Musical Theatre creator inspirations

I think almost every writer under the age of 70 was heavily influenced by the one, two, three punch of COMPANY, FOLLIES, A LITTLE NIGHT MUSIC.

For the previous generation, it was the R&H musical plays and MY FAIR LADY. By the 1950s, even straight-up musical comedies (see GUYS AND DOLLS) and shows by the old masters (Porter, Berlin) showed the influence of OKLAHOMA!'s structure. (Main couple, secondary couple; two cultural groups--gangsters/missionaries, hicks/show folk, management/labor, etc., coming together; reprise-heavy second act.)

Yes, Larson definitely for Lin. This article Lin wrote whilst playing him proves that:

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/06/22/theater/lin-manuel-miranda-pays-tribute-to-jonathan-larson.html

Also this quote written by a theatre critic in 2001 on whether Larson would leave a legacy or not is absolutely spot on with what ended up happening:

'The other young composers making their marks on Broadway are following more in the tradition of Sondheim's sophisticated, complex musicals than following Larson's populist lead. … Maybe the only hope resides in a new voice we haven't heard yet, that will appear on the scene as suddenly as Larson's did, who will finish the work of putting musical theatre and pop music back together again, without sacrificing the integrity of either, the way Larson did so brilliantly and so lovingly.'