Anything Goes · Broadway Podcast Network

Stephen Schwartz III

March 30, 2026·34 min·2 clips

Paul Lazarus concludes his three-part series on Stephen Schwartz, the composer behind Godspell and Wicked, in this 1980 interview.

The episode opens with a performance of Chanson, the opening number from The Baker's Wife, sung by Terry Ralston, establishing the musical tone of the episode. Host Paul Lazarus notes the program was originally broadcast in 1980, well before Schwartz conceived Wicked, contextualizing the interview as a mid-career snapshot. Schwartz discusses Chanson's compositional history, explaining it was originally a duet meant to contrast two characters' feelings for each other, though he has always liked the melody. The episode then features a performance of Meadowlark from The Baker's Wife, which Schwartz identifies as a song he is particularly proud of. He tells the story of producer David Merrick, who hated Meadowlark so much that he flew to Washington during tryouts, went into the orchestra pit, and physically removed all copies of the sheet music before returning to New York. Schwartz emphasizes this was not an isolated incident but representative of his broader Broadway experience. He reflects that Pippin, The Baker's Wife, and the Broadway run of Working were all extraordinarily difficult productions, questioning why anyone would subject themselves to that process repeatedly. Looking ahead from 1980, Schwartz expresses hope that someone will hire him to write for movies, mentions he has been writing pop songs with various lyricists, and jokes that if he cannot make a living otherwise, he might open a Szechuan restaurant. A pop song called Cry Without a Reason, written with lyricist Dean Pitchford — who had appeared in both Godspell and Pippin — is performed as a demonstration of that work. Fathers and Sons from Working is also performed, illustrating Schwartz's range across theatrical and pop idioms. Schwartz then offers a measured defense of Hal Prince and Stephen Sondheim, saying he believes they are genuinely trying to do good work even if he does not always like the results. He criticizes the broader Broadway industry for being obsessed with finding trends and commercial hits rather than caring about the quality of what is on stage. Schwartz acknowledges he has contradicted himself throughout the conversation but insists all of his conflicting views feel true to him simultaneously. He concludes with a deliberately deflating observation: theater is not a cure for cancer or a new energy source, and if audiences are not entertained, they will simply play tennis or listen to records instead. His final point is that the only valid reason to make theater is because it is fun and personally satisfying, and when it stops being that, there is no reason to continue. The episode closes with standard credits and a promotional segment for the Broadway Podcast Network show Sentimental Men, which focuses on women in musical theater.

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