55+ Biography Musicals – The Full List of Shows
Whether you’re producing a show or simply looking for some new musicals about popular culture, it’s always good to get familiar with what’s out there. And that’s why we’ve put together this list of the most notable bio musicals (biography musicals) for you below!
This list is broken down into five subgenres: “Autobiographical Musicals”, “Semi-Autobiographical Musicals”, “Biographical Musicals”, “Semi-Biographical Musicals”, and “Jukebox Biographies”. Each subgenre is sorted alphabetically.
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Autobiographical Musicals
Music/Lyrics: Various Book: Dick Scanlan, Sherie Rene Scott
Musical Type: Contemporary (2009)
Who It’s Loosely Based On: Sherie Rene Scott
Music/Lyrics/Book: Benjamin Scheuer
Musical Type: Contemporary (2014)
Who It’s Based On: Benjamin Scheuer
Semi-Autobiographical Musicals
Music/Lyrics: Edward Kleban Book: Linda Kline, Lonny Price
Musical Type: Contemporary (2000)
Who It’s Loosely Based On: Edward Kleban
Music/Lyrics/Book: William Finn Book: James Lapine
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1998)
Who It’s Loosely Based On: William Finn
Music/Lyrics: Marc Shaiman Lyrics: Scott Wittman Book: Martin Short, Daniel Goldfarb
Musical Type: Contemporary (2006)
Who It’s Loosely Based On: Martin Short
Music/Lyrics: Brian Gari Book: Allan Knee
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1987)
Who It’s Loosely Based On: Brian Gari
Music/Lyrics/Book: Jonathan Larson
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary/Contemporary (1990/2001)
Who It’s Loosely Based On: Jonathan Larson
Biographical Musicals
Music: Cy Coleman Lyrics: Michael Stewart Book: Mark Bramble
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1980)
Who It’s Based On: P.T. Barnum
Music/Lyrics: Michael Friedman Book: Alex Timbers
Musical Type: Contemporary (2008)
Who It’s Based On: Andrew Jackson
Music/Lyrics: Marc Shaiman Lyrics: Scott Wittman Book: Patrik Komljenović
Musical Type: Contemporary (2013)
Who It’s Based On: Marilyn Monroe
Music/Lyrics/Book: Christopher Curtis Book: Thomas Meehan
Musical Type: Contemporary (2006)
Who It’s Based On: Charlie Chaplin
Music/Lyrics/Book: Paul Hodge Book: Michael Hodge
Musical Type: Contemporary (2012)
Who It’s Based On: Bill Clinton
Music: André Previn Lyrics/Book: Alan Jay Lerner
Musical Type: Post-Golden Age (1969)
Who It’s Based On: Coco Chanel
Music/Lyrics: David Bryan Lyrics/Book: Joe DiPietro
Musical Type: Contemporary (2019)
Who It’s Based On: Princess Diana
Music: Jerry Bock Lyrics: Sheldon Harnick Book: Jerome Weidman, George Abbott
Musical Type: Golden Age (1959)
Who It’s Based On: Fiorello La Guardia
Music/Lyrics: George M. Cohan Lyrics: Mary Cohan Book: Michael Stewart, John Pascal, Francine Pascal
Musical Type: Post-Golden Age (1968)
Who It’s Based On: George M. Cohan
Music: Scott Frankel Lyrics: Michael Korie Book: Doug Wright
Musical Type: Contemporary (2006)
Who It’s Based On: “Big” and “Little” Edie Bouvier Beale
Music/Lyrics/Book: Lin-Manuel Miranda
Musical Type: Contemporary (2015)
Who It’s Based On: Alexander Hamilton
Music: Barry Manilow Lyrics/Book: Bruce Sussman
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1997)
Who It’s Based On: The Comedian Harmonists
Music: Fatboy Slim Music/Lyrics: David Byrne
Musical Type: Contemporary (2013)
Who It’s Based On: Imelda Marcos
Music: Jelly Roll Morton, Luther Henderson Lyrics: Susan Birkenhead Book: George C. Wolfe
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1992)
Who It’s Based On: Jelly Roll Morton
Music/Lyrics: Todd Matshikiza Lyrics: Pat Williams Book: Harry Bloom
Musical Type: Golden Age (1959)
Who It’s Based On: Ezekiel Dlamini, aka “King Kong”
Music/Lyrics: Ellie Greenwich & Friends Book: Anne Beatts
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1984)
Who It’s Based On: Ellie Greenwich
Music: Stephen Flaherty Lyrics: Gertrude Stein Book: Frank Galati
Musical Type: Contemporary (2006)
Who It’s Based On: Gertrude Stein
Music/Lyrics: Various Book: Will Holt, Linda Hopkins
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1974)
Who It’s Based On: Bessie Smith
Music/Lyrics/Book: Michael John LaChiusa
Musical Type: Contemporary (2011)
Who It’s Based On: Annie Edson Taylor
Music: Richard Rodgers Lyrics: Sheldon Harnick Book: Sherman Yellen
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1976)
Who It’s Based On: King Henry VIII
Music: David Pomeranz, David Friedman Lyrics/Book: Kathie Lee Gifford
Musical Type: Contemporary (2005)
Who It’s Based On: Aimee Semple McPherson
Music: Henry Krieger Lyrics/Book: Bill Russell
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1997)
Who It’s Based On: Daisy and Violet Hilton
Music/Lyrics/Book: Paul Simon Lyrics/Book: Derek Walcott
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1998)
Who It’s Based On: Salvador Agrón
Music/Book: Claude-Michel Schönberg Lyrics: John Dempsey Lyrics/Book: Alain Boublil, Richard Maltby, Jr.
Musical Type: Contemporary (2006)
Who It’s Based On: Gráinne O’Malley
Music: Scott Frankel Lyrics: Michael Korie Book: Doug Wright
Musical Type: Contemporary (2016)
Who It’s Based On: Elizabeth Arden and Helena Rubinstein
Semi-Biographical Musicals
Music: Mark Sandrich, Jr. Lyrics/Book: Sidney Michaels Additional Songs: Jerry Herman
Musical Type: Post-Golden Age (1964)
Who It’s Loosely Based On: Ben Franklin
Music: Andrew Lloyd Webber Lyrics: Tim Rice
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1976)
Who It’s Loosely Based On: Eva Perón
Music: Jule Styne Lyrics: Bob Merrill Book: Isobel Lennart
Musical Type: Post-Golden Age (1964)
Who It’s Loosely Based On: Fanny Brice
Music: Jule Styne Lyrics: Stephen Sondheim Book: Arthur Laurents
Musical Type: Golden Age (1959)
Who It’s Loosely Based On: Gypsy Rose Lee
Music/Lyrics: Bill Jacob, Patti Jacob Book: Melville Shavelson
Musical Type: Post-Golden Age (1969)
Who It’s Loosely Based On: Jimmy Walker
Music/Lyrics: Peter Allen Book: Harvey Fierstein, Charles Suppon
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1988)
Who It’s Loosely Based On: Legs Diamond
Music/Book: Claude-Michel Schönberg Lyrics/Book: Alain Boublil Lyrics: Edward Hardy, Stephen Clark
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1996)
Who It’s Loosely Based On: Martin Guerre
Music/Lyrics/Book: Jonathan Christenson
Musical Type: Contemporary (2010)
Who It’s Loosely Based On: Edgar Allan Poe
Music/Lyrics/Book: Toby Marlow, Lucy Moss
Musical Type: Contemporary (2017)
Who It’s Loosely Based On: The six wives of Henry VIII
Music/Lyrics: Ray Davies Book: Joe Penhall
Musical Type: Contemporary (2014)
Who It’s Loosely Based On: The Kinks
Music: Richard Rodgers Lyrics: Oscar Hammerstein II Book: Howard Lindsay, Russel Crouse
Musical Type: Golden Age (1959)
Who It’s Loosely Based On: Maria von Trapp
Music/Lyrics: Meredith Willson Book: Richard Morris
Musical Type: Post-Golden Age (1960)
Who It’s Loosely Based On: Margaret Brown
Jukebox Biographies
The following shows make use of popular music and popular songs. These songs are used to form the biographical narrative of stars in the music industry
Music/Lyrics: Neil Diamond Book: Anthony McCarten
Musical Type: Contemporary (2022)
Who It’s Based On: Neil Diamond
Music/Lyrics: Janis Joplin, Various Book: Randy Johnson
Musical Type: Contemporary (2013)
Who It’s Based On: Janis Joplin
Music/Lyrics: The Legendary Motown Catalog Book: Dominique Morisseau
Musical Type: Contemporary (2017)
Who It’s Based On: The Temptations
Music/Lyrics: Various Book: Floyd Mutrux, Colin Escott
Musical Type: Contemporary (2009)
Who It’s Based On: Florence Greenberg
Beautiful: The Carole King Musical
Music/Lyrics: Gerry Goffin, Carole King, Barry Mann, Cynthia Weil Book: Douglas McGrath
Musical Type: Contemporary (2013)
Who It’s Based On: Carole King
Music/Lyrics: Buddy Holly, Various Book: Alan Janes
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1989)
Who It’s Based On: Buddy Holly
Music/Lyrics: Fela Kuti Book: Bill T. Jones, Jim Lewis
Musical Type: Contemporary (2008)
Who It’s Based On: Fela Kuti
Music/Lyrics: Bob Marley Book: Lee Hall
Musical Type: Contemporary (2021)
Who It’s Based On: Bob Marley
Music: Bob Gaudio Lyrics: Bob Crewe Book: Marshall Brickman, Rick Elice
Musical Type: Contemporary (2004)
Who It’s Based On: Frankie Valli & The Four Seasons
Music/Lyrics: Various Book: Francis Essex, Rob Bettinson
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1995)
Who It’s Based On: Al Jolson
Music/Lyrics: Various Book: Colin Escott, Floyd Mutrux
Musical Type: Contemporary (2000)
Who It’s Based On: Johnny Cash, Jerry Lee Lewis, Carl Perkins, and Elvis Presley
Music/Lyrics: Michael Jackson, Various Book: Lynn Nottage
Musical Type: Contemporary (2022)
Who It’s Based On: Michael Jackson
Music/Lyrics: Various Book: Berry Gordy
Musical Type: Contemporary (2013)
Who It’s Based On: Berry Gordy
Music/Lyrics: Gloria & Emilio Estefan, Miami Sound Machine Book: Alexander Dinelaris
Musical Type: Contemporary (2015)
Who It’s Based On: Gloria & Emilio Estefan
Music/Lyrics: Johnny Cash Concept/Creation: Bill Meade, Richard Maltby, Jr.
Musical Type: Contemporary (2006)
Who It’s Based On: Johnny Cash
Summer: The Donna Summer Musical
Music/Lyrics: Donna Summer, Giorgio Moroder, Paul Jabra, Various Book: Colman Domingo, Robert Cary, Des McAnuff
Musical Type: Contemporary (2017)
Who It’s Based On: Donna Summer
Music/Lyrics: Peter Allen Book: Nick Enright, Martin Sherman
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1998)
Who It’s Based On: Peter Allen
Music/Lyrics: Various Book: Rick Elice
Musical Type: Contemporary (2018)
Who It’s Based On: Cher
Music/Lyrics: Various Book: Katori Hall, Frank Ketelaar, Kees Prins
Musical Type: Contemporary (2018)
Who It’s Based On: Tina Turner
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Which of these bio musicals is your favorite?
Or have you ever played a role in any of the above bio musicals? Feel free to share in the comments below! And if you like these types of lists, check out the musical database. That’s where you’ll find musicals sorted by composer, theme, setting, and more!
Author: Stacy Karyn
Stacy Karyn is the founder of Theatre Trip, author of The Thespian’s Bucket List, and creator of The Cast Album List. She holds a BA in theatre, a TESOL drama certificate, and has worked and interned with Broadway and Off-Broadway theaters.