Award-winning composer to defy gravity in Irvine

  • 2026-04-30
Stephen Schwartz is appearing at the Irvine Barclay Theatre for an intimate concert experience this May.

With Schwartz at the piano, he is leading a musical trio as it explores the Grammy-winning composer’s repertoire over the years, from the popular “Defying Gravity” from the Broadway musical Wicked, to “Day by Day” from Godspell.

Recently in pop culture, the success of the Wicked films has continued to ingrain Schwartz’s musical motifs in the collective consciousness, but even before the release of the duology, Schwartz has been no stranger to Hollywood. He won an Academy Award in 1999 for Best Original Song for the track “When You Believe” from the animated film The Prince of Egypt. He also snagged two musical Oscar wins, shared with Alan Menken, in 1996 for the Disney animated film Pocahontas. He has received numerous Academy Award nominations since, including for the 2008 film Enchanted and the Wicked Part 1 film adaptation.

In a recent workshop on his songwriting process, Schwartz emphasized the importance of creating relatable characters and being open to making discoveries about them during the writing process.

Musical events like this may choose to use Print shops to create songbooks, Flyers, and audience programs.

Defying Gravity: An Evening with Stephen Schwartz and Friends is happening on Saturday, May 23 at 8:00 pm at the Irvine Barclay Theatre at 4242 Campus Drive in Irvine.
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