50+ Jazz Musicals – The Full List of Shows

Jazz music is the heart and soul of most of the shows on the following list. However, jazz musicals tend to incorporate a blend of other genres, such as blues, gospel, rock, and swing. So keep scrolling to explore the wide range of sounds and musical styles featured in this full list of jazz-infused musicals.

This list does not contain a list of “Jazz Age Musicals”. Here’s where you can find full lists of musicals from the 1920s and 1930s.


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Jazz Musicals

3 Guys Naked from the Waist Down

Music: Michael Rupert  Lyrics/Book: Jerry Colker

Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1985)

Music Genre: Musical Theatre/Jazz/Pop-Rock


Ain’t Misbehavin’

Music: Thomas “Fats” Waller  Lyrics: Various  ConceptMurray Horwitz, Richard Maltby, Jr.

Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1978)

Music Genre: Blues/Jazz


Bad Girls

Music/Lyrics: Kath Gotts  Book: Maureen Chadwick, Ann McManus

Musical Type: Contemporary (2006)

Music Genre: Musical Theatre/Jazz


Ballroom

Music: Billy Goldenberg  Lyrics: Alan Bergman, Marilyn Bergman  Book: Jerome Kass

Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1978)

Music Genre: Jazz/Musical Theatre


Bandstand

Music/Lyrics/Book: Richard Oberacker  Lyrics/Book: Robert Taylor

Musical Type: Contemporary (2015)

Music Genre: Musical Theatre/Jazz


Black and Blue

Music/Lyrics: Various

Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1985)

Music Genre: Blues/Jazz


Blues in the Night

Music/Lyrics: Various  Concept: Sheldon Epps

Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1980)

Music Genre: Blues/Jazz


Broadbend, Arkansas

Music/Lyrics: Ted Shen  Lyrics/Book: Ellen Fitzhugh, Harrison David Rivers

Musical Type: Contemporary (2019)

Music Genre: Musical Theatre/Jazz


Bubbling Brown Sugar

Music: Various  Book: Loften Mitchell  Concept: Rosetta LeNoire

Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1976)

Music Genre: Blues/Jazz


Bullets Over Broadway

Music/Lyrics: Various  Book: Woody Allen

Musical Type: Contemporary/Jukebox (2014)

Music Genre: Jazz/Ragtime


Cabaret

Music: John Kander  Lyrics: Fred Ebb  Book: Joe Masteroff

Musical Type: Post-Golden Age (1966)

Music Genre: Jazz/Musical Theatre


Cabin in the Sky

Music: Vernon Duke  Lyrics: John Latouche  Book: Lynn Root

Musical Type: Golden Age (1940)

Music Genre: Jazz/Swing/Gospel


Catch Me If You Can

Music/Lyrics: Marc Shaiman  Lyrics: Scott Wittman  Book: Terrence McNally

Musical Type: Contemporary (2009)

Music Genre: Musical Theatre/Jazz


Chicago

Music: John Kander  Lyrics/Book: Fred Ebb  Book: Bob Fosse

Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1975)

Music Genre: Musical Theatre/Jazz


Contact

Music/Lyrics: Various  Book: John Weidman

Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1999)

Music Genre: Jazz/Classical/Rock & Roll


Don’t Play Us Cheap

Music/Lyrics/Book: Melvin Van Peebles

Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1972)

Music Genre: Blues/Jazz/Gospel


Far From Heaven

Music: Scott Frankel  Lyrics: Michael Korie  Book: Richard Greenberg

Musical Type: Contemporary (2012)

Music Genre: Legit Musical Theatre/Jazz


Five Guys Named Moe

Music/Lyrics: Louis Jordan  Book: Clarke Peters

Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1990)

Music Genre: Jazz/Blues/Jive


Fosse

Music/Lyrics: Various  Concept: Chet Walker, Ann Reinking, Richard Matlby, Jr.

Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1999)

Music Genre: Musical Theatre/Jazz


Golden Boy

Music: Charles Strouse  Lyrics: Lee Adams  Book: Clifford Odets, William Gibson

Musical Type: Post-Golden Age (1964)

Music Genre: Musical Theatre/Jazz/Gospel


Grind

Music: Larry Grossman  Lyrics: Ellen Fitzhugh  Book: Fay Kanin

Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1985)

Music Genre: Jazz/Blues/Gospel


Hallelujah, Baby!

Music: Jule Styne  Lyrics: Adolph Green, Betty Comden  Book: Arthur Laurents

Musical Type: Post-Golden Age (1967)

Music Genre: Musical Theatre/Jazz


Harlem Song

Music/Lyrics: Various  Book: George C. Wolfe

Musical Type: Contemporary (2002)

Music Genre: Jazz/Blues


Hello Again

Music/Lyrics/Book: Michael John LaChiusa

Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1994)

Music Genre: Musical Theatre/Jazz


High Society

Music/Lyrics: Cole Porter  Lyrics: Susan Birkenhead  Book: Arthur Kopit

Musical Type: 1956 Film/Pre-Contemporary Musical (1997)

Music Genre: Jazz/Musical Theatre


Honeymoon in Vegas

Music/Lyrics: Jason Robert Brown  Book: Andrew Bergman

Musical Type: Contemporary (2013)

Music Genre: Jazz/Musical Theatre


Hot Mikado

Music: Rob Bowman  Lyrics/Book: David H. Bell

Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1986)

Music Genre: Swing/Jazz/Blues/Gospel/Scat


It’s a Wonderful Life

Music: Bruce Greer  Lyrics/Book: Keith Ferguson

Musical Type: Contemporary (2000)

Music Genre: Musical Theatre/Jazz


Jelly’s Last Jam

Music: Jelly Roll Morton, Luther Henderson  Lyrics: Susan Birkenhead  Book: George C. Wolfe

Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1992)

Music Genre: Jazz/Blues/Swing


Kimberly Akimbo

Music: Jeanine Tesori  Lyrics/Book: David Lindsay-Abaire

Musical Type: Contemporary (2021)

Music Genre: Pop-Rock/Jazz/Musical Theatre


King Kong

Music/Lyrics: Todd Matshikiza  Lyrics: Pat Williams  Book: Harry Bloom

Musical Type: Golden Age (1959)

Music Genre: Jazz


Little Fish

Music/Lyrics/Book: Michael John LaChiusa

Musical Type: Contemporary (2003)

Music Genre: Musical Theatre/Jazz/Pop/Rock


Louisiana Purchase

Music/Lyrics: Irving Berlin  Book: Morrie Ryskind

Musical Type: Golden Age (1940)

Music Genre: Jazz/Musical Theatre


Mr. Saturday Night

Music: Jason Robert Brown  Lyrics: Amanda Green  Book: Billy Crystal, Lowell Ganz, Babaloo Mandel

Musical Type: Contemporary (2021)

Music Genre: Musical Theatre/Jazz


Myths & Hymns

Music/Lyrics: Adam Guettel

Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1998)

Music Genre: Musical Theatre/Gospel/Jazz/Pop


Olympus on My Mind

Music: Grant Sturiale  Lyrics/Book: Barry Harman

Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1986)

Music Genre: Musical Theatre/Jazz


On the Twentieth Century

Music: Cy Coleman  Lyrics/Book: Betty Comden, Adolph Green

Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1978)

Music Genre: Musical Theatre/Jazz


One Mo’ Time

Music/Lyrics: Various  Concept: Vernel Bagneris

Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1979)

Music Genre: Jazz/Blues/Ragtime


Play On!

Music/Lyrics: Duke Ellington, Various  Book: Cheryl L. West

Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1996)

Music Genre: Swing/Jazz


Porgy and Bess

Music: George Gershwin  Lyrics: Ira Gershwin  LibrettoDuBose Heyward, Dorothy Heyward

Musical Type: Opera (1935)

Music Genre: Opera/Musical Theatre/Jazz


Raisin

Music: Judd Woldin  Lyrics: Robert Brittan  Book: Robert Nemiroff, Charlotte Zaltzberg

Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1973)

Music Genre: Jazz/Pop/Blues/Gospel


Reefer Madness

Music/Book: Dan Studney  Lyrics/Book: Kevin Murphy

Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1998)

Music Genre: Musical Theatre/Rock/Jazz/Swing


Romance/Romance

Music: Keith Herrmann  Lyrics/Book: Barry Harman

Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1987)

Music Genre: Musical Theatre/Pop/Jazz


Saratoga

Music: Harold Arlen  Lyrics: Johnny Mercer  Book: Morton DaCosta

Musical Type: Golden Age (1959)

Music Genre: Musical Theatre/Jazz


Say, Darling

Music: Jule Styne  Lyrics: Betty Comden, Adolph Green  Book: Abe Burrows, Marian & Richard Bissell

Musical Type: Golden Age (1958)

Music Genre: Jazz/Musical Theatre


Say My Name!

Music/Lyrics/Book: Rob Gathercole

Musical Type: Contemporary (2018)

Music Genre: Rock/Country/Rap/Jazz/Musical Theatre


Scandalous

Music: David Pomeranz, David Friedman  Lyrics/Book: Kathie Lee Gifford

Musical Type: Contemporary (2005)

Music Genre: Musical Theatre/Gospel/Jazz


Shuffle Along

Music/Lyrics: Eubie Blake, Noble Sissle  Book: F.E. Miller, Aubrey Lyles, George C. Wolfe

Musical Type: Jazz Age (1921)

Music Genre: Jazz/Blues/Ragtime


Some Like It Hot

Music/Lyrics: Marc Shaiman  Lyrics: Scott Wittman  Book: Matthew López, Amber Ruffin

Musical Type: Contemporary (2022)

Music Genre: Jazz


Sweet Smell of Success

Music: Marvin Hamlisch  Lyrics: Craig Carnelia  Book: John Guare

Musical Type: Contemporary (2002)

Music Genre: Jazz/Musical Theatre


Swing!

Music/Lyrics: Various  Book: Paul Kelly

Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1999)

Music Genre: Swing/Jazz/Jive


The Act

Music: John Kander  Lyrics: Fred Ebb  Book: George Furth

Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1977)

Music Genre: Musical Theatre/Jazz


The Nervous Set

Music: Tommy Wolf  Lyrics: Fran Landesman  Book: Jay Landesman, Theodore J. Flicker

Musical Type: Golden Age (1959)

Music Genre: Jazz/Musical Theatre


The Life

Music/Book: Cy Coleman  Lyrics/Book: Ira Gasman  Book: David Newman

Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1990)

Music Genre: Jazz/Gospel/Soul


The Tap Dance Kid

Music: Henry Krieger  Lyrics: Robert Lorick  Book: Charles Blackwell

Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1983)

Music Genre: Musical Theatre/Jazz


The Scottsboro Boys

Music/Lyrics: John Kander, Fred Ebb  Book: David Thompson

Musical Type: Contemporary (2010)

Music Genre: Jazz/Blues/Ragtime/Musical Theatre


The Wild Party

Music/Lyrics/Book: Michael John LaChiusa  Book: George C. Wolfe

Musical Type: Contemporary (2000)

Music Genre: Jazz/Blues


The Wild Party

Music/Lyrics/Book: Andrew Lippa

Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1997)

Music Genre: Jazz/Blues


The Witches of Eastwick

Music: Dana P. Rowe  Lyrics/Book: John Dempsey

Musical Type: Contemporary (2000)

Music Genre: Musical Theatre/Pop/Jazz


Tootsie

Music/Lyrics: David Yazbek  Book: Robert Horn

Musical Type: Contemporary (2018)

Music Genre: Musical Theatre/Jazz


West Side Story

Music: Leonard Bernstein  Lyrics: Stephen Sondheim  Book: Arthur Laurents

Musical Type: Golden Age (1957)

Music Genre: Musical Theatre/Jazz/Classical


Related Posts:

Country Musicals

Gospel Musicals

Pop Musicals

Pop/Rock Musicals

Rock Musicals


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Which of these jazz musicals is your favorite?

Or have you ever played a role in any of the above jazz 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!


Stacy Karyn, author of Jazz Musicals.
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.


 

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