Final answer:
The person who writes the lyrics in a musical theater is known as a lyricist, not a songwriter. A songwriter is someone who writes both the music and lyrics, usually for non-theatrical songs. In musical theater, there is often a composer who writes the music separately. The correct option is B.
Step-by-step explanation:
In the context of musical theater, the person who writes the lyrics to a musical score is often called a lyricist, which is distinct from the term songwriter. A songwriter typically refers to someone who writes both the music and lyrics for songs, particularly in non-theatrical contexts such as for albums or singles.
In musical theater, there can be a division of labor where the lyricist writes the words to the songs, and a separate composer writes the musical score. This practice is common in Broadway productions where roles such as the playwright, the director, and the producer have clear, distinct responsibilities in the creation of a stage production.
The role of a lyricist in a theatrical production is crucial as they work closely with the composer (the person who writes the music) to create the songs that help tell the story and develop the characters. The lyrics they write must complement the narrative and the emotion conveyed by the music. Therefore, the statement that the person who writes the lyrics to a musical score is called a songwriter is false, as the correct term in this context would be lyricist.
Hence, Option B is correct.