Night at Kaufman Center to be big to-do for Schwartz fans

Those who can’t get enough of the lyricist and composer Stephen Schwartz, who has received most recent attention for his Broadway smash hit musical “Wicked,” are in for a treat. This famous Broadway writer, came to worldwide fame while still in his 20s, will be the star of the Oct. 1 Kaufman Center event, which will feature a live interview with Schwartz and a tribute concert using songs from his hit Broadway productions, according to an announcement on MusicalSchwartz.com. This musical genius began writing songs for the production of “Pippen” while studying at Carnegie Mellon University. In high school, the young music prodigy took piano and compositiion classes at the prestigious Julliard School of Music and by the time he was 23, the young composer had already won two Grammy Awards for his music and lyrics for the Broadway production of “Godspell.” During the course of seven years, Schwartz went on to produce music and lyrics for the productions of “The Baker’s Wife,” “The Magic Show” and Stud Terkel’s “Working.” Schwartz was off to a rip-roaring start, and his momentum hasn’t slowed down yet, as is clear with his newest endeavor, “Wicked,” which is based on the novel by Gregory Maguire.

“Wicked” tells the story of Elphaba, the Wicked Witch of the West, and her unlikely youthful friendship with Glinda, the Good Witch of the East, which blossoms when the teenage sorceresses are placed in the same room during witchcraft boarding school. The two realize they have more in common then they had imagined - including setting their sights on the same love interest - and decide to journey off together to see the Wonderful Wizard of Oz in Emerald City. Somewhere along the way, long before Dorothy and Toto drop in, the leading characters discover just what makes them who they will end up. For those who still haven’t seen “Wicked,” now is the time to grab a pair of tickets and enjoy this whimsical tale of coming-of-age, jealousy and self-determination. Get your Wicked tickets at Stubhub.com now!

Permalink - Posted in Uncategorized on September 26, 2007 - Post a comment