Legendary Award Winning Broadway and Movie Music Composer Stephen Schwartz (Wicked, Godspell, Pippin) will be inducted into the Long Island Music and Entertainment Hall of Fame (LIMEHOF) on Saturday, March 23 at 7 p.m. There will be a concert following the induction ceremony.
Schwartz has won four Grammys and he Oscars among other awards in his career that spans over 50 years both on Broadway and on the silver screen. Additionally, he has contributed music and lyrics to several movies such as Pocahontas (1995), The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1996), The Prince of Egypt (1998), and Enchanted (2007). He was also involved with the upcoming feature film adaptation of Wicked to be released in the fall.
Although well-known on Broadway and New York City, Schwartz has solid Long Island roots, having grown up in Williston Park and graduated from Mineola High School. “Long Island has proven to be especially fertile ground for producing major talents in the fields of music and entertainment,” said Schwartz. “The list of names is long and impressive. It’s a great honor for me to be recognized as being a part of that amazing tradition.”
“It is with great honor and pride that the Long Island Music and Entertainment Hall of Fame inducts the legendary Stephen Schwartz into our esteemed institution,” said LIMEHOF Chairman Ernie Canadeo. “With a career spanning over five decades, Schwartz has enriched the world of American musical theatre and the silver screen with timeless classics. We celebrate not only his remarkable talent but also his enduring legacy, which will continue to inspire generations to come.”
The music concert to follow the induction will be emceed by musician Paul Shaffer, with whom he worked early in his career. In 1972, Shaffer was hired as the musical director for the Toronto production of Godspell. He went on to play piano for another Schwartz-written score that played on Broadway, “The Magic Show” in 1974. Shaffer eventually went on to play in the house band on Saturday Night Live, followed by serving as musical director for David Letterman’s “Late Night” and “Late Show” broadcasts.
After the ceremony, Schwartz and Shaffer will perform alongside musicians from the musical Godspell that include Rick Shutter on drums, guitarist Doug Quinn and bass player Steve Manes.
LIMEHOF is located on 97 Main Street in Stony Brook. Tickets for the induction and concert event are available for sale on LIMEHOF’s website (https://www.limusichalloffame.org/tickets-and-gift-cards/) or may be purchased in person at LIMEHOF.