The Latest Breaking News from Stephen Schwartz

Plus: Michelle Pfeiffer, Emma Thompson, or Nicole Kidman were all considered for Glinda.

Pop star Ariana Grande has confessed she "worked really hard" with a vocal coach for her role in 'Wicked' because she wanted to perfect the "operatic" style of her character's singing voice because it's very different to how she usually performs.

Your biggest questions answered

The journey from successful stage musical to big-screen adaptation is rarely truly successful. From director Joshua Logan’s use of coloured filters in the 1950s adaptation of South Pacific (which looks as if something is wrong) to Tom Hooper’s recent mega-mess movie of Cats, there are so many pitfalls to avoid.

As director Jon M Chu’s first instalment of the mega-musical adaptation Wicked arrives in cinemas, a new audience of fans is connecting with Stephen Schwartz’s memorable score. Featuring hits including Popular, The Wizard and I and For Good, the musical is particularly loved for its celebration of female characters in…

3/5 This story of self-acceptance and female empowerment is visually ravishing but with part one an hour longer than The Wizard of Oz even the superfans may wish they’d get a move on

Stephen Schwartz’s musical prequel has been brought to the big screen, with Erivo’s charismatic Elphaba exerting a planetary pull over a star-studded cast

A cast recording for the souped-up train musical is released, Michael Sheen plays the NHS hero at the National and David Hare delivers his Covid memoir

A luxurious cast but this ‘lost’ musical is basic and meandering