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Intersections: Stephen Schwartz's Musical Ghosts

Stephen Schwartz in NPR's studio 4A
Paul Schomer, NPR
Stephen Schwartz in NPR's studio 4A

This season, the new musical Wicked has taken Broadway by storm. Based on a novel of the same name by Gregory McGuire, Wicked is set in the land of Oz before Dorothy blew in.

Wicked has won over audiences by forcing them to re-imagine the well-known tale of good v. evil, presenting them with a Wicked Witch of the West that's a smart, misunderstood feminist and a Glinda the Good that's a peppy, ambitious beauty.

The show's composer and lyricist is Stephen Schwartz. His best-known musicals are Pippin and Godspell -- shows that have played on Broadway and become high school staples. As part of Intersections, a series on artists' inspirations, Schwartz speaks with NPR's Neva Grant about the patchwork of influences that have shaped his musical style.

Schwartz's best tunes sound surprising and newly minted no matter how often one hears them. But Schwartz says that, to him, his style feels like a conglomeration of everything he's ever loved.

"My style of writing has been influenced by sort of scavenging the pieces of music that I've heard, and it'll just be a moment" that he might use for inspiration, he says.

When he sits down to write, Schwartz usually starts with the title of a song. Then comes the scaffolding (chords), melody and last of all lyrics, which he says should cling to the silhouette of the music. Schwartz names dozens of artists who've influenced him over the years -- everyone from Beethoven to Sting.

Perhaps this medley of influences explains what people have come to identify as the "Schwartz style." The best of his music carries a universal emotional power, echoes of chords and melodies that people have loved for generations and continue to resonate.

Copyright 2022 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.

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SOMOS CONNECTICUT es una iniciativa de Connecticut Public, la emisora local de NPR y PBS del estado, que busca elevar nuestras historias latinas y expandir programación que alza y informa nuestras comunidades latinas locales. Visita CTPublic.org/latino para más reportajes y recursos. Para noticias, suscríbase a nuestro boletín informativo en ctpublic.org/newsletters.

The independent journalism and non-commercial programming you rely on every day is in danger.

If you’re reading this, you believe in trusted journalism and in learning without paywalls. You value access to educational content kids love and enriching cultural programming.

Now all of that is at risk.

Federal funding for public media is under threat and if it goes, the impact to our communities will be devastating.

Together, we can defend it. It’s time to protect what matters.

Your voice has protected public media before. Now, it’s needed again. Learn how you can protect the news and programming you depend on.