25+ Amazing Gospel Musicals – A Full List of Shows
Whether you’re producing a show, 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 gospel musicals for you below, sorted alphabetically.
The following musicals showcase a wide range of music styles. There aren’t many purely gospel musicals, but the following shows have at least some elements of gospel to them. And at the end of the page, you’ll find a list of musicals with a featured gospel song.
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Gospel Musicals
Music/Lyrics/Book: Michael R. Jackson
Musical Type: Contemporary (2019)
Music Genres: Gospel / Pop
Music/Lyrics: Traditional Book: Langston Hughes
Musical Type: Post-Golden Age (1961)
Music Genre: Gospel
Music: Vernon Duke Lyrics: John Latouche Book: Lynn Root
Musical Type: Golden Age (1940)
Music Genres: Gospel / Jazz / Swing
Music/Lyrics: Stephen Schwartz Book: John Caird
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1991)
Music Genres: Gospel / Musical Theatre
Music/Lyrics: Micki Grant
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1971)
Music Genres: Gospel / Pop-Rock / Soul
Music/Lyrics/Book: Melvin Van Peebles
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1972)
Music Genres: Blues / Gospel / Jazz
Music: Henry Krieger Lyrics/Book: Tom Eyen
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1981)
Music Genres: Disco / Gospel / Pop / R&B / Soul
Music: Chris Miller Lyrics: Nathan Tysen
Musical Type: Contemporary (2008)
Music Genres: Country / Gospel / Pop
Music/Lyrics: Stephen Schwartz Book: John-Michael Tebelak
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1971)
Music Genres: Folk / Gospel
Music: Charles Strouse Lyrics: Lee Adams Book: Clifford Odets, William Gibson
Musical Type: Post-Golden Age (1964)
Music Genres: Gospel / Jazz / Musical Theatre
Music: Larry Grossman Lyrics: Ellen Fitzhugh Book: Fay Kanin
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1985)
Music Genres: Blues / Gospel / Jazz
Music: Trey Anastasio Music/Lyrics: Amanda Green Book: Doug Wright
Musical Type: Contemporary (2012)
Music Genres: Country / Gospel / Rock / Soul
Music: Rob Bowman Lyrics/Book: David H. Bell
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1986)
Music Genres: Blues / Gospel / Jazz / Scat / Swing
Music: Alan Menken Lyrics: Glenn Slater Book: Janus Cercone, Warren Leight
Musical Type: Contemporary (2010)
Music Genres: Gospel / Pop / Rock / Soul
Music/Lyrics: Various Book: Will Holt, Linda Hopkins
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1974)
Music Genres: Blues / Gospel / Jazz / Soul
Music/Lyrics: David Bryan Lyrics/Book: Joe DiPietro
Musical Type: Contemporary (2002)
Music Genres: Gospel / Rock & Roll / Soul
Music/Lyrics: Adam Guettel
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1998)
Music Genres: Gospel / Jazz / Musical Theatre / Pop
Music/Lyrics/Book: Stew Music: Heidi Rodewald
Musical Type: Contemporary (2006)
Music Genres: Gospel / Rock
Music/Lyrics: Stephen Schwartz Book: Roger O. Hirson
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1972)
Music Genres: Gospel / Musical Theatre / Pop
Music: Gary Geld Lyrics/Book: Peter Udell Book: Ossie Davis, Philip Rose
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1970)
Music Genres: Disco / Folk / Funk / Gospel
Music: Judd Woldin Lyrics: Robert Brittan Book: Robert Nemiroff, Charlotte Zaltzberg
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1973)
Music Genres: Blues / Gospel / Jazz / Pop
Music: David Pomeranz, David Friedman Lyrics/Book: Kathie Lee Gifford
Musical Type: Contemporary (2005)
Music Genres: Gospel / Jazz / Musical Theatre / Mixed
Music: Alan Menken Lyrics: Glenn Slater Book: Cheri Steinkellner, Bill Steinkellner
Musical Type: Contemporary (2006)
Music Genres: Disco / Gospel / Musical Theatre / Soul
Music: Andrew Lloyd Webber, Alistair Lloyd Webber Lyrics: Richard Stilgoe, David Yazbek, Nick Coler
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1984)
Music Genres: Blues / Country / Gospel / Pop / Rap / Rock
Music: Dana P. Rowe Lyrics/Book: John Dempsey
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1997)
Music Genres: Gospel / Musical Theatre / Rock
Music/Lyrics: Steve Schalchlin Lyrics: John Bettis, Marie Cain Book: Jim Brochu
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1997)
Music Genres: Gospel / Musical Theatre / Pop
Music/Book: Cy Coleman Lyrics/Book: Ira Gasman Book: David Newman
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1990)
Music Genres: Gospel / Jazz / Soul
Music/Lyrics: Charlie Smalls Book: William F. Brown
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1974)
Music Genres: Disco / Gospel / Soul
Musicals With a Featured Gospel Song
Music/Lyrics/Book: Joshua Schmidt Lyrics/Book: Jason Loewith
Musical Type: Contemporary (2007)
Gospel Song: “The Gospel According to Shrdlu”
Music/Lyrics: Laurence O’Keefe Book: Keythe Farley, Brian Flemming
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1997)
Gospel Song: “A Joyful Noise”
Music/Lyrics: Roger Miller Book: William Hauptman
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1985)
Gospel Song: “Free At Last”
Music: Frank Wildhorn Lyrics: Don Black Book: Ivan Menchell
Musical Type: Contemporary (2009)
Gospel Song: “God’s Arms Are Always Open”
Music: Steve Margoshes Lyrics: Jacques Levy Book: José Fernandez
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1988)
Gospel Song: “Mabel’s Prayer”
Music/Lyrics: Marc Shaiman Lyrics: Scott Wittman Book: Mark O’Donnell, Thomas Meehan
Musical Type: Contemporary (2002)
Gospel Song: “I Know Where I’ve Been”
Music/Lyrics/Book: Dan Goggin
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1985)
Gospel Song: “Holier Than Thou”
Music/Lyrics/Book: Dan Goggin
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1992)
Gospel Song: “There’s Only One Way to End Your Prayers”
Music/Book: Frank Wildhorn Lyrics: Jack Murphy Book: Gregory Boyd
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1998)
Gospel Song: “River Jordan”
Music/Lyrics: Brenda Russell, Allee Willis, Stephen Bray Book: Marsha Norman
Musical Type: Contemporary (2005)
Gospel Song: “Hell No!”
Music: Matthew Sklar Lyrics/Book: Chad Beguelin Book: Bob Martin
Musical Type: Contemporary (2016)
Gospel Song: “Love Thy Neighbor”
Music/Lyrics: Mark Hollmann Lyrics/Book: Greg Kotis
Musical Type: Contemporary (2001)
Gospel Song: “Run, Freedom, Run!”
More Musicals by Music Genre
• Country
• Disco
• Folk
• Gospel → You are here!
• Pop
• Pop/Rock
• Rock
Want to stay in the loop with all things related to musical theatre?
Which of these gospel musicals is your favorite?
Or have you ever played a role in any of the above gospel 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.