41+ Musicals About Musicals – The Full List of Shows
To celebrate World Theatre Day this year, we’ve put together a list of some of the greatest musicals about musicals! The following list is broken down into three categories – “Musicals About Musicals”, “Musicals About Theatre”, and “Musicals That Break the Fourth Wall”.
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Musicals About Musicals
The following shows feature musical theatre in the plot or a fictional musical within the narrative.
Music: Harry Warren Lyrics: Al Dubin, Johnny Mercer Book: Michael Stewart, Mark Bramble
Musical Type: 1933 Film/Pre-Contemporary Musical (1980)
Genre: Comedy
Music: Marvin Hamlisch Lyrics: Edward Kleban Book: James Kirkwood, Nicholas Dante
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1975)
Genre: Dramedy
Music/Lyrics: Edward Kleban Book: Linda Kline, Lonny Price
Musical Type: Contemporary (2000)
Genre: Semi-Autobiographical
Music/Lyrics/Book: Michael R. Jackson
Musical Type: Contemporary (2019)
Genre: Dramedy
Music/Lyrics/Book: Joe Iconis Book: Lance Rubin, Jason SweetTooth Williams
Musical Type: Contemporary (2019)
Genre: Comedy/Camp
Music/Book: Barry Manilow Lyrics/Book: Bruce Sussman, Jack Feldman
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1990)
Genre: Romantic Dramedy
Music: George Gershwin Lyrics: Ira Gershwin Book: Ken Ludwig
Musical Type: Jazz Age/Pre-Contemporary (1992)
Genre: Romantic Comedy
Music/Lyrics: John Kander Lyrics: Fred Ebb Lyrics/Book: Rupert Holmes
Musical Type: Contemporary (2006)
Genre: Murder Mystery
Music: Jim Wise Lyrics/Book: George Haimsohn, Robin Miller
Musical Type: Post-Golden Age (1966)
Genre: Comedy
Music: Brad Alexander Lyrics/Book: Kevin Del Aguila
Musical Type: Contemporary (2019)
Genre: Youth Theatre
Music/Lyrics: Stephen Sondheim Book: James Goldman
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1971)
Genre: Drama/Fantasy
Music: Various Lyrics/Book: Gerard Alessandrini
Musical Type: Series (1980s-2020s)
Genre: Parody
Music: Jule Styne Lyrics: Bob Merrill Book: Isobel Lennart
Musical Type: Post-Golden Age (1964)
Genre: Semi-Biography
Music/Lyrics/Book: Scott Brown, Anthony King
Musical Type: Contemporary (2005)
Genre: Comedy
Music/Lyrics: Various Book: David Simpatico
Musical Type: Contemporary (2007)
Genre: Dramedy
Music/Lyrics: William Finn
Musical Type: Contemporary (2000)
Genre: Revue
Music/Lyrics: Various
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1989)
Genre: Revue
Music/Lyrics: Cole Porter Book: Bella Spewack, Samuel Spewack
Musical Type: Golden Age (1948)
Genre: Rom-Com
Music: Kurt Weill Lyrics: Various Book: Alfred Uhry
Musical Type: Contemporary (2007)
Genre: Drama
Music: Richard Rodgers Lyrics/Book: Oscar Hammerstein II
Musical Type: Golden Age (1953)
Genre: Rom-Com
Music/Lyrics: Stephen Sondheim Book: George Furth
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1981)
Genre: Dramedy
Music/Lyrics: Nicky Ager Lyrics/Book: Debbie Isitt
Musical Type: Contemporary (2017)
Genre: Comedy
Music/Lyrics/Book: Dan Goggin
Musical Type: Contemporary (2009)
Genre: Comedy
Music/Lyrics/Book: Jerry Herman
Musical Type: Post-Golden Age (1960)
Genre: Revue
Music/Lyrics: Various Book: David Thompson
Musical Type: Contemporary (2015)
Genre: Revue
Music: Marvin Laird Lyrics/Book: Joel Paley
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1992)
Genre: Dark Comedy
Music: Jule Styne Lyrics: Betty Comden, Adolph Green Book: Abe Burrows, Marian & Richard Bissell
Musical Type: Golden Age (1958)
Genre: Dramedy
Music/Lyrics: Nacio Herb Brown, Arthur Freed Book: Adolph Green, Betty Comden
Musical Type: 1952 Film/Pre-Contemporary Musical (1983)
Genre: Rom-Com
Music/Lyrics: Jeanine Tesori Lyrics/Book: David Henry Hwang
Musical Type: Contemporary (2018)
Genre: Metamusical
Music/Lyrics/Book: Karey Kirkpatrick Music/Lyrics: Wayne Kirkpatrick Book: John O’Farrell
Musical Type: Contemporary (2015)
Genre: Comedy
Music: Various Lyrics/Book: Gerard Alessandrini
Musical Type: Contemporary (2016)
Genre: Parody
Music/Lyrics: Lisa Lambert, Greg Morrison Book: Bob Martin, Don McKellar
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1998)
Genre: Comedy
The Guy Who Didn’t Like Musicals
Music/Lyrics: Jeff Blim Book: Nick Lang, Matt Lang
Musical Type: Contemporary (2018)
Genre: Comedic Horror
The Musical of Musicals (The Musical!)
Music/Book: Eric Rockwell Lyrics/Book: Joanne Bogart
Musical Type: Contemporary (2003)
Genre: Parody
The Noteworthy Life of Howard Barnes
Music: Michael Kooman Lyrics/Book: Christopher Dimond
Musical Type: Contemporary (2018)
Genre: Comedy
Music/Lyrics/Book: Mel Brooks Book: Thomas Meehan
Musical Type: 1967 Film/Contemporary Musical (2001)
Genre: Comedy
Music: Matthew Sklar Lyrics/Book: Chad Beguelin Book: Bob Martin
Musical Type: Contemporary (2016)
Genre: Dramedy
Music: Harvey Schmidt Lyrics: Tom Jones
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1997)
Genre: Revue
Music/Lyrics/Book: Jonathan Larson
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary/Contemporary (1990/2001)
Genre: Semi-Autobiography
Music/Lyrics: Jeff Bowen Book: Hunter Bell
Musical Type: Contemporary (2006)
Genre: Comedy
Music/Lyrics: David Yazbek Book: Robert Horn
Musical Type: Contemporary (2018)
Genre: Comedy
Music: Vernon Duke Lyrics: Ogden Nash, Sammy Cahn Book: Charles Sherman, Peter DeVries
Musical Type: Golden Age (1952)
Genre: Revue
Music: Dick Gallagher Book/Lyrics/Concept: Mark Waldrop Concept: Howard Crabtree
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1996)
Genre: Revue/Comedy
Musicals About Theatre
The following musicals feature theatre in the plot or intertwine a play within the musical’s narrative.
Music: Jason Howland Lyrics: Nathan Tysen Book: Rachel Axler, Kait Kerrigan
Musical Type: Contemporary (2020)
Genre: Murder Mystery
Anything Can Happen in the Theater
Music/Lyrics: Maury Yeston Concept: Gerard Alessandrini
Musical Type: Contemporary (2019)
Genre: Revue
Music: Charles Strouse Lyrics: Lee Adams Book: Betty Comden, Adolph Green
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1970)
Genre: Dramedy
Music/Book: Richard Rodgers Lyrics/Book: Lorenz Hart
Musical Type: Jazz Age (1937)
Genre: Comedy
Music/Lyrics: Joe Iconis Book: Joe Tracz
Musical Type: Contemporary (2015)
Genre: Science Fiction
Music/Book: David Evans Lyrics/Book: Winnie Holzman
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1987)
Genre: Dramedy
Music/Lyrics/Book: Mark Schoenfeld, Barri McPherson
Musical Type: Contemporary (2004)
Genre: Dramedy
Music/Lyrics: Various Book: Woody Allen
Musical Type: Contemporary (2014)
Genre: Comedy
Elephant and Piggie’s “We Are in a Play”
Music: Deborah Wicks La Puma Lyrics/Book: Mo Willems
Musical Type: Contemporary (2013)
Genre: Youth Theatre
Music/Lyrics: Irving Berlin Book: Moss Hart
Musical Type: Jazz Age (1932)
Genre: Satire
Music: Steve Margoshes Lyrics: Jacques Levy Book: José Fernandez
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1988)
Genre: Dramedy
Music/Lyrics: Marc Shaiman Lyrics: Scott Wittman Book: Martin Short, Daniel Goldfarb
Musical Type: Contemporary (2006)
Genre: Semi-Autobiography/Comedy
Music/Lyrics: Danny Abosch Lyrics/Book: Susan DiLallo
Musical Type: Contemporary (2012)
Genre: Theatre for Young Audiences
Music/Lyrics: Gary Barlow, Eliot Kennedy Music: Scott Frankel Lyrics: Michael Korie Book: Allan Knee, James Graham
Musical Type: Contemporary (2012)
Genre: Drama
Music/Lyrics: Danny Abosch Lyrics/Book: John Maclay
Musical Type: Contemporary (2016)
Genre: Comedic Horror
Music/Lyrics: Arthur Schwartz, Howard Dietz Book: Arnold Schulman
Musical Type: Post-Golden Age (1963)
Genre: Romantic Dramedy
Music/Lyrics: Robert Wright, George Forrest Book: Peter Stone
Musical Type: Post-Golden Age (1961)
Genre: Rom-Dram
Music/Lyrics/Book: Robert J. Sherman
Musical Type: Contemporary (2015)
Genre: Fantasy
Music/Lyrics/Book: Robert Longden, Hereward Kaye
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1990)
Genre: Comedy/Camp
Music: Cy Coleman Lyrics/Book: Betty Comden, Adolph Green
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1978)
Genre: Comedy
Music/Lyrics: Maury Yeston Book: Arthur Kopit
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1991)
Genre: Drama/Horror
Music/Lyrics: Stephen Sondheim Book: Burt Shevelove, Nathan Lane
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1974)
Genre: Satire/Fantasy
Music: Sigmund Romberg Lyrics: Leo Robin Book: Jerome Chodorov, Joseph Fields
Musical Type: Golden Age (1954)
Genre: Comedy
Music: Stephen Flaherty Lyrics/Books: Lynn Ahrens
Musical Type: Contemporary (2007)
Genre: Dramedy
Music: Richard Rodgers Lyrics/Book: Oscar Hammerstein II
Musical Type: Golden Age (1951)
Genre: Rom-Dram
Music/Book: Andrew Lloyd Webber Lyrics: Charles Hart Lyrics/Book: Richard Stilgoe
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1986)
Genre: Mystery/Thriller
Musicals That Break the 4th Wall
These musicals break the fourth wall by having the performers address the audience or acknowledge that they are in a musical.
Music: John Kander Lyrics: Fred Ebb Book: David Thompson, Norman L. Martin
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1971)
Genre: Comedy
A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder
Music/Lyrics: Steven Lutvak Lyrics/Book: Robert L. Freedman
Musical Type: Contemporary (2012)
Genre: Comedy
Music/Lyrics: Stephen Sondheim Book: Arthur Laurents
Musical Type: Post-Golden Age (1964)
Genre: Satire
* In the musical number “Friendship”
Music/Lyrics: Cole Porter Book: Guy Bolton, P.G. Wodehouse, Howard Lindsay, Russel Crouse
Musical Type: Jazz Age (1934)
Genre: Rom-Com
Music/Lyrics: David Bryan Lyrics/Book: Joe DiPietro
Musical Type: Contemporary (2019)
Genre: Biography
Music: Brendan Milburn Lyrics: Valerie Vigoda Book: Joe DiPietro
Musical Type: Contemporary (2017)
Genre: Fantasy/Romantic Dramedy
Music/Lyrics/Book: George Reinblatt Music: Christopher Bond, Frank Cipolla, Melissa Morris
Musical Type: Contemporary (2003)
Genre: Fantasy/Parody
Music/Lyrics: Various Book: Stuart Ross
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1989)
Genre: Revue
Music/Lyrics/Book: Anaïs Mitchell
Musical Type: Contemporary (2006)
Genre: Mythic Fantasy
Music: Galt MacDermot Lyrics/Book: Gerome Ragni, James Rado
Musical Type: Post-Golden Age (1967)
Genre: Dramedy
Music/Lyrics: Irving Berlin Book: Gordon Greenberg, Chad Hodge
Musical Type: Contemporary (2014)
Genre: Romantic Comedy
Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat
Music: Andrew Lloyd Webber Lyrics: Tim Rice
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1968)
Genre: Dramedy
Music/Lyrics/Book: Dan Goggin
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1985)
Genre: Comedy
Music/Lyrics/Book: Dan Goggin
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1992)
Genre: Comedy
Music/Lyrics: Stephen Sondheim
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1992)
Genre: Revue
Return to the Forbidden Planet
Music/Lyrics: Various Book: Bob Carlton
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1983)
Genre: Science Fiction
Music/Lyrics: Brandy Clark, Shane McAnally Book: Robert Horn
Musical Type: Contemporary (2022)
Genre: Comedy
Music: John Du Prez Music/Lyrics/Book: Eric Idle
Musical Type: Contemporary (2004)
Genre: Comedy
Stop the World – I Want to Get Off
Music/Lyrics/Book: Leslie Bricusse, Anthony Newley
Musical Type: Post-Golden Age (1961)
Genre: Dramedy
* During “Epiphany” and “The Ballad of Sweeney Todd”
Music/Lyrics: Stephen Sondheim Book: Hugh Wheeler
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1979)
Genre: Horror
The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee
Music/Lyrics: William Finn Book: Rachel Sheinkin
Musical Type: Contemporary (2005)
Genre: Comedy
Music/Lyrics: Stephen Sondheim Book: Burt Shevelove, Nathan Lane
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1974)
Genre: Satire/Fantasy
The Great American Trailer Park Musical
Music/Lyrics: David Nehls Book: Betsy Kelso
Musical Type: Contemporary (2005)
Genre: Comedy
Music/Lyrics/Book: Rupert Holmes
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1985)
Genre: Murder Mystery
Music/Lyrics/Book: Jeff Blim Book: Matt Lang, Nick Lang
Musical Type: Contemporary (2014)
Genre: Parody
Music: Cy Coleman Lyrics: Betty Comden, Adolph Green Book: Peter Stone
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1991)
Genre: Comedy
Music/Lyrics: Mark Hollmann Lyrics/Book: Greg Kotis
Musical Type: Contemporary (2001)
Genre: Satire/Comedy
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Which of the above musicals about musicals are your favorite?
Have you ever played a role in one of the above musicals about musicals? What’s your favorite 4th wall breaking moment in musical theatre? 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.