Memory can be a tricky thing, particularly after a vexing or traumatic experience. Stephen Schwartz, for instance, was all of twenty-three years old when he met one of Broadway’s most venerated director/choreographers in the fall of 1971, but the composer and lyricist of beloved musicals ranging from “Godspell” to “Wicked” can recall only a few details of their first encounter. “It’s crazy,” Schwartz admits. “I mean, that was a momentous meeting. You’d think I would always remember exactly where I was when I met Bob Fosse. But I don’t.”

The meeting took place somewhere in the Los Angeles area, in a film studio. Schwartz was in town—he thinks—for the local premiere of “Godspell,” by then a smash hit off-Broadway. Fosse was editing footage of his screen adaptation of “Cabaret,” which would help propel his career to new heights after a relatively short but painful dry spell. Pleasantries were exchanged; Schwartz mentioned how much he had enjoyed Fosse’s previous movie, “Sweet Charity,” which some critics and audiences had met with less enthusiasm.