101+ Musicals About Family – The Full List of Shows
These musicals about family focus on family relationships and the experiences of growing up and staying connected to our roots. The list includes stories about parents and children, siblings, extended families, and the challenges and bonds that shape family life.
On This Page:
Jazz Age Musicals About Family
Golden Age Musicals About Family
Jazz Age Musicals About Family
Musical Type: Jazz Age (1937)
Creators: Noel Gay, Douglas Furber, and L. Arthur Rose
Family Themes: Inheritance, Expectations, Status
Golden Age Musicals About Family
Musical Type: Golden Age (1947)
Creators: Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II
Family Themes: Generational Values, Parental Influence
Musical Type: Golden Age (1945)
Creators: Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II
Family Themes: Marriage, Fatherhood, Redemption
Musical Type: Golden Age (1959)
Creators: George Weiss, Robert Goldman, Glenn Paxton, and Abe Burrows
Family Themes: Mothers, Siblings
Musical Type: Golden Age (1959)
Creators: Marc Blitzstein and Joseph Stein
Family Themes: Family Breakdown, Parental Survival
Musical Type: Golden Age (1946)
Creators: Noël Coward
Family Themes: Routines, Approval, Expectations
1960s Musicals About Family
Musical Type: Post-Golden Age (1962)
Creators: James Goldman, John Kander, and William Goldman
Family Themes: In-Law Conflict, Wedding Pressure
Musical Type: Post-Golden Age (1962)
Creators: Lionel Bart and Joan Maitland
Family Themes: Parent-Child Relationships, Familial Love
Musical Type: Post-Golden Age (1965)
Creators: David Heneker, John Taylor, Hugh Williams, Margaret Vyner, and Ray Cooney
Family Themes: Duty, Expectations
Musical Type: Post-Golden Age (1960)
Creators: Sammy Fain, Paul Francis Webster, Pearl S. Buck, and Charles K. Peck, Jr.
Family Themes: In-Law Tension, Culture
Musical Type: Post-Golden Age (1964)
Creators: Jerry Bock, Sheldon Harnick, and Joseph Stein
Family Themes: Parental Control, Traditions
Musical Type: Post-Golden Age (1968)
Creators: Walter Marks and Ernest Kinoy
Family Themes: Single Fatherhood, Family Love
Musical Type: Post-Golden Age (1962)
Creators: Harold Rome and Jerome Weidman
Family Themes: Betrayal, Mother–Son Relationship
Musical Type: Post-Golden Age (1968)
Creators: Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice
Family Themes: Sibling Rivalry, Favoritism
Musical Type: Post-Golden Age (1966)
Creators: Jerry Herman, Jerome Lawrence, and Robert E. Lee
Family Themes: Aunt-Nephew Bond, Chosen Family
Musical Type: Post-Golden Age (1963)
Creators: Meredith Willson
Family Themes: Single Parenthood, Finding Family
Musical Type: Post-Golden Age (1964)
Creators: Ron Grainer and Ronald Millar
Family Themes: Family Opposition, Independence
Musical Type: Post-Golden Age (1961)
Creators: Leslie Bricusse and Anthony Newley
Family Themes: Dissatisfaction, Emotional Detachment
Musical Type: Post-Golden Age (1960)
Creators: Harvey Schmidt and Tom Jones
Family Themes: Parental Meddling, Coming of Age
Musical Type: Post-Golden Age (1967)
Creators: John Kander, Fred Ebb, and N. Richard Nash
Family Themes: Father–Son Relationships, Nostalgia
1970s Musicals About Family
Musical Type: Late 20th Century (1976)
Creators: Charles Strouse, Martin Charnin, and Thomas Meehan
Family Themes: Orphanhood, Found Family
Musical Type: Late 20th Century (1979)
Creators: Richard Rodgers, Martin Charnin, Raymond Jessel, and Thomas Meehan
Family Themes: Motherhood, Family Resilience
Musical Type: Late 20th Century (1979)
Creators: William Finn
Family Themes: Marital Strain, Identity
Musical Type: Late 20th Century (1972)
Creators: Stephen Schwartz and Roger O. Hirson
Family Themes: Father-Son Conflict, Chosen Family
Musical Type: Late 20th Century (1973)
Creators: Judd Woldin, Robert Brittan, Robert Nemiroff, and Charlotte Zaltzberg
Family Themes: Generational Struggle, Unity, Resilience
Musical Type: Late 20th Century (1976)
Creators: Richard Rodgers, Sheldon Harnick, and Sherman Yellen
Family Themes: Fatherhood, Legacy
Musical Type: Late 20th Century (1974)
Creators: Gary Geld, Peter Udell, Philip Rose, and James Lee Barrett
Family Themes: Father-Children Bond, Wartime Struggle
Musical Type: Late 20th Century (1974)
Creators: Charlie Smalls and William F. Brown
Family Themes: Familial Bonds, Finding Home
Musical Type: Late 20th Century (1970)
Creators: Richard Rodgers, Martin Charnin, and Peter Stone
Family Themes: Patriarchal Tension, Family Survival
1980s Musicals About Family
Musical Type: Late 20th Century (1983)
Creators: David Shire, Richard Maltby, Jr., and Sybille Pearson
Family Themes: Expecting Parenthood, Marital Change
Musical Type: Late 20th Century (1983)
Creators: Willy Russell
Family Themes: Separated Twins, Class Divide
Musical Type: Late 20th Century (1985)
Creators: Polly Pen and Peggy Harmon
Family Themes: Sisterhood, Redemption
Musical Type: Late 20th Century (1984)
Creators: John Forster, Delia Ephron, and Judith Kahan
Family Themes: Childhood Perspective, Rebellion
Musical Type: Late 20th Century (1986)
Creators: Stephen Sondheim and James Lapine
Family Themes: Parenting, Found Family
Musical Type: Late 20th Century (1983)
Creators: Jerry Herman and Harvey Fierstein
Family Themes: Parenthood, Acceptance
Musical Type: Late 20th Century (1981)
Creators: William Finn
Family Themes: Marital Strain, Fatherhood
Musical Type: Late 20th Century (1989)
Creators: Hugh Martin, Ralph Blane, and Hugh Wheeler
Family Themes: Family Unity, Traditions
Musical Type: Late 20th Century (1984)
Creators: Stephen Sondheim and James Lapine
Family Themes: Legacy, Generational Distance
Musical Type: Late 20th Century (1983)
Creators: Galt MacDermot and William Dumaresq
Family Themes: Family Bonds, Loss
Musical Type: Late 20th Century (1984)
Creators: John Kander, Fred Ebb, and Terrence McNally
Family Themes: Mother-Daughter Tension, Estrangement
1990s Musicals About Family
Musical Type: Late 20th Century (1997)
Creators: Laurence O’Keefe, Keythe Farley, and Brian Flemming
Family Themes: Adoption, Belonging
Musical Type: Late 20th Century (1990)
Creators: William Finn and James Lapine
Family Themes: Marital Strain, Fatherhood
Musical Type: Late 20th Century (1992)
Creators: William Finn and James Lapine
Family Themes: Marital Strain, Fatherhood
Musical Type: Late 20th Century (1994)
Creators: Adam Guettel and Tina Landau
Family Themes: Deep Bonds, Loss, Love
Musical Type: Late 20th Century (1993)
Creators: George Stiles and Anthony Drewe
Family Themes: Motherhood, Acceptance
Musical Type: Late 20th Century (1992)
Creators: Larry Buttrose, Kathryn Riding, and Others
Family Themes: Brotherhood, Reunion, Inheritance
Musical Type: Late 20th Century (1995)
Creators: Andrew Lippa and Tommy Greenwald
Family Themes: Loss, Parenting, Grief
Musical Type: Late 20th Century (1999)
Creators: Benny Andersson, Björn Ulvaeus, and Catherine Johnson
Family Themes: Single Motherhood, Paternity Mystery
Musical Type: Late 20th Century (1990)
Creators: Stephen Flaherty and Lynn Ahrens
Family Themes: Adoption, Sacrifice, Tradition
Musical Type: Late 20th Century (1996)
Creators: Stephen Flaherty, Lynn Ahrens, and Terrence McNally
Family Themes: Generational Change, Identity, Society
Musical Type: Late 20th Century (1993)
Creators: Marvin Hamlisch, David Zippel, and Neil Simon
Family Themes: Single Motherhood, Mother-Daughter Relationship
Musical Type: Late 20th Century (1997)
Creators: Elton John, Tim Rice, Roger Allers, and Irene Mecchi
Family Themes: Father–Son Legacy, Coming of Age
Musical Type: Late 20th Century (1991)
Creators: Lucy Simon and Marsha Norman
Family Themes: Grief, Healing, Connection
Musical Type: Late 20th Century (1992)
Creators: Pete Townshend and Des McAnuff
Family Themes: Trauma, Parental Neglect, Dysfunction
2000s Musicals About Family
Musical Type: Contemporary (2007)
Creators: John Bucchino and Harvey Fierstein
Family Themes: Family Obligation, Wedding Pressure
Musical Type: Contemporary (2009)
Creators: Benj Pasek, Justin Paul, and Joseph Robinette
Family Themes: Nostalgia, Parent-Child Dynamics
Musical Type: Contemporary (2002)
Creators: Stephen Flaherty, Lynn Ahrens, and Terrence McNally
Family Themes: Sibling Relationship, Acceptance
Musical Type: Contemporary (2006)
Creators: Michael John LaChiusa
Family Themes: Maternal Control, Repression
Musical Type: Contemporary (2008)
Creators: Cinco Paul and Ken Daurio
Family Themes: Overprotection, Mother-Son Relationship
Musical Type: Contemporary (2003)
Creators: Jeanine Tesori and Tony Kushner
Family Themes: Motherhood, Resilience
Musical Type: Contemporary (2009)
Creators: Marc Shaiman, Scott Wittman, and Terrence McNally
Family Themes: Father-Son Relationship, Dysfunction, Connection
Musical Type: Contemporary (2002)
Creators: Richard M. Sherman, Robert B. Sherman, Jeremy Sams, and Ray Roderick
Family Themes: Fatherhood, Family Love
Musical Type: Contemporary (2007)
Creators: Kristen Anderson-Lopez, Robert Lopez, and Lindsay Anderson
Family Themes: Fatherhood, Overprotection
Musical Type: Contemporary (2007)
Creators: Mark Baron and Jeffrey Jackson
Family Themes: Failed Parenting, Rejection, Isolation
Musical Type: Contemporary (2006)
Creators: Scott Frankel, Michael Korie, and Doug Wright
Family Themes: Co-Dependence, Mother-Daughter Bond
Musical Type: Contemporary (2004)
Creators: Zina Goldrich and Marcy Heisler
Family Themes: Childhood Lens, Parent-Child Dynamics
Musical Type: Contemporary (2005)
Creators: Jason Howland, Mindi Dickstein, and Allan Knee
Family Themes: Sisterhood, Family Support
Musical Type: Contemporary (2004)
Creators: Richard M. Sherman, Robert B. Sherman, George Stiles, Anthony Drewe, and Julian Fellowes
Family Themes: Parental Connection, Togetherness
Musical Type: Contemporary (2008)
Creators: Tom Kitt and Brian Yorkey
Family Themes: Mental Health, Loss, Parent-Child Strain
Musical Type: Contemporary (2006)
Creators: Duncan Sheik and Steven Sater
Family Themes: Parental Pressure, Rebellion
Musical Type: Contemporary (2002)
Creators: Boy George, Kevan Frost, John Themis, Richie Stevens, and Charles Busch
Family Themes: Chosen Family
Musical Type: Contemporary (2006)
Creators: Phil Collins and David Henry Hwang
Family Themes: Adoption, Belonging
Musical Type: Contemporary (2009)
Creators: Andrew Lippa, Marshall Brickman, and Rick Elice
Family Themes: Parental Expectations, Generational Humor
Musical Type: Contemporary (2001)
Creators: James Valcq and Fred Alley
Family Themes: Found Family, Redemption
Musical Type: Contemporary (2007)
Creators: Mel Brooks and Thomas Meehan
Family Themes: Legacy, Family Business
2010s Musicals About Family
Musical Type: Contemporary (2016)
Creators: Alan Menken, Glenn Slater and Chazz Palminteri
Family Themes: Loyalty, Father-Son, Coming of Age
Musical Type: Contemporary (2012)
Creators: Steven Lutvak and Robert L. Freedman
Family Themes: Legacy, Inheritance
Musical Type: Contemporary (2019)
Creators: Michael R. Jackson
Family Themes: Parental Expectations, Identity
Musical Type: Contemporary (2015)
Creators: Daniel Messé, Nathan Tysen, and Craig Lucas
Family Themes: Distant Parents, Connection
Musical Type: Contemporary (2016)
Creators: Stephen Flaherty, Lynn Ahrens, and Terrence McNally
Family Themes: Home, Growth, Identity
Musical Type: Contemporary (2018)
Creators: Eddie Perfect, Scott Brown, and Anthony King
Family Themes: Grief, Loss, Family Bonds
Musical Type: Contemporary (2017)
Creators: Elyssa Samsel, Kate Anderson, and Timothy Allen McDonald
Family Themes: Mother/Daughter Relationships, Divorce
Musical Type: Contemporary (2013)
Creators: Marc Shaiman, Scott Wittman, and David Greig
Family Themes: Parenting, Family Support
Musical Type: Contemporary (2015)
Creators: Benj Pasek, Justin Paul, and Steven Levenson
Family Themes: Grief, Mother-Son Relationship
Musical Type: Contemporary (2015)
Creators: Nick Blaemire, Madeline Smith, and Others
Family Themes: Parent-Child Legacy, Identity
Musical Type: Contemporary (2010)
Creators: Matthew Sklar, Chad Beguelin, Bob Martin, and Thomas Meehan
Family Themes: Father-Son Bond, Belonging
Musical Type: Contemporary (2017)
Creators: Dan Gillespie Sells and Tom MacRae
Family Themes: Mother-Son Relationship, Identity
Musical Type: Contemporary (2012)
Creators: Scott Frankel, Michael Korie, Richard Greenberg
Family Themes: Marital Strain, Conformity
Musical Type: Contemporary (2016)
Creators: Tom Kitt, Brian Yorkey, and Bridget Carpenter
Family Themes: Mother-Daughter Relationship, Empathy
Musical Type: Contemporary (2017)
Creators: Robert Lopez, Kristen Anderson-Lopez, and Jennifer Lee
Family Themes: Sisterhood, Self-Sacrifice
Musical Type: Contemporary (2013)
Creators: Jeanine Tesori and Lisa Kron
Family Themes: Father-Daughter Relationship, Reflection
Musical Type: Contemporary (2017)
Creators: Bob Dylan and Conor McPherson
Family Themes: Broken Families, Surrogate Bonds
Musical Type: Contemporary (2013)
Creators: George Stiles and Anthony Drewe
Family Themes: Family Harmony and Routine
Musical Type: Contemporary (2011)
Creators: Barbara Anselmi and Brian Hargrove
Family Themes: Wedding Pressure, Identity, Acceptance
Musical Type: Contemporary (2011)
Creators: William Finn and James Lapine
Family Themes: Unconventional Family Dynamics, Hope
Musical Type: Contemporary (2019)
Creators: Karey Kirkpatrick, Wayne Kirkpatrick, and John O’Farrell
Family Themes: Divorce, Parenting
Musical Type: Contemporary (2010)
Creators: Jonathan Christenson
Family Themes: Grief, Loss
Musical Type: Contemporary (2019)
Creators: Richard Hawley and Chris Bush
Family Themes: Generational History, Home
Musical Type: Contemporary (2019)
Creators: Tom Kitt and John Logan
Family Themes: Single Parenting, Connection
Musical Type: Contemporary (2019)
Creators: Doug Besterman, Dean Pitchford, and Timothy Allen McDonald
Family Themes: Sibling Relationships, Acceptance
Musical Type: Contemporary (2015)
Creators: Michael Webborn and Daniel Finn
Family Themes: Loss, Parental Control
Musical Type: Contemporary (2019)
Creators: Darren Clark and Jethro Compton
Family Themes: Fatherhood, Time, Memory
Musical Type: Contemporary (2013)
Creators: John Kander and Greg Pierce
Family Themes: Marriage, Parenting
Musical Type: Contemporary (2014)
Creators: Sting, Brian Yorkey, John Logan, and Lorne Campbell
Family Themes: Father-Son Relationships, Generational Duty
Musical Type: Contemporary (2013)
Creators: Tori Amos and Samuel Adamson
Family Themes: Mother-Daughter Relationship, Self-Discovery
Musical Type: Contemporary (2014)
Creators: Benjamin Scheuer
Family Themes: Loss, Fathers, Coming-of-Age
Musical Type: Contemporary (2017)
Creators: Kait Kerrigan and Bree Lowdermilk
Family Themes: Mother-Daughter Expectations, Coming-of-Age
Musical Type: Contemporary (2017)
Creators: Andrew Lippa and Jules Feiffer
Family Themes: Father-Son Relationships, Self-Worth
Musical Type: Contemporary (2017)
Creators: Stephen Schwartz and Philip LaZebnik
Family Themes: Sibling Rivalry, Faith, Duty
Musical Type: Contemporary (2015)
Creators: Pippa Cleary and Jake Brunger
Family Themes: Family Tension, Growing Up
Musical Type: Contemporary (2014)
Creators: Jeff Blim, Matt Lang, and Nick Lang
Family Themes: Family Bond, Struggle, Parenting
Musical Type: Contemporary (2015)
Creators: Chris Miller, Nathan Tysen, Claudia Shear, and Tim Federle
Family Themes: Parenting, Mortality
Musical Type: Contemporary (2019)
Creators: Jim Barne and Kit Buchan
Family Themes: Weddings, Family Connections
Musical Type: Contemporary (2019)
Creators: Drew Gasparini
Family Themes: Growing Up, Nostalgia
2020s Musicals About Family
Musical Type: Contemporary (2023)
Creators: Adam Guettel and Craig Lucas
Family Themes: Marriage, Addiction
Musical Type: Contemporary (2023)
Creators: Alicia Keys, Kristoffer Diaz, and Others
Family Themes: Mother–Daughter Bond, Identity
Musical Type: Contemporary (2022)
Creators: Stephen Flaherty, Lynn Ahrens, and Frank Galati
Family Themes: Fatherhood, Legacy
Musical Type: Contemporary (2021)
Creators: Pippa Cleary and Rob Madge
Family Themes: Fatherhood, Parenting
Musical Type: Contemporary (2025)
Creators: Tom Fletcher and Jessica Swale
Family Themes: Found Family
Musical Type: Contemporary (2023)
Creators: Joy Huerta, Benjamin Velez, Lisa Loomer, and Nell Benjamin
Family Themes: Generational Conflict, Cultural Expectations
Musical Type: Contemporary (2024)
Creators: Kate Diaz and Tina Landau
Family Themes: Loss, Healing, Resilience
Musical Type: Contemporary (2021)
Creators: Michael John LaChiusa
Family Themes: Memories, Mothers
Musical Type: Contemporary (2026)
Creators: The Rescues, David Hornsby, Chris Hoch
Family Themes: Brothers, Mothers
Musical Type: Contemporary (2021)
Creators: Marc Teitler and Nancy Harris
Musical Type: Contemporary (2023)
Creators: Justin Levine, Jonathan Clay, Zach Chance, and Adam Rapp
Family Themes: Brotherhood, Found Family
Musical Type: Contemporary (2023)
Creators: Dave Malloy and Lucy Kirkwood
Family Themes: Intergenerational Bonds
Musical Type: Contemporary (2024)
Creators: Dave Malloy
Family Themes: Generational Trauma and Healing