2011 Raven Award
The 2011 Raven Award for Excellence in Arts and Entertainment was presented to Award winning composer and lyricist Stephen Schwartz for the blockbuster musical Wicked on March 1, 2011 at the Loyola University Museum of Art. The evening included a champagne reception and an interview of the honoree by Suzanne Ross.
Raven Founder Suzanne Ross, Raven Award Recipient Stephen Schwartz and Raven Founder Keith Ross.
Suzanne and Stephen enjoy a moment during their interview. Listen to their lively and engaging conversation. View a slide show of the event.
Celebrating Wicked
Entertainment Weekly declared Wicked to be the best musical of the decade, and we agree. Not only is it blockbuster entertainment, but like a powerful tornado, it upends what you thought you knew about how to be good and where wickedness is hiding. Join us in honoring the talented, profound, and award winning Stephen Schwartz, composer and lyricist for this original and provocative musical. It promises to be a Wicked celebration!
For an exploration of the themes and insights found in Wicked, see The Wicked Truth: When Good People Do Bad Things by Suzanne Ross.
"It is a rare privilege as an artist to have one's work explored in such a profound way. The Wicked Truth is a fascinating and valuable study of the ways we all wrestle with the wickedness within and without us and how we can combat it." Stephen Schwartz, Composer/Lyricist, Wicked
The Wicked Truth is the thinking person's guide to the wildly successful Broadway musical Wicked. Using political, social, and historical examples, it explores the ways in which modern society is not so different than the mythical land of Oz. The Wicked Truth challenges the very framework of our culture, our understanding of Good and Evil, as well as our sense of right and wrong. Whether you've seen the show or not, discovering The Wicked Truth's broad application, to everything from personal relationships to how our society is governed, will leave you spellbound.
Award Recipient
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.
Photo: Joan Lauren
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.” He most recently collaborated with Alan Menken on the songs for Disney’s ENCHANTED.
Mr. Schwartz provided music and lyrics for the original television musical, GEPPETTO, seen on The Wonderful World of Disney and recently adapted for the stage as MY SON PINOCCHIO. He has 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 and in several other productions around the United States and the world. In 2008, WICKED reached its 1900th performance on Broadway, making Mr. Schwartz the only songwriter in Broadway history ever to have three shows run more than 1900 performances.
His first opera, SEANCE ON A WET AFTERNOON, will be presented by the New York City Opera in April 2011.
Mr. Schwartz has recently been given a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame and inducted into the Theatre Hall of Fame and the Songwriters Hall of Fame. A book about his career, “Defying Gravity,” has recently been released by Applause Books.
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 currently President of the Dramatists’ Guild. For further information, please visit http://www.stephenschwartz.com.
Making the Raven Video
The Raven Foundation developed a video explaining our mission and mimetic theory. Under the skilled direction of Gerard Jamroz, the amazing actors Molly Brennan and Adrian Danzig of 500 Clown created the roles of the Raven and the Narrator, respectively. Cameraman John Boston and Sound Engineer Jude Lemrow rounded out the crew. Suzanne Ross and Gerard Jamroz wrote the script. Maura Junius was the producer, costumer and gofer.
The title is A Higher Cawing. Enjoy some photos from the filming and the outtake reel.
Why The Raven?
What the Raven Knows...
The Raven is a harmless creature that has been scapegoated and falsely accused of evil. In legend and story, it often represents a dark and sinister presence or a harbinger of death. Because of this the Raven knows that the accused are rarely the guilty ones and violence cannot solve the problems it claims to cure. If you listen to what the Raven knows, you may discover a surprising way to build a more peaceful world.
...About People
Human beings are not independent creatures who can live and grow in isolation. Rather we are imitative and so we need one another to know who we are, how to behave, even what to desire. We are so dependent, that without an “other” to imitate, we wither and die. As the poet says, “No one is an island. No one stands alone.”
...About Communities
The greatest problem facing the human communities is how to handle the inevitable conflict that results from imitated desire. When I learn what I desire from you, I want what you want and when there isn’t enough to go around (like the job, the girl, or the status) conflict erupts.
...About Violence
Since the dawn of human culture, communities have used violence to end violence, falsely claiming a divine sanction for a human intervention. We have divided violence up into good (the God-approved violence I use) and bad (violence used by my enemies). The Raven knows there is no good or bad violence, only violence itself, the suffering it causes, and our need to justify using it by invoking God’s name.
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