Star-Studded Lineup of Performers and Presenters Set for the DGF’s Celebratory Concert Honoring Stephen Schwartz
The Dramatists Guild Foundation (DGF) today announced that Tony Award-winning performers Ben Platt (DEAR EVAN HANSEN), Rachel Bay Jones (DEAR EVAN HANSEN) and Laura Benanti (GYPSY); Tony, Grammy and Academy Award-winning composer Alan Menken; multiple Grammy and Academy Award-winning songwriter Kristen Anderson-Lopez (FROZEN, COCO) and double E.G.O.T.-winning songwriter Robert Lopez (FROZEN, COCO, AVENUE Q, BOOK OF MORMON); along with acclaimed soprano Renée Fleming (currently appearing on Broadway in CAROUSEL), will take the stage at the Hudson Theatre to toast the life and work of one of American theatre’s greatest living composers, Stephen Schwartz, on Monday, April 23, 2018 at 7pm EST. The star-filled concert, sponsored in part by the Ambassador Theatre Group (ATG) and the Hudson Theatre, will showcase and shine a spotlight on Schwartz’s beloved songs, stories, and legacy in celebration of his 70th Birthday.
Directed by Scott Schwartz and with Music Direction by DGF President Andrew Lippa (BIG FISH, THE ADDAMS FAMILY), the concert will also include previously announced performances by Tony, Grammy and Academy Award-winning composers Benj Pasek and Justin Paul (DEAR EVAN HANSEN, LA LA LAND, THE GREATEST SHOWMAN), Tony Award-winner Patina Miller (PIPPIN, SISTER ACT), Darren Criss (THE ASSASSINATION OF GIANNI VERSACE: AMERICAN CRIME STORY, GLEE, HEDWIG AND THE ANGRY INCH), Lindsay Mendez (CAROUSEL, WICKED, GODSPELL), Alex Newell (GLEE, ONCE ON THIS ISLAND), Michael McCorry Rose (WICKED, A GENTLEMAN’S GUIDE TO LOVE AND MURDER), Corey Cott (BANDSTAND, NEWSIES, GIGI), Casey Cott (RIVERDALE), and Matt Gould (INVISIBLE THREAD).
Proceeds from Stephen Schwartz’s 70th Birthday Concert go to supporting the Dramatists Guild Foundation (DGF), a national charity that fuels the future of American theater by supporting the writers who create it. DGF supports playwrights, composers, lyricists, and book writers at all stages of their careers by sponsoring educational programs; providing awards, grants, and stipends; offering free space to create new works; and giving emergency aid to writers in need. Their work ensures that the art form of theater can thrive, because nurturing and protecting the creators of today guarantees the stories of tomorrow.
“I consider the Dramatists Guild Foundation the best not-for-profit resource in America for the aid and education of dramatists, from professionals in need to aspiring students,” said Stephen Schwartz. “As a former president of the Dramatists Guild, I know firsthand of the exceptional and tireless work they do all across the country.”
“I grew up listening to PIPPIN and GODSPELL,” said Andrew Lippa, DGF President. “Those records didn’t feel like school but that’s exactly what they were. Stephen Schwartz was my teacher long before he became my mentor and friend. One of Stephen’s gifts: His extraordinary songs. Another? His dedication to the next generations of writers in the theater, me among them. We could not be more pleased to be celebrating Stephen’s 70th Birthday at the Hudson Theatre in partnership with the Ambassador Theatre Group this April.”
Stephen Schwartz wrote the music and lyrics for the current Broadway hit WICKED, and has also contributed music and/or lyrics to GODSPELL, PIPPIN, THE MAGIC SHOW, THE BAKER’S WIFE, WORKING (which he also adapted and directed), RAGS, and CHILDREN OF EDEN. He collaborated with Leonard Bernstein on the English texts for Bernstein’s MASS and wrote the title song for the play and movie BUTTERFLIES ARE FREE. For children, he has written songs for two musicals, CAPTAIN LOUIE and MY SON PINOCCHIO. He has also worked in film, collaborating with Alan Menken on the songs for Disney’s ENCHANTED as well as the animated features POCAHONTAS and THE HUNCHBACK OF NOTRE DAME, and writing the songs for the DreamWorks animated feature THE PRINCE OF EGYPT. His first opera, SEANCE ON A WET AFTERNOON, was produced at Opera Santa Barbara and New York City Opera. A book about his career, “Defying Gravity,” has been released by Applause Books. Mr. Schwartz has been inducted into the Theatre Hall of Fame and the Songwriters Hall of Fame, and has been given a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame . Awards include three Academy Awards, four Grammy Awards, and the Isabelle Stevenson special Tony Award. http://www.stephenschwartz.com.
To purchase tickets to attend, please visit: http://www.thehudsonbroadway.com/whatson/dgf-toasts-stephen-schwartzs-70th-birthday/
For more information about the Dramatists Guild Foundation, please visit www.dgf.org, and follow us on social media @dgfound.
