40+ Bio Musicals – The Full List of Shows
Whether you’re auditioning for musicals, setting up your rep book, or simply looking for some new musicals to get into, it’s 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!
The following list is broken down into the following 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
Everyday Rapture
Music/Lyrics: Various Book: Dick Scanlan, Sherie Rene Scott
Musical Type: Contemporary (2009)
Semi-Autobiographical Musicals
A Class Act
Music/Lyrics: Edward Kleban Book: Linda Kline, Lonny Price
Musical Type: Contemporary (2000)
A New Brain
Music/Lyrics/Book: William Finn Book: James Lapine
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1998)
Jimmy
Music: Bill Jacob Lyrics: Patti Jacob Book: Melville Shavelson
Musical Type: Post-Golden Age (1969)
Merrily We Roll Along
Music/Lyrics: Stephen Sondheim Book: George Furth
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1981)
The Bubbly Black Girl Sheds Her Chameleon Skin
Music/Lyrics/Book: Kirsten Childs
Musical Type: Contemporary (2000)
Tick, Tick… BOOM!
Music/Lyrics/Book: Jonathan Larson
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary/Contemporary (1990/2001)
Biographical Musicals
Barnum
Music: Cy Coleman Lyrics: Michael Stewart Book: Mark Bramble
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1980)
Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson
Music/Lyrics: Michael Friedman Book: Alex Timbers
Musical Type: Contemporary (2008)
Cagney
Music/Lyrics: Robert Creighton, Cristopher McGovern Book: Peter Colley
Musical Type: Contemporary (2015)
Chaplin
Music/Lyrics: Christopher Curtis Book: Thomas Meehan, Curtis
Musical Type: Contemporary (2006)
Clinton
Music/Lyrics: Paul Hodge Book: Michael Hodge, Paul Hodge
Musical Type: Contemporary (2012)
Coco
Music: André Previn Lyrics/Book: Alan Jay Lerner
Musical Type: Post-Golden Age (1969)
Diana: The Musical
Music/Lyrics/Book: David Bryan, Joe DiPietro
Musical Type: Contemporary (2019)
Evita
Music: Andrew Lloyd Webber Lyrics: Tim Rice
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1976)
Fiorello
Music: Jerry Bock Lyrics: Sheldon Harnick Book: Jerome Weidman, George Abbott
Musical Type: Golden Age (1959)
George M!
Music/Lyrics: George M. Cohan Lyrics: Mary Cohan Book: Michael Stewart, John Pascal, Francine Pascal
Musical Type: Post-Golden Age (1968)
Gypsy
Music: Jule Styne Lyrics: Stephen Sondheim Book: Arthur Laurents
Musical Type: Golden Age (1959)
Hamilton
Music/Lyrics/Book: Lin-Manuel Miranda
Musical Type: Contemporary (2015)
In the Green
Music/Lyrics/Book: Grace McLean
Musical Type: Contemporary (2019)
Jelly’s Last Jam
Music: Jelly Roll Morton, Luther Henderson Lyrics: Susan Birkenhead Book: George C. Wolfe
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1992)
Legs Diamond
Music/Lyrics: Peter Allen Book: Harvey Fierstein, Charles Suppon
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1988)
Minnie’s Boys
Music: Larry Grossman Lyrics: Hal Hackady Book: Arthur Marx, Robert Fisher
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1970)
Miss Littlewood
Music/Lyrics/Book: Sam Kenyon
Musical Type: Contemporary (2018)
Nevermore
Music/Lyrics/Book: Jonathan Christenson
Musical Type: Contemporary (2010)
Queen of the Mist
Music/Lyrics/Book: Michael John LaChiusa
Musical Type: Contemporary (2011)
Side Show
Music: Henry Krieger Lyrics/Book: Bill Russell
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1997)
Six
Music/Lyrics/Book: Toby Marlow, Lucy Moss
Musical Type: Contemporary (2017)
The Capeman
Music/Lyrics: Paul Simon Lyrics/Book: Derek Walcott
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1998)
The Sound of Music
Music: Richard Rodgers Lyrics: Oscar Hammerstein II Book: Howard Lindsay, Russel Crouse
Musical Type: Golden Age (1959)
War Paint
Music: Scott Frankel Lyrics: Michael Korie Book: Doug Wright
Musical Type: Contemporary (2016)
Semi-Biographical Musicals
Ben Franklin in Paris
Music: Jerry Herman, Mark Sandrich, Jr. Lyrics/Book: Sidney Michaels
Musical Type: Post-Golden Age (1964)
Funny Girl
Music: Jule Styne Lyrics: Bob Merrill Book: Isobel Lennart
Musical Type: Post-Golden Age (1964)
Martin Guerre
Music: Claude-Michel Schönberg Lyrics: Boublil, Hardy, Clark Book: Schönberg, Boublil
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1996)
Jukebox Biographies
Ain’t Too Proud
Music/Lyrics: The Temptations Book: Dominique Morisseau
Musical Type: Contemporary/Jukebox (2017)
Beautiful: The Carole King Musical
Music: Various Lyrics: Various Book: Douglas McGrath
Musical Type: Contemporary/Jukebox (2013)
Buddy: The Buddy Holly Story
Music/Lyrics: Buddy Holly, Various
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary/Jukebox (1989)
Fela!
Music/Lyrics: Fela Kuti Book: Bill T. Jones, Jim Lewis
Musical Type: Contemporary/Jukebox (2008)
Jersey Boys
Music: Bob Gaudio Lyrics: Bob Crewe Book: Marshall Brickman, Rick Elice
Musical Type: Contemporary/Jukebox (2004)
Jolson
Music/Lyrics: Various Book: Francis Essex, Rob Bettinson
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1995)
MJ The Musical
Music/Lyrics: Michael Jackson, Various Book: Lynn Nottage
Musical Type: Contemporary/Jukebox (2022)
On Your Feet!
Music/Lyrics: Gloria & Emilio Estefan, Miami Sound Machine Book: Alexander Dinelaris Jr.
Musical Type: Contemporary/Jukebox (2015)
Summer: The Donna Summer Musical
Music/Lyrics: Various Book: Colman Domingo, Robert Cary, Des McAnuff
Musical Type: Contemporary/Jukebox (2017)
The Boy From Oz
Music/Lyrics: Peter Allen Book: Nick Enright, Martin Sherman
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary/Jukebox (1998)
The Cher Show
Music: Various Lyrics: Various Book: Rick Elice
Musical Type: Contemporary/Jukebox (2018)
Tina: The Tina Turner Musical
Music/Lyrics: Various Book: Katori Hall, Frank Ketelaar, Kees Prins
Musical Type: Contemporary/Jukebox (2018)
Related Posts:
• Musicals Based on True Stories
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 has a TESOL drama certificate, a BA in theatre, and has worked and interned with Broadway and Off-Broadway theaters.
