Interview: Stephen Schwartz, ‘THE PRINCE OF EGYPT’ Composer, Speaks!

In 2017, nearly 20 years after composing the iconic soundtrack of DreamWorks’ animated feature The Prince of Egypt, the music of Stephen Schwartz transitioned to the stage when the film was adapted into a live musical. Just like the film, it follows Egyptian prince Moses as he learns of his true identity as a Hebrew, and his destiny to become the chosen deliverer of his people.

With the book by Philip LaZebnik (also a writer of the movie) and choreography by Sean Cheesman, the show made its debut in Mountain View, California, followed by 2018 productions in Copenhagen and Ivins, Utah. Two years later, a revised version opened at the Dominion Theatre in London’s West End for a 39-week engagement. Though the COVID-19 pandemic forced The Prince of Egypt to temporarily close for a time, the run was ultimately a success. In fact, it was such a strong production that it was filmed and, in October 2023, released in theaters. Now, even more audiences can experience the West End run, which, as of Dec. 5, is available to buy or rent on Digital.

Ahead of the release, PopHorror participated in a press conference with Schwartz, who is thrilled that The Prince of Egypt — and its themes of empathy and understanding — are going to reach even more people, all from the comfort of home. It joins the likes of Hamilton and other major musicals that grew in popularity after going digital.

According to Schwartz, seeing a live show, whether it’s on Broadway, West End or at a local theater, isn’t always so easy. There are ever-increasing ticket prices, the cost of travel and other financial hurdles. With this new digital option, one only has to pay the cost of a movie. Plus, there are some additional perks.

“This new thing of actually recording the live production and making it therefore much more accessible to a broader audience, I think, is a wonderful thing, and I’m very proud to be part of this emerging genre, for want of a better word,” he told PopHorror. “What’s nice about the video is that you can experience the spectacle of the show on the stage itself and get the feel for the live performance, but at the same time, because there’s a camera, you get closeups. You’re seeing from all different perspectives, not just from whatever seat you happen to be in.”

Elsewhere in the press conference, Schwartz, who is also the musical brains behind Wicked, explained how The Prince of Egypt is, unfortunately, very timely given the current conflict between Israel and Palestine. In the musical, there’s deep contention between Moses and the Hebrews and his brother Ramses and the Egyptians. These siblings represent two separate groups of people, and must find a way to reconcile despite their differences.

“I feel what’s happened in our society in contemporary times is a severe lack of empathy. Everybody is very busy looking from his or her or their own perspective, seeing things through the lens of their own grievances, all of which are valid, but the ability to put one’s self in another person’s shoes, to try and think about what life, what the world, what a specific issue looks like through the way they see it, the more we can do it, I think then the better we’ll all function as a society,” said Schwartz, who added, “If in some way this story gives both hope and perspective to what’s going on, then that’s a contemporary ramification of this show.”

Schwartz stressed that The Prince of Egypt isn’t a “my God is better than your God” story. Rather, it’s about empathy and overcoming conflict through understanding each other: “It’s a journey that we all take.”

He also reflected on the creation of “When You Believe,” one of the most iconic tunes from The Prince of Egypt that is sung by Mariah Carey and Whitney Houston in the animated film when the Hebrew tribes secure their freedom. During the early stages of the movie, DreamWorks arranged for several members of the creative team to travel to Egypt and conduct research. Several songs emerged from that trip, including “When You Believe,” which came to Schwartz during a 5 a.m. hike up Mount Sinai.

Thanks for speaking with us, Stephen! Visit theprinceofegyptmusical.com/ for more information on The Prince of Egypt and its digital release.