Defying Gravity made its European debut at the Cologne Philharmonic Hall on 9 and 10 October 2026. The WDR Funkhausorchester, conducted by Guy Simpson, joined five leading musical theatre voices to bring Stephen Schwartz’s songs to the concert stage.
The production was directed by Annalisa Rossi, with brand new orchestrations by Jack Earle. Stephen Schwartz joined the company on stage for the encore.
A live stream of the concert received over 50,000 views.
