Author Carol de Giere (Defying Gravity) joins the podcast to explore the fascinating history and unsung stories behind Pippin. Hear how Stephen Schwartz developed the show as a student at Carnegie Mellon, about his creative clashes with legendary director Bob Fosse, and how the 2013 revival reimagined the production (and ending) for a new generation. Carol also shares insights into Schwartz’s songwriting process, his musical influences—from Carole King to Paul Simon—and why Pippin remains timeless over 50 years after its premiere.
The 50th Anniversary West End Concert will stream on BroadwayHD in March.
About the Guest
Carol de Giere is the author of two books that provide behind-the-scenes stories on popular musicals. The first book, Defying Gravity The Creative Career of Stephen Schwartz, from Godspell to Wicked, is now in its revised and updated Second Edition. This career biography takes readers into the world of the award-winning composer-lyricist Stephen Schwartz known for the musicals Wicked, Pippin, and other Broadway shows and films. The second book, The Godspell Experience: Inside a Transformative Musical, records the history and song-by-song details for Godspell and features a Foreword by Stephen Schwartz. Both books serve as historical records in addition to offering insights on the creative process for fans of musicals, working writers, and performers.
Carol “met” Stephen Schwartz by way of his website and conducted over eighty hours of interviews with him. Her questions focused on his creative process in order to discover some of the keys to his success. She began while he was in the middle of writing the score for Wicked, and was able to capture many stories about the ups and downs of the developmental process for Defying Gravity.
Ms. de Giere is also the founder of several online websites: The Schwartz Scene (online newsletter), Musicalwriters.com that provides resources for writers of new musicals, Godspell.com, and MusicalSchwartz.com.
A former librarian, Carol holds master’s degrees in library science and writing. In 2002, She and her husband packed a U-Haul truck and moved from Iowa to the New York City metropolitan area so that Carol could more easily complete her work on Defying Gravity. They now live in Connecticut where they enjoy writing, walking, reading, practicing yoga and meditation, and nature photography.