Photo Coverage: 'A Tribute to Stephen Schwartz' Backstage

Jane Olivor, Karen Akers, Max von Essen, Liz Callaway, Lari White, Scott Coulter, Jason Graae, Lisa Howard, Steven Lutvak, Chris DiCristo, Julie Garnye, and Carole Schwartz were among the Broadway and cabaret stars honoring famed composer Stephen Schwartz in "A Tribute to Stephen Schwartz" on Friday, October 19 at 8PM at The Town Hall as part of the Third Annual Broadway Cabaret Festival October 19-21, 2007.  The evening was directed by Scott Coulter with musical direction by Alex Rybeck.  Scott Siegel was creator, writer and host of the evening.

Stephen Schwartz has contributed music and/or lyrics to Godspell, Pippin, The Magic Show, The Baker's Wife, Working (which he also adapted and directed), Personals, Rags, Children Of Eden and the current Broadway hit, Wicked. Most recently, he has contributed songs to Mit Eventyr, a musical about Hans Christian Andersen currently playing in Denmark. 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 a one-act musical, Captain Louie. For films, he collaborated with Alan Menken on the scores for the Disney animated features Pocahontas and The Hunchback of Notre Dame and wrote the songs for the DreamWorks animated feature The Prince of Egypt. He provided music and lyrics for the original television musical, "Geppetto," and has released two CDs of new songs entitled "Reluctant Pilgrim" and "Uncharted Territory." Under the auspices of the ASCAP Foundation, he runs musical theatre workshops in New York and Los Angeles, and is also a member of the Council of the Dramatists' Guild. Mr. Schwartz is the recipient of three Academy Awards, four Grammy Awards, four Drama Desk Awards, and a tiny handful of tennis trophies. www.stephenschwartz.com

The Broadway Cabaret Festival at The Town Hall continues on Saturday, October 20 with an "An Evening with Betty Buckley" and culminates on Sunday, October 21 at 3 PM with "Broadway Originals" with over twenty great stars recreating the songs they performed in their original cast productions.

In The Town Hall tradition as The People's Concert Hall, tickets are available at $50 for this all-star weekend through TicketMaster, 212-307-4100, or www.ticketmaster.com, or by visiting the Town Hall Box Office between noon and 6 PM (except Sundays) at 123 West 43rd Street, 212-840-2824 or visit www.the-townhall-nyc.org.

Photos by Mark Rupp