The Long Island Music and Entertainment Hall of Fame (LIMEHOF) will induct award-winning Broadway and movie lyricist and composer Stephen Schwartz (“Wicked,” “Godspell,” “Pippin,” “Pocahontas,” “The Hunchback of Notre Dame,” “The Prince of Egypt”, and the new movie adaptation of “Wicked” among other titles) on March 23rd, 2024 at 7 p.m. The induction ceremony will take place at the LIMEHOF headquarters (97 Main Street, Stony Brook, NY). The ceremony will be followed by an hour-and-a-half concert featuring performances from Schartz’s musicals.
“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.”
Although well-known on Broadway and NYC, Schwartz has solid Long Island roots having grown up in Williston Park and graduated from Mineola High School.
“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 Chairman. “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 Schaffer, with whom he worked early in his career. In 1972, Schaffer 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. Schaffer eventually went on to play in the house band of 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 Schaffer will perform alongside musicians from the musical “Godspell” that include Rick Shutter (drummer), Doug Quinn (guitarist) and Steve Manes (bassist).
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.
About Stephen Schwartz
Stephen Schwartz was born in New York City and grew up in the Williston Park area of Nassau County, where he graduated from Mineola High School in 1964. He studied piano and composition at the Juilliard School while in high school and graduated from Carnegie Mellon University in 1968 with a B.F.A. in Drama.
In a highly acclaimed career spanning over 50 years, Schwartz has written a variety of musicals that include (most famously) “Godspell” (1971), “Pippin” (1972), and “Wicked” (2003). Additionally, Schwartz 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.
Schwartz has won numerous awards including four Grammy Awards, three Academy Awards, and a Golden Globe Award. He has received nominations for six Tony Awards and a Laurence Olivier Award. He received the Tony Award’s Isabelle Stevenson Award in 2015.
About LIMEHOF
Founded in 2004, the Long Island Music Hall of Fame is a 501(c)(3) organization dedicated to the idea that Long Island’s musical and entertainment heritage is an important resource to be celebrated and preserved for future generations. The organization, which encompasses New York State’s Nassau, Suffolk, Queens, and Kings (Brooklyn) Counties, was created as a place of community that inspires and explores Long Island music and entertainment in all its forms. In 2022, LIMEHOF opened its first Hall of Fame building location in Stony Brook, New York. To date, the organization has inducted more than 120 musicians and music industry executives, and offers education programs, scholarships, and awards to Long Island students and educators.
