When it comes to the music industry, Marc Shaiman has nearly all the boxes checked. 

The award-winning composer and writer will discuss his extensive career as part of “An Evening With Marc Shaiman” on Wednesday, Feb. 26 at 7:15 p.m. at the Sedona Performing Arts Center. This is one of the featured events as part of the 26th annual Sedona International Film Festival.

SIFF Artistic Director Patrick Schweiss described Shaiman’s event as “part performance, part music master class, part stories from the movies and Broadway and all entertaining. You won’t want to miss this celebration of music in the movies from the master musician and composer himself. Marc Shaiman has worked with and composed music for the who’s who of Hollywood and Broadway and has created the soundtrack of dozens of our favorite films and musicals. He is going to take you on a musical journey behind the scenes of some of his biggest smash hits.”

Shaiman will be joined by actress Megan Hilty and Noah Weisberg, who played Willy Wonka in the Broadway touring company of “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.”

Shaiman has been nominated seven times for the Academy Award. Twice for “Mary Poppins Returns,” and once for “Sleepless In Seattle,” “Patch Adams,” “The First Wives Club,” “The American President” and “South Park: Bigger, Longer and Uncut.” 

He has received two Tony Award nominations, winning one for co-writing the score to “Hairspray” with co-lyricist Scott Wittman, and he’s had five Grammy Award nominations — winning one for Original Cast Recording of “Hairspray” as well as 11 Emmy Award nominations, winning for his work on Billy Crystal’s Academy Award hosting and four Golden Globe nominations.

Shaiman’s other film work includes “Beaches,” “When Harry Met Sally,” “Misery,” “City Slickers,” “The Addams Family,” “Addams Family Values,” “A Few Good Men” and “Sister Act.” 

Shaiman will be on hand to help present SIFF’s Lifetime Achievement Award to his long-time friend, Rob Reiner, who he has collaborated with on several of Reiner’s films.

In an often lighthearted interview with the Sedona Red Rock News, Shaiman discussed his extensive career in the music industry.

Q: How do you feel about being part of the Sedona International Film Festival?
“I’m very honored and it comes at a perfect time because I can use a vacation. I’m really looking forward to being there and presenting the award to Rob. He’s often been to many events where I was honored, and it’s nice to be able to return the favor.”

Q: How did you get into music?
“There was a piano in my house and that’s all it took. My mom recently told me that my older sister was taking piano lessons and after her lesson she went outside and the teacher stayed for a cup of coffee. Then, they heard the piano being played — the same song my sister had been practicing. I was playing it by ear. I don’t remember that, but from that point on my life was all about music.”

Q: How do you describe what it is you do?
“I say that I’m a composer/lyricist. People often forget that I’m a co-lyricist on most of my work and often I’ve not gotten credit and that drives me nuts. It’s more challenging and fulfilling to write in the classic scheme of Broadway or from the Great American Song Book.”

Q: You’ve won the Grammy, Tony and Emmy. Does it ever get old or is each time as special as the last?
“It’s always an honor to be nominated and even better to win.”

Q: Is there one win that stands out above the others?
“Most certainly — ‘Hairspray.’ It was a dream come true. When it was on Broadway, you could feel the love and joy from the audience and it had a great message. Nothing will ever give me that same contentment I felt. If ‘Hairspray’ was a person, that’s who I am.”

Q: To be nominated seven times for the Academy Award has to feel good and a major honor. But is it difficult to put on a smile when they announce someone else’s name?
“It does get kind of old being nominated and not hearing your name. But when I think about it, it’s an incredible honor to have been nominated seven times. Maybe I’m not destined to be an EGOT [acronym for Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, Tony winners] but just an EGT. There were three times when I truly thought I was going to win. You’re sitting there and as they open the envelope it’s like a short movie playing in your head as you imagine winning. A few seconds later you come crashing down.”

Q: Where do you keep your awards?
“I keep most of them on my piano in my apartment.”

Q: You’ve done and accomplished so much in your career, what keeps that spark going day after day, month after month, year after year?
“What else would I do? This is all I have known. There are times when it’s difficult to read some of the reviews or see what people write on the internet. Honestly, some days I think I’ve had enough and want to retire. I have a dream of opening a roadside diner and then going home to watch ‘Jeopardy.’ But then I remember how much I love to get that feedback from the audience. That’s the spark that keeps me going.”