101+ Dramatic Musicals – A Full List of Shows
Whether you’re auditioning for musicals, setting up your rep book, or simply looking for some good dramatic shows to cry to, it’s always good to get familiar with what’s out there. And that’s why we’ve put together this list of dramatic musicals for you below, sorted by time period.
By the way, I will later be making specific lists for dramedies, and romantic dramas. The following shows fall into the generic genre of “drama musicals”.
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Contents:
Dramatic Jazz Age Musicals
Cast Size: 24+
Music: George Gershwin Lyrics: Ira Gershwin Libretto: DuBose Heyward, Dorothy Heyward
Musical Type: Opera (1935)
Cast Size: 10+
Music/Lyrics/Book: Marc Blitzstein
Musical Type: Jazz Age (1938)
Dramatic Golden Age Musicals
Cast Size: 25+
Music: Georges Bizet Lyrics/Book: Oscar Hammerstein II
Musical Type: Golden Age (1943)
Cast Size: 9
Music: Kurt Weill Lyrics/Book: Maxwell Anderson
Musical Type: Golden Age (1949)
Cast Size: 30+
Music: Edvard Grieg Lyrics: Robert Wright, George Forrest Book: Milton Lazarus, Homer Curran
Musical Type: Golden Age/Operetta (1944)
Cast Size: 23+
Music: Harold Arlen Lyrics: Johnny Mercer Book: Arna Bontemps, Countee Cullen
Musical Type: Golden Age (1946)
Cast Size: 30+
Music: Kurt Weill Lyrics: Langston Hughes Book: Elmer Rice
Musical Type: Opera (1947)
Cast Size: 30+
Music: Richard Rodgers Lyrics/Book: Oscar Hammerstein II Book: Joshua Logan
Musical Type: Golden Age (1949)
Dramatic 1960s Musicals
Cast Size: 20+
Music/Lyrics/Book: Lionel Bart Book: Joan Maitland
Musical Type: Post-Golden Age (1962)
Cast Size: 25+
Music: John Kander Lyrics: Fred Ebb Book: Joe Masteroff
Musical Type: Post-Golden Age (1966)
Cast Size: 16+
Music: Jerry Bock Lyrics: Sheldon Harnick Book: Joseph Stein
Musical Type: Post-Golden Age (1964)
Cast Size: 21
Music: Charles Strouse Lyrics: Lee Adams Book: Clifford Odets, William Gibson
Musical Type: Post-Golden Age (1964)
Cast Size: 20+
Music/Lyrics/Book: Lionel Bart
Musical Type: Post-Golden Age (1960)
Dramatic 1970s Musicals
Cast Size: 19+
Music: John Kander Lyrics/Book: Fred Ebb Book: Bob Fosse
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1975)
I’m Getting My Act Together and Taking It on the Road
Cast Size: 10
Music: Nancy Ford Lyrics/Book: Gretchen Cryer
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1978)
Cast Size: 20+
Music: Andrew Lloyd Webber Lyrics: Tim Rice
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1970)
Cast Size: 15
Music/Lyrics: Jerry Herman Book: Michael Stewart
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1974)
Cast Size: 20+
Music/Lyrics: Stephen Sondheim Book: John Weidman
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1976)
Cast Size: 15
Music: Judd Woldin Lyrics: Robert Brittan Book: Robert Nemiroff, Charlotte Zaltzberg
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1973)
Cast Size: 16+
Music: Gary Geld Lyrics/Book: Peter Udell Book: Philip Rose, James Lee Barrett
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1974)
Cast Size: 12
Music: Gary William Friedman Lyrics: Will Holt Book: Bob Livingston, Herb Schapiro
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1970)
Cast Size: 11
Music: Jerry Bock Lyrics: Sheldon Harnick Book: Sherman Yellen
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1970)
Dramatic 1980s Musicals
Cast Size: 19+
Music/Book: Andrew Lloyd Webber Lyrics: Don Black, Charles Hart
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1989)
Cast Size: 21+
Music/Lyrics: Roger Miller Book: William Hauptman
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1985)
Cast Size: 8+
Music/Lyrics/Book: Willy Russell
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1983)
Cast Size: 12+
Music: Benny Andersson, Björn Ulvaeus Lyrics: Tim Rice Book: Richard Nelson
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1984)
Cast Size: 25
Music: Charles Strouse Lyrics/Book: Alan Jay Lerner
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1983)
Cast Size: 25+
Music: Henry Krieger Lyrics/Book: Tom Eyen
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1981)
Cast Size: 8+
Music/Lyrics: Robert Wright, George Forrest, Maury Yeston Book: Luther Davis
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1989)
Cast Size: 8-10
Music: Larry Grossman Lyrics: Ellen Fitzhugh Book: Fay Kanin
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1985)
Cast Size: 5
Music/Lyrics/Book: William Finn
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1981)
Cast Size: 27
Music/Lyrics: Maury Yeston Book: Arthur Kopit
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1982)
Cast Size: 30+
Music/Lyrics: Claude-Michel Schönberg Lyrics: Alan Boublil, Herbert Kretzmer, Jean-Marc Natel
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1980)
Cast Size: 16
Music: Charles Strouse Lyrics: Stephen Schwartz Book: Joseph Stein, David Thompson
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1986)
Cast Size: 9
Music/Lyrics: David Heneker Lyrics/Book: Warner Brown
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1980)
Cast Size: 8
Music: John Kander Lyrics: Fred Ebb Book: Terrence McNally
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1984)
Dramatic 1990s Musicals
Cast Size: 15+
Music: Elton John Lyrics: Tim Rice Book: Linda Woolverton, Robert Falls, David Henry Hwang
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1998)
Cast Size: 12+
Music/Lyrics: Stephen Sondheim Book: John Weidman
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1990)
Cast Size: 15+
Music/Lyrics/Book: Paul Scott Goodman
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1999)
Cast Size: 7
Music/Lyrics/Book: William Finn Book: James Lapine
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1990)
Cast Size: 7
Music/Lyrics/Book: William Finn Book: James Lapine
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1992)
Cast Size: 2
Music/Lyrics: Stephen Trask Book: John Cameron Mitchell
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1998)
Cast Size: 2
Music/Book: Andrew Lippa Lyrics/Book: Tom Greenwald
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1995)
Cast Size: 18
Music: John Kander Lyrics: Fred Ebb Book: Terrence McNally
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1992)
Cast Size: 18
Music/Lyrics/Book: Michael John LaChiusa
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1999)
Cast Size: 16+
Music/Lyrics: Jason Robert Brown Book: Alfred Uhry
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1998)
Cast Size: 37
Music/Lyrics: Maury Yeston Book: Arthur Kopit
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1991)
Cast Size: 18+
Music: Stephen Flaherty Lyrics: Lynn Ahrens Book: Terrence McNally
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1996)
Cast Size: 13+
Music/Lyrics/Book: Jonathan Larson
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1996)
Cast Size: 45+
Music: Andrew Lloyd Webber Lyrics/Book: Don Black, Christopher Hampton
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1991)
Cast Size: 15+
Music/Book: Frank Wildhorn Lyrics: Jack Murphy Book: Gregory Boyd
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1998)
Cast Size: 5
Music/Lyrics: Steve Schalchlin Lyrics: John Bettis, Marie Cain Book: Jim Brochu
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1997)
Cast Size: 18+
Music/Book: Cy Coleman Lyrics/Book: Ira Gasman Book: David Newman
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1990)
Cast Size: 30+
Music: Frank Wildhorn Lyrics/Book: Nan Knighton
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1997)
Cast Size: 24
Music: Lucy Simon Lyrics/Book: Marsha Norman
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1991)
Cast Size: 14+
Music/Lyrics/Book: Pete Townshend Book: Des McAnuff
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1992)
Cast Size: 13+
Music/Lyrics/Book: Andrew Lippa
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1997)
Cast Size: 37
Music/Lyrics: Maury Yeston Book: Peter Stone
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1997)
Cast Size: 11
Music: Jeanine Tesori Lyrics/Book: Brian Crawley
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1997)
Cast Size: 23+
Music/Book: Andrew Lloyd Webber Lyrics: Jim Steinman Book: Patricia Knop, Gale Edwards
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1996)
Cast Size: 7
Music: Jeffrey Lunden Lyrics/Book: Arthur Perlman
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1992)
Dramatic 2000s Musicals
Cast Size: 15
Music/Lyrics: John Bucchino Book: Harvey Fierstein
Musical Type: Contemporary (2007)
Cast Size: 11+
Music: Andrew Lippa Lyrics/Book: Brian Crawley
Musical Type: Contemporary (2004)
Cast Size: 14
Music: Stephen Flaherty Lyrics: Lynn Ahrens Book: Terrence McNally
Musical Type: Contemporary (2002)
Cast Size: 24+
Music/Lyrics/Book: Jill Santoriello
Musical Type: Contemporary (2007)
Cast Size: 7+
Music: Green Day Lyrics/Book: Billie Joe Armstrong Book: Michael Mayer
Musical Type: Contemporary/Jukebox (2009)
Cast Size: 20+
Music/Lyrics: Kath Gotts Book: Maureen Chadwick, Ann McManus
Musical Type: Contemporary (2006)
Cast Size: 15+
Music/Book: Damon Intrabartolo Lyrics/Book: Jon Hartmere
Musical Type: Contemporary (2000)
Cast Size: 14+
Music: A.R. Rahman Lyrics: Don Black Book: Meera Syal, Thomas Meehan
Musical Type: Contemporary (2002)
Cast Size: 14+
Music: Frank Wildhorn Lyrics: Don Black Book: Ivan Menchell
Musical Type: Contemporary (2009)
Cast Size: 16
Music: Jeanine Tesori Lyrics/Book: Tony Kushner
Musical Type: Contemporary (2003)
Cast Size: 7+
Music/Lyrics: Pet Shop Boys Book: Jonathan Harvey
Musical Type: Contemporary (2001)
Cast Size: 12+
Music: Stephen Flaherty Lyrics/Book: Lynn Ahrens
Musical Type: Contemporary (2005)
Cast Size: 11
Music/Lyrics/Book: Peter Mills Book: Cara Reichel
Musical Type: Contemporary (2009)
Cast Size: 4
Music/Lyrics: Nick Blaemire Book: James Gardiner
Musical Type: Contemporary (2008)
Cast Size: 9
Music/Lyrics/Book: Michael John LaChiusa
Musical Type: Contemporary (2003)
Cast Size: 9+
Music: Jason Howland Lyrics: Mindi Dickstein Book: Allan Knee
Musical Type: Contemporary (2005)
Cast Size: 10+
Music: Kurt Weill Lyrics: Various Book: Alfred Uhry
Musical Type: Contemporary (2007)
Cast Size: 9
Music: Michel Legrand Lyrics: Herbert Kretzmer Lyrics/Book: Alain Boublil Book: Claude-Michel Schönberg, Jonathan Kent
Musical Type: Contemporary (2008)
Cast Size: 8+
Music/Lyrics: David Bryan Lyrics/Book: Joe DiPietro
Musical Type: Contemporary (2002)
Cast Size: 6
Music: Tom Kitt Lyrics/Book: Brian Yorkey
Musical Type: Contemporary (2008)
Cast Size: 10+
Music/Lyrics: Stephen Sondheim Book: John Weidman
Musical Type: Contemporary (2003)
Cast Size: 5
Music/Lyrics/Book: Michael John LaChiusa
Musical Type: Contemporary (2004)
Cast Size: 13
Music: Duncan Sheik Lyrics/Book: Steven Sater
Musical Type: Contemporary (2006)
Cast Size: 22
Music: Marvin Hamlisch Lyrics: Craig Carnelia Book: John Guare
Musical Type: Contemporary (2002)
Cast Size: 13
Music/Lyrics: Boy George Music: Kevan Frost, John Themis, Richie Stevens Book: Mark Davies Markham, Charles Busch
Musical Type: Contemporary (2002)
Cast Size: 17
Music: Andrew Lloyd Webber Lyrics/Book: Ben Elton
Musical Type: Contemporary (2000)
Cast Size: 7+
Music/Lyrics: Brenda Russell, Allee Willis, Stephen Bray Book: Marsha Norman
Musical Type: Contemporary (2005)
Cast Size: 8+
Music: Frank Wildhorn Lyrics/Book: Jack Murphy
Musical Type: Contemporary (2009)
Cast Size: 2
Music/Lyrics/Book: Jason Robert Brown
Musical Type: Contemporary (2001)
Cast Size: 7
Music/Book: James Valcq Lyrics/Book: Fred Alley
Musical Type: Contemporary (2001)
Cast Size: 2
Music/Lyrics: Neil Bartram Book: Brian Hill
Musical Type: Contemporary (2006)
Cast Size: 15
Music/Lyrics/Book: Michael John LaChiusa Book: George C. Wolfe
Musical Type: Contemporary (2000)
Cast Size: 12
Music: Charles Miller Lyrics/Book: Kevin Hammonds
Musical Type: Contemporary (2007)
Cast Size: 12
Music: Joseph Zellnik Lyrics/Book: David Zellnik
Musical Type: Contemporary (2005)
Dramatic 2010s Musicals
Cast Size: 5
Music/Lyrics/Book: Nick Blaemire
Musical Type: Contemporary (2011)
Cast Size: 5
Music: Joshua Schmidt Lyrics: Jan Levy Tranen Book: Austin Pendleton
Musical Type: Contemporary (2011)
Cast Size: 7
Music/Lyrics/Book: Jay Kuo Book: Marc Acito, Lorenzo Thione
Musical Type: Contemporary (2012)
Cast Size: 15+
Music/Lyrics/Book: Christopher Smith Book: Arthur Giron
Musical Type: Contemporary (2012)
Cast Size: 20
Music/Lyrics/Book: Richard Oberacker Lyrics/Book: Robert Taylor
Musical Type: Contemporary (2015)
Cast Size: 17
Music/Book: Steve Martin Music/Lyrics: Edie Brickell
Musical Type: Contemporary (2014)
Cast Size: 12+
Music/Lyrics/Book: Irene Sankoff, David Hein
Musical Type: Contemporary (2013)
Cast Size: 8+
Music: Lucy Simon Lyrics: Michael Korie, Amy Powers Book: Michael Weller
Musical Type: Contemporary (2011)
Cast Size: 9+
Music/Lyrics: Benj Pasek, Justin Paul Book: Peter Duchan
Musical Type: Contemporary (2012)
Cast Size: 18
Music/Lyrics: Gary Barlow, Eliot Kennedy Music: Scott Frankel Lyrics: Michael Korie Book: Allan Knee, James Graham
Musical Type: Contemporary (2012)
Cast Size: 7+
Music: Stuart Brayson Lyrics: Tim Rice Book: Bill Oakes
Musical Type: Contemporary (2013)
Cast Size: 11
Music: Jeanine Tesori Lyrics/Book: Lisa Kron
Musical Type: Contemporary (2013)
Cast Size: 13
Music/Lyrics: Bob Dylan Book: Conor McPherson
Musical Type: Contemporary/Jukebox (2017)
Music/Lyrics/Book: Fat Mike, Jeff Marx, Soma Snakeoil, David Goldsmith
Musical Type: Contemporary (2015)
Cast Size: 6
Music/Lyrics/Book: The Bengsons Book: Sarah Gancher
Musical Type: Contemporary (2017)
Cast Size: 8+
Music/Lyrics: Alanis Morissette Music: Glen Ballard, Guy Sigsworth, Michael Farrell Book: Diablo Cody
Musical Type: Contemporary/Jukebox (2018)
Cast Size: 9
Music: John Kander Lyrics/Book: Greg Pierce
Musical Type: Contemporary (2015)
Cast Size: 6
Music/Lyrics/Book: Robbie Schaefer
Musical Type: Contemporary (2018)
Cast Size: 9
Music/Book: Andrew Lloyd Webber Lyrics/Book: Glenn Slater Book: Ben Elton, Frederick Forsyth
Musical Type: Contemporary (2010)
Natasha, Pierre & the Great Comet of 1812
Cast Size: 16+
Music/Lyrics/Book: Dave Malloy
Musical Type: Contemporary (2012)
Cast Size: Flexible
Music/Lyrics: Danny Abosch Book: Joshua Borths
Musical Type: Contemporary (2011)
Cast Size: 15+
Music/Lyrics: David Taylor Gomes Book: Kyle Holmes
Musical Type: Contemporary (2019)
Cast Size: 15+
Music: Stephen Flaherty Lyrics: Lynn Ahrens Book: Thomas Meehan, Sylvester Stallone
Musical Type: Contemporary (2012)
Cast Size: 8
Music/Lyrics: Tom Kitt Book: John Logan
Musical Type: Contemporary (2019)
The Apprenticeship of Duddy Kravitz
Music: Alan Menken Lyrics/Book: David Spencer
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary/Contemporary (1984/2015)
Cast Size: 15+
Music/Lyrics: David Yazbek Book: Itamar Moses
Musical Type: Contemporary (2016)
Cast Size: 10
Music: Chris Miller Lyrics: Nathan Tysen Book: Mariana Elder
Musical Type: Contemporary (2010)
Cast: 10
Music/Lyrics/Book: Peter C. Mills Book: Cara Reichel
Musical Type: Contemporary (2019)
Cast Size: 4
Music/Lyrics/Book: Kait Kerrigan, Bree Lowdermilk
Musical Type: Contemporary (2017)
Cast Size: 6
Music/Lyrics: Andrew Lippa Book: Jules Feiffer
Musical Type: Contemporary (2017)
Cast Size: 11+
Music/Lyrics: Stephen Schwartz Book: Philip LaZebnik
Musical Type: Contemporary (2017)
Cast Size: 10+
Music/Lyrics/Book: Max Vernon
Musical Type: Contemporary (2017)
Cast Size: 12+
Music/Lyrics/Book: Matt Gould, Griffin Matthews
Musical Type: Contemporary (2014)
Dramatic 2020s Musicals
Cast Size: 10
Music: Tom Kitt Lyrics: Michael Korie Book: James Lapine
Musical Type: Contemporary (2021)
Cast Size: 15+
Music: Stephen Flaherty Lyrics: Lynn Ahrens Book: Frank Galati
Musical Type: Contemporary (2022)
Cast Size: 6
Music: William Patrick Harrison Lyrics/Book: Maryhee Yoon, Cara Baldwin
Musical Type: Contemporary (2021)
Music/Lyrics: Ari Afsar Book: Lauren M. Gunderson
Musical Type: Contemporary (2020)
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Which of these dramatic musicals is your favorite?
Or have you ever played a role in any of the above musical dramas? 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.