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Working: Vocal Selections

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Alfred Music Publishing is the worlds largest educational music publisher. Alfred produces educational#44; reference#44; pop#44; and performance materials for teachers#44; students#44; professionals#44; and hobbyists spanning every musical instrument#44; style#44; and difficulty level. Titles All the Livelong Day * Brother Trucker * Cleaninapos; Women * Fathers and Sons * If I Couldapos;ve Been * Itapos;s an Art * Joe * Just a Housewife * Lovinapos; All * The Mason * Millwork * Neat to Be a Newsboy * Something to Point Out#44; and others.

113 pages, Paperback

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About the author

Stephen Schwartz

258 books42 followers
Stephen Schwartz was born in New York City on March 6, 1948. He studied piano and composition at the Juilliard School of Music while in high school and graduated from Carnegie Mellon University in 1968 with a B.F.A. in Drama. Upon coming back to live in New York City, he went to work as a producer for RCA Records, but shortly thereafter began to work in the Broadway theatre.

His first major credit was the title song for the play BUTTERFLIES ARE FREE; the song was eventually used in the movie version as well.

In 1971, he wrote the music and new lyrics for GODSPELL, for which he won several awards including two Grammys. This was followed by the English texts, in collaboration with Leonard Bernstein, for Bernstein's MASS, which opened the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, D.C. The following year, he wrote the music and lyrics for PIPPIN and two years later, THE MAGIC SHOW. At one point, GODSPELL, PIPPIN, and THE MAGIC SHOW were all running on Broadway simultaneously.

He next wrote the music and lyrics for THE BAKER'S WIFE, followed by a musical version of Studs Terkel's WORKING, to which he contributed four songs, and which he also adapted and directed, winning the Drama Desk Award as best director. He also co-directed the television production, which was presented as part of the PBS "American Playhouse" series.

Next came songs for a one-act musical for children, CAPTAIN LOUIE, and a children's book, THE PERFECT PEACH. He then wrote music for three of the songs in the Off-Broadway revue, PERSONALS, lyrics to Charles Strouse's music for RAGS, and music and lyrics for CHILDREN OF EDEN.

He then began working in film, collaborating with composer Alan Menken on the scores for the Disney animated features POCAHONTAS, for which he received two Academy Awards and another Grammy, and THE HUNCHBACK OF NOTRE DAME. He also provided songs for DreamWorks' first animated feature, THE PRINCE OF EGYPT, for which he won another Academy Award for the song "When You Believe".

Mr. Schwartz provided music and lyrics for the original television musical, GEPPETTO, seen on The Wonderful World of Disney. Recently, he released two CDs on which he sings new songs, entitled RELUCTANT PILGRIM and UNCHARTED TERRITORY.

Mr. Schwartz's most recent musical, WICKED, opened in the fall of 2003 and is currently running on Broadway.

Under the auspices of the ASCAP Foundation, he runs musical theatre workshops in New York and Los Angeles, and serves on the ASCAP board; he is also a member of the Council of the Dramatists' Guild.

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Profile Image for Jessica López-Barkl.
312 reviews17 followers
May 28, 2017
Well...this isn't really the book I'm looking for, but...it'll do... I read the 2012 updated version of WORKING, which includes two new songs by Lin-Manuel Miranda, for one of our musical offerings in the 2017-2018 SUNY Sullivan American Identity Reading Series. It read very well, and I was impressed with the clear editing eye that Schwartz and Co. put to the 1978 version (written the year I was born). The students also seemed to really love it, but...I guess they loved CAROLINE, OR CHANGE, more...so...we will be exploring Southern Working Class culture juxtaposed with Southern Jewish culture, instead of a wash of working-class culture. I had added WORKING to the mix because my own cultural identity in the United States is "working class" and I've always been very proud of that heritage/identity. I agree with Cornell West that we really should be discussing economics and not race, when we discuss identity, but...I'm not in charge of the media, and the media really loves the race-card and the religion-card, so...I won't be able to stand on my soapbox about that with this production, but...maybe another time. Incidentally, I thought the new songs by Lin-Manuel Miranda were perfectly on point with the other songs in that play that discuss complicated situations in the working-class environment. Here's a "A Very Good Day": https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dV56m...
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