PIPPIN is up-and-running at the Menier Chocolate Factory in London. For more information follow this link: PIPPIN

Stephen Schwartz has written a long update for the year-end issue of “The Schwartz Scene Newsletter.” He shares his thoughts about a special PIPPIN production in London, his experiences working on the Broadway revival of GODSPELL, and news of his trip to WICKED in Holland.

In this issue you’ll also see many photos, news of a spring concert, books and gifts, an article by Stephen’s assistant about the first day of GODSPELL’s rehearsals, and more. This newsletter was created by Carol de Giere, who publishes the Stephen Schwartz fan site MusicalSchwartz.com.

For the current issue of the newsletter go to:
http://www.theschwartzscene.com/quarterly-newsletter/issue-44-autumn-2011/

If you haven’t yet subscribed to this free online newsletter for
future issues, go to

http://www.theschwartzscene.com/quarterly-newsletter/ to sign up
and/or to read back issues.

ASCAP ANNOUNCES NEW ALLIANCE WITH DREAMWORKS ANIMATION:

THE ASCAP FOUNDATION/DREAMWORKS MUSICAL THEATRE WORKSHOP

NEW MUSICALS SOUGHT FOR 2012 ASCAP FOUNDATIONS/DREAMWORKS

MUSICAL THEATRE WORKSHOP IN LOS ANGELES

Submissions deadline is Friday, December 16, 2011

New York, NY, November 29, 2011: ASCAP announced today a new alliance with Dreamworks

Animation as part of their successful, annual musical theatre workshop program: The ASCAP Foundation/Dreamworks Musical Theatre Workshop.  Serving once more as artistic director for the workshop is Oscar and Grammy-winning composer/lyricist Stephen Schwartz whose credits include the Broadway smash musicals Wicked, Godspell and Pippin, and feature films The Prince of Egypt, Pocahontas and The Hunchback of Notre Dame.. The workshop will take place February 9, 10, 16, 17, 21, 22 at 7:00 p.m. sharp, at the Dreamworks Animation Campus in Glendale.

Workshop participants will have the opportunity to present selections from their original works in progress for professional critique. Each session will feature prominent guests from all aspects of musical theatre, including producers, directors, critics, performers and composers. Past panelists have included Lynn Ahrens (Tony Award-winning lyricist: Ragtime); Stephen Flaherty (Tony Award-winning composer: Ragtime); Sheldon Harnick (Tony Award-winning lyricist: Fiddler on the Roof); Mark Hollmann (Tony Award-winning composer/lyricist: Urinetown); and Rupert Holmes (Tony Award-winning librettist and composer/lyricist: Drood).

As part of ASCAP’s continuing commitment to nurture new American musicals, The ASCAP Foundation is now seeking submissions for new musicals.  (Please note new submission guidelines below).

Writers interested in applying for participation in The ASCAP Foundation/Dreamworks Musical Theatre Workshop in Los Angeles should submit the following:

A CD of four (4) songs with lyric sheets

A brief description of each song as to its plot placement

A brief synopsis of the musical

Biographical information for each composer, lyricist & book writer

Contact information (Email address, phone number, and mailing address)

Send your complete package to:

Michael A. Kerker

ASCAP/Dreamworks Musical Theatre Workshop

One Lincoln Plaza

New York, NY 10023*

*NOTE: WHILE THE WORKSHOP WILL TAKE PLACE IN LOS ANGELES, SUBMISSIONS MUST BE SENT TO ASCAP’S NEW YORK OFFICE

All submissions must be received by Friday, December 16, 2011.

PLEASE NOTE:

1) Please submit 4 songs only. If you send us a full recording, we will only listen to the first 4 songs.

2) Submissions do not need to be produced in a studio. We are looking for talent and potential, not production values.

3) If your musical is selected, you will need to present 50 consecutive minutes from the musical at the workshop. The 50-minute selection must include book and songs.

4) Those who have been accepted to present material in the workshop will receive a phone call by Friday, January 6, 2012.

5) Those who will be invited to audit the workshop will receive an email invitation.

6. Please do not call to ask if you have been selected.

7. Space is limited. Submissions will not be returned.

For further information or any questions, please call 212-621-6264.

The ASCAP Foundation Musical Theatre Workshop is part of an ongoing series of workshops sponsored by The ASCAP Foundation/Dreamworks to nurture new American musicals. The workshops are free of charge and are open to everyone, regardless of performing right affiliation.

Founded in 1975, The ASCAP Foundation is a charitable organization dedicated to supporting American music creators and encouraging their development through music education and talent development programs. Included in these are songwriting workshops, grants, scholarships, awards, recognition and community outreach programs, and public service projects for senior composers and lyricists. The ASCAP Foundation is supported by contributions from ASCAP members and from music lovers throughout the United States. www.ascapfoundation.org

SAN FRANCISCO GAY MEN’S CHORUS

Enchantingly Wicked, An Evening With Stephen Schwartz

Dr. Timothy Seelig, Artistic Director

With special guests:

Stephen Schwartz & The Choral Project

March 20, 21, 2012

Louise M. Davies Symphony Hall

The evening features Stephen Schwartz backed by the legendary 275-voice San Francisco Gay Men’s Chorus and San José’s incredible, award-winning ensemble The Choral Project, conducted by Daniel Hughes.

Music will include selections from Enchanted, Wicked, Children of Egypt, The Prince of Egypt, Godspell, Hunchback of Notre Dame, Pippin, and more!

Information available at www.sfgmc.org

And, here is a YouTube video about our season including the Schwartz extravaganza.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SrB4VLGBZyI

GODSPELL OPENS ON BROADWAY

Godspell is now up-and-running Day by Day at Broadway’s Circle on the Square Theatre!

The revival is helmed by Daniel Goldstein, who directed the critically acclaimed Paper Mill Playhouse production in 2006. This is the 40th Anniversary production and first ever Broadway revival.

Click here for Official Broadway Website www.godspell.com

For futher information:

http://www.musicalschwartz.com/godspell-broadway.htm

Special thanks to Carol de Giere, webmaster of fan site MusicalSchwartz.com, for her terrific work creating the STEPHEN SCHWARTZ FORUM ARCHIVES, a collection of questions and answers from previous incarnations of the Stephen Schwartz Forum  from 1998 to present, organized by subject.

Here’s a sampling of one of the Question and Answers sessions she found in the archive:

Question:
Do you think management of creativity is possible?

Answer from Stephen Schwartz:
Absolutely. I think the job of a professional writer is to learn how to harness his or her creativity in service of deadlines, specific problems to be solved, and deliberate goals. Each individual has to develop his or her own process to be able to be creative on demand.

Enjoy your time looking through the STEPHEN SCHWARTZ FORUM ARCHIVES!

Disney’s “Geppetto and Son” has been re-named “My Son Pinocchio”

Disney’s My Son Pinocchio: Geppetto’s Musical Tale

Music and Lyrics by Stephen Schwartz
Book by David Stern

Two Acts, Book Musical, Rated G

The classic tale of an aging toymaker and his puppet, Pinocchio, takes on timely issues in Disney’s My Son Pinocchio. Grammy Award-winner and master melodist Stephen Schwartz adds a compelling score of original songs to the beloved classics “When You Wish Upon a Star” and “I’ve Got No Strings.” Join the Blue Fairy, Stromboli and a lively cast of characters as Geppetto journeys beyond the Toy Shop to discover what makes the “perfect child.”

This family-friendly musical is appropriate for all audiences and is a magical mix of heartwarming fairytale and action-packed adventure. Audiences will love following Pinocchio’s journey from an awkward wooden puppet to a real, live boy and will be charmed by Geppetto’s transformation from demanding creator to a real, live father.

For more information and licensing:

“My Son Geppetto” Music Theatre International Listing

Stephen Schwartz was inducted into the Theater Hall of Fame last night, January 25th 2010,  at the Gershwin Theatre where WICKED has played since October 2003.

Photo by Michael Cole

Now in its seventh year on Broadway, ‘Wicked’ became the first show to gross $2 million in eight shows.

Wicked became the only Broadway show in history to gross more than $2 million for a single week of performances, bringing in $2,086,135 for the week ending November 29, 2009. The smash-hit musical topped its own previous record of $1,839,950, set in December 2007, and set a new house record for the Gershwin Theatre.

“Wicked” features music and lyrics by Stephen Schwartz and book by Winnie Holzman.

For more information on “Wicked” see the official site at www.wickedthemusical.com and the Stephen Schwartz fan site “Wicked” pages at
www.musicalschwartz.com/wicked.htm

Stephen Schwartz and John Ondrasik (of Five for Fighting) have penned a couple of tunes together. Five for Fighting’s latest album is titled “Slice”: the title song was co-written by the duo.

Five For Fighting’s “SLICE” CD on Amazon.com

(from Five for Fighting’s Myspace page):

If every album provides snapshots of where an artist’s mind at heart is at the moment, Slice, the latest offering from John Ondrasik (aka Five for Fighting), is a collection of digital jpegs and faded Polaroids. The album takes stories of friends, family and even American servicemen, and sets them to music shot through with the spirit of the great songs of his youth. It’s a diary, or a blog, in which Ondrasik speaks his mind about current issues, experiences and sentiments, while setting those thoughts to piano, bass and drums.

The title track, featuring Ondrasik’s soaring falsetto, comes from a daydream that we’ve all had at some point in our lives-that moment when we long for a simpler time when life seemed better and the songs were bigger. It’s a sly play on one of those grand songs, Don McClean’s “American Pie”: “There was a time a long, long time ago/Chevies and levies played on the radio/No cell phones just 20,000 lights, swaying on a Saturday night.”

Academy Award-winning composer Steven Schwartz (who penned the songs for acclaimed musicals such as Wicked, Godspell and Pippin), helped Ondrasik bring the idea to fruition, co-writing “Slice” (as well as the song “Above the Timberline”). “We sat down at a coffee shop to talk about writing together,” says Ondrasik, ” I told him about my idea for ‘Slice,” and ‘American Pie’ actually came on the radio. It was surreal. Stephen immediately wrote the first two lines on a napkin, and we were off and running.

“I’ve been a fan of Five for Fighting since I first heard ‘Superman’,” says Schwartz, “and then was blown away by ‘100 Years.’ I got the full CDs and was really impressed by John Ondrasik’s writing-great tunes and smart and surprising lyrics. So naturally I didn’t hesitate a moment when John asked me to co-write a couple of songs with him. It was, as I expected, great collaborating with him-experiencing first-hand his musicality and gift for melody, his incisive way with words, and the passion and care he puts into each of his songs.”