I firmly believe lyrics have to breathe and give the audience's ear a chance to understand what's going on. Particularly in the theater, where you have costume, story, acting, orchestra.
When the audience comes in, it changes the temperature of what you've written.
I really don't want to write a score until the whole show is cast and staged.
I chose and my world was shaken. So what? The choice may have been mistaken; the choosing was not. You have to move on.
Two of the hardest words in the language to rhyme are life and love. Of all words!
Musical comedies aren't written, they are rewritten.