Stephen Flaherty

About

American composer of musical theater and film, best known for co-writing the Broadway musicals Ragtime, Once on this Island and Seussical. His work has won several Tony Awards, Grammy Awards and the Olivier Award for London's Best Musical. He was nominated for two Academy Awards and two Golden Globe Awards for his songs and score for the animated film musical, Anastasia. 

Before Fame

He began studying piano at age 7. By 12 he knew he wanted to write musicals, and at 14 he wrote his first musical score. He attended a Catholic High School and later studied Musical Composition and Piano at University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music, graduating in 1982. While in college, he played ragtime piano in a dance band. 

Trivia

Their first Broadway musical was Once on this Island in 1990, which was nominated for 8 Tony Awards. When the show was revived in 2017, it was again nominated for 8 Tony Awards and won the award for Best Revival of a Musical. The cast recording of the show was nominated for a Grammy in 2019, where he was nominated as a producer for the first time. He wrote the music for the "American River Suite" which premiered in 2009 at Carnegie Hall and was sung by Idina Menzel, Anika Noni Rose and the children's chorus from the Choir Academy of Harlem.

Family Life

He married Trevor Hardwick in October of 2016. 

Associated With

He and Lynn Ahrens, whom he frequently collaborates with, co-conceived the Seussical musical with Eric Idle.