experience - find something really funny or find something really moving, preferably both, with a memorable story and characters I care about. If that is what is being delivered to me then length is not a particularly big issue.

PC: PIPPIN originally was one act, of course.

SS: Yes, the original Broadway production of PIPPIN was in one act and ours is in two - but it was a long one act! It was much longer than people would be willing to sit through today, I think. We even make a joke about it in the show before intermission! Audiences just won't sit for that long of a one-act anymore - I think it was 140 minutes or something; in one act! I don't think that type of thing is going to happen much anymore.

PC: Billy Porter also starred in a PIPPIN concert earlier this century and he will be joining you at UPRISING OF LOVE.

SS: He, like Michael [Arden, star of THE HUNCHBACK OF NOTRE DAME], is a very, very busy guy, as you can imagine, so he is literally running over to the theater in order to participate in UPRISING OF LOVE. I mean, he is just such an extraordinary performer that to have him come and knock one out of the park for us is just more icing on that cake.

PC: So many remarkable people who have done this column have spoken to me of how much you helped them in their careers early on - you clearly are a shepherd of new talent.

SS: Oh, that's so nice of you to say that - obviously, I don't make a big deal out of it publicly or anything, but it is something that is very meaningful to me. It makes me happy to hear that a lot of people have told you they feel that way.

PC: Of course Patti LuPone is one of the featured stars of UPRISING OF LOVE and you gave her a very early major role as the star of THE BAKER'S WIFE...

SS: Before she was Patti LuPone!

PC: And now you two are back together doing this concert.

SS: I am so, so thrilled that Patti is going to participate - and Sting, too. Sting is such a gigantic hero of mine. Clearly, with the both of them, it's not the usual suspects-type concert, if you know what I mean.

PC: It is definitely not.

SS: I mean, you don't ordinarily get the chance to see them doing these type of things, so to get to be there and see them sing a couple of songs is, I think, amazing. I am really, really excited about it. I think it is just going to be a very, very good concert. Unfortunately, there are a couple of people that we aren't allowed to talk about - mystery guests. [Laughs.]

PC: Any hints?

SS: All I can do is reassure your readers that I am not kidding about that - some really, really cool people are going to be there, and there are some reasons why we are not allowed to say who they are going to be. I mean, it's going to be amazing either way, though - even without the mystery guests. Frankly, I would go anywhere to hear Sting do his songs - I think he is going to do three songs total; two of his pop songs and then something from THE LAST SHIP.

PC: What about Patti?

SS: Then to have Patti - whose appearances are so rare - in addition to Sting is just... [Sighs.] and all of these other performers like Billy Porter, and the presenters, and Jane, and all the casts from these shows! I think it's going to be a really wonderful event and I am really excited about it. Obviously, I feel very strongly about the cause, and, hence, I'm going to all this effort to help put this concert together. What I want to really stress for people is: it's great to come out and support the cause and I hope a lot of people will and people already are, but, in the meantime, I think that from purely an entertainment perspective it is going to be a fantastic evening. Frankly, even if people couldn't care less about the cause, they still can expect to have a great evening of entertainment if they come out to see it.

PC: Will you be performing?

SS: I actually am!

PC: What will you be doing?

SS: I was asked to perform by my fellow producers, so I am going to do something with the WICKED cast - and there might be a special guest appearance there; we are still trying to work something out with that. Even if not, I am definitely going to be performing with the WICKED cast - we are doing a special arrangement of something from the show.

PC: On that note, what do you think of the male versions of "Defying Gravity", such as have been showcased on GLEE and beyond?

SS: Oh, I actually like it! I do. I really liked the version on GLEE when they did it as a sort of sing-off. I will tell you, though, I will not be singing "Defying Gravity" at the benefit, though. [Laughs.]

PC: Damn!

SS: I will be doing something a little bit more in my wheelhouse.

PC: Given you are one of the most important and successful composers in Broadway history, I'm curious what your thoughts are on your contemporaries Stephen Sondheim and Andrew Lloyd Webber?

SS: Actually, I have spoken about them from to time, just not maybe in an interview format before now. You may know that I do these musical theatre workshops for ASCAP every year in New York and Los Angeles for aspiring musical theatre writers and therefore we frequently talk about successful work - or at least work that I consider artistically successful - and I have frequently spoken in those workshops about the work of Steve and Andrew because I am an admirer of both of theirs.

PC: You've brought such a contemporary influence as well as a pronounced classical influence to so many of your scores - I remember playing through so many growing up myself and learning so much.

SS: Thank you for saying that, Pat. You see, I learned fairly early that - frankly, I don't know if they do this anymore, but - what used to be the norm with sheet music from shows was that they would be a kind of simplified version of the piano part from the score with the melody in the right hand. I really didn't like that, so once I realized that that was what was happening, I didn't do that for my shows - I actually did the piano accompaniment myself.

PC: How interesting.

SS: Even in the case of WICKED, where the publisher was very anxious to put out a more simplified version with the melody in the right hand - which I agreed to, as long as they would also release a book with the actual accompaniment from the show; and they did. Thank you for bringing that up, though.

PC: Bernstein was a big fan of some of your trickier ones, yes? "West End Avenue"?

SS: Lenny actually really liked "Lion Tamer" - yeah. I think he liked it because it was in 7.

PC: Kristin Chenoweth's rendition is sublime.

SS: I know. I can't take much credit for that, though - actually, all I did on that album [THE STEPHEN SCHWARTZ ALBUM] was go in and sing "Fathers & Sons". They wouldn't even let me stay for the mix! [Laughs.]

PC: You famously have had a hand in producing your cast albums usually, of course.

SS: And that's because I started out that way - as you may know, my very first job when I got out of school was for what was then RCA Records. In those days, you couldn't do a demo in your home - in your living room - the way that everybody can now, so if there were artists that they were interested in then one of my jobs was to go into the studio with them and do a demo. So, because of that, I learned a lot about the recording studio. Consequently, a couple of years later when I started to get some work as a writer and I was doing cast albums, I just went ahead and produced them myself because I already knew how to do that.

PC: You discovered a couple of big acts early on, yes?

SS: Yes, I did! I remember I was trying to get them to sign Harry Chapin. There was another one, too, that I am trying to remember now. I was also a champion of a guy named David Buskin who they didn't sign but who I thought was pretty good. He eventually had a bit of a recording career, too.

PC: As have you - two solo albums, as it happens. "Life Goes On" is one of my absolute favorite songs of yours, from RELUCTANT PILGRIM.

SS: Oh, thank you! I'm so happy you know those albums. The song you cite, "Life Goes On", was a song that I had written during the AIDS crisis and a lot of people were asking for it - and there were a couple of other songs that I had that people were asking for, too - so, I thought, "I have to demo these." As I was doing the demos and getting the music prepared, I thought, "Well, this is a lot of trouble! Maybe I should just go ahead and do a whole album." [Laughs.]

PC: You had to convince yourself first, though!

SS: I did! I have to say that I was also encouraged in that by my friend John Bucchino, who is a pop writer. I was always encouraging John to write for theatre back then and he was always saying, "Well, maybe I will consider that if you'll consider writing pop songs." So, I had a few of them already and I basically put them together to make this album to essentially use as a demo for the songs. And, then, people seemed to really like it, so I went ahead and did another one.

PC: UNCHARTED TERRITORY.

SS: Right. I actually still do solo concerts and things from time to time where I do songs from those albums and other things I've written over the years.

PC: So, another solo album isn't out of the question, then?

SS: Oh, I might! [Laughs.] The problem is that, obviously, those take a lot of time and that is not something that I have a whole lot of right now. But, since you asked, I will say that I enjoyed doing them a lot and the second one involved a lot of collaboration with friends of mine, which I loved. You mentioned Kristin before with "Lion Tamer" making an early impression on you, and there's a song on UNCHARTED TERRITORY that I wrote with Steven Lutvak, who has now gone on to GLORY with GENTLEMAN'S GUIDE TO LOVE & MURDER. So, yeah - it's fun to look back and see those sorts of collaborations.

PC: John Bucchino's new album/concert collaboration with David Campbell is so dynamic, as well.

SS: Yes! That's a been a big, big thing for him. It has been a big chart album in Australia and they just made a DVD of the concert they did and it's going to be shown in movie theaters in Australia. I just saw John last night and we were talking about that, actually. Who knows, maybe it will expand from there? It's a wonderful, wonderful album.

PC: It would be so fabulous for you to do an album like that - perhaps with Kristin, or Idina Menzel.

SS: Yeah - get a really terrific singer and put something together. You have a lot of projects lined up for me, Pat! [Laughs.]

PC: To go along with your five new musicals!

SS: I do have to say, I have been thinking of a project along those lines - I have an idea to do an album called MURDERED DARLINGS, which would be cut songs that I really like and maybe I would also cheat a little bit, too, and put songs from things like MY FAIRY TALE - things that have just been done overseas and therefore are sort of obscure. But, yeah - to do something like that would be fun. I should plan for that at some point.

PC: What a title! Unforgettable.

SS: I know! I feel like I should do it just because it's such a good title for an album. [Laughs.]

PC: There are some fabulous cut songs from WICKED, too.

SS: Exactly. Exactly.

PC: In THE YELLOW BRICK ROAD NOT TAKEN we heard some material with a more pronounced contemporary sound, too.

SS: Right.

PC: On that note, have you seen Kanye West sampling "Popular" in a clip available on YouTube?

SS: Yes, I have - I know about that. I know that he likes the show a lot and that he likes "Popular". Also, I don't know if you heard that fantastic thing that Mika did with it, too - he took "Popular" and made his own song, but with "Popular" within it. He calls it "Popular Song". I just love it.

PC: Featuring the current chart-topper Ariana Grande, no less. Do you dig her?

SS: Yes! I know! It was so amazing. I remember he told me at the time, "Oh, there is this terrific girl - Ariana Grande - that I am using on it." And, I thought she was so good on it. I remember thinking after I heard her, "Oh, she could have a bit of a career!" [Laughs.]

PC: Little did we know!

SS: I know! Look at her now! I love that track, though.

PC: Would you be open to working with her in the future at some point? Could she be a potential Elphaba for the film of WICKED?

SS: Well, I mean, I know that she is a fan of the show - anecdotally, it just so happens that I know she is a fan of the show. I think she is extraordinarily talented and actually thought so long before anybody really knew who she was, so, yeah - if the stars align, I'd be happy to work with her. I think she's great.

PC: What do you think of the modern popularity of musicals again onscreen - between the movie musicals and GLEE and now GALAVANT coming up, too. You had so much success during the fallow period of the 1990s where so few were being done.

SS: I think what you said is true - and, frankly, I give a lot of credit to Howard Ashman, who brought the Broadway musical sensibility to animated musicals. And, then, animation led the way and when those musicals started being successful, it created this interest for an entire generation in musical theatre and musical theatre kind of became cool again as a result and you had these television shows that were featuring musical theatre songs and things like GLEE have taken it even further. Movie musicals are coming back now, too, as we see. Obviously, as somebody in musicals and who loves musicals, it's very exciting for me. You know, some are better than others, of course - but that's the nature of the game. The fact that so many musical projects are being made and so many are wonderful is really, really nice to see, just as an audience member.

PC: And you were one of the first to do an original TV musical in this new movie musical age - with GEPPETTO.

SS: Right - on TV. And, now, it has been adapted for the stage as MY SON PINNOCHIO and it is being done around the country. It's been going really, really well. They sort of cross-pollinate.

PC: Indeed they do.

SS: As I'm sure you're aware, we're about to go to La Jolla to do the stage version of THE HUNCHBACK OF NOTRE DAME and starting out there with it. The fact that they now go from medium to medium - either from movie to stage or stage to movie or television to stage or whatever - it's all pretty exciting.

PC: Alan Menken spoke to me about HUNCHBACK being a real passion project for you both - and that it has been for more than a decade.

SS: It is. It is. We are very excited about the possibilities with this production - we had a pretty spectacular workshop, so we feel like we've got a shot to do something really different and really special here with it. You know, we'll see how it goes, but we are both excited that we are going to get a shot at this.

PC: Ciara Renee is going from PIPPIN on Broadway into HUNCHBACK at La Jolla. How did that epic Schwartz switch come about?

SS: Well, that was part of the deal - I have to be honest about this: she did our HUNCHBACK workshop and was phenomenal, of course, and then when she was offered PIPPIN, part of her deal was that she could do it but only until she had to leave to go do HUNCHBACK OF NOTRE DAME at La Jolla. [Laughs.]

PC: She's certainly highly in demand.

SS: She is! That's the nice thing - really great people fall out of the woodwork when you start working on something and it actually exists, and we have some really great people for this. Also, we have a very good replacement for Ciara for PIPPIN coming up, too. We also have a terrific cover for her right now, too.

PC: Is there any truth to the rumor of Nicole Scherzinger stepping into the show at some point? She has said she is a fan.

SS: We certainly know of her - obviously [Laughs.] - and, we know that she loves the production. For obvious reasons, though, there might be some scheduling difficulty, so we're not sure.

PC: She has a new album to promote at the moment, after all.

SS: Exactly. Exactly. Particularly for PIPPIN, it takes an enormous amount of training - you really kind of have to go to Fosse boot camp.

PC: Understandably so, especially given Diane Paulus's intensely acrobatic production.

SS: Yes. We call it Fosse boot camp - because of what you have to learn to do in order to be able to do that show. The demands are obviously greater than with other shows, so you have to really commit time to be able to do it.

PC: Michael Arden is coming back into the Schwartz fold via HUNCHBACK, as well - an unforgettable Pippin once upon a time.

SS: Yes! One of my all-time favorite musical theatre performers. I just love working with him and I just think he is an amazingly gifted talent who brings a kind of emotional availability - which is the only way I can really put it - to roles that I think is really rare. And, so, I am very, very pleased that he has agreed to come do HUNCHBACK OF NOTRE DAME.

PC: He is the dream candidate for the role, no doubt.

SS: He is. I mean, Michael is very much in demand, as I'm sure you know, and so he is not always easy to get - he has to pick and choose his projects very carefully - so we are very, very excited that he chose us.

PC: What a compelling concept, especially with the puppets and the distinct carnival atmosphere you are attempting to conjure up with the production.

SS: Yes, it is a really cool concept, but we'll see - you never know. It's a big jump to go from a workshop to an actual production, but I think it could be really cool, so we are excited to have a shot.

PC: I would love to know: given their popularity these days, what are your thoughts on mash-ups?

SS: I have heard some done of my songs, though I have not yet attempted doing any of my own songs myself so far - but, I think that when they are done well, I am a big, big fan of them. Way back when I was first starting out and I was doing musical direction at summer stock, we would put together little revues to help publicize the theater and I would do a lot of them and it was really, really, really fun to find songs that could go together and could be sort of sung at the same time, even if they weren't written to go together. That was always so satisfying. I know that they did some of that in the Kander & Ebb revue AND THE WORLD GOES ROUND, and I think that when it is done well I really enjoy it.

PC: Are there are mash-ups in the recent revue of your work, SNAPSHOTS?

SS: Yes, there are - a lot of them, actually. A lot.

PC: Is there a future for that show, do you think?

SS: Yes, I think so. With SNAPSHOTS, it's sort of hard to define - it's kind of a revue, but it's kind of a book show. It definitely has characters and a book, so it's not merely a revue. I would up writing a lot of new lyrics to old songs or existing songs in order to have them fit the characters in the story more, actually, for that. So, to answer your question: yes. It will either do a tour and then be available through MTI, who license all my stuff, or it will just eventually become available through MTI. We should know that by the end of the year - but, either way, SNAPSHOTS is definitely going to get out there now.

PC: I'm curious: what is the back-story for your song "Cold Enough To Snow"?

SS: James Lapine is a very good friend of Alan Menken's and James was doing a movie called LIFE WITH MIKEY and he wanted a song that was sort of a voiceover for a certain part and Alan asked me to do it with him. That's where it came from. It actually wasn't originally intended to be a Christmas song.

PC: The list of great Christmas songs by Broadway composers is astonishing to consider.

SS: And Christmas songs can be incredibly lucrative, as I'm sure Jerry Herman has found out with "We Need A Little Christmas"! [Laughs.]

PC: You have written a Chanukah song, though.

SS: Yes, I have - although I guess those are less lucrative. [Big Laugh.]

PC: CHILDREN OF EDEN is my favorite score of yours and I am obsessed with a cut song from that, "Civilized Society". Have you ever been approached for a cover of that song in particular? It would be an incredible basis for an EDM or rap song.

SS: Oh, that actually never occurred to me about that song, but now that you mention it I absolutely would let them do that. To talk about a murdered darling, it turned out that it actually didn't work in the show, so it is no longer in CHILDREN OF EDEN, but it was a fun song to write and a particularly fun song to arrange, as well.

PC: The recent Kennedy Center concert was a big success. Do you think CHILDREN OF EDEN has a future on Broadway or at least in New York in some shape or form?

SS: Oh, I was so happy with that concert. I don't know if it will happen, but I would love to do a version of that in the city - in New York. It was so fantastic.

PC: "In Whatever Time We Have" seems perfect for GLEE, doesn't it? It's chart-ready.

SS: They need to get on that! You're right! [Laughs.]

PC: Were you pleased with Shirley MacLaine and Darren Criss taking on "No Time At All" from PIPPIN earlier this year?

SS: I DVRed it, but I have to confess that I haven't gotten the chance to watch it yet.

PC: Understandably so! On that note, what can you tell us about the progress of your new musical, SCHIKANEDER?

SS: I am actually working on trying to get a score for the first act written to do a reading of it this January, so I am working away on it, even as we speak. I don't know if it is ultimately going to be called SCHIKANEDER because it is a difficult name to pronounce, but we don't have an alternate title yet.

PC: I have to say, the reactions from some WICKED fans to the title has been, shall we say, unique.

SS: Wait till they get to know it, though! Once they know it, they will feel differently. We don't have a new title yet, though.

PC: MUMBAI MUSICAL is another project coming up - an animated movie musical with A.R. Rahman.

SS: Yes, absolutely - THE MONKEYS OF MUMBAI. It is an animated feature and we are close to done with those songs. We thought we were pretty much done, but then there was a change - a good change, I think - in the story, so that required changing a few songs and we are back to work on that because of it. Hopefully, in the next couple of months we will be done with that.

PC: Are you still involved with HOUDINI?

SS: I honestly don't know what the story is with that. I mean, currently, I am not working on that at all.

PC: He's in the zeitgeist right now it seems, especially with the recent TV miniseries.

SS: Yes, there is a lot about him out there - I know. But, I don't exactly know if anything will wind up happening with that.

PC: MY FAIRY TALE hasn't made it to New York yet. Is it time?

SS: Maybe! There was an English-language production done in the Danish town of Solvang, California, for their 100th anniversary a few years back, so who knows what will happen next with that. I mean, there are only so many hours in the day, Pat! [Big Laugh.]

PC: Solvang has the best pastries in the country, does it not?!

SS: It does! Exactly. As you may know, they have a little theater in the center of the town there and a few years ago it was their 100th anniversary, so they asked about doing the Hans Christen Anderson piece that I had written there that summer, in English. It was very well-received and it all went very well, so maybe at some point we will do something with it. But, between the SCHIKANEDER project and THE MONKEYS OF MUMBAI and THE HUNCHBACK OF NOTRE DAME and starting to talk about the WICKED movie, I've got my hands full.

PC: Fairy tales are hot! Speaking of the WICKED movie, Marc Platt is prominently credited as the producer of WICKED in the INTO THE WOODS trailer, so the groundwork is already being laid, it seems.

SS: "From the producer of WICKED," yeah! You know, Marc is out there trying to keep the movie musical afloat! Obviously, for the next week I have my hands full with the UPRISING OF LOVE, but we will see what happens after that.

PC: UPRISING OF LOVE is undoubtedly a great marriage of Broadway and Hollywood, no doubt.

SS: It is. It is.

PC: And it all couldn't be benefiting a more befitting issue.

SS: Exactly. You're talking about the death penalty, basically - it's not just somebody getting beating up now and then, and I am certainly not minimizing that, but this is a major human rights issue and a lot of people are affected by it. We are sort of insular about it in this country, as one tends to be, and this is an international problem happening right now that we can actually have an impact on if we pay a little attention to it. Although I care very strongly about this cause, obviously, I do think that that, in the end - whether this is a cause people are passionate about or not - it is going to be an amazing evening to attend.

PC: Is "God Help The Outcasts" part of the evening? It seems so apt.

SS: You know, right now, I don't think anybody is singing that! Now that you've pointed it out, thought, that would be a really good idea, I think.

PC: WICKED being the ultimate story of embracing ones otherness, and born on the Gershwin stage, it is certainly an apt venue, no?

SS: Yes. Definitely. You know, there will be a lot of surprises in the song selections, too - it won't just be the casts trundling on and singing the same old song again; everybody is doing a special arrangement of something or singing something not from their show. I mean, Sting is such a major artist and I am such a fan myself: the fact that you are hearing Sting sing three songs live alone is enough to make it a great evening I think. And, then, you're throwing in Patti LuPone on top of it! And Billy Porter! And Jane Lynch! It's going to be incredibly exciting.

PC: What a crossover!

SS: Exactly! Exactly.

PC: Looking back when you first stepped foot in the Gershwin until now, did you ever think WICKED would be the gargantuan success that it is? There is nothing like it.

SS: You never know - you never even think in those terms, really. For me, WICKED seemed like a great idea and I felt like we made a good show, so we were all hopeful that it would be successful, but for it to turn out to be a phenomenon the way that is has - that involves all sorts of other factors even beyond the show itself. I think it's about a lot of the things we've been talking about - timing; zeitgeist; everything. It's never something that one can even begin to predict. And, I am so happy with the Gershwin!

PC: You've made it the home of a hit - which is quite rare in its history, looking back.

SS: I know! People used badmouth it! People used to say, "Oh, the Uris," or, "Ugh, the Gershwin!" I remember it when it was the Uris and I saw VIA GALACTICA there at the very first preview.

PC: With all the tennis balls? And the gigantic ladder?

SS: Yes! Yes! Exactly! Even then, I loved the theater. I always did. So, when we were looking for a theater for WICKED and we found out that that was going to be available, I was one of the big boosters of the cause that, you know, "We've got to be at the Gershwin!"

PC: Why, in particular?

SS: Well, it's got a gigantic orchestra, first of all. Most of the theater is orchestra seats. The way that the mezzanine and balcony are set up, you are still fairly close to the stage given a theater that size and the seats are still very comfortable, unlike some of the other Broadway theaters. I've always been a big fan of that theater.

PC: And going up the many levels to get to it only adds to the allure and the Elphaba-ish flying theme of the show, too.

SS: Oh, I never even thought of that! That's so true, though.

PC: This was absolutely spectacular, Stephen - a true dream come true. Thank you so very much.

SS: This has been a really great conversation, Pat, and I am so happy to talk to you. I really appreciate your helping us get the word out. So good to talk with you. Bye.

Photo Credits: Walter McBride, etc.