Stephen Schwartz:
Defying Gravity

3 time Academy Award, Tony and Grammy winning composer Stephen Schwartz, has blessed and fully authorized a partnership with Spencer to produce the definitive cinematic film in the form of a documentary on Schwartz’ work.  Spencer is proud to be able to make this film on the songwriting journey of one of the great composers of the 20th and 21st century.

We will dive into Stephen’s creative process through a decades long journey, from Godspell and Pippin to Wicked and everything in between.

The film will give the viewer insights into Stephen’s mind and soul. We will see his process, creative and life experiences as well as ups and downs which lit the fire within that drove the narrative. One of our goals is to highlight the power of music, as embodied in Schwartz’ work, to transform and influence lives.

Our documentary will delve into Stephen’s successes, noble failures, truths, learning, triumphs, self- doubts, inspiration and beliefs. In addition to Schwartz’ many accolades and awards, he has won The Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Lyrics and was the recipient of the Isabelle Stevenson Award, a special Tony for his commitment to serving artists and fostering new talent. 

The film will will profile the vast body of Schwartz’ work while examining his writing process.  Carol de Giere, acclaimed author of the novel, Defying Gravity (named after one of Schwartz’ hit songs from the Wicked Musical and title of our documentary), will serve as a consultant to the producers.  Carol will share the product of her 8 years of research and work directly with Stephen, which informed the book and will have elements manifested in the film.  

“Stephen is a hugely talented composer and lyricist who embodies a Renaissance spirit,” said 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.”

“Spencer Proffer and his talented team’s passion for this project is bound to lead to a high-quality documentary,” de Giere said. “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.”

Award winning director, John Scheinfeld (Reinventing Elvis, Chasing Trane, U.S. vs John Lennon, Garry Marshall ABC Special), will write and direct.  This will be Scheinfeld’s fourth collaboration working with Spencer on a music anchored, documentary film.