8 Canadian Musicals You Should Know – The Full List
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 full list of Canadian musicals for you below, sorted alphabetically.
Although there are other Canadian musicals out there, this is the full list of mainstream shows that also have cast albums available for your convenience. Here’s hoping Canadian musical theatre takes center stage over the coming years!
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Canadian Musicals
Music/Lyrics: Norman Campbell Lyrics/Book: Don Harron, Elaine Campbell, Mavor Moore
Musical Type: Post-Golden Age (1965)
Where It Premiered: The Charlottetown Festival
Music/Lyrics/Book: Irene Sankoff, David Hein
Musical Type: Contemporary (2013)
Where It Premiered: Sheridan College, Toronto
Music/Lyrics/Book: George Reinblatt Music: Christopher Bond, Frank Cipolla, Melissa Morris
Musical Type: Contemporary (2003)
Where It Premiered: The Tranzac Club, Toronto
Music/Lyrics/Book: Jonathan Christenson
Musical Type: Contemporary (2010)
Where It Premiered: The Catalyst Theater, Alberta
Music/Lyrics/Book: Brooke Maxwell, Jacob Richmond
Musical Type: Contemporary (2015)
Where It Premiered: Atomic Vaudeville, Victoria, BC
Music/Lyrics: Lisa Lambert, Greg Morrison Book: Bob Martin, Don McKellar
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1998)
Where It Premiered: The Rivoli, Toronto
Music/Lyrics: Neil Bartram Book: Brian Hill
Musical Type: Contemporary (2006)
Where It Premiered: Canadian Stage Company, Toronto
Music/Lyrics: Neil Bartram Book: Brian Hill
Musical Type: Contemporary/Song Cycle (2014)
Where It Was Commissioned: The Canadian Music Theatre Project, Toronto
Musicals That Premiered in Canada
The following musicals are not Canadian, but they did have their premiere in “The Great White North”
Music: Frederick Loewe Lyrics/Book: Alan Jay Lerner
Musical Type: Post-Golden Age (1960)
Where It Premiered: The O’Keefe Centre, Toronto
Music: Stephen Flaherty Lyrics: Lynn Ahrens Book: Terrence McNally
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1996)
Where It Premiered: Toronto Centre for the Arts, Toronto
The Apprenticeship of Duddy Kravitz
Music: Alan Menken Lyrics/Book: David Spencer
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary/Contemporary (1984/2015)
Where It Premiered: Edmonton’s Citadel Theatre / Segal Center for Performing Arts
Want a weekly list of stagey surprises?!
Which of these Canadian musicals is your favorite?
Or have you ever played a role in any of the above Canadian 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.