Media Musical Theater in America
Learn about musical theater using examples from Broadway, the history, structure and elements of musical theater, musical theater's role in social commentary, its legacy, and how you too can create a musical.
Stephen Schwartz
Stories and performance by of one of musical theater’s best
From his time at Juilliard, to working with Leonard Bernstein, to his grand success on Broadway, follow the path of Stephen Schwartz, the composer/lyricist of such legendary works as Godspell, Pippin, and his Broadway hit, Wicked.
This live conversation and performance at èßäAVfrom 2005 was moderated by Michael Kerker, ASCAP Director of Musical Theater and produced by the Education Division of The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts.
As you watch, stay focused on your purpose for viewing.
Before you get started, think of what you already know about musical theater. What shows have you seen before? Have you seen Wicked? What do you remember about it? Keep these things in mind as you watch.
Lesson Content
An Evening With Stephen Schwartz, Up Close & Personal
An Evening With Stephen Schwartz, Up Close & Personal
Comprehension
- Describe Stephen’s background. How did he get into music?
- How did the musical Pippin come about? Describe Stephen’s process.
Critical Thinking
Analyze Stephen’s style. What are some elements that characterize his lyrics or melodic/musical style?
Reflection
Quiz Yourself! Throughout his career, Stephen was influenced by the guidance or suggestions of several people. Who were some of them?
Additional Stephen Schwartz Videos
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- Ask students to define musical theater as it applies to stage productions and films. Lead a discussion on what distinguishes a "musical" from a "story with music." Discuss how the incorporation of dance into musical theater conveys ideas and emotions in abstract but effective ways.
- Have students research the history of musical theater, including influential composers, lyricists, and choreographers such as Cole Porter, Irving Berlin, Rodgers and Hammerstein, Frank Loesser, Lerner and Loewe, Leonard Bernstein, Jerry Herman, Jerome Robbins, Stephen Sondheim, Meredith Wilson, Bob Fosse, Stephen Schwartz, Andrew Lloyd Webber, Lin-Manuel Miranda and many others.
- Explore how songs (as monologues) in musical theater can further character development and storylines in ways realistic dialogue cannot. Compare the use of songs by composers of musical theater to the use of soliloquies by Shakespeare and other playwrights.
- Have students list familiar books and movies that have been developed into popular musicals (e.g, Hamilton, Les Misérables, Phantom of the Opera, etc.) How were the original works modified to include songs for character and plot development? In what other ways was the original work changed to fit the structure of a stage musical?.
- Select a filmed version of a musical (e.g., Chicago, West Side Story, Little Shop of Horrors, etc.). What elements of stage production remain in the filmed version? How does the moveable point of view of the camera compare with the fixed point of view of a theater audience member?.
- Have your students read a book that has been developed into a stage or film musical (e.g., The Wizard of Oz, Wicked, Les Misérables, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, Romeo and Juliet, etc.) After reading the book, have the students listen to the soundtracks from the film or stage musical. Ask them to identify the characters singing based on the subject of the song. Have the students explore plot elements of the story they are communicating in the songs, and how effectively the musical delivery succeeds as compared to the text in the book.
- Encourage students to select an existing work of fiction (book or film) they feel could be successfully developed into a musical. Have them identify and define plot elements and moments of character development they feel could be expressed effectively through song. Have students develop and present an outline of their musical’s story with song titles inserted at appropriate points.
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Producer
Kenny Neal
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Published
September 9, 2019
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