Acclaimed composer, lyricist, book writer, performer, and producer Andrew Lippa (BM ’87, voice, music education) will be the commencement speaker at the School of Music, Theatre & Dance commencement ceremony on Friday, May 2, 2025. Commencement will take place at 2:00 pm in Hill Auditorium.
Lippa has written Broadway and off-Broadway musicals, songs for film and television, and multiple works for the concert stage. He wrote and composed the theatrical oratorio I Am Harvey Milk, which received its New York premiere at Lincoln Center, starring Kristin Chenoweth and featuring Lippa as Harvey Milk. Life of the Party, an evening celebrating 20 years of his work, premiered at London’s award-winning Menier Chocolate Factory in 2014. He also wrote the Drama Desk-nominated music and lyrics for the Broadway musical Big Fish, the Tony-nominated music and lyrics for the Broadway musical The Addams Family, and the music for Aaron Sorkin’s Broadway play The Farnsworth Invention.
Lippa’s song “Evil Like Me,” from Disney’s Descendants, has been viewed over 120 million times on YouTube and earned him a gold record. Other musicals include the Drama Desk award-winning musical The Wild Party (book/music/lyrics); A Little Princess (music); john & jen (music/co-book writer); Asphalt Beach (music and lyrics); You’re A Good Man, Charlie Brown (additional music/lyrics and arrangements); and The Man in the Ceiling (music and lyrics/book by Jules Feiffer). Other concert works include I Am Anne Hutchinson and Unbreakable. He has written songs for Kristin Chenoweth, Renée Fleming, Vanessa Williams, Nathan Lane, Idina Menzel, and many more. He is currently at work on multiple stage and film projects.
Accolades include Tony, Grammy, and Emmy nominations, the Gilman/Gonzalez-Falla Theater Foundation Award, ASCAP’s Richard Rodgers/New Horizons Award, the Drama Desk Award, and the Outer Critics Circle Award.
Lippa is president of the board of the Dramatists Guild Foundation, serves on the Council of the Dramatists Guild of America, and is an ordained interfaith minister.