Lin-Manuel Miranda
Perhaps the most obvious heir to Hamlisch's multi-hyphenate throne, Lin-Manuel Miranda moves between stage and screen with breathtaking ease. Hamlisch's 'A Chorus Line' was a game-changer that redefined the Broadway musical. Similarly, Miranda's 'Hamilton'
was a cultural earthquake, blending hip-hop, history, and classic showmanship. But beyond the phenomenon, look at the core craft: Miranda is a master of the intricate melody that also happens to be an earworm. His work on Disney films like 'Moana' and 'Encanto' shows a Hamlisch-like ability to write songs that become instant standards for a new generation.
Pasek and Paul
The duo of Benj Pasek and Justin Paul specializes in the kind of soaring, emotionally charged anthems that Marvin Hamlisch perfected. Think of the timeless longing in 'The Way We Were'. Now, listen to 'City of Stars' from 'La La Land' or 'This Is Me' from 'The Greatest Showman'. There's a shared DNA there—a gift for crafting a melody that is both deeply specific to a character's moment and universally relatable. Like Hamlisch, they've found immense success on both Broadway, with the Tony-winning 'Dear Evan Hansen', and in Hollywood, becoming an unstoppable force in the modern movie musical.
Alan Menken
While a contemporary of Hamlisch's, Alan Menken embodies the same spirit of creating a defining sound for an entire era. Hamlisch gave Scott Joplin's ragtime new life in 'The Sting'; Menken, alongside Howard Ashman, reinvented the animated musical for Disney. His work on 'The Little Mermaid', 'Beauty and the Beast', and 'Aladdin' created a new American songbook. An EGOT winner himself, Menken shares Hamlisch's talent for lush, instantly memorable melodies that can carry enormous dramatic weight while still feeling effortless, moving seamlessly from screen to the Broadway stage with productions like 'Newsies'.
Robert Lopez
If versatility is the measure, Robert Lopez is a titan in the Hamlisch tradition. This is the man who co-created the comically profane 'Avenue Q' and 'The Book of Mormon' for the stage, and then pivoted to write the earnest, world-conquering anthems of Disney's 'Frozen' and 'Coco'. That range is pure Hamlisch. Lopez is not just an EGOT winner; he's the only person to have won the honor twice. His ability to write with intelligence, wit, and immense heart across wildly different platforms proves that, like Hamlisch, he is a master musical storyteller, period.
Jeanine Tesori
Jeanine Tesori represents the adventurous, boundary-pushing side of Hamlisch's legacy. 'A Chorus Line' was structurally and thematically revolutionary, and Tesori consistently expands what a musical can be. Her scores are incredibly diverse, from the folk and gospel-inflected 'Violet' to the Motown sounds of 'Caroline, or Change' and the emotionally complex tapestry of 'Fun Home', for which she won a Tony. More recently, her work on 'Kimberly Akimbo' showcased her ability to find the perfect, quirky-yet-poignant musical language for any story. She proves that musical genius isn't about one style, but about mastering many.
Marc Shaiman
Marc Shaiman is a master of period-pastiche, a skill Hamlisch brilliantly displayed with his Oscar-winning adaptation of Scott Joplin's music for 'The Sting'. Shaiman's score for 'Hairspray' (with lyricist Scott Wittman) is a perfect love letter to early 1960s pop and R&B, and his work on films like 'Mary Poppins Returns' demonstrates a deep understanding of classic Hollywood musical styles. His recent triumph with 'Some Like It Hot' on Broadway further cements his status as a composer who can joyfully and skillfully evoke a specific era's sound while making it feel fresh and thrilling.
Tom Kitt
Tom Kitt channels Hamlisch's ability to tackle serious, dramatic subject matter with musical depth. While Hamlisch explored the raw ambition of dancers in 'A Chorus Line', Kitt won a Pulitzer Prize for 'Next to Normal', a rock musical that delves into mental illness and suburban grief. His talent isn't limited to his own compositions; as an arranger and orchestrator for musicals like Green Day's 'American Idiot', he has shown a Hamlisch-level musical dexterity. Kitt's work on shows like 'If/Then' further demonstrates his knack for writing emotionally intelligent, character-driven scores that push the genre forward.
