Defying Gravity made a triumphant return, with two performances at the Cologne Philharmonic Hall on 9 and 10 October 2026, with the Saturday concert streamed on YouTube and Facebook to more than 50,000 viewers.
Presented by WDR and Enda Markey Presents, the concert celebrates the music of Stephen Schwartz and marks the production’s return ten years after its Sydney premiere. Guy Simpson conducted the WDR Funkhausorchester.
Speaking ahead of the concerts, Stephen Schwartz said:
“Defying Gravity is a celebration of songs from across my whole career. I’ve always been enormously grateful to German audiences for the way they’ve embraced my work, and I’m very much looking forward to being in Cologne for these special performances with these extraordinary singers.”
Harriet Jones, Milica Jovanović, Roberta Valentini and Anton Zetterholm led the cast, with Thomas Hohler stepping in at short notice for Merlin Fargel, who was unwell.
The programme drew on Wicked, Godspell, Pippin, Pocahontas and The Prince of Egypt.
"The response to this bilingual concert demonstrated that Stephen's songs are universally popular. The warmth of the German audience, and the fact that the live stream reach audiences from the United States, to Dubai, Denmark to Australia proves the wide appeal of Stephen's wonderful songs. Of course, it would never have been possible without WDR and their commitment to getting music to to the widest audience possible." - Enda Markey