LIMEHOF to honor acclaimed Broadway composer and lyricist Stephen Schwartz
Award-winning Broadway and film composer Stephen Schwartz will be inducted into the Long Island Music and Entertainment Hall of Fame on Saturday, March 23 at the LIMEHOF headquarters in Stony Brook.
The 7 p.m. induction ceremony will be followed by an hour-and-a-half concert emceed by Paul Schaffer, featuring performances from Schwartz’s musicals.
Schwartz, known for such musicals as “Wicked”, “Godspell”, and “Pippin”, and movies like “Pocahontas” and “The Hunchback of Notre Dame,” spent many of his childhood years in Williston Park, and graduated from Mineola High School in 1964. Schwartz has been the recipient of several awards throughout his illustrious career of over 50 years, including six Tony Awards, four Grammy Awards, three Academy Awards, and a Laurence Olivier Award.
“Long Island has proven to be especially fertile ground for producing major talents in the fields of music and entertainment,” Schwartz said in a written statement. “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.”
Schaffer, who will emcee the concert to follow the induction ceremony, is certainly no stranger to collaborating with Schwartz, having been hired as the musical director for the Toronto production of “Godspell” in 1972 and as the pianist for “The Magic Show” on Broadway in 1974, before joining the house band of “Saturday Night Live” and beginning his long tenure as music director for David Letterman’s “Late Night” and “Late Show.”
LIMEHOF Chairman Ernie Canadeo welcomes Schwartz to a group of more than 120 renowned musicians and music industry executives who call Long Island their home. “With a career spanning over five decades, Schwartz has enriched the world of American musical theater and the silver screen with timeless classics,” he said in the statement. “We celebrate not only his remarkable talent but also his enduring legacy, which will continue to inspire generations to come.”
Tickets for the induction and concert event are available for sale on LIMEHOF’s website or may be purchased in person at LIMEHOF at 97 Main St. Stony Brook.
