| New Documentary DEFYING GRAVITY to Chronicle Stephen Schwartz's Award-Winning Career | |
| Posted by: Official_Press_Release 12:57 pm EDT 08/31/20 | |
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| A New Documentary From Meteor 17 And Freedom Theatricals "DEFYING GRAVITY: FROM GODSPELL TO WICKED, A MUSICAL JOURNEY" To Celebrate STEPHEN SCHWARTZ Chronicling The Award-Winning Composer's Work, Journey, and Influence On Musical Theater Over The Past 45+ Years The team of music media producer Spencer Proffer (Chasing Trane: The John Coltrane Documentary, Gods & Monsters), multiple Tony winner Corey Brunish (Beautiful: The Carole King Musical, Come From Away, Pippin) and West End impresario Russell Miller (Blood Brothers, Guys and Dolls, On the Town, Paramour) announce that they will produce a documentary on the work and creative journey of Stephen Schwartz, the three-time Academy Award, three-time Grammy Award, and Tony Award-winning songwriter of Wicked , Pippin, Godspell, and the films The Prince of Egypt, Pocahontas, and Enchanted, among others. Award-winning director John Scheinfeld (Chasing Trane: The John Coltrane Documentary, The U.S. vs. John Lennon) will write and direct. This will be Scheinfeld's third collaboration with Proffer on a music-anchored documentary. "Defying Gravity: From Godspell to Wicked, A Musical Journey" will commence production in early 2021. It will profile the vast body of Schwartz's work, both his landmark successes and noble failures, while examining his writing process and inspirations and highlighting the power of music to transform and influence lives. Carol de Giere, acclaimed author of the biography Defying Gravity (named for Schwartz' classic song from Wicked and also the title of the documentary), will serve as a consultant to the producers. She will share the product of eight years of research and collaboration with Stephen to inform the film. "Stephen is a hugely talented composer and lyricist who embodies a Renaissance spirit," said Spencer Proffer. "Equally enchanting is his humility and eagerness to reveal that the path to his success has been dotted with disappointments and sometimes failures. It's a rich field to explore, delving into the artistry behind show tunes we've all hummed out loud and in our heads for decades." Author Carol de Giere said, "Spencer Proffer and his talented team's passion for this project is bound to lead to a high-quality documentary. By focusing on the artistry of Stephen Schwartz, who is so articulate about his creative process and collaborative experiences, they will be able to capture some of the strategies that audiences can apply to their own creative efforts. Defying Gravity as a documentary will also draw us into key moments in American musical theater history and will be treasured by musical enthusiasts for years to come. I'm pleased to serve as a consultant." ABOUT SPENCER PROFFER Proffer is an innovative music and media producer as well as a strategist, with a long history of connecting with audiences. His productions and those in which he has been integrally involved with have garnered Academy, Golden Globe, Emmy, Grammy and Tony Awards and nominations. As a music producer, Spencer has sold millions of gold and platinum records.As an insider to the music world, Proffer's documentary films go deep into the process and art of icons' work, interfacing directly with them, the creators of unforgettable and timeless music. Coming up are films with Don McLean and his classic song, "American Pie;" hit Motown producer/writer Lamont Dozier; and Eddie Kramer, engineer for Jimi Hendrix, Led Zeppelin, The Rolling Stones and the Beatles.www.meteor17.com/spencer-proffer/ ABOUT COREY BRUNISH Brunish is a director, writer, singer, actor, and multiple Tony Award-winning producer. As a producer, his shows have garnered 97 Tony nominations and 29 wins. Personally, Brunish has received ten consecutive nominations in eight seasons and has three personal Tony Awards. Brunish is proud to have received a Tony as a producer of the revival of Pippin. The 2013 Drama Desk Award, Drama League Award and the Outer Critic's Circle Award were presented to Corey for the same show and he won those same awards for Come From Away. His most notable producing credit is Beautiful: The Carole King Musical, one of the longest running shows on Broadway and for which the cast album won the Grammy Award. ABOUT RUSSELL MILLER Miller is a theater producer with over 25 years of professional experience, predominantly in the running of large and prolific commercial theaters, sports and entertainment venues. Previously as a Senior International Business Director he has been responsible for operating 12 regional UK theatres and 10 West End theatres in London - the largest group in London for the world's largest theatre owner/operator. Miller has overseen notable productions including the West End revival of Guys & Dolls with Ewan McGregor, Patrick Swayze and Don Johnson, which broke London box office records. He also oversaw the opening of On the Town and Cirque du Soleil's Broadway debut hit musical, Paramour, both performed at the Lyric Theatre, Broadway's second largest theater. ABOUT STEPHEN SCHWARTZ Stephen Schwartz wrote the music and lyrics for the current Broadway hit Wicked, and has also contributed music and/or lyrics to Godspell, Pippin, The Magic Show, The Baker's Wife, Working (which he also adapted and directed), Rags, and Children of Eden. For film, he collaborated with Alan Menken on the songs for Disney's Pocahontas, The Hunchback of Notre Dame and Enchanted, and wrote the songs for the DreamWorks animated feature The Prince of Egypt, a stage adaptation of which recently premiered in London's West End. Mr. Schwartz has been inducted into the Theatre Hall of Fame and the Songwriters Hall of Fame and has been given a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Awards include three Academy Awards, three Grammy Awards, and the Isabelle Stevenson special Tony Award. |
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