Lynn Ahrens is an American writer and lyricist for musical theatre, television and film. She has collaborated with Stephen Flaherty for many years. She won the Tony Award, Drama Desk Award, and Outer Critics Circle Award for the Broadway musical Ragtime. Together with Flaherty, they have written many musicals, including Lucky Stiff, My Favorite Year, Ragtime, Seussical, A Man of No Importance, Dessa Rose, The Glorious Ones, Rocky, Little Dancer and, recently on Broadway, Anastasia and Once on This Island. She was also nominated for two Academy Awards and two Golden Globe Awards for the animated Twentieth Century Fox film Anastasia. She was a mainstay writer and performer for ABC-TV's Schoolhouse Rock!
What I love about Lynn’s lyrics is that they just look/sound so easy. That, of course, is the sign of a true master of any art form, when the work they create looks as if anyone can do it. And there aren’t many people in the world who have ever done it as well as Lynn.
That’s why I was thrilled she took a few moments to chat with me about her wordsmith-ing ways and a whole bunch of other stuff like . . .
- Why NOT being known as a book writer, despite having written the book to a whole bunch of shows, is actually a compliment.
- How Audra McDonald helped inspire “Daddy’s Son” from Ragtime.
- What we (including ME!) need to do to encourage more women writers.
- How she and Stephen Flaherty have kept their collaboration going longer than most marriages.
- What she wants every young writer to do (which will make this guy really happy).
Keep up with me: @KenDavenportBway