“The thing that you have in England that we don't have in the U.S. is state-supported theatre. We have not-for-profit in the States, but it's much more commercially geared. We don't have the RSC, the Young Vic, the Old Vic, which are able to do much more adventurous work, as they can afford to do that.”

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.