If you're tearing around in a panic about something, then it puts everyone else in a panic as well.

After all, children are children no matter their background.

If I'm reading about a river or the trees or the wind blowing or the stars at night, if you can hear that in the music in some way, you've wedded the two and your imagination takes off. To be able to hear that in music is really important.

In a way I do hate the process of writing. It's like learning a role where you never think you're going to be able to conquer it when you start and it just takes enough focus and narrowing and getting enthusiastic and not losing it and so on. It's never good enough, but you aim for something and you hope it comes somewhat close. But it is a pleasure once you have written it.

I thought it was all a flash in the pan. It wasn't until Broadway came along that I felt I had really made it.

If you just literally stand still for a while, listen and think, things will eventually get sorted out.

I don't think today's younger audience... would even know what 1920s musicals were like.