Composer Stephen Schwartz will be named to the Long Island Music and Entertainment Hall of Fame (LIMEHOF). Schwartz, who grew up in Long Island’s Williston Park, will be inducted during a ceremony on March 23 at the LIMEHOF headquarters in Stony Brook, New York.
“Long Island has proven to be especially fertile ground for producing major talents in the fields of music and entertainment,” Schwartz said in a 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.”
Schwartz has enjoyed a decades-long career composing music for the Main Stem and beyond. He received Tony Award nominations for his scores to 1972’s “Pippin,” 1976’s “Godspell,” 1986’s “Rags” and 2003’s “Wicked.” He received dual nominations for his work on both the score and book of 1978’s “Working.” In 2015, Schwartz received the Isabelle Stevenson Tony Award for his efforts in fostering new talent with ASCAP Musical Theatre Workshop and ASCAP Foundation, in addition to helping develop partnerships as president of the Dramatists Guild.
Beyond the stage, Schwartz has won three Academy Awards: two for Best Original Song for 1995’s “Pocahontas” and 1998’s “The Prince of Egypt;” “Pocahontas” also earned him an award for Best Original Musical or Comedy Score. He won two Grammy Awards for the cast albums of “Godspell” and “Wicked,” and an additional Grammy for Best Song Written for Visual Media for “Colors of the Wind” from “Pocahontas.”
“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 Ernie Canadeo, LIMEHOF chair in a statement. “With a career spanning over five decades, Schwartz has enriched the world of American musical theater 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.”
A concert will follow the induction ceremony, emceed by musician Paul Shaffer, who has frequently collaborated with Schwartz since the original 1972 Canadian production of “Godspell.” Both Schwartz and Shaffer will perform alongside other “Godspell” alumni drummer Rick Shutter, guitarist Doug Quinn and bassist Steve Manes.
