The Musical Theater of Stephen Schwartz: From Godspell to Wicked and Beyond

Laird (Wicked: A Music Biography) has crafted a scholarly yet accessible review of composer/lyricist Schwartz's work. While sentences like "The choral writing is in four parts with a few passing tones" will only resonate with readers who have studied music, there is still lots here for fans of musical theatre--and even a few tidbits for Disney and Dreamworks fans who are fond of the musical scores of Pocahontas and The Prince of Egypt. Laird's most insightful coverage is of Schwartz's work on Godspell and Pippin, composer's earliest successes. Interviews with Schwartz reveal both insider secrets and fun trivia, including that Godspell's most famous song, "Day by Day," is modeled on Burt Bacharach and Hal David's "What the World Needs Now." When it comes to Wicked, arguably Schwartz's biggest hit, the author affords less attention, referring readers to his prior book, Wicked: A Musical Biography (2011). Many points rely heavily on Carol de Giere's biography of Schwartz, Defying Gravity, to the extent that readers might wish they had picked up that volume instead. (May)