“The real opportunity America has always offered is the chance to be what you want to be and escape being what you don't want to be - though sometimes it's like the line from a song by The Eagles: 'We live our lives in chains and never even know we have the key.'”

American musical theatre composer and lyricist

Stephen Schwartz is an American musical theatre composer and lyricist whose career has spanned more than five decades. He is known for writing stage musicals such as Godspell, Pippin, and Wicked. Schwartz has also written lyrics for films, including Pocahontas, The Hunchback of Notre Dame, The Prince of Egypt, Enchanted, Disenchanted, and the two-part adaptation of Wicked. His work moves between stage and screen, with songs and shows that have reached broad audiences over many years.