QPAC to Welcome Broadway Composer Stephen Schwartz This Month

Grammy and Oscar-winning composer Stephen Schwartz has captivated millions of theatre lovers with his iconic songs from Broadway musicals such as Wicked, Pippin, and The Baker's Wife. He will perform solos as well as duos and trios with friends, spanning the course of his magnificent 40-year career in Stephen Schwartz and Friends, at Queensborough's Performing Arts Theatre (QPAC) on September 27 at 3 pm.

Award-winning artists Debbie Gravitte, Scott Coulter and Kelli Rabke will join Schwartz on stage to perform many of his hit songs, such as "I'm Not That Girl" and "Defying Gravity" from Wicked; "Day by Day" and "Turn Back, O Man" from Godspell; "Magic to Do" and "Corner of the Sky" from Pippin; "Meadowlark" from The Baker's Wife, and more from his memorable catalog of show tunes.

Mr. Schwartz, who launched his legendary career in 1971 with the hit musical Godspell, was born in New York City and studied piano and composition at The Juilliard School while still in high school. He later went on to Carnegie Mellon University and in 1968 graduated with a B.F.A. in Drama. Last spring, he received an honorary Doctor of Fine Arts from his alma mater for his outstanding contributions to musical theatre and for his charitable work, which includes last fall's Uprising of Love concert at the Gershwin Theatre to benefit and raise awareness of LGBT people in hostile countries, producing benefits for the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation and the Faustman Clinic, and appearing in benefits for such causes as the Sandy Hook families, Marriage Equality, the Orphaned Starfish Foundation, the Gender and Family Project, and more. His professional career includes film credits for the Disney animated features Pocahontas, for which he received two Academy Awards and a Grammy, and the Hunchback of Notre Dame. He also provided songs for DreamWorks' first animated feature, The Prince of Egypt, which won another Academy award for his song "When You Believe". Mr. Schwartz's most recent musical, Wicked, opened in the fall of 2003 and is currently running on Broadway.

"I think most theatre enthusiasts find themselves thinking about how the mind of an award-winning composer works. We are excited to get a glimpse into the brilliance behind Stephen's musical compositions, and thrilled to welcome him back to his home territory!" said Susan Agin, Executive Artistic Director of QPAC. "His musicals and films are inspirational to people around the world and his works represent the highest caliber of talent and success in the entertainment industry."

Mr. Schwartz served as President of the Dramatist Guild (2009-14) and was recently presented with the "Isabelle Stevenson [Tony] Award" for his commitment to serving artists and fostering new talent through his work with ASCAP Musical Theatre Workshop, ASCAP Foundation and helping develop new partnerships as President of the Dramatists Guild. The award also recognizes his substantial contribution of volunteered time and effort on behalf of one or more humanitarian, social service or charitable organizations.

Mr. Schwartz has conducted master classes in music and theatre around the world, including Germany, Australia, Latvia and Kenya. Mr. Schwartz is married to Carole Schwartz and they have two children, theatre director Scott Schwartz and art teacher Jessica Schwartz.

For more information, please contact the QPAC Box Office at 718.631.6311. Tickets are available online at Visit Box Office - and don't forget to visit us on Facebook!

Don't let the high cost of shows in Manhattan plus the added expense of parking your car stop you from seeing quality entertainment. QPAC's excellent location, diverse schedule of events, reasonable ticket prices, free parking, beautiful theatre, infrared listening devices and exceptional service make it an excellent choice for a memorable outing.

Distinguished artists who have performed throughout the decades at QPAC include jazz legend Thelonius Monk; renowned dance choreographer Merce Cunningham; 60's folksinger Judy Collins; and more recently Dionne Warwick, Joel Grey, Robert Klein, Ben Vereen, Wayne Newton, Chita Rivera, Mandy Patinkin, Norm Lewis, Rob Schneider, Tommy Tune, Patti LuPone and Michael Bolton.