Stephen Schwartz: Love Him or Hate Him?- Page 2

[umgeoboy]

Posted: 6/17/05 at 1:38pm

I used to like Schwartz a lot and highly respect him. I love Pippin, Children of Eden, and can tolerate Bakers Wife (with the proper cast). But I think that he sold out to the general public in Wicked. That is probably one of my least favorite shows I have ever sat through. At this point, I find his newer stuff works better in the movies then it does on broadway.

[munkustrap178]

Posted: 6/17/05 at 1:45pm

I really like some of his GODSPELL music (I'm doing the show right now) and enjoy a few of his WORKING songs. I enjoy PIPPIN as well, but as far as CHILDREN OF EDEN and WICKED, I couldn't be bothered - I dislike them both.

[BroadwayNick]

Posted: 6/17/05 at 2:35pm

Love Him.

Has anyone heard Wicked or Pippin?

Sorry...I had to...

[SimpleJoysHaveSimpleVoice]

Posted: 6/17/05 at 4:42pm

How can I stay silent on a thread like this??

It is obvious that I love SS's work. But I don't feel the urge to impress my preference on anybody. He is as solid a composer as we have today. I don't understand the need to qualify him or compare him to anybody else. I play basketball to compete, I enjoy theater to be entertained and grow as a person. So I love Pippin, Godspell, his non-Broadway work, and Wicked. That is a personal choice that effects me and my family, if it has the same effect on the Broadway culture, so be it, I just hope he continues to write.

I love to see my children respond to the composers I listen to in the car while we are driving places. With kids you can never hide a good song, regardless of the lyrics, a catchy tune never gets by them. They dig SS, along with Rent (screened of course), You're a Good Man Charlie Brown, and Ragtime, along with other assorted composers. I say let the kids judge for us.

[uncageg]

Posted: 6/17/05 at 4:48pm

I enjoy his music but was not impressed with him as a person when I found out that he walked out of last year's Tony Awards in a huff because he didn't win. He couldn't even stay and support the show for the rest of the awards. That's childish in my opinion. Lost a bit of respect for him after that. And the man was nice enough to contact me, send me a signed copy of the Wicked OBCR before this happened. But who knows. It seems that politics are always a part of voting and I have heard he is not liked by everyone in the theatre community. Just my 2 cents.

[Marquise]

Posted: 6/17/05 at 4:56pm

his "colors of the wind" is an absolutely beautiful song.

[nmartin]

Posted: 6/17/05 at 6:40pm

IMO I think his best work was the lyrics for RAGS

[temms]

Posted: 6/17/05 at 7:56pm

Alan Menken wrote the music to "Colors of the Wind" - Schwartz only did the lyrics to "Pocohontas."

[JudasIscariot]

Posted: 12/9/16 at 12:59am

I just wanted to check in and make sure that you all haven't been condemning Stephen Schwartz. 

[Scarywarhol]

Posted: 12/9/16 at 1:37am

Love-hate. 

[blm2323]

Posted: 12/9/16 at 1:44am

Yeah - I hate that he's drawn thousands of people to experience live theater, many for the first time. 

 

[broadwayguy91]

Posted: 12/9/16 at 2:52am

love him, but I loathe his idiotic spawn.

[¿Macavity?]

Posted: 12/9/16 at 3:00am

I like him. He's not my favorite, but I thoroughly enjoyed Godspell.

[gypsy101]

Posted: 12/9/16 at 3:36am

what i always wonder: why doesn't he write any new stuff??

[2lovers]

Posted: 12/9/16 at 4:19am

I think Wicked is one of the worst musicals I ever seen.

[yankeefan7]

Posted: 12/9/16 at 7:25am

Since he went to the same HS as me (years earlier), I have to kind of like him - lol

[BroadwayConcierge]

Posted: 12/9/16 at 8:13am

Wicked isn't a stunning masterpiece, but it's still damn good theatre.

[uncageg]

Posted: 12/9/16 at 9:03am

Since I posted my comments, years ago, a few things have changed! I got to sing in the large chorus for "Just No Time At  All" on the PIPPIN revival recording. He was there and was so much fun and was so excited that he re-wrote the ending a bit, on the spot, out of excitement. I have also had the chance to meet him and be around him on a few occasions. Very nice man. Also, after posting my comments I came to my own conclusion as to why he may have walked out of the Tony's that year. I may have also if I were nominated.

[Ranger Tom]

Posted: 12/9/16 at 3:26pm

Like some, love a few, don't hate any.  There's nothing he's written that is "the worst ever."  There's nothing he's written that is the best ever.  While I don't mean to say that he is musical theater "light," I think his shows are mostly just plain fun and you don't have think a lot before/during/after.  Fun is good.

[Mister Matt]

Posted: 12/9/16 at 3:53pm

I really love most of his work.  Sure, some of it sounds a bit dated (Godspell, Pippin, The Magic Show, Working), but in the cases of Godspell and Pippin (both very much products of their time), what I don't find especially appealing on CD, I really love on stage in context of the show.  The Magic Show has a terrible book, but I think the original score was fantastic (the later revisions really crippled the entire show).  I like Children of Eden, but I'm not wild about it.  Like Wicked (to me, Wicked most resembles Children of Eden in style from his catalog of work), I think it has a handful of great and effective songs and the rest is serviceable at best.  The Baker's Wife is an interesting anomaly.  It contains what I consider to be two of the most beautiful songs ever written for musical theatre, Meadowlark and Chanson (the latter of which can move me to tears from its joyous melody and lyrics).  I saw the recent revised Working in Chicago and was unimpressed by the whole thing.  Neither good nor bad, just completely bland and unmemorable.  Now, I will admit I haven't heard EVERYTHING he's written (like Captain Louie, Mit Eventyr, Nouveau, Schikaneder, Seance on a Wet Afternoon, Whatserface) and though I heard them once or twice, I can't remember a thing about Geppetto, his contributions to Personals and Prince of Egypt.  But of what I've heard from Schwartz, I find him to be a strong and capable composer for the most part and I really love many of his songs.

[Ado Annie D'Ysquith]

Posted: 12/9/16 at 4:05pm

I think Schwartz's best work, believe it or not, is in his film scores. Pocahontas, Hunchback, and even Prince of Egypt all have some gorgeous work there. His lyricism for the stage gets spotty ("Leave your cheese to sour?" but overall he's a solid writer.

[2lovers]

Posted: 12/9/16 at 6:00pm

Wicked is feminist nonsense 

[Mister Matt]

Posted: 12/9/16 at 6:05pm

We get it.  You're "new" and want to be provocative.  Could you try and be creative, at least?

[2lovers]

Posted: 12/9/16 at 6:42pm

I just felt it was a stupid story about witches. And only a feminist would like it

[South Florida]

Posted: 12/9/16 at 7:00pm

Wicked is underrated, there I said it.  What about Schikaneder?  How can you hate Stephen Schwartz?