Composer guide

Andrew Lippa

Andrew Lippa is the composer and lyricist of The Addams Family, The Wild Party, and Big Fish. His theatrical pop-rock scores range from dark Jazz Age drama to family comedy, and his shows are staples of school and community theatres.

Andrew Lippa musicals in our library

The Wild Party (2000)
His breakout score, an Off-Broadway drama from 2000 that won him the Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Music.
The Addams Family (2010)
His Broadway debut as the main composer, which earned a 2010 Tony nomination for Best Original Score and became a school favorite.

Who is Andrew Lippa?

Andrew Lippa was born in Leeds, England, on December 22, 1964, and studied music education at the University of Michigan. He usually writes both music and lyrics, and for The Wild Party he wrote the book as well.

On his bigger shows he has worked with established book writers: Marshall Brickman and Rick Elice on The Addams Family, and screenwriter John August on Big Fish. Lippa's style is theatrical pop and rock rather than period pastiche, so even a story set in the 1920s gets electric guitars. He likes big, comic character numbers and soaring ballads, often in the same show.

Andrew Lippa's shows in order

His first major musical was John and Jen, a two-person show first staged in 1993. He then wrote new songs, including My New Philosophy, for the 1999 Broadway revival of You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown. The Wild Party opened Off-Broadway at Manhattan Theatre Club in 2000, the same season as a different musical of the same poem on Broadway.

A Little Princess followed in 2004. The Addams Family opened on Broadway in 2010 with Nathan Lane and Bebe Neuwirth and played 722 performances, and Big Fish, adapted from the novel and film, opened on Broadway in 2013. Lippa also wrote I Am Harvey Milk (2013), an oratorio, and The Man in the Ceiling (2017).

Legacy, awards, and where to start

The Wild Party won Lippa the Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Music and the Outer Critics Circle Award, and its cast album built a lasting cult following. The Addams Family earned him a Tony nomination for Best Original Score in 2010, and his work on You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown brought a Grammy nomination for its cast album. Since its Broadway run, The Addams Family has been licensed widely, and it is a favorite of schools.

Start with The Addams Family, a funny show that suits all ages. Then try Big Fish for a sweeter, father and son story, and save The Wild Party, which has adult themes, for older audiences.

Andrew Lippa: frequently asked questions

What musicals did Andrew Lippa write?

His musicals include John and Jen, The Wild Party, A Little Princess, The Addams Family, and Big Fish. He also wrote new songs for the 1999 revival of You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown.

Who wrote The Addams Family musical?

Andrew Lippa wrote the music and lyrics, and Marshall Brickman and Rick Elice wrote the book. It opened on Broadway in 2010.

Are there two different Wild Party musicals?

Yes. Both are based on Joseph Moncure March's poem and opened in 2000: Andrew Lippa's Off-Broadway at Manhattan Theatre Club and Michael John LaChiusa's on Broadway.

Has Andrew Lippa won a Tony Award?

No. He was nominated for Best Original Score for The Addams Family in 2010. He has won the Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Music for The Wild Party.

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