Broadway Legends In and Beyond Spamilton
by Derek Charles Livingston May 7, 2026
During Spamilton, along with references to scores of Broadway shows, the following lyricists, music writers, or lyricists-composers are mentioned by name:
OSCAR HAMMERSTEIN (1896–1960) is best known for his collaborations with composer Richard Rodgers as the duo Rodgers and Hammerstein. Their musicals include Oklahoma!, Carousel, South Pacific, The King and I, Flower Drum Song, and The Sound of Music. He is credited with the evolution of musical theater songs from generalized lyrics to being reflections of the characters within the show. This innovation started with the landmark Show Boat, which he wrote with Jerome Kern, and was solidified when he and Rodgers wrote Oklahoma!
Photo by Raph_PH/Wikipedia
ELTON JOHN (b. 1947) is one of the world’s best-known pop singer/songwriters. In addition to his many international popular songs, he is also a successful musical theater composer and has been represented on Broadway and the West End by The Lion King, Aida, and Billy Elliot: The Musical.
JOHNNY MERCER (1909–1976) is mentioned in Spamilton when “Burr/Odom” admonishes Miranda to be “terser in your verse, Sir/you’re no Johnny Mercer.” Mercer is better known for his contribution, as a lyricist, to songs from films including “Ac-Cent-Tchu-Ate the Positive,” “Days of Wine and Roses,” and “Moon River,” for which he won one of his four songwriting Oscars.
RICHARD RODGERS (1902–1979) is the composer half of two well-known musical theater composing duos: Rodgers & Hart and Rodgers & Hammerstein, although in Spamilton, his name is cited singularly. With Lorenz Hart, he composed Pal Joey and Babes in Arms, among others.
Photo by Fred R. Conrad/New York Times Co./Getty Images
STEPHEN SONDHEIM (1930–2021) is perhaps the best-regarded Broadway composer, known for complex music and lyrics that were alternately “simply dazzling, or dazzlingly simple.” A multi-Tony Award winner, Sondheim wrote the lyrics for West Side Story, and the music and lyrics for several musicals including Company, Sweeney Todd, Sunday in the Park with George, and Into the Woods.
Photo by Philip Romano/Wikipedia
ANDREW LLOYD WEBBER (b. 1948) is one of the most financially successful musical theater composers; he is chiefly known for writing music and has partnered with others who pen lyrics. Famous musicals include Jesus Christ Superstar, Evita, Cats, School of Rock, and The Phantom of the Opera.
Photo by Gage Skidmore/Wikipedia
LIN-MANUEL MIRANDA (b. 1980) is best known for writing music, book, and lyrics for Hamilton, in which he also originated the title character. He made his Broadway debut with In the Heights, serving as composer, lyricist, and lead actor. Miranda is also known for his song contributions to Disney films such as Moana and Encanto.
Though not mentioned in Spamilton, here are just a few artists reflecting an even greater diversity of Broadway musical history:
— Lynn Ahrens is the lyricist half of the composing team Ahrens and Flaherty; their work includes Ragtime and Once on This Island, which Stages will produce in our 2026–27 Season.
— Betty Comden was part of a 60-year songwriting team with Adolph Green for film and theater, best known for Singin’ in the Rain and The Will Rogers Follies.
— Hue Pak with Will Aronson wrote the current Broadway hit Maybe Happy Ending.
— Mary Rodgers was composer of Once Upon a Mattress and novelist of Freaky Friday, daughter of Richard Rodgers, and mother of Broadway composer Adam Guettel, who wrote The Light in the Piazza.
— Charlie Smalls was one of the few African American Broadway composers; he won a Tony for The Wiz.
— Jeanine Tesori is arguably Broadway’s most successful female composer, with work including Caroline, or Change, Thoroughly Modern Millie, Violet, Shrek the Musical, and Kimberly Akimbo. Her collaboration with Lisa Kron on Fun Home made them the first female composing duo to win a Tony Award for Best Score.
— Fats Waller was a jazz and blues composer, but Ain’t Misbehavin’ featured his songs and was a groundbreaking achievement for celebrating a Black composer on Broadway.