Happy Wicked Movie Day! Let us be glad! Let us be grateful!

Bit of a special episode, this one. To celebrate the release of one of the most exciting and hotly-anticipated stage-to-screen adaptations of all time, here is a never-before-heard interview that I conducted with Wicked’s composer, Stephen Schwartz back in 2021, when we were coming out of Covid and Stephen Schwartz’s first ever musical, Pippin was about to open in Charing Cross Theatre.

Some quotes from this interview appeared in a Musical Theatre Review article about Pippin, but we had a wide-ranging chat beyond that about writing, musical influences, other composers he enjoys, and – significantly – a LOT of chat about Wicked and the Wicked movie, which was still a year and a half away from commencing filming.

Apologies for the worse-than-usual audio quality, my nervousness as a novice interviewer, and for the shameless plugging of my own show, Sisyphus: A Rock 'n' Roll Musical at the start there. Plenty of fascinating chat from Stephen Schwartz beyond that though. I hope you enjoy!

Produced by Ian Bowkett (twitter: @ianbowkett) in association with https://musicaltheatrereview.com (twitter: @musicaltheatrer)

BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/ianbowkett.bsky.social

Follow the podcast:

Twitter: @MusicalMayorPod

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This week, I’m talking to Kate McKeown and James Hadley, two of the wonderful team behind Mercury Musical Developments and Musical Theatre Network, which are brilliant organisations dedicated to new UK musical theatre writing. They are organisations I have come across in the past thanks to their many great initiatives to support aspiring composers such as myself, and this was a very fun chat about all the work they do, and the musicals that have meant the most to them.

For more info and events for Mercury Musical Developments, visit: https://www.mercurymusicals.com

For more info and events for Musical Theatre Network visit: https://www.musicaltheatrenetwork.com

Follow Kate McKeown on twitter and instagram.

Follow James Hadley on twitter.

Follow Mercury Musical Developments and Musical Theatre Network on twitter and instagram.

Produced by Ian Bowkett (twitter: @ianbowkett) in association with https://musicaltheatrereview.com (twitter: @musicaltheatrer)

Follow the podcast:

Twitter: @MusicalMayorPod

Instagram: @MusicalMayorPod

TikTok: @MusicalMayorPod

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jeevan Braich is a steam train of talent, a very exciting young actor who is currently lighting up the stage as Rusty in Starlight Express. His performance has earned him a nomination for a Stage Debut Award at this year’s ceremony which takes place on Sunday 29th of September and is hosted by former podcast guest Divina de Campo!

For tickets to The Stage Debut Awards 2024, visit: https://www.thestage.co.uk/awards/the-stage-debut-awards

For tickets to Starlight Express starring Jeevan as Rusty, visit: http://www.starlightexpresslondon.com/

Follow Jeevan on instagram.

Produced by Ian Bowkett (twitter: @ianbowkett) in association with https://musicaltheatrereview.com (twitter: @musicaltheatrer)

Follow the podcast:

Twitter: @MusicalMayorPod

Instagram: @MusicalMayorPod

TikTok: @MusicalMayorPod

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.