35+ Edgy Musicals – The Full List of Shows
Many musicals have been known to push boundaries, whether at the time of their premiere or even today. With darker themes and thought-provoking content, some challenge audiences or spark controversy. Here’s a full list of edgy musicals, sorted alphabetically.
And here’s Theatre Trip’s playlist – “Musical Theatre’s Dark Side”➝.
Edgy Musicals
3 Guys Naked from the Waist Down
Music: Michael Rupert Lyrics/Book: Jerry Colker
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1985)
Genre: Comedy
Music/Lyrics/Book: Michael R. Jackson
Musical Type: Contemporary (2019)
Genre: Dramedy
Music/Lyrics/Book: Joshua Schmidt Lyrics/Book: Jason Loewith
Musical Type: Contemporary (2007)
Genre: Drama
Music/Lyrics: Duncan Sheik Book: Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa
Musical Type: Contemporary (2013)
Genre: Horror
Music/Lyrics: Stephen Sondheim Book: John Weidman
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1990)
Genre: Drama
Music/Lyrics: Robert Lopez, Jeff Marx Book: Jeff Whitty
Musical Type: Contemporary (2003)
Genre: Comedy / Parody
Music/Lyrics: Michael Friedman Book: Alex Timbers
Musical Type: Contemporary (2008)
Genre: Biography
Music: John Kander Lyrics: Fred Ebb Book: Joe Masteroff
Musical Type: Post-Golden Age (1966)
Genre: Drama
Music: Michael Gore Lyrics: Dean Pitchford Book: Lawrence D. Cohen
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1988)
Genre: Horror
Music: John Kander Lyrics/Book: Fred Ebb Book: Bob Fosse
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1975)
Genre: Drama
Music/Lyrics/Book: George Reinblatt Music: Christopher Bond, Frank Cipolla, Melissa Morris
Musical Type: Contemporary (2003)
Genre: Comedic Horror / Parody
Music: Galt MacDermot Lyrics/Book: Gerome Ragni, James Rado
Musical Type: Post-Golden Age (1967)
Genre: Dramedy
Music/Lyrics/Book: Laurence O’Keefe, Kevin Murphy
Musical Type: Contemporary (2010)
Genre: Dark Comedy
Music/Lyrics: Stephen Trask Book: John Cameron Mitchell
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1998)
Genre: Drama
Music/Lyrics/Book: Michael John LaChiusa
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1994)
Genre: Romance
Music/Lyrics: Alanis Morissette Music: Glen Ballard, Guy Sigsworth, Michael Farrell Book: Diablo Cody
Musical Type: Contemporary (2018)
Genre: Drama
Music/Lyrics/Book: Richard Thomas, Stewart Lee
Musical Type: Contemporary (2001)
Genre: Fantasy
Music: Alan Menken Lyrics/Book: Howard Ashman
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1982)
Genre: Comedic Horror
Music/Lyrics: Steven Cheslik-DeMeyer, Alan Stevens Hewitt Music/Lyrics/Book: Tim Maner
Musical Type: Contemporary (2009)
Genre: Horror
Music/Book: Dan Studney Lyrics/Book: Kevin Murphy
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1998)
Genre: Comedic Horror / Satire
Music/Lyrics/Book: Jonathan Larson
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1996)
Genre: Drama
Music/Lyrics/Book: Brooke Maxwell, Jacob Richmond
Musical Type: Contemporary (2015)
Genre: Dark Comedy / Horror
Music: Marvin Laird Lyrics/Book: Joel Paley
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1992)
Genre: Dark Comedy
Music/Lyrics/Book: Michael John LaChiusa
Musical Type: Contemporary (2004)
Genre: Drama
Music/Lyrics: Jon Kaplan, Al Kaplan Book: Hunter Bell
Musical Type: Contemporary (2005)
Genre: Comedic Horror / Parody
Music: Duncan Sheik Lyrics/Book: Steven Sater
Musical Type: Contemporary (2006)
Genre: Drama
Music/Lyrics: Stephen Sondheim Book: Hugh Wheeler
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1979)
Genre: Horror
Music/Lyrics/Book: Trey Parker, Robert Lopez, Matt Stone
Musical Type: Contemporary (2011)
Genre: Comedy / Satire
Music/Lyrics/Book: Paul Simon Lyrics/Book: Derek Walcott
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1998)
Genre: Biography
Music: Martin Silvestri Lyrics/Book: Joel Higgins
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1993)
Genre: Drama
Music: Peter Rutherford Lyrics/Book: James Millar
Musical Type: Contemporary (2008)
Genre: Drama
Music/Book: Cy Coleman Lyrics/Book: Ira Gasman Book: David Newman
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1990)
Genre: Drama
Music/Lyrics/Book: Mel Brooks Book: Thomas Meehan
Musical Type: Contemporary (2001)
Genre: Comedy
Music/Lyrics/Book: Richard O’Brien
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1973)
Genre: Comedic Horror / Spoof
Music/Lyrics: David Bryan Lyrics/Book: Joe DiPietro
Musical Type: Contemporary (2008)
Genre: Comedic Horror
Music/Lyrics/Book: Andrew Lippa
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1997)
Genre: Drama
Music/Lyrics/Book: Michael John LaChiusa Book: George C. Wolfe
Musical Type: Contemporary (2000)
Genre: Drama
Music/Lyrics/Book: Preston Max Allen
Musical Type: Contemporary (2015)
Genre: Comedic Horror / Murder Mystery
Music/Lyrics/Book: Mel Brooks Book: Thomas Meehan
Musical Type: Contemporary (2007)
Genre: Comedic Horror
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Which of these edgy musicals is your favorite?
Or have you ever played a role in any of the above edgy 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.
