Top 10 Musical Theatre Composers

As I dove into my study on classical music I realized there were a few categories that fell somewhat outside the general practice of musical composition. This mostly pertained to the colloborate efforts of the musical theatre composers and film score composers. As I discussed in my previous post I consider this group of musicians slightly different from the others for the following reasons. A musical theatre or film production is a collaborative effort based around a story. The music is merely a supporting aspect of the greater visual production (for films it is mostly in the background). Whereas a proper musical composition like a symphony or concerto focus purely on the music. Thus the individual composition is recognized more so than the visual production. Now there are some on this list that transcend strictly musical theatre and cross over into pure classical composition, such as Leonard Bernstein and George Gershwin.  

However this leads to the question of whether the musical arts of opera and ballet align more with musical theatre or classical composition. And what exactly is the difference between a stage musical and an opera/ballet? The key difference is that musical theatre emphasizes entertainment and songs as the centerstage, whereas opera and ballet put the music as centerstage over the performance. Also operas are influenced by classical music whereas musicals are influenced by popular music such as jazz, rock, or pop. For this reason alone operas and ballets align more with the category of composition over musical theatre. 

However operas, ballets, and musicals are all similar forms of visual entertainment. I consider musicals as catchy songs and dance whereas the opera/ballet leans a bit more on the traditional and artistically sophisticated side (consider a symphonic ballet versus cats banging trash cans). This is of course a generalization but I also think the artform of ballet or opera has more traditional prestige due to its longevity (the same reason 1960s rock is now referred to as classic rock). Even a modern ballet or opera would still be categorized under classical composition since it is adhering to the structure of this traditional artform. That’s not to take anything away from musical theatre as an artform, just that I want to identify it as its own category separate from classical composition. 

So now that I've discussed my personal categorization of musical compositions I'll pivot to this category of musical theatre. I'll be quite frank, I'm not too crazy about this genre of music best associated with Broadway in New York City. I'm also really not too familiar with the genre aside from what I gathered from the hit TV show, Glee. I guess I always found it to be somewhat on the cheesy side, especially the flamboyant musicals like Cats, Rent, or The Rocky Horror Picture Show. However I am a major film enthusiast and have come to admire many of these Broadway musicals that have been adapted for the big screen. Some of my all time favorite movies are actually musical adaptations such as Phantom of the Opera and Les Misérables. I also really enjoy the modern musical production of Hamilton for its innovative fusion of hip-hop with traditional showtunes. 

I also value historical and cultural significance and especially revere some of the older theatre composers such as Gershwin, Cole Porter, and Irving Berlin. As a big fan of the historical evolution of music, it's hard to deny the influence Broadway theatre music played on the wider appeal of popular music. By the mid-1800s musical theatre grew in popularity as a modern alternative to the opera or operetta (Black Crook is often regarded as the first modern musical produced in 1866). In the early 1900-1920s, with the dawn of the Jazz Age, this form of entertainment exploded thanks to the booming neon-light district of Times Square. Just as Vienna in the 1790-1820s, New York City had become the new new epicenter of musicians, entertainment, production, and publication (such as the Tin Pan Alley). This wave of musical inspiration brought about a Golden Age of Broadway which lasted from 1940-1960s. Many of those composers will be included on this list which is based on historical significance, popular culture, but also my own taste in music. I'm including 10 since I consider myself quite the novice in the field of theatre musicals. 

Honorable Mention:

• Jerry Herman
• Hello, Dolly! (1964)
• Mame (1966)
• La Cage aux Folles (1983)
• Maury Yeston
• Nine (1982)
• Grand Hotel (1989)
• Titanic (1997. Not to be confused with the James Cameron film) 
• Lin-Manuel Miranda
• In the Heights (2008)
• Hamilton (2015)
• 
  Frank Loesser
• Guys and Dolls (1950)
• How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying (1961)
• Stephen Schwartz
• Godspell (1971)
• Pippin (1972)
• Wicked (2003)
• Bock & Harnick
• Fiorello! (1959)
• She Loves Me (1963)
• Fiddler on the Roof (1964)
• Jule Styne
  
• Gentlemen Prefer Blondes (1949)
• Gypsy (1959)
• Funny Girl (1964)
• Kurt Weill
• The Threepenny Opera (1928)
• Lady in the Dark (1941)
• One Touch of Venus (1943)
• Jonathan Larson
• Rent (1996)
• tick, tick... BOOM! (1990; premiered Off-Broadway 2001)
• Richard O'Brien
• The Rocky Horror Show (1973)
• Alan Jay Lerner & Frederick Loewe
• Brigadoon (1947)
• Paint Your Wagon (1951)
• My Fair Lady (1956; film adaptation in 1964 starring Audrey Hepburn)
• Gigi (1958 musical film- won 9 Academy Awards)

Top 10 Musical Theatre Composers

10. Jerome Kern

• 
  Years Active: 1902-1945
  

• Famous Musicals:
• Very Good Eddie (1915)
• Sally (1920)
• Show Boat (1927)
• The Cat and the Fiddle (1931)
• Music in the Air (1932)
• Roberta (1933)
• Swing Time (1936 film)

• Famous Songs:
• Ol' Man River — Show Boat
• Can't Help Lovin' Dat Man — Show Boat
• Make Believe — Show Boat
• Look for the Silver Lining — Sally
• Smoke Gets in Your Eyes — Roberta
• All the Things You Are — Very Warm for May
• The Way You Look Tonight — Swing Time (film)
• A Fine Romance — Swing Time (film)
• They Didn't Believe Me — The Girl from Utah

• Significance: He is considered one of the most important early American theatre composers writing over 700 songs and many Broadway musicals and Hollywood films. His music has a mixture of jazz, romantic, and ragtime elements to it as was popular during the Roaring Twenties and the Jazz Age. His most famous work, Show Boat was actually a collaboration with Oscar Hammerstein and became very influential on the standard Broadway musical. He won two Academy Awards for his songs,   

9. Claude-Michel Schönberg

• Years Active: 1973-present

• Famous Musicals:
  
• La Revolution Francaise (1973)
• 
  Les Misérables (1980. Film adaptation in 2012)
• Miss Saigon (1989)
• Martin Guerre (1996)
• Marguerite (2008)

• Famous Songs:
• I Dreamed a Dream — Les Misérables
• Bring Him Home — Les Misérables
• One Day More — Les Misérables
• On My Own — Les Misérables
• In My Life- Les Misérables
• Stars- Les Misérables
• A Heart Full of Love — Les Misérables
• Do You Hear the People Sing? — Les Misérables
• The Movie in My Mind — Miss Saigon
• The Last Night of the World — Miss Saigon
• I Still Believe — Miss Saigon
• Sun and Moon — Miss Saigon

• Significance: He is considered the most famous French theatre composer with his major Broadway hit of Les Misérables. Originally written in French, he later collaborated with English lyricist Alain Boubil to make it a global sensation on Broadway. It is currently the 6th longest running show on Broadway dating back to 1987-2003 with 6,680 performances. I came to know and love the music from the 2012 musical film adaptation. While Les Miserables was in a league of it's own he had other notable productions such as Miss Saigon which also achieved critical success. 

8. Kander and Ebb

• Years Active: 1962-2004

• Famous Musicals:
  
• Cabaret (1966; film adaptation 1973)
• Chicago (1975; film adaptation 2002)
• 
  The Act (1977)
• Woman of the Year (1981)
• Kiss of the Spider Woman (1992)
• Steel Pier (1997)
• The Scottsboro Boys (2010)
• New York, New York (1977 film)

• Famous Songs:
• Cabaret – Cabaret
• Willkommen – Cabaret
• Maybe This Time – Cabaret
• Money, Money – Cabaret
• Tomorrow Belongs to Me - Cabaret
• New York, New York – New York, New York (1977 film)
• All That Jazz – Chicago
• Cell Block Tango – Chicago
• Nowadays – Chicago
• And the World Goes 'Round – New York, New York
• New York, New York- New York, New York

• Significance: They are one of the most significant partnerships of Broadway musical theatre. John Kander was the composer while Fre Ebb was the lyricist. They worked together for over 40 years, writing over 20 musicals. Their musicals often present a darker, political, or sexual elements to them with a vaudeville or cabaret style. Their most famous musicals include Cabaret, Chicago, and New York New York. Cabaret was especially noteworthy for tackling political extremism head-on. I recently saw the 1973 film about a year ago and was intrigued by the subtle backdrop of rising Nazi Germany. Their musical Chicago on the other was a satire pertaining to crime, corruption, and celebrity status. Both of these musicals were bursting with romance, sexuality, and many popular hits. They were also adapted into successful films that won multiple academy awards. I also enjoy their song New York, New York which Sinatra has turned into the unofficial anthem of the Big Apple. 

7. Irving Berlin

• Years Active: 1907-1971

• Famous Musicals:
• 
  Watch Your Step (1914)
  
• The Coconuts (1925)
• As Thousands Cheer (1933)
• Annie Get Your Gun (1946)
• Call Me Madam (1950)
• Mr. President (1962)
• White Christmas (1954 film, 2008 musical stage adaptation)

• Famous Songs:
• Alexander's Ragtime Band (1911)
• Blue Skies — Betsy (1926)
• Puttin' on the Ritz (1929)
• Cheek to Cheek — Top Hat (1935 film)
• Let's Face the Music and Dance — Follow the Fleet (1936 film)
• God Bless America (1938)
• There's No Business Like Show Business — Annie Get Your Gun
• Anything You Can Do I Can Do Better — Annie Get Your Gun
• White Christmas — Holiday Inn (1942 film)
• You're Just in Love — Call Me Madam

• Significance: He is considered the most influential American songwriter of all time who contributed to popular songs, movies, and the Golden Age of Broadway. He wrote over 1500 songs, 20 Broadway scores, and 15 Hollywood film scores. His musical songs make up the majority of the iconic Great American Songbook, a collection of standard popular songs, jazz pieces, and show tunes. He became one of the central figures of the popular musical circle New York City known as Tin Pan Alley. He worked alongside other iconic American theatre composers, such as George Gershwin, Cole Porter, and Duke Ellington. The music of Berlin is foundational American cultural music and it is also quite popular during Christmas time thanks to his famous song, White Christmas. 

6. George Gershwin

• Years Active: 1916-1937

• Famous Musicals:
  
• Lady, Be Good (1924)
• Oh, Kay (1926)
• Funny Face (1927)
• Strike up the Band (1927)
• Girl Crazy (1930)
• 
  Of Thee I Sing (1931)
• Porgy and Bess (1935)
• Shall we Dance (1937 film)

• Famous Songs:
• Oh, Lady, Be Good! – Lady, Be Good!
• Fascinating Rhythm – Lady, Be Good!
• Someone to Watch Over Me – Oh, Kay!
• 'S Wonderful – Funny Face
• Embraceable You – Girl Crazy
• I Got Rhythm – Girl Crazy
• But Not for Me – Girl Crazy
• Summertime – Porgy and Bess
• I Got Plenty o' Nuttin' – Porgy and Bess
• It Ain't Necessarily So – Porgy and Bess
• I'll Build a Stairway to Paradise – George White's Scandals
• The Man I Love – Strike Up the Band
• They Can't Take that away from Me- Shall we Dance

• Significance: He is one of the few theatre musicians who transcends from musical theatre into pure musical composition. He is regarded as one of the greatest American jazz composers thanks to his masterpiece the Rhapsody in Blue. However he was even more-so revered for his musical theatre productions. Although his life was quite brief, he produced a string of successful musicals with popular showtunes. He emerged out of the Tin Pan Alley as a popular pianist and eventually began to compose. He later partnered with his brother Ira, who provided the lyrics. Their theatre productions provided some of the most iconic Jazz tunes of the Roaring Twenties. His most famous production, Porgy and Bess is actually an opera but could also be classified as a crossover musical due to it's use of popular songs. I especially enjoy his showtunes, I Got Rhythm and Summertime and his movie song, They Can't Take That Away from Me. 

5. Cole Porter

• Years Active: 1916-1964

• Famous Musicals:
• 
• Paris (1928)
• Anything Goes (1934)
• Red, Hot, and Blue (1936)
• DuBarry was a Lady (1939)
• Kiss Me, Kate (1948)
• Can-Can (1953)
• Silk Stockings (1955)
• High Society (1956)

• Famous Songs:
• Anything Goes – Anything Goes
• I Get a Kick Out of You – Anything Goes
• You're the Top – Anything Goes
• Let's Do it (Let's Fall in Love) - Paris
• Night and Day – Gay Divorce
• Begin the Beguine – Jubilee
• It's De-Lovely – Red, Hot and Blue
• I've Got You Under My Skin – Born to Dance
• My Heart Belongs to Daddy – Leave It to Me!
• So in Love – Kiss Me, Kate
• Too Darn Hot – Kiss Me, Kate
• I Love Paris – Can-Can

• Significance: Alongside Irvin Berlin he is considered one of the major foundational fathers of American popular song music. He composed and wrote the lyrics of all his music and produced several popular musical productions during the Golden Age of Broadway. His music incorporates a mixture of sophistication with witty humor which is what makes him so unique. I first came to know of him from the film Midnight in Paris, where he was wonderfully portrayed with a classy vintage quality. I also enjoyed his biographical story in the film, De-Lovely exploring his musical stardom, romantic affairs, and time spent abroad in Europe. 

4. Leonard Bernstein

• Years Active: 1935-1990

• Famous Musicals:
• On the Town (1944)
  
• 
  On the Waterfront (1954 film)
• Candide (1956)
• West Side Story (1957; Film adaptation 1961)
• 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue (1976)

• Famous Songs:
• New York, New York – On the Town
• Lonely Town – On the Town
• Some Other Time – On the Town
• Ohio – Wonderful Town
• Glitter and Be Gay – Candide
• Jet Song- West Side Story
• Something's Coming- West Side Story
• Maria – West Side Story
• Tonight – West Side Story
• America – West Side Story
• Somewhere – West Side Story
• One Hand, One Heart – West Side Story
• Cool – West Side Story
• I Feel Pretty – West Side Story

• Significance: One of the few musical theatre composers who also crossed into the realm of classical composition (alongside Gershwin). He is considered one of the legends of the Golden Age of Broadway during the 1940-1960s. His magnum opus West Side Story is regarded as one of the most iconic of musicals in American culture. His music incorporates a fusion of classical, jazz, with popular songs, and even Latin rhythms. Candide was another of Bernstein's major theatrical successes, although it is also often categorized as an opera. It's worth noting that Bernstein often collaborated with other great Broadway writers, such as Sondheim in the case of West Side Story.  

3. Richard Rodgers & Oscar Hammerstein II

• Years Active: 1943-1959

• Famous Musicals:
• Oklahoma! (1943)
• Carousel (1945)
• South Pacific (1949)
• 
  The King and I (1951; film adaptation in 1956)
  
• Me and Juliet (1953)
• Pipe Dream (1955)
• Cinderella (1957)
• Flower Drum Song (1958)
• The Sound of Music (1959; film adaptation in 1965)

• Famous Songs:
• Oh, What a Beautiful Mornin' – Oklahoma!
• People Will Say We're in Love – Oklahoma!
• You'll Never Walk Alone – Carousel (Soccer anthem for Liverpool)
• Some Enchanted Evening – South Pacific
• Bali Ha'i – South Pacific
• Getting to Know You – The King and I
• Shall We Dance? – The King and I
• My Favorite Things – The Sound of Music
• Do-Re-Mi – The Sound of Music
• Edelweiss – The Sound of Music
• Climb Ev'ry Mountain – The Sound of Music
• The Sound of Music- The Sound of Music
• Sixteen Going on Seventeen- The Sound of Music
• The Sound of Music – The Sound of Music

• Significance: They are considered the greatest partnership of musical theater composition in American history. They produced several successful musicals from the 1940s-1950s at the height of the the Broadway Golden Age. Richard Rodgers was the composer while Hammerstein was the lyricist and dramatist. Aside from their string of numerous successful theatre productions they were also influential businessmen. Oscar was born into the theatre business and his grandfather and uncle played a very important role at helping establish the theatre district of Broadway. Oscar used these connections as well as his talented appreciation of musicals to further elevate the popularity of Broadway. With his partner Richard Rodgers, the two produced several classic productions that achieved much commercial and critical acclaim. The Sound of Music is my favorite production of theirs made famous by the 1965 film adaptation starring Julie Andrews. 

2. Andrew Lloyd Webber

• Years Active: 1965-present

• Famous Musicals:
• 
  The Likes of Us (1965)
  
• Jesus Christ Superstar (1970)
• Evita (1978)
• Cats (1981)
• Starlight Express (1984)
• The Phantom of the Opera (1986)
• Aspects of Love (1989)
• Sunset Boulevard (1993)
• School of Rock (2015)

• Famous Songs:
• Don't Cry for Me Argentina – Evita
• I Don't Know How to Love Him – Jesus Christ Superstar
• Superstar – Jesus Christ Superstar
• Buenos Aires- Evita
• Memory – Cats
• The Music of the Night – The Phantom of the Opera
• The Phantom of the Opera – The Phantom of the Opera
• All I Ask of You – The Phantom of the Opera
• Think of Me- The Phantom of the Opera
• Angel of Music- The Phantom of the Opera
• Prima Donna- The Phantom of the Opera
• Any Dream Will Do – Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat
• Unexpected Song – Song and Dance
• As If We Never Said Goodbye – Sunset Boulevard

• Significance: He is one of the most successful Broadway musical composers producing several major commercial hits. I first discovered his work in the 2004 film adaptation of Phantom of the Opera and fell in love with the music. The musical ran on Broadway from 1988 to 2023 playing over 13,981 performances to become the longest running show in Broadway history. His other musical Cats sits at 5th place with 7,485 performances from 1982-2000. It's funny Phantom of the Opera is one of my all-time favorite musicals while Cats is one of my least favorites. Evita and Jesus Christ Superstar were also popular musicals of his with many catchy hits. As a British native, he sits alongside Schoenberg as the most successful international composers on Broadway. 

1. Stephen Sondheim

• Years Active: 1954-2021

• Famous Musicals:
• West Side Story (1957. Collaborated with Bernstein as lyricist)
• Gypsy (1959. Collaborated with Jule Styne as lyricist)
• A Funny thing Happened on the Way to the Forum (1962)
• Company (1970)
  
• Follies (1971)
• A Little Night Music (1973)
• 
  Pacific Overtures (1976)
• Sweeney Todd (1979; Film adaption 2007)
• Sunday in the Park with George (1984)
• Into the Woods (1987)
• Assassins (1990)
• Dick Tracy (1990 film)
• Passion (1994)

• Famous Songs:
• Comedy Tonight — A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum
• Being Alive — Company
• Send in the Clowns — A Little Night Music
• Losing My Mind — Follies
• Not a Day Goes By — Merrily We Roll Along
• Johanna — Sweeney Todd
• A Little Priest — Sweeney Todd
• The Worse Pies in London- Sweeny Todd
• Sunday — Sunday in the Park with George
• Epiphany- Sweeney Todd
• Children Will Listen — Into the Woods
• No One Is Alone — Into the Woods
• Pretty Woman- Sweeney Todd
• Sooner or Later (I Always Get My Man) — Dick Tracy (1990 film)

• Significance: He is regarded as one of the most significant and influential theatre composers in Broadway history. He has produced many of the most iconic musical and show tunes throughout his long 70 year history. He began his career partnering with some of the more prominent composers such as Bernstein and Styne. However he later became his own composer and lyricist, a rare combination shared with Cole Porter an Irving Berlin. He was heavily influenced by the music of Hammerstein however pushed to establish his own style with deeper narratives. His famous horror musical Sweeny Todd demonstrated a unique contrast of a complex dark character with beautiful music. His style of psychological realism heavily inspired some of the more modern musicals during the 1980s such as Rent.   

My Favorite Film Musicals

As I confessed above my musical theatre experience is quite limited and mostly acquired through film. However I'd still like to share here my favorite all-time musicals. I decided there are three mediums of the musical. There is the stage-musical, the musical-to-film adaptation, and the original film musical. I'm going to include the stage musicals with the film adaptations together. And I'm going to make a separate list for the original film musicals (mostly the Disney stuff). There are still many musical films I have yet to see but intend to do so someday purely for cultural significance. So to be clear this list here are all films that are based on musicals. It will also segue nicely to my next post on greatest film scores (which ties to my overarching sequence of musical composition). 

Musical Film Adaptations

1. Les Misérables (1980 stage; 2012 film)
2. Phantom of the Opera (1986 stage; 2004 film)
   
3. Sound of Music (1959 stage; 1965 film)
4. West Side Story (1957 stage; 1961 film)
5. 
   Hamilton (2015 stage; 2020 film)
6. Grease (1971 stage; 1978 film)
7. Evita (1978 stage; 1996 film)
8. Chicago (1975 stage; 2002 film)
9. Sweeney Todd (1979 stage; 2007 film)
10. Fiddler on the Roof (1964 stage; 1971 film)
11. Cabaret (1966 stage; 1972 film)
12. My Fair Lady (1956 stage; 1964 film)
13. Wicked (2003 stage; 2024 film)
14. Funny Girl (1964 stage; 1968 film)
15. Cyrano (2018 stage; 2021 film)
16. Oliver! (1960 stage; 1968 film)
17. Dreamgirls (1981 stage; 2006 film)
18. Into the Woods (1987 stage; 2014 film)
19. Oklahoma! (1943 stage; 1955 film)
20. The King and I (1951 stage; 1956 film)
21. The Color Purple (2005 stage; 2023 film)
22. Porgy and Bess (1935 stage; 1959 film)
23. Carousel (1945 stage; 1956 film)
24. Jesus Christ Superstar (1970 stage, 1973 film)
25. Annie Get your Gun (1946 stage, 1950 film)

Original Film Musicals

1. Lion King (1994)
2. Wizard of Oz (1939)
3. Greatest Showman (2017)
4. Aladdin (1992)
5. 
   Singin' in the Rain (1952)
   
6. Beauty and the Beast (1991)
7. Little Mermaid (1989)
8. Anastasia (1997)
9. A Goofy Movie (1995)
10. Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory (1971)
11. Across the Universe (2007)
12. Moulin Rouge (2001)
13. Dumbo (1941)
14. Hercules (1997)
15. Mary Poppins (1964)
16. Pocahontas (1995)
17. Nightmare Before Christmas (1993)
18. Frozen (2013)
19. Moana (2016)
20. Top Hat (1935)
21. La La Land (2016)
22. Shall we Dance (1937)
23. White Christmas (1954)
24. Meet me in St. Louis (1944)
25. Funny Face (1957)