One Day University Presents: Broadway’s One Hit Wonders

Musical theater is known as the domain of certain super-talents with strings of hits: Stephen Sondheim, Rodgers and Hammerstein, the Gershwins, etc. Most of the writers who create one great show go on to create another.

But there is a fascinating subset of writers who, for one reason or another, hit it big once and never repeated. Sometimes it’s a once-in-a-lifetime idea. Sometimes it’s a collaboration that falls apart. Some writers keep trying with diminishing returns, some milk their first big hit for all it’s worth, and some walk away to pursue other goals. Of course, some  unfortunately pass away too early, never getting the chance to repeat or surpass their original effort. Whatever the reason, we often refer to individuals or composing teams  that had only a single acclaimed show as one-hit wonders.