Review: Stephen Schwartz Soars in "Defying Gravity" at Irvine Barclay

It's a very rare treat�'particularly all the way here in Orange County, California�'to hear Broadway songs and the stories behind them performed directly by the legendary composer himself, even for just a one-night-only event. But that is exactly the gift bestowed upon a rapt audience recently when the Irvine Barclay Theatre presented DEFYING GRAVITY: AN EVENING WITH STEPHEN SCHWARTZ & FRIENDS to a sold-out crowd on the evening of May 23, 2026.

_Originally reported by [BroadwayWorld](https://www.broadwayworld.com/los-angeles/article/Review-Defying-Gravity-An-Evening-with-Stephen-Schwartz-Flies-to-the-Irvine-Barclay-20260604)._