Fischoff Brings Broadway Presentations to Shawnee

February 9, 2001

February 9, 2001

Oklahoma Baptist University students will take part in a time of winter Bible study during the university's Marriage and Family Emphasis Focus Week Feb. 21-25 with performances and chapel addresses by George Fischoff, Staley Distinguished Christian Scholar, Broadway composer, and former concert pianist.

The Christian scholar lecture program is designed to provide scholarly evangelical speakers for religious emphasis programs at Christian colleges across the country.

Fischoff is the featured speaker for the university's Wednesday, Feb. 21, and Friday, Feb. 23, chapel services at 10 a.m. in OBU's Raley Chapel. He will present his own show, Shepherd!, Thursday, Feb. 22 at 7 p.m., in Raley Chapel.

The one-man-show based on the story of King David and written and performed by Fischoff is the longest running one-man-show based on the Bible in Broadway history. It has since toured 26 states.

Fischoff will launch his week of Shawnee appearances with performances at First Baptist Church and University Baptist Church in Shawnee on Sunday, Feb. 18. He is scheduled to lecture in several OBU classes during the week, including humanities, Christian theatre, opera literature, and history of music and art.

Fischoff, a former student of Rudolf Serkin and a Juilliard graduate, composed the 1960s pop music hits "98.6," performed by Keith and "Lazy Day," performed by Spanky and Our Gang, both of which became "Million Performance Songs" in 1996.

In 1970, Fischoff was the youngest composer on Broadway with the Tony-nominated musical Georgy!. He wrote and directed Promised Land, a musical history of Moses that ran eight months off-Broadway.

His musical of James Michener's Sayonara, with lyrics by Hy Gilbert and book by William Luce, has played in nine of the country's leading theatres.