WHEN YOU BELIEVE: A Conversation With and Tribute To Stephen Schwartz Plays Tonight, 5/19, Palm Springs

Academy Award winner Stephen Schwartz will be honored with Desert Ensemble Theatre Company's inaugural Melpomai Award at When You Believe: A Conversation With and Tribute To Stephen Schwartz tonight, May 19 in Palm Springs.

The 8 PM event, which will be held in the Annenberg Theater at the Palm Springs Art Museum, will feature a conversation with Schwartz as well as performances of his stage and movie musical hits.

Directed and moderated by Scott Logsdon (Les Miserables), the evening will include performances from Tony nominee Andrea McArdle (Annie), Hunter Parrish (Broadway's Godspell revival and Showtime's "Weeds"), Kate Flannery (NBC's "The Office"), Pamla Vale Abramson, Melissa Batalles, Garrett Hoy, Ben Reece and Laura L.Thomas. Joel Baker will be the musical director and accompanist.

The Melpomai Award will be given annually to honor excellence in the development of theatre nationally. The Melpmoai Award (Greek for "Celebration with Song and Dance") will be presented to Schwartz by Academy Award winner Dean Pitchford (Fame, Footloose, Carrie) who appeared as Jesus during the original Broadway run of Godspell I and as Pippin, replacing John Rubinstein.

Mayor Steve Pougnet of Palm Springs has declared May 19th as "Stephen Schwartz Day" in Palm Springs.

Schwartz, who is currently represented on Broadway with the long-running musical Wicked and the revival of Godspell, is also known for his work on Pippin, The Magic Show, The Baker's Wife, Working, Children of Eden and his recent opera Séance on a Wet Afternoon, among others. He has won Academy Awards for his work on "Pocahontas" and "The Prince of Egypt" and is also a five-time Tony nominee and four-time Grammy winner.

There will be also be some unannounced appearances by stars of stage, television and film to celebrate Schwartz and his contributions to their careers.

The Annenberg Theater is located at 101 Museum Drive in Palm Springs, CA. For more information and tickets, call (760) 325-4490 or visit http://www.psmuseum.org

Photo Credit: Genevieve Rafter-Keddy

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