21+ Folk Musicals – The Full List of Shows
Weather 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 folk musicals (or musicals with folk elements to them) for you below, sorted alphabetically.
The following list is broken down into three categories – “Folk Musicals”, “Folk-Rock Musicals”, and “Mixed-Genre Folk Musicals”. Each category is sorted alphabetically.
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Folk Musicals
Music/Lyrics/Book: Dave Malloy
Musical Type: Contemporary (2014)
Music Genre: Folk
Music/Lyrics/Book: Anaïs Mitchell
Musical Type: Contemporary (2006)
Music Genre: Folk
I’m Getting My Act Together and Taking It On the Road
Music: Nancy Ford Lyrics/Book: Gretchen Cryer
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1978)
Music Genre: Folk
Rags Parkland Sings the Songs of the Future
Music/Lyrics/Book: Andrew R. Butler
Musical Type: Contemporary (2018)
Music Genre: Folk
Music/Lyrics/Book: Elizabeth Swados
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1978)
Music Genre: Folk
Folk-Rock Musicals
Music: John Hawkins, Richard Hill Lyrics/Book: Nevill Coghill Book: Martin Starkie
Musical Type: Post-Golden Age (1968)
Music Genre: Folk-Rock
Music/Lyrics: Bob Dylan Book: Conor McPherson
Musical Type: Contemporary/Jukebox (2017)
Music Genre: Folk-Rock
Music: Galt MacDermot Lyrics/Book: Gerome Ragni, James Rado
Musical Type: Post-Golden Age (1967)
Music Genre: Folk-Rock
Music: Andrew Lloyd Webber Lyrics: Tim Rice
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1970)
Music Genre: Folk-Rock
Music/Lyrics/Book: Robbie Schaefer
Musical Type: Contemporary (2018)
Music Genre: Folk-Rock
Music/Lyrics: Glen Hansard, Markéta Irglová Book: Enda Walsh
Musical Type: Contemporary (2011)
Music Genre: Folk-Rock
Music/Lyrics/Book: Peter Link, C.C. Courtney
Musical Type: Post-Golden Age (1969)
Music Genre: Folk-Rock
Music: Nancy Ford Lyrics/Book: Gretchen Cryer
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1970)
Music Genre: Folk-Rock
Music/Lyrics/Book: Benjamin Scheuer
Musical Type: Contemporary (2014)
Music Genre: Folk-Rock
Music: Galt MacDermot Lyrics/Book: John Guare Book: Mel Shapiro
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1971)
Music Genre: Folk-Rock
Music/Lyrics: Hal Hester, Danny Apolinar Book: Donald Driver
Musical Type: Post-Golden Age (1968)
Music Genre: Folk-Rock
Mixed-Genre Folk Musicals
Music: Duncan Sheik Lyrics/Book: Steven Sater Book: Jessie Nelson
Musical Type: Contemporary (2019)
Music Genres: Folk/Pop-Rock
Music/Lyrics: Andrew Lippa Book: John August
Musical Type: Contemporary (2013)
Music Genres: Folk/Musical Theatre
Music: Stephen Flaherty Lyrics/Book: Lynn Ahrens
Musical Type: Contemporary (2005)
Music Genres: Musical Theatre/Folk/Soul
Music/Lyrics: Michael John LaChiusa Book: Sybille Pearson
Musical Type: Contemporary (2009)
Music Genres: Musical Theatre/Folk
Music/Lyrics: Stephen Schwartz Book: John-Michael Tebelak
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1971)
Music Genres: Folk/Gospel
Music: Brendan Milburn Lyrics: Valerie Vigoda Book: Joe DiPietro
Musical Type: Contemporary (2017)
Music Genres: Folk/Bluegrass/Electronic/Musical Theatre
Music/Lyrics/Book: The Bengsons Book: Sarah Gancher
Musical Type: Contemporary (2017)
Music Genres: Folk/Punk
Music/Lyrics/Book: Grace McLean
Musical Type: Contemporary (2019)
Music Genres: Pop/Folk/Funk
Music: Helen Miller Lyrics: Eve Merriam
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1971)
Music Genres: Folk Rock/Soul
Jacques Brel is Alive and Well and Living in Paris
Music/Lyrics: Jacques Brel Book: Eric Blau, Mort Shuman
Musical Type: Post-Golden Age (1968)
Music Genres: Chanson/Folk/Pop
Music: Heitor Villa-Lobos Lyrics: Robert Wright, George Forrest Book: Frederick Hazlitt Brennan, Homer Curran
Musical Type: Golden Age (1948)
Music Genre: Folk Operetta
Music: Al Carmines Lyrics/Book: María Irene Fornés
Musical Type: Post-Golden Age (1965)
Music Genres: Musical Theatre/Operetta/Folk
Music: Gary Geld Lyrics/Book: Peter Udell Book: Ossie Davis, Philip Rose
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1970)
Music Genres: Gospel/Folk/Funk/Disco
Music: Albert Hague Lyrics/Book: Allan Sherman
Musical Type: Post-Golden Age (1969)
Music Genres: Musical Theatre/Folk
Music: Galt MacDermot Libretto: William Dumaresq
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1983)
Music Genres: Folk/Pop-Rock
Music/Lyrics: Sting Book: Lorne Campbell, John Logan, Brian Yorkey
Musical Type: Contemporary (2014)
Music Genres: Folk Rock/Pop/Celtic
Music/Lyrics: Sara Bareilles Book: Jessie Nelson
Musical Type: Contemporary (2015)
Music Genres: Musical Theatre/Folk/Country
Songs: Craig Carnelia, Micki Grant, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Mary Rodgers, Susan Birkenhead, James Taylor Songs/Adaptation: Stephen Schwartz Adaptation: Nina Faso
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1977)
Music Genres: Country/Soul/Pop/Folk/Latin/Musical Theatre
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Which of these folk musicals is your favorite?
Or have you ever played a role in any of the above folk 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 holds a BA in theatre, a TESOL drama certificate, and has worked and interned with Broadway and Off-Broadway theaters.