Top 10 Iconic Lin-Manuel Miranda Musicals

Top 10 Lin-Manuel Miranda Musicals


Welcome to MsMojo, and today we’re counting down our picks for Lin-Manuel Miranda’s greatest musical theatre achievements thus far! For this list, we’ll be looking at the best musical projects that the prolific Tony-Award-winner has worked on. Although we love his films like “tick,tick…BOOM!” and “Mary Poppins Returns”, we’ll only be focusing on projects in which he contributed to the songwriting process.

#10: “Mufasa: The Lion King” (2024)

If you’ve had the song “I Always Wanted a Brother” playing in your head on repeat, you can thank Lin-Manuel Miranda. A frequent Disney collaborator, Miranda is the man behind the catchy number featured in the 2024 film, “Mufasa: The Lion King”. In fact, he wrote all the songs for the Barry Jenkin directed animation. A prequel and sequel to the live-action adaptation of the 1994 Disney classic, “Mufasa” made it so that Miranda had big shoes to fill as Sir Elton John and Tim Rice wrote the music for the OG film. However, Miranda, as always, excelled at the task, leaving audiences with the first earworm of 2025.

#9: “Vivo” (2021)

For the 2021 animated musical, “Vivo”, Lin-Manuel Miranda not only wrote the songs but also lent his voice to the title character. Playing a singing kinkajou, Miranda leads the all-star voice cast including Zoë Saldaña, Brian Tyree Henry, and Gloria Estefan. A visual feast for the eyes, the story follows Miranda’s Vivo as the mammal goes on an unforgettable journey to bring a love song to a singer on the brink of retirement. Miranda’s longtime collaborator, Alex Lacamoire composed the score for the family-friendly film. It’s a must-watch for every LMM fan.

#8: “Bring It On: The Musical”

Over a decade after its release, the 2000 teen classic “Bring It On” tumbled onto the biggest stage of all: Broadway. “Bring It On: The Musical” was a dream come true for millennial theatre goers, with daring cheerleading stunts and callbacks to the beloved flick. To bring the vision to life, Tom Kitt and Lin-Manuel Miranda joined forces on the score, while Miranda also co-wrote the lyrics with Amanda Green. From the opening spectacle “What I Was Born to Do” to the celebratory finale, “I Got You”, the musical has Miranda’s signature style stamped all over it.

#7: “21 Chump Street” (2014)

“21 Chump Street” might be the shortest musical in Lin-Manuel Miranda’s repertoire but don’t let its fleeting runtime fool you because it’s one of his best! Coming in at a short-and-sweet 14 minutes, “Street” was presented as part of a showcase for Ira Glass’s NPR radio show, “This American Life”. Based on a true story that was featured on an episode of “Life”, the show follows a high school student who accidentally falls for a fellow classmate who turns out to be an undercover cop. Equal parts endearing, funny and heartbreaking, “21 Chump Street” proves Miranda makes the most of every second.

#6: “Encanto” (2021)

All these years later, we’re still not talking about Bruno! In 2021, “Encanto” became a mega hit and it was all thanks to Lin-Manuel Miranda’s musical compositions. From “The Family Madrigal” to “Surface Pressure” to “Waiting on a Miracle”, every tune is a certified chart-topper. Trending all over social media, the music of “Encanto” became a viral sensation upon its release, turning the Disney flick into an instant classic. Luckily for Disney and Broadway fans alike, this is just one of Miranda’s many collabs with the House of Mouse!

#5: “Freestyle Love Supreme”

Long before he was racking up Tonys and Grammys, Lin-Manuel Miranda was working on Freestyle Love Supreme. An improvisational musical hip-hop group, Supreme started way back in 2004. In the 2000s, the troupe performed at festivals across the world. As their success grew, they went onto launch their own TV series and even released a documentary. In 2019, they made their Broadway debut in a limited run. Members of the group have included Christopher Jackson, Daveed Diggs, Utkarsh Ambudkar, Wayne Brady and of course, Miranda whose onstage name is Lin-Man.

#4: “Warriors” (2024)

For years, Lin-Manuel Miranda was inspired by the 1979 film, “The Warriors”. Based on a book by Sol Yurick, the story is about a street gang trying to make it home after they’re accused of committing a murder. Miranda and Eisa Davis adapted the action packed tale into a concept album, gender-bending the roles and fusioning different musical genres like hip-hop and musical theater. The record boasts an impressive lineup of artists such as Lauryn Hill, Colman Domingo, Nas, Busta Rhymes and Phillipa Soo just to name a few. Miranda has publicly hinted that conversations are brewing about the prospect of “Warriors” heading to the stage. Only time will tell, but we’re sure fans are eager to see this light up Broadway someday!

#3: “Moana” (2016)

In the middle of working on his pièce de résistance, “Hamilton”, Lin-Manuel Miranda got another opportunity of a lifetime: “Moana”. Disney auditioned Miranda for a position as a songwriter on the project about an aspiring way-finder embarking on a daring adventure to save her Polynesian island. He joined other musical contributors Opetaia Foaʻi, Mark Mancina and David Metzger to create the film’s soundtrack. The collaboration paid off. In 2017, Miranda was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Original Song for the tune, “How Far I’ll Go”.

#2: “In the Heights” (2008)

When he was still in college, Lin-Manuel Miranda was already hard at work on the project that would launch his career. Conceived in 1999, “In the Heights” was the brainchild of Miranda and started off as a student production at Wesleyan University. Less than 10 years later, “Heights” opened on Broadway with Miranda making his debut as the protagonist, Usnavi. Chronicling the lives of Washington Heights residents over the course of three days and a city-wide blackout, the musical was a hit with both audiences and critics. It went on to collect a slew of Tony Awards including Best Musical and turned Miranda into a Broadway star.




Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions.

“West Side Story” (2009)

LLM’s Interpretation of the Classic Is Well Worth the Watch!

“The Little Mermaid” (2023)

Thanks to Miranda, the New Songs Fit in Seamlessly

#1: “Hamilton” (2015)

Following the success of “In the Heights”, Lin-Manuel Miranda was ready to craft his next big project. After reading Ron Chernow’s biography, “Alexander Hamilton”, Miranda created “The Hamilton Mixtape”, an album of songs inspired by the founding father. Eventually, he adapted it into a full fledged musical which premiered off-Broadway in 2015. Later that year, “Hamilton” opened at Broadway’s Richard Rodgers Theatre where it’s still playing a decade later. An instant smash hit, “Hamilton” not only took Broadway but the whole world by storm becoming a cultural phenomenon that cemented Miranda as a once-in-a-generation icon.


What’s your favorite Lin-Manuel Miranda song? Let us know in the comments.