About Me
Kevin Schroeder
Kevin Schroeder is a book writer, lyricist, and adaptor who has spent over two decades redefining what musical theatre can sound like in the German language. His work spans original musicals, award-winning adaptations, and collaborations across stages and borders.
Originally trained in dance, voice, and acting, Kevin began his career on stage — performing at venues such as the Operettenhaus Hamburg — before shifting his focus to writing. As a freelance dramaturg, he contributed early on to several of Stage Entertainment’s first major original German musicals. Over time, he became one of the most recognised translators of German Broadway productions, adapting works such as Frozen, Sister Act, and Hamilton — the latter described as “a masterpiece” by The New York Times and honoured with the Craig Simmons Award in 2023.
As an original writer, Kevin’s work ranges from blockbuster comedies to dramatic reinterpretations of classic novels. His musicals have received several awards, toured internationally, and found resonance in both mainstream and institutional theatre circles. At the heart of his work lies a deep belief in musical theatre as a space for storytelling that dares to entertain, move, and matter — because in our modern times, theatre remains one of the few shared rituals that gets us off the couch to experience something human – together.
Kevin consistently pushes boundaries, walking that tightrope between artistic ambition and a clear urge to connect with the audience
Book and Lyrics
Kevin’s original work explores a wide spectrum of themes, tones, and genres. Over the past 15 years, he has written the book and/or lyrics for over a dozen full-scale musical productions — as originator, collaborator, or creative lead guiding experienced artists from other disciplines through the process of creating new musical theatre works.
The Diaries of Adam and Eve — a modern musical comedy adapted from Mark Twain — opened in 2012 at the Admiralspalast in Berlin and continues to be produced in Germany and Austria. Lotte, based on Johann Wolfgang von Goethe’s The Sorrows of Young Werther, took a radical approach: it placed Werther’s object of admiration, Charlotte Buff, at the centre of the story, questioned the myth of Werther’s suicide, and earned seven nominations for the German Musical Theatre Award that year.
In 2017, MORE — a poetic retelling of the Brothers Grimm’s The Fisherman and His Wife — received eight nominations and won Kevin the award for Best Lyrics. The following year, Fack Ju Göhte — a pop comedy adaptation of one of Germany’s biggest box office hits — won Best Musical. A brand-new theatre was built in Munich specifically for the show, which then toured internationally and is now in its third year.
Kevin consistently pushes boundaries, walking that tightrope between artistic ambition and a clear urge to connect with the audience — like in Mata Hari (Gärtnerplatztheater, 2023) or Frankenstein, a bold open-air production at the Luisenburg Festival that same year.
Commercial hits like Robin Hood (with Dennis Martin and Chris de Burgh) and a reimagined Pope Joan (based on the novel by Donna Woolfolk Cross) have drawn large audiences in recent years — and he’s curious what stories are waiting to be told.
Adaptations
Still, Kevin holds a special place in his heart for his German-language translations. Starting with his first major adaptation of Frank Wildhorn’s The Count of Monte Cristo, he went on to become one of the defining voices in shaping how Anglo-American musical theatre is experienced in Germany, Austria, and Switzerland.
He has adapted more than 15 titles to date, working with renowned industry icons such as John Kander, Stephen Schwartz, David Zippel, Alan Menken, and Lin-Manuel Miranda. Since 2009, his adaptations have been seen by more than six million people and continue to be produced throughout the German-speaking world.
These shows vary widely in tone and style — from Aladdin to Chicago, from Crazy for You to Legally Blonde, from The Sound of Music to Hamilton. Several of them were written in collaboration with fellow lyricists such as Heiko Wohlgemuth and Sera Finale.
Every adaptation brings a new challenge — and a deep joy. It’s part translation, part transformation. A process that blends empathy, technique, and an almost actor-like immersion into the voice of the original writer. For Kevin, it’s always an artistic conversation — one he feels grateful to be part of, even (or especially) when the original partner has long since left the stage.
Curious to hear more? In a 2020 episode of the German industry podcast “Katzen und Cashcows”, Kevin talks about his creative journey and early milestones.
As both a member of the German Musical Academy and an international member of Mercury Musical Developments, Kevin is actively connected to the creative communities shaping new musical theatre across Europe.
