The Next Generation

Over the last years a new crop of musical theatre songwriters has left its mark on Broadway. One is Jason Robert Brown, the Tony Award-winning composer of Parade, The Last 5 Years, Songs For a New World, 13 and the upcoming Bridges of Madison County. Another is the late Jonathan Larson, whose Tony and Pulitzer-winning rock opera Rent made a lot of noise. Number three is Lin-Manuel Miranda, whose varied Latin styles won him a Tony for In the Heights. Not to forget Amanda Green, the lyricist of Bring It On, High Fidelity and Hands on a Hardbody. Last not least Tom Kitt and Brian Yorkey, whose Next to Normal told the tale of mental illness with pulsing rock, and whose If/Then will bow on Broadway this season. The difference between these new generation of composers and lyricists and those of former Broadway authors? Their shows make it on Broadway and some of them have some success the rest of the U.S., but so far none of them became a worldwide hit. It looks like musicals for the world are no longer made in New York.