The Musical Theater of Stephen Schwartz: From Godspell to Wicked and Beyond.
LAIRD, Paul R. [Charles Strouse].
The Musical Theater of Stephen Schwartz: From Godspell to Wicked and Beyond.
First Edition of Paul R. Laird's The Musical Theater of Stephen Schwartz; Inscribed by Him to Broadway Composer Charles Strouse
Lanham, Maryland: Rowman & Littlefield, 2014.
$375.00
In Stock
Item Number: 152205
First edition of the first full-length scholarly study of the musicals of Stephen Schwartz. Octavo, publisher’s color pictorial boards, illustrated with black-and-white photographs. Association copy, inscribed by the author on the title page, “8 June 2014 To Charles Strouse: In deep appreciation for your assistance with my work. Thank you for your time and willingness to share your story. Paul R. Laird.” The recipient, Charles Strouse, was a Tony, Grammy, and Emmy Award-winning composer whose fifty-year career produced some of the most enduring works in the history of American musical theater, among them Bye Bye Birdie, Applause, and Annie, as well as the theme song for the classic sitcom All in the Family (“Those Were the Days”). His partnership with Martin Charnin on Annie produced one of Broadway’s most successful scores ever, with “Tomorrow” and other songs from the production becoming enduring American musical standards admired by generations. His reach knew no genre or generation, from a number-one Billboard hit in 1958 to Jay-Z’s Grammy-winning sampling of “It’s the Hard-Knock Life” four decades later, and his honors include three Tony Awards and induction into both the Songwriters Hall of Fame and the Theater Hall of Fame. From the collection of Strouse and his wife, the choreographer Barbara Siman. In fine condition. Cover photograph by Don Ipock.
The Musical Theater of Stephen Schwartz: From Godspell to Wicked and Beyond (2014) is a comprehensive scholarly study by Paul R. Laird, Professor of Musicology at the University of Kansas, and the most thorough analytical treatment yet produced of one of the most commercially successful and artistically distinctive careers in the history of American musical theater. The book focuses on two major aspects of Schwartz's creative output: the process of collaboration resulting in each project's completion, and a descriptive analysis of his music and lyrics, examining at length his major stage works including Godspell, Pippin, and Wicked, while also considering his contributions to such animated features as Enchanted, The Prince of Egypt, and Pocahontas. Drawing on previously unavailable primary sources including various versions of musical scores and scripts, a wealth of correspondence between Schwartz and his collaborators, and personal interviews conducted with Schwartz himself and key members of his artistic teams including director John Caird, Scott Schwartz, and composer Charles Strouse, Laird constructs both an intimate portrait of the creative process and a rigorous musicological assessment of Schwartz's contribution to the development of the American musical. For his work across stage and screen, Schwartz has received six Tony nominations, three Grammy Awards, and three Academy Awards, making him one of the very few figures in American entertainment to have achieved distinction across both theatrical and cinematic musical composition. Robert L. McLaughlin described Schwartz as seated next to Stephen Sondheim in the front row of the American musical theater pantheon.
