Lynn Ahrens and Stephen Flaherty

Lyricist Lynn Ahrens and composer Stephen Flaherty have written together since 1983, creating some of the most varied scores in modern musical theatre. Our library covers three of their Broadway shows: Ragtime, Seussical, and Anastasia.

Who are Ahrens and Flaherty?

Lynn Ahrens writes lyrics and often books, and Stephen Flaherty (born 1960) writes music. They met at the BMI Lehman Engel Musical Theatre Workshop in New York in 1982 and began writing together the following year. Before that, Ahrens had written songs for the educational cartoon series Schoolhouse Rock!.

Their trademark is range. Each score takes its sound from its story: Caribbean rhythms for Once on This Island, ragtime, marches, and gospel for Ragtime, bouncy pop and vaudeville for Seussical, and sweeping romantic ballads for Anastasia. Playwright Terrence McNally was a frequent partner, writing the books for Ragtime, A Man of No Importance, and Anastasia.

Ahrens and Flaherty musicals in order

Their first New York hit was the farce Lucky Stiff, produced Off-Broadway at Playwrights Horizons in 1988. Once on This Island, a fable set in the French Antilles, moved to Broadway in 1990 and earned eight Tony nominations. My Favorite Year (1992), based on the film comedy, had a short Broadway run.

In 1997 they wrote the songs for the animated film Anastasia. Ragtime, adapted from E. L. Doctorow's novel, reached Broadway in January 1998, and Seussical followed in 2000. They then wrote three shows for Lincoln Center Theater Off-Broadway: A Man of No Importance (2002), Dessa Rose (2005), and The Glorious Ones (2007).

Rocky opened at the Winter Garden Theatre in 2014, and the stage version of Anastasia arrived at the Broadhurst in 2017, keeping six of the film's songs and adding many new ones. A revival of Once on This Island played Circle in the Square from 2017, and Ragtime returned in a Lincoln Center revival in 2025.

Legacy, awards, and where to start

Ragtime won the 1998 Tony Award for Best Original Score, beating The Lion King, and it is widely seen as their masterpiece. Their Anastasia film songs earned two Academy Award nominations, for the score and for "Journey to the Past." The 2017 Once on This Island revival won the 2018 Tony for Best Revival of a Musical, and the pair were inducted into the American Theater Hall of Fame in 2015.

Start with the Ragtime cast recording, especially the opening number, which introduces three American families in one long musical sequence. Families with young children should try Seussical, fans of the animated film will enjoy Anastasia, and Once on This Island is a short, moving introduction to their style.

Lynn Ahrens and Stephen Flaherty: frequently asked questions

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