October 18, 2024
By Nakayla Shakespeare
A wondrous and somewhat Wicked night at the Phoenix Symphony with Stephen Schwartz.

October 12th was a night like no other. Filled with wonder and emerald allure, I got to experience the excellence of the ICONIC Stephen Schwartz, legendary musical composer and lyricist behind some of the most successful Broadway musicals such as Wicked and Pippin and hit Disney movies, Pocahontas and The Hunchback of Notre Dame.

After a five-year hiatus from black-tie galas, The Phoenix Symphony came back with a bang. I couldn’t wait to experience it myself as I am a huge fan of Stephen Schwartz’s work.
I dolled myself up and made my way to the gala at Symphony Hall. When I arrived, an emerald green carpet led me upstairs to the pre-dinner cocktail hour. Everybody was dressed to impress, with some even cosplaying in elaborate Elphaba and Glinda costumes. A silent auction was lined along the wall with prizes ranging from Waste Management tickets to stunning landscape art.
The room was buzzing with conversation, everybody there with mutual excitement about seeing Schwartz in person.

The doors opened to a magnificent dinner setting. Large glass and floral arrangements mimicking the shape of the Emerald City centered the tables. Green table drapery and beautiful botanical pieces at the entrance added to the Wicked allure. As people ushered into the dining hall and found their seats, I was served my three-course meal. A refreshing salad and bread roll as my first course, Delicious sea bass, mashed potatoes, a prime filet and veggies as my second course and an assortment of desserts– which would come after the show as my third.

A live auction for Mind Over Music raised $264,000 toward providing children in schools STEM education through music from musicians with the orchestra. Lesson plans are explained through a musical lens, giving children an enriching and immersive experience while also creating a love and appreciation for the art.

After the auction concluded, it was the moment we had all been waiting for, Stephen Schwartz. He came to the stage and played an intimate song on a Steinway Piano. He sang so effortlessly and with intention that moved the audience.

It was time for the big show, A Wicked Night at the Symphony. I took the escalator down to Symphony Hall. A beautiful green, gold and white set up was in the lobby with a photographer to capture festive photo memories. I purchased a beverage before heading to my seat.
The show was surreal, witnessing so much talent in one room between the broadway singers invited by Schwartz, the symphony orchestra, the composer and Schwartz himself; being in the presence of all of it was inspiring. Schwartz played Broadway classics from Wicked, The Baker’s Wife, Pocahontas, among others while also giving the audience the treat of unreleased music from his Broadway show, Houdini.

My favorite part was witnessing the song journey of the Wicked’s “The Wizard and I” where Schwartz walked the audience through the creative versions of the song before it landed on the version featured in the musical. An experience you just had to be there for.

The show ended with “Because I Knew You”, a perfect conclusion to a wondrous musical journey through the mind of Schwartz. I left that theater changed for the better.

The night concluded with dancing, more cocktails and delicious desserts at the afterglow party. It was a celebration of the ICONIC concert where guests got to talk to musicians that played in the orchestra.
Words can’t explain the feeling of sitting in front of a living legend, you just had to be there.