Marc Shaiman and Scott Wittman

Composer Marc Shaiman and lyricist Scott Wittman are the songwriting team behind Hairspray and Some Like It Hot. Their scores are affectionate tributes to classic American pop, from 1960s rhythm and blues to swing-era big band.

Who Shaiman and Wittman are

Marc Shaiman, born in Newark, New Jersey, in 1959, is a composer, arranger, and pianist. He spent years as an arranger and collaborator for Bette Midler, then scored Hollywood films and wrote comic special material for awards shows. Scott Wittman, born in 1954 and raised in Nanuet, New York, began as a director in New York's downtown club scene, and the two started working together while he was staging shows at the East Village nightclub Club 57.

On their stage musicals, Shaiman writes the music and the pair write the lyrics together. Their style is pastiche in the best sense: Hairspray is built from early 1960s rhythm and blues, girl groups, and dance crazes, while Some Like It Hot swings like a 1930s big band. They also wrote original songs for the TV series Smash (2012 to 2013) and shared an Oscar nomination for The Place Where Lost Things Go from Mary Poppins Returns.

Their Broadway shows

Hairspray (2002), adapted from John Waters' 1988 film, was their first Broadway musical and their biggest hit. It ran more than six years and won eight Tony Awards, including Best Musical and Best Original Score. In 2006 they contributed songs to the Broadway revue Martin Short: Fame Becomes Me.

Catch Me If You Can (2011), based on the Steven Spielberg film and Frank Abagnale Jr.'s memoir, had a book by Terrence McNally and a score that borrowed from 1960s TV variety shows. It ran about five months, though Norbert Leo Butz won a Tony for playing the FBI agent on Abagnale's trail. Charlie and the Chocolate Factory premiered in London in 2013 and reached Broadway in 2017 in a reworked production.

Some Like It Hot (2022), with a book by Matthew López and Amber Ruffin, led the 2023 Tony nominations with 13 and won four awards. A stage musical version of Smash, using songs from the TV series, played Broadway in 2025.

Awards, legacy, and where to start

Shaiman and Wittman shared the 2003 Tony Award for Best Original Score for Hairspray, and Some Like It Hot brought them another score nomination. The original cast albums of both shows won Grammy Awards. Shaiman has also received seven Academy Award nominations for his film work.

Hairspray has had a long second life, with a 2007 movie musical, the 2016 NBC broadcast Hairspray Live!, and countless school and community productions. Newcomers should start there, with the Broadway cast album or the 2007 film. Fans of tap dancing and big-band sound should follow it with the Some Like It Hot cast album.

Marc Shaiman and Scott Wittman: frequently asked questions

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