Composer library
Broadway composers and their musicals
The songwriters behind Broadway's best-loved scores, from the Golden Age partnerships of Rodgers and Hammerstein and Lerner and Loewe to Stephen Sondheim, Andrew Lloyd Webber, Alan Menken, and the writers of today's hits. Each guide covers the composer's career, their style, and every one of their shows in our library.
- Stephen SondheimWest Side Story, Gypsy, Company, Follies, A Little Night Music, Sweeney Todd, Merrily We Roll Along, Sunday in the Park with George, Into the Woods, Passion, AssassinsStephen Sondheim (1930 to 2021) is the composer and lyricist many theatre writers consider the most important of the late 20th century.
- Andrew Lloyd WebberJesus Christ Superstar, Evita, Cats, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, The Phantom of the Opera, Sunset Boulevard, School of Rock: The MusicalAndrew Lloyd Webber is the British composer behind Cats, Evita, and The Phantom of the Opera, the longest-running show in Broadway history.
- Alan MenkenBeauty and the Beast, Little Shop of Horrors, The Little Mermaid, Sister Act, Newsies, AladdinAlan Menken is the composer behind many of Disney's best-loved songs and a long run of Broadway musicals.
- Rodgers and HammersteinOklahoma!, Carousel, South Pacific, The King and I, The Sound of Music, CinderellaComposer Richard Rodgers and lyricist Oscar Hammerstein II wrote the musicals that defined Broadway's Golden Age, beginning with Oklahoma! in 1943.
- Jeanine TesoriThoroughly Modern Millie, Shrek The Musical, Fun Home, Kimberly AkimboJeanine Tesori is one of the most versatile composers working in American theatre, moving between family comedy, intimate memoir, and opera.
- Elton JohnThe Lion King, Aida, Billy ElliotPop star Elton John has written the music for some of Broadway's biggest hits, starting with Disney's The Lion King.
- Jule StynePeter Pan, Gypsy, Funny GirlJule Styne wrote the music for Gypsy and Funny Girl, along with pop standards that are still sung every holiday season.
- Kander and EbbCabaret, Chicago, Kiss of the Spider WomanComposer John Kander and lyricist Fred Ebb wrote together for more than four decades, giving Broadway Cabaret, Chicago, and the song New York…
- Laurence O'KeefeBat Boy: The Musical, Legally Blonde, Heathers: The MusicalLaurence O'Keefe is the composer and lyricist behind Bat Boy, Legally Blonde, and Heathers, three musicals with devoted fan followings.
- Lerner and LoeweBrigadoon, My Fair Lady, CamelotLerner and Loewe were the songwriting team behind Brigadoon, My Fair Lady, and Camelot. Alan Jay Lerner wrote the words and Frederick Loewe wrote the…
- Lynn Ahrens and Stephen FlahertyRagtime, Seussical, AnastasiaLyricist Lynn Ahrens and composer Stephen Flaherty have written together since 1983, creating some of the most varied scores in modern musical…
- Marc Shaiman and Scott WittmanHairspray, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Some Like It HotComposer Marc Shaiman and lyricist Scott Wittman are the songwriting team behind Hairspray and Some Like It Hot.
- Robert LopezAvenue Q, The Book of Mormon, FrozenRobert Lopez is the songwriter behind three of the biggest Broadway hits of the 21st century: Avenue Q, The Book of Mormon, and Frozen.
- Stephen SchwartzPippin, Godspell, WickedStephen Schwartz is the composer and lyricist of Godspell, Pippin, and Wicked. He had three shows running in New York before he turned 27…
- Adler and RossThe Pajama Game, Damn YankeesRichard Adler and Jerry Ross had one of the shortest and most successful partnerships in Broadway history.
- Andrew LippaThe Wild Party, The Addams FamilyAndrew Lippa is the composer and lyricist of The Addams Family, The Wild Party, and Big Fish.
- Benny Andersson and Björn UlvaeusChess, Mamma Mia!Benny Andersson and Björn Ulvaeus wrote the songs of ABBA, then took their talent for melody to the stage.
- Boublil and SchönbergLes Misérables, Miss SaigonFrench writers Alain Boublil and Claude-Michel Schönberg created two of the biggest sung-through musicals of the 1980s.
- Charles StrouseBye Bye Birdie, AnnieCharles Strouse wrote the music for Bye Bye Birdie and Annie, two cheerful favorites that school and community theatres have staged for generations.
- Cole PorterAnything Goes, Kiss Me, KateCole Porter wrote both the music and the lyrics for his shows, and his witty, worldly songs became a cornerstone of the Great American Songbook.
- Cy ColemanSweet Charity, The Will Rogers FolliesCy Coleman was a jazz pianist turned Broadway composer whose brassy, swinging tunes powered shows for nearly four decades.
- David YazbekThe Full Monty, TootsieDavid Yazbek is a composer and lyricist known for witty, rock-tinged scores and a knack for turning movies into musicals.
- Frank LoesserGuys and Dolls, How to Succeed in Business Without Really TryingFrank Loesser wrote the music and lyrics for Guys and Dolls and How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying.
- Frank WildhornJekyll & Hyde, The Scarlet PimpernelFrank Wildhorn is a pop songwriter turned theatre composer, best known for Jekyll & Hyde and its power ballad This Is the Moment.
- George and Ira GershwinPorgy and Bess, Crazy for YouComposer George Gershwin and his older brother, lyricist Ira Gershwin, wrote some of the best-loved songs in the American songbook…
- Henry KriegerDreamgirls, Side ShowHenry Krieger is the composer behind Dreamgirls, one of Broadway's great R&B scores, and the cult favorite Side Show. Both shows are in our library.
- Jason Robert BrownParade, The Last Five YearsJason Robert Brown is the composer and lyricist of Parade, The Last Five Years, and The Bridges of Madison County.
- Jerry HermanHello, Dolly!, MameJerry Herman wrote both music and lyrics for some of Broadway's most cheerful and hummable shows, including Hello, Dolly!, Mame…
- Leonard BernsteinOn the Town, West Side StoryLeonard Bernstein was a world-famous conductor who also wrote some of Broadway's most ambitious scores.
- Lin-Manuel MirandaIn the Heights, HamiltonLin-Manuel Miranda is the composer, lyricist, and performer who brought hip-hop to the center of Broadway.
- William FinnFalsettos, The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling BeeWilliam Finn was the composer and lyricist of Falsettos and The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee.