A top Broadway and Hollywood composer and lyricist has recommended aspiring Maltese creatives focus on creating works about Malta before heading to cultural hubs like London and New York.

In an exclusive interview with Times of Malta, Grammy, Academy and Tony award-winning composer and lyricist Stephen Schwartz said talented songwriters and playwrights should “use their unique personality, but also the culture of Malta”.

Encouraging creatives to draw on their insights about Maltese society and the country’s history, Schwartz said if the resulting works had “universal interest, they’ll [creatives] have a piece of work that they can take to London, New York or Los Angeles.”

Pointing to his own experiences, he said his first hit show Pippin began life away from Broadway.

“I began that [Pippin] in college, not in New York. It started as a college show and had some promise. When I graduated and came to New York I continued to develop it, but the point was I came with a project that was already underway.”

And while other Hollywood voices have suggested Maltese performers focus on building careers back home, Schwartz disagrees, acknowledging the importance of cities like London and Los Angeles.

“Ultimately, one needs to go where the work is being done,” he said.

Schwartz was speaking ahead of Sunday's Defying Gravity concerts at the Mediterranean Conference Centre, which will feature a selection of his music performed by some of Malta’s biggest stars.

Describing Joseph Calleja, Ira Losco and Destiny as “amazing”, the composer said he would join the Maltese singers for some duets and some ensemble numbers in addition to their – and his – solo performances.

We’re trying to strike a balance between new and interesting stuff, but also enough that the audience will feel comfortable and familiar with- Stephen Schwartz

“There’ll mostly be songs that the audience is likely to be familiar with – the better-known move and show stuff from my work – but there will be new things. And we also are doing some new arrangements of songs they may be familiar with,” he said.

“We’re trying to strike a balance between new and interesting stuff, but also enough that the audience will feel comfortable and familiar with.”

In addition to his more than five decades of work on Broadway productions, Schwartz has also penned music and lyrics for animated movies The Prince of Egypt, Enchanted, The Hunchback of Notre Dame and Pocahontas.

And November will see the release of the first part of his upcoming Hollywood blockbuster Wicked, based on his musical of the same name.

“I just saw the final cut of the movie last week [and] I feel really good about it,” he said, explaining that the music team had been treated to a special advance screening while the finishing touches were being done to the soundtrack.

Schwartz said that he and his collaborator Winnie Holzman, a screenwriter and playwright, had been “surprised” when they found out the movie would be split into two parts.

But they “always knew” that if the Broadway show was a success, “it would ultimately be a movie,” he said.

“We’ve really been thinking about it and talking about it for quite a while. And many of the ideas that Winnie and I had from the beginning of how to make it into a movie have found their way into the film, which is very exciting.”

‘An ideal reason to visit Malta’

Describing Malta as “looking so beautiful in pictures,” Schwartz said he was looking forward to visiting the country he said had been visited by many of his friends.

“It’s always been a place I wanted to visit, and this [concert] provides a really good excuse to do it... Malta has been on my bucket list for many years.”

The Hollywood composer said the upcoming performance, which takes place at the end of the month, was a rarity, with him only having done “a handful” of concerts with symphony orchestra throughout his career.

“I’ve never done one outside of the United States except for being part of something a few years ago in Australia. But other than that, this is the first time,” he said.

“Usually, when I have done concerts with singers and friends it’s basically been me at the piano or quite a small group. So, it’s a lot of fun to have a big symphonic orchestra behind you. It’s fun to play with them,” said Schwartz.

“There’ll be some chorus singers as well so it’s going to be a big sound... it’s very exhilarating.”

'Defying Gravity' starring Stephen Schwartz, will take place on September 29 at the Mediterranean Conference Centre. For tickets, visit showshappening.com.