75+ Musicals for Small Casts – A Full List of Shows

Putting on a musical requires many resources – money, space, time, and of course available actors. But the good news is that you can still put on an amazing musical, regardless of your cast size. And this also happens to be the perfect year to try out a small-cast musical in the digital space!

So here’s a full list of musicals for small casts. All of the below musicals have six roles or less, and are listed from the smallest cast size to the largest.


Please note: This post contains affiliate links. This means that if you choose to make a purchase through one of the following links, we may earn a small commission on the sale at no additional cost to you. See our disclosure for more info.


Contents:

3 Person Musicals

4 Person Musicals

5 Person Musicals

6 Person Musicals

* Here’s where you can find a list of 2-Person Musicals!


Musicals for a Cast of 3

3 Guys Naked from the Waist Down

Music: Michael Rupert  Lyrics/Book: Jerry Colker

Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1985)

Number of Roles: 3


Jerry’s Girls

Music/Lyrics: Jerry Herman

Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1985)

Number of Roles: 3


Little By Little

Music: Brad Ross  Lyrics: Ellen Greenfield, Hal Hackady

Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1999)

Number of Roles: 3


Lizard Boy

Music/Lyrics/Book: Justin Huertas

Musical Type: Contemporary (2015)

Number of Roles: 3


Starting Here, Starting Now

Music: David Shire  Lyrics: Richard Maltby, Jr.

Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1976)

Number of Roles: 3


Tarrytown

Music/Lyrics/Book: Adam Wachter

Musical Type: Contemporary (2017)

Number of Roles: 3


Tick, Tick…BOOM!

Music/Lyrics/Book: Jonathan Larson

Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary/Contemporary (1990/2001)

Number of Roles: 3


Vanities

Music/Lyrics: David Kirshenbaum  Book: Jack Heifner

Musical Type: Contemporary (2006)

Number of Roles: 3


What About Luv?

Music: Howard Marren  Lyrics: Susan Birkenhead  Book: Jeffrey Sweet

Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1984)

Number of Roles: 3


Musicals for a Cast of 4

Blues in the Night

Music/Lyrics: Various  Concept: Sheldon Epps

Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1980)

Number of Roles: 4


Calvin Berger

Music/Lyrics/Book: Barry Wyner

Musical Type: Contemporary (2006)

Number of Roles: 4+


Everyday Rapture

Music/Lyrics: Various  Book: Dick Scanlan, Sherie Rene Scott

Musical Type: Contemporary (2009)

Number of Roles: 4


Forever Plaid

Music/Lyrics: Various  Book: Stuart Ross

Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1989)

Number of Roles: 4


Ghost Quartet

Music/Lyrics/Book: Dave Malloy

Musical Type: Contemporary (2014)

Number of Roles: 4


Glory Days

Music/Lyrics: Nick Blaemire  Book: James Gardiner

Musical Type: Contemporary (2008)

Number of Roles: 4


Golf: The Musical

Music/Lyrics/Book: Michael Roberts  Concept: Eric Krebs

Musical Type: Contemporary (2003)

Number of Roles: 4


I Love You, You’re Perfect, Now Change

Music: Jimmy Roberts  Lyrics/Book: Joe DiPietro

Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1996)

Number of Roles: 4


In Trousers

Music/Lyrics/Book: William Finn

Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1979)

Number of Roles: 4


Jerome Kern Goes to Hollywood

Music: Jerome Kern  Lyrics: Various  Book: Dick Vosburgh

Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1986)

Number of Roles: 4


Lizzie

Music/Lyrics: Steven Cheslik-DeMeyer, Alan Stevens Hewitt  Music/Lyrics/Book: Tim Maner

Musical Type: Contemporary (2009)

Number of Roles: 4


Murder Ballad

Music/Lyrics: Juliana Nash  Lyrics/Book: Julia Jordan

Musical Type: Contemporary (2012)

Number of Roles: 4


Next Thing You Know

Music: Joshua Salzman  Lyrics/Book: Ryan Cunningham

Musical Type: Contemporary (2011)

Number of Roles: 4


No Way to Treat a Lady

Music/Lyrics/Book: Douglas J. Cohen

Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1987)

Number of Roles: 4


Now. Here. This

Music/Lyrics: Jeff Bowen  Book: Hunter Bell, Susan Blackwell

Musical Type: Contemporary (2012)

Number of Roles: 4


Ordinary Days

Music/Lyrics: Adam Gwon

Musical Type: Contemporary (2008)

Number of Roles: 4


Polkadots: The Cool Kids Musical

Music/Lyrics: Douglas Lyons  Music: Greg Borowsky  Book: Melvin Tunstall III

Musical Type: Contemporary (2016)

Number of Roles: 4


Romance/Romance

Music: Keith Herrmann  Lyrics/Book: Barry Harman

Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1987)

Number of Roles: 4


Side by Side by Sondheim

Music/Lyrics: Stephen Sondheim, Leonard Bernstein, Mary Rodgers, Richard Rodgers, Jule Styne

Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1976)

Number of Roles: 4


Songs for a New World

Music/Lyrics: Jason Robert Brown

Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1995)

Number of Roles: 4


Ten Percent Revue

Music/Lyrics: Tom Wilson Weinberg

Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1987)

Number of Roles: 4


The Immigrant

Music: Steven M. Alper  Lyrics: Sarah Knapp  Book: Mark Harelik

Musical Type: Contemporary (2000)

Number of Roles: 4


The Landing

Music: John Kander  Lyrics/Book: Greg Pierce

Musical Type: Contemporary (2013)

Cast Size: 4


The Mad Ones

Music/Lyrics/Book: Kait Kerrigan, Bree Lowdermilk

Musical Type: Contemporary (2017)

Number of Roles: 4


The Marvelous Wonderettes

Music/Lyrics: Various  Book: Roger Bean

Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary/Jukebox (1999)

Number of Roles: 4


The Marvelous Wonderettes: Caps and Gowns

Music/Lyrics: Various  Book: Roger Bean

Musical Type: Contemporary/Jukebox (2013)

Number of Roles: 4


The Marvelous Wonderettes: Dream On

Music/Lyrics: Various  Book: Roger Bean

Musical Type: Contemporary/Jukebox (2016)

Number of Roles: 4


The Musical of Musicals (The Musical!)

Music/Book: Eric Rockwell  Lyrics/Book: Joanne Bogart

Musical Type: Contemporary (2003)

Number of Roles: 4+


Tomfoolery

Music/Lyrics: Tom Lehrer  Adaptation: Cameron Mackintosh, Robin Ray

Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1980)

Number of Roles: 4


Winter Wonderettes

Music/Lyrics: Various  Book: Roger Bean

Musical Type: Contemporary/Jukebox (2016)

Number of Roles: 4


Musicals for a Cast of 5

A Grand Night for Singing

Music: Richard Rodgers  Lyrics: Oscar Hammerstein II  Concept: Walter Bobbie

Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1993)

Number of Roles: 5


A Little More Alive

Music/Lyrics/Book: Nick Blaemire

Musical Type: Contemporary (2011)

Number of Roles: 5


A Minister’s Wife

Music: Joshua Schmidt  Lyrics: Jan Levy Tranen  Book: Austin Pendleton

Musical Type: Contemporary (2011)

Number of Roles: 5


A Spoonful of Sherman

Music/Lyrics/Book: Robert J. Sherman  Music/Lyrics: Al Sherman, Richard M. Sherman, Robert B. Sherman

Musical Type: Contemporary (2014)

Number of Roles: 5


A Year With Frog and Toad

Music: Robert Reale  Lyrics/Book: Willie Reale

Musical Type: Contemporary (2002)

Number of Roles: 5


Ain’t Misbehavin’

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

Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1978)

Number of Roles: 5


Altar Boyz

Music/Lyrics: Gary Adler, Michael Patrick Walker  Book: Kevin Del Aguila

Musical Type: Contemporary (2004)

Number of Roles: 5


Anything Can Happen in the Theater

Music/Lyrics: Maury Yeston  Concept: Gerard Alessandrini

Musical Type: Contemporary (2019)

Number of Roles: 5


Breast Wishes

Music/Lyrics: Bruce Brown  Book: Merridy Eastman, Jonathan Gavin, Richard Glover, Wendy Harmer, Sheridan Jobbins, James Millar, Debra Oswald

Musical Type: Contemporary (2008)


Closer Than Ever

Music: David Shire  Lyrics: Richard Maltby, Jr.

Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1989)

Number of Roles: 5


Here Lies Love

Music: Fatboy Slim  Music/Lyrics: David Byrne

Musical Type: Contemporary (2013)

Number of Roles: 5


In the Green

Music/Lyrics/Book: Grace McLean

Musical Type: Contemporary (2019)

Number of Roles: 5


Make Me a Song

Music/Lyrics: William Finn  Concept: Rob Ruggiero

Musical Type: Contemporary (2006)

Number of Roles: 5


March of the Falsettos

Music/Lyrics/Book: William Finn

Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1981)

Number of Roles: 5


Nunsense

Music/Lyrics/Book: Dan Goggin

Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1985)

Number of Roles: 5


Nunsense A-Men!

Music/Lyrics/Book: Dan Goggin

Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1998)

Number of Roles: 5


One Mo’ Time

Music/Lyrics: Various  Concept: Vernel Bagneris

Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1979)

Number of Roles: 5


Parade

Music/Lyrics/Book: Jerry Herman

Musical Type: Post-Golden Age (1960)

Number of Roles: 5


Putting It Together

Music/Lyrics: Stephen Sondheim

Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1992)

Number of Roles: 5


See What I Wanna See

Music/Lyrics/Book: Michael John LaChiusa

Musical Type: Contemporary (2004)

Number of Roles: 5


SHOUT! The Mod Musical

Music/Lyrics: Various  Book: Phillip George, David Lowenstein

Musical Type: Contemporary (2006)

Number of Roles: 5


The Great American Trailer Park Musical

Music/Lyrics: David Nehls  Book: Betsy Kelso

Musical Type: Contemporary (2005)

Number of Roles: 5


The Last Session

Music/Lyrics: Steve Schalchlin  Lyrics: John Bettis, Marie Cain  Book: Jim Brochu

Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1997)

Number of Roles: 5


The Show Goes On

Music: Harvey Schmidt  Lyrics: Tom Jones

Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1997)

Number of Roles: 5


The Thing About Men

Music: Jimmy Roberts  Lyrics/Book: Joe DiPietro

Musical Type: Contemporary (2003)

Number of Roles: 5


The Three Little Pigs

Music: George Stiles  Lyrics/Book: Anthony Drewe

Musical Type: Contemporary (2013)

Number of Roles: 5


The Toxic Avenger

Music/Lyrics: David Bryan  Lyrics/Book: Joe DiPietro

Musical Type: Contemporary (2008)

Number of Roles: 5


The World Goes ‘Round

Music: John Kander  Lyrics: Fred Ebb  Concept: Scott Ellis, Susan Stroman, David Thompson

Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1991)

Number of Roles: 5


Tintypes

Music/Lyrics: Various  Book: Mel Marvin, Gary Pearle, Mary Kyte

Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1979)

Number of Roles: 5


[title of show]

Music/Lyrics: Jeff Bowen  Book: Hunter Bell

Musical Type: Contemporary (2006)

Number of Roles: 5


We Aren’t Kids Anymore

Music/Lyrics: Drew Gasparini

Musical Type: Contemporary (2019)

Number of Roles: 5


When Pigs Fly

Music: Dick Gallagher  Book/Lyrics/Concept: Mark Waldrop  Concept: Howard Crabtree

Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1996)

Number of Roles: 5


Musicals for a Cast of 6

21 Chump Street

Music/Lyrics: Lin-Manuel Miranda

Musical Type: Contemporary (2014)

Number of Roles: 6


Beehive: The 60’s Musical

Music/Lyrics: Various  Book: Larry Gallagher

Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1985)

Number of Roles: 6


Cambodian Rock Band

Music/Lyrics: Dengue Fever  Book: Lauren Yee

Musical Type: Contemporary (2020)

Number of Roles: 6


Desperate Measures

Music: David Friedman  Lyrics/Book: Peter Kellogg

Musical Type: Contemporary (2004)

Number of Roles: 6+


Falling in Love with Mr. Dellamort

Music/Lyrics: Paul Doust  Lyrics/Book: Jack Feldstein

Musical Type: Contemporary (2021)

Number of Roles: 6


Fancy Nancy

Music/Lyrics: Danny Abosch  Lyrics/Book: Susan DiLallo

Musical Type: Contemporary (2012)

Number of Roles: 6


Five Guys Named Moe

Music/Lyrics: Louis Jordan  Book: Clarke Peters

Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1990)

Number of Roles: 6


Frankie!

Music/Lyrics/Book: Elise Marra

Musical Type: Contemporary (2020)

Number of Roles: 6


Fugitive Songs

Music: Chris Miller  Lyrics: Nathan Tysen

Musical Type: Contemporary (2008)

Number of Roles: 6


Goldilocks and the Three Bears

Music: George Stiles  Lyrics/Book: Anthony Drewe

Musical Type: Contemporary (2013)

Number of Roles: 6


Hundred Days

Music/Lyrics/Book: The Bengsons  Book: Sarah Gancher

Musical Type: Contemporary (2017)

Number of Roles: 6


I Love You Because

Music: Joshua Salzman  Lyrics: Ryan Cunningham

Musical Type: Contemporary (2006)

Number of Roles: 6


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)

Number of Roles: 6


Light Years

Music/Lyrics/Book: Robbie Schaefer

Musical Type: Contemporary (2018)

Number of Roles: 6


Next to Normal

Music: Tom Kitt  Lyrics/Book: Brian Yorkey

Musical Type: Contemporary (2008)

Number of Roles: 6


Night of the Living Dead!

Music/Lyrics/Book: Jordan Wolfe

Musical Type: Contemporary (2019)

Number of Roles: 6


Nunsense II

Music/Lyrics/Book: Dan Goggin

Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1992)

Number of Roles: 6


Nunset Boulevard

Music/Lyrics/Book: Dan Goggin

Musical Type: Contemporary (2009)

Number of Roles: 6


Preludes

Music/Lyrics/Book: Dave Malloy

Musical Type: Contemporary (2015)

Number of Roles: 6


Pump Boys and Dinettes

Music/Lyrics/Book: John Foley, Mark Hardwick, Debra Monk, Cass Morgan, John Schimmel, Jim Wann

Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1981)

Number of Roles: 6


Rags Parkland Sings the Songs of the Future

Music/Lyrics/Book: Andrew R. Butler

Musical Type: Contemporary (2018)

Number of Roles: 6


Scandalous

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

Musical Type: Contemporary (2005)

Number of Roles: 6


Schoolhouse Rock Live!

Music/Lyrics: Various  Book: George Keating, Scott Ferguson, Kyle Hall

Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1993)

Number of Roles: 6


Six

Music/Lyrics/Book: Toby Marlow, Lucy Moss

Musical Type: Contemporary (2017)

Number of Roles: 6


Snapshots

Music/Lyrics: Stephen Schwartz  Concept: Michael Scheman, David Stern

Musical Type: Contemporary (2005)

Number of Roles: 6


The Man in the Ceiling

Music/Lyrics: Andrew Lippa  Book: Jules Feiffer

Musical Type: Contemporary (2017)

Number of Roles: 6


The Trail to Oregon

Music/Lyrics/Book: Jeff Blim  Book: Matt Lang, Nick Lang

Musical Type: Contemporary (2014)

Number of Roles: 6


Tokyo Rose

Music: William Patrick Harrison  Lyrics/Book: Maryhee Yoon, Cara Baldwin

Musical Type: Contemporary (2021)

Number of Roles: 6


You Never Know

Music/Lyrics: Cole Porter  Book: Rowland Leigh, Paul Lazarus

Musical Type: Jazz Age (1938)

Number of Roles: 6


You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown

Music/Lyrics/Book: Clark Gesner  Additional Songs: Andrew Lippa

Musical Type: Post-Golden Age (1967)

Number of Roles: 6


Other blog posts you might like:

• Musicals About New York City

• Musicals for Kids

• Musicals with Kids in Them

• Musicals for High Schools


Want a weekly list of stagey surprises?!

Sign up for Theatre Thursday.


Know any other good musicals for small casts?

Or have you ever been a part of one of the above musicals for small casts? Feel free to share in the comments! 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 Musicals for Small Casts.
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.


 

3 thoughts on “75+ Musicals for Small Casts – A Full List of Shows

    • September 19, 2020 at
      Permalink

      You are SO right, Jane! I Love You, You’re Perfect, Now Change was actually one of the first cast recordings that I bought a physical CD for, and I can still remember singing along to it in my car so many years ago. I just added it to the list. Thanks for the suggestion! 🙂

      • October 5, 2020 at
        Permalink

        My heart skipped a little when I read your shout out! Thanks.

Leave a Reply

Skip to content