50+ Classical Musicals – The Full List of Shows
Looking for musicals that capture the elegance and grandeur of classical music? From sweeping Golden Age romances to lively operettas, these shows all draw inspiration from traditional classical styles. Below is a full list of classical musicals, organized by subgenre.
If that’s not what you’re looking for, here’s a full list of well-known classic musicals.
Post Contents:
Classical Musicals
The following musicals incorporate classical music into their scores and storytelling. Many also blend elements from other genres, including pop and experimental styles.
Music: Joshua Schmidt Lyrics: Jan Levy Tranen Book: Austin Pendleton
Musical Type: Contemporary (2011)
Music Genres: Classical / Musical Theatre
Music/Lyrics/Book: Joshua Schmidt Lyrics/Book: Jason Loewith
Musical Type: Contemporary (2007)
Music Genres: Classical / Experimental
Music/Lyrics: George Gershwin, Ira Gershwin Book: Craig Lucas
Musical Type: 1951 Film/Contemporary Musical (2014)
Music Genres: Classical / Jazz
Music: Benny Andersson, Björn Ulvaeus Lyrics: Tim Rice Book: Richard Nelson
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1984)
Music Genres: Classical / Pop / Musical Theatre / Rock
Music/Lyrics: Michael John La Chiusa
Musical Type: Contemporary (2015)
Music Genres: Classical / Musical Theatre
Music/Lyrics/Book: Michael John LaChiusa
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1993)
Music Genres: Classical / Musical Theatre
Music: Polly Pen Lyrics: Peggy Harmon
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1985)
Music Genre: Classical
Music/Lyrics: Howard Goodall Lyrics/Book: Stephen Clark
Musical Type: Contemporary (2010)
Music Genres: Classical / Musical Theatre
Music/Lyrics: Billy Joel Concept: Twyla Tharp
Musical Type: Contemporary (2002)
Music Genres: Classical / Rock
Music/Lyrics: Ricky Ian Gordon Lyrics/Book: Richard Nelson
Musical Type: Contemporary (2003)
Music Genres: Classical / Musical Theatre
Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812
Music/Lyrics/Book: Dave Malloy
Musical Type: Contemporary (2012)
Music Genres: Classical / Folk / Musical Theatre / Pop
Music/Lyrics/Book: Dave Malloy
Musical Type: Contemporary (2019)
Music Genres: Classical / Experimental
Music/Lyrics/Book: Dave Malloy
Musical Type: Contemporary (2015)
Music Genres: Classical / Experimental
Music: Keith Herrmann Lyrics/Book: Barry Harman
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1987)
Music Genres: Classical / Jazz / Musical Theatre / Pop
Music/Lyrics: Jason Robert Brown Book: Marsha Norman
Musical Type: Contemporary (2013)
Music Genres: Classical / Country / Musical Theatre
Music/Lyrics: Jason Robert Brown Book: Jonathan Marc Sherman
Musical Type: Contemporary (2024)
Music Genres: Classical / Funk / Jazz / Pop / Rap
Music: Peter Rutherford Lyrics/Book: James Millar
Musical Type: Contemporary (2008)
Music Genres: Classical / Musical Theatre
Music/Lyrics/Book: Jason Robert Brown
Musical Type: Contemporary (2001)
Music Genres: Blues / Classical / Jazz / Musical Theatre / Pop
Music/Lyrics: Adam Guettel Book: Craig Lucas
Musical Type: Contemporary (2003)
Music Genres: Classical / Musical Theatre
Music/Lyrics: Tori Amos Lyrics/Book: Samuel Adamson
Musical Type: Contemporary (2013)
Music Genres: Classical / Musical Theatre / Pop
Music: Andrew Lloyd Webber Lyrics: David Zippel Book: Charlotte Jones
Musical Type: Contemporary (2004)
Music Genres: Classical / Musical Theatre
Music/Lyrics/Book: Dave Malloy
Musical Type: Contemporary (2024)
Music Genres: Classical / Folk / Pop / Musical Theatre
Music: Leonard Bernstein Lyrics: Stephen Sondheim Book: Arthur Laurents
Musical Type: Golden Age (1957)
Music Genres: Classical / Jazz / Musical Theatre
Music: Jeffrey Lunden Lyrics/Book: Arthur Perlman
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1992)
Music Genres: Classical / Experimental
Operatic Musicals
The following musicals feature operatic influences in their scores. This list includes both operatic musicals and operettas, many of which blend in traditional musical theatre.
Music: Milton Schafer Lyrics: Ronny Graham Book: A.J. Russell
Musical Type: Post-Golden Age (1962)
Music Genres: Musical Theatre / Operetta
Music/Lyrics: Leonard Bernstein Lyrics: Richard Wilbur, John La Touche, Stephen Sondheim*, Dorothy Parker Book: John Caird*, Hugh Wheeler*, Lillian Hellman
* Writers who worked on the 1974/1999 revivals of the show
Musical Type: Golden Age (1956)
Music Genre: Operetta
Music: Georges Bizet Lyrics/Book: Oscar Hammerstein II
Musical Type: Golden Age (1943)
Music Genres: Musical Theatre / Opera
Music: Frederic Norton Lyrics/Book: Oscar Asche
Musical Type: Pre-Jazz Age (1916)
Music Genres: Musical Theatre / Opera
Music: Richard Rodgers Lyrics: Lorenz Hart Book: Herbert Fields
Musical Type: Jazz Age (1925)
Music Genre: Operetta
Music: Kurt Weill Lyrics: Bertolt Brecht Book: Elisabeth Hauptmann, Michael Feingold
Musical Type: Jazz Age (1929)
Music Genres: Musical Theatre / Opera
Music/Lyrics: Robert Wright, George Forrest Book: Peter Stone
Musical Type: Post-Golden Age (1961)
Music Genres: Musical Theatre / Operetta
Music: Kurt Weill Lyrics/Book: Maxwell Anderson
Musical Type: Jazz Age (1938)
Music Genre: Operetta
Music: Kurt Weill Lyrics: Ira Gershwin Book: Moss Hart
Musical Type: Golden Age (1941)
Music Genres: Musical Theatre / Operetta
Music: Brad Carroll Lyrics/Book: Peter Sham
Musical Type: Contemporary (2010)
Music Genres: Musical Theatre / Opera
Music: Kurt Weill Lyrics/Book: Maxwell Anderson
Musical Type: Golden Age (1949)
Music Genres: Blues / Opera
Music: Kurt Weill Lyrics: Various Book: Alfred Uhry
Musical Type: Contemporary (2007)
Music Genres: Musical Theatre / Opera
Music/Book: Andrew Lloyd Webber Lyrics/Book: Glenn Slater Book: Ben Elton, Frederick Forsyth
Musical Type: Contemporary (2010)
Music Genres: Musical Theatre / Opera
Music: Heitor Villa-Lobos Lyrics: Robert Wright, George Forrest Book: Frederick Hazlitt Brennan, Homer Curran
Musical Type: Golden Age (1948)
Music Genres: Folk Operetta / Musical Theatre
Music/Lyrics: Maury Yeston Book: Arthur Kopit
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1991)
Music Genres: Musical Theatre / Opera
Music: George Gershwin Lyrics: Ira Gershwin Libretto: DuBose Heyward, Dorothy Heyward
Musical Type: Opera (1935)
Music Genres: Blues / Jazz / Musical Theatre / Opera
Music: Al Carmines Lyrics/Book: María Irene Fornés
Musical Type: Post-Golden Age (1965)
Music Genres: Folk / Musical Theatre / Operetta
Music: Ron Grainer Lyrics/Book: Ronald Millar
Musical Type: Post-Golden Age (1964)
Music Genre: Operetta
Music: Jerome Kern Lyrics/Book: Oscar Hammerstein II
Musical Type: Jazz Age (1927)
Music Genres: Musical Theatre / Opera
Music: Edvard Grieg Lyrics: Robert Wright, George Forrest Book: Milton Lazarus
Musical Type: Golden Age (1944)
Music Genre: Operetta
Music: Kurt Weill Lyrics: Langston Hughes Book: Elmer Rice
Musical Type: Opera (1947)
Music Genres: Musical Theatre / Opera
Music: Jerome Kern Lyrics/Book: George Grossmith, Jr., P.G. Wodehouse
Musical Type: Jazz Age (1922)
Music Genres: Musical Theatre / Opera
Music/Lyrics/Book: Marc Blitzstein
Musical Type: Jazz Age (1938)
Music Genres: Musical Theatre / Opera
Music: Sigmund Romberg Lyrics/Book: Otto Harbach, Oscar Hammerstein II, Frank Mandel
Musical Type: Jazz Age (1926)
Music Genre: Operetta
Music/Lyrics: Arthur Schwartz, Howard Dietz Book: Fay Kanin, Michael Kanin
Musical Type: Post-Golden Age (1961)
Music Genres: Musical Theatre / Operetta
Music: Sigmund Romberg Lyrics: Leo Robin Book: Jerome Chodorov, Joseph Fields
Musical Type: Golden Age (1954)
Music Genres: Musical Theatre / Operetta
Music: Jerome Moross Lyrics/Book: John La Touche
Musical Type: Golden Age (1954)
Music Genres: Musical Theatre / Opera
The Happiest Girl in the World
Music: Jacques Offenbach Lyrics: Yip Harburg Book: Fred Saidy, Henry Mayers
Musical Type: Post-Golden Age (1961)
Music Genre: Operetta
Music/Lyrics/Book: Frank Loesser
Musical Type: Golden Age (1956)
Music Genres: Musical Theatre / Opera
Music: Sigmund Romberg Lyrics/Book: Oscar Hammerstein II, Frank Mandel, Laurence Schwab
Musical Type: Jazz Age (1927)
Music Genre: Operetta
Music/Book: Andrew Lloyd Webber Lyrics: Charles Hart Lyrics/Book: Richard Stilgoe
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1986)
Music Genres: Musical Theatre / Opera
Music: Arthur Sullivan Lyrics: W.S. Gilbert
Musical Type: Opera (1879)
Music Genres: Musical Theatre / Opera
Music: Kurt Weill Lyrics/Book: Bertolt Brecht
Musical Type: Opera (1928)
Music Genres: Musical Theatre / Opera
Music: Vincent Youmans Lyrics: Edward Heyman Book: Brian Hooker
Musical Type: Jazz Age (1932)
Music Genres: Musical Theatre / Operetta
Music/Lyrics/Book: Bernard J. Taylor
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1992)
Music Genres: Musical Theatre / Opera
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Which of these classical musicals is your favorite?
Or have you ever played a role in any of the above classical musicals? Feel free to share in the comments below! And if you enjoy exploring these lists, check out the musical database, where you can discover musicals organized by composer, theme, setting, and much 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 and a TESOL drama certificate, with experience working and interning in Broadway and Off-Broadway theaters.