115+ Musicals for Small Casts – The Full List

3 Person Musicals

Below you’ll find musicals with 3 roles (also known as three-hander musicals).

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3 Guys Naked from the Waist Down

Music: Michael Rupert  Lyrics/Book: Jerry Colker

Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1985)

Number of Roles: 3

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Jerry’s Girls

Music/Lyrics: Jerry Herman  Concept: Larry Alford, Wayne Cilento

Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1985)

Number of Roles: 3

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Little by Little

Music: Brad Ross  Lyrics: Ellen Greenfield, Hal Hackady

Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1999)

Number of Roles: 3

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Lizard Boy

Music/Lyrics/Book: Justin Huertas

Musical Type: Contemporary (2015)

Number of Roles: 3

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Loving Repeating

Music: Stephen Flaherty  Lyrics: Gertrude Stein  Adaptation: Frank Galati

Musical Type: Contemporary (2006)

Number of Roles: 3+

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Starting Here, Starting Now

Music: David Shire  Lyrics: Richard Maltby, Jr.

Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1976)

Number of Roles: 3

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Tick, Tick…BOOM!

Music/Lyrics/Book: Jonathan Larson

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

Number of Roles: 3

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Vanities

Music/Lyrics: David Kirshenbaum  Book: Jack Heifner

Musical Type: Contemporary (2006)

Number of Roles: 3

4 Person Musicals

Below you’ll find musicals with 4 roles (also known as four-hander musicals).

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Blues in the Night

Music/Lyrics: Various  Concept: Sheldon Epps

Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1980)

Number of Roles: 4

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Calvin Berger

Music/Lyrics/Book: Barry Wyner

Musical Type: Contemporary (2006)

Number of Roles: 4+

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Celebration

Music: Harvey Schmidt  Lyrics/Book: Tom Jones

Musical Type: Post-Golden Age (1969)

Number of Roles: 4+

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Everyday Rapture

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

Musical Type: Contemporary (2009)

Number of Roles: 4

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Forbidden Broadway

Music: Various  Lyrics/Book: Gerard Alessandrini

Musical Type: 1980s-2020s Series

Number of Roles: 4+

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Forever Plaid

Music/Lyrics: Various  Book: Stuart Ross

Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1989)

Number of Roles: 4

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Ghost Quartet

Music/Lyrics/Book: Dave Malloy

Musical Type: Contemporary (2014)

Number of Roles: 4

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Glory Days

Music/Lyrics: Nick Blaemire  Book: James Gardiner

Musical Type: Contemporary (2008)

Number of Roles: 4

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I Love You, You’re Perfect, Now Change

Music: Jimmy Roberts  Lyrics/Book: Joe DiPietro

Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1996)

Number of Roles: 4

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In Trousers

Music/Lyrics/Book: William Finn

Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1979)

Number of Roles: 4

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Jerome Kern Goes to Hollywood

Music: Jerome Kern  Lyrics: Various  Book: Dick Vosburgh

Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1986)

Number of Roles: 4

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Lizzie

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

Musical Type: Contemporary (2009)

Number of Roles: 4

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Maybe Happy Ending

Music/Book: Will Aronson  Lyrics/Book: Hue Park

Musical Type: Contemporary (2016)

Number of Roles: 4-7

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Murder Ballad

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

Musical Type: Contemporary (2012)

Number of Roles: 4

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Next Thing You Know

Music: Joshua Salzman  Lyrics/Book: Ryan Cunningham

Musical Type: Contemporary (2011)

Number of Roles: 4

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Now. Here. This

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

Musical Type: Contemporary (2012)

Number of Roles: 4

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Ordinary Days

Music/Lyrics: Adam Gwon

Musical Type: Contemporary (2008)

Number of Roles: 4

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Polkadots: The Cool Kids Musical

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

Musical Type: Contemporary (2016)

Number of Roles: 4

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Romance/Romance

Music: Keith Herrmann  Lyrics/Book: Barry Harman

Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1987)

Number of Roles: 4

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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

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Some Lovers

Music: Burt Bacharach  Lyrics/Book: Steven Sater

Musical Type: Contemporary (2011)

Number of Roles: 4

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Songs for a New World

Music/Lyrics: Jason Robert Brown

Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1995)

Number of Roles: 4

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The Landing

Music: John Kander  Lyrics/Book: Greg Pierce

Musical Type: Contemporary (2013)

Cast Size: 4

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The Mad Ones

Music/Lyrics/Book: Kait Kerrigan, Bree Lowdermilk

Musical Type: Contemporary (2017)

Number of Roles: 4

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The Marvelous Wonderettes

Music/Lyrics: Various  Book: Roger Bean

Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1999)

Number of Roles: 4

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The Marvelous Wonderettes: Caps and Gowns

Music/Lyrics: Various  Book: Roger Bean

Musical Type: Contemporary (2013)

Number of Roles: 4

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The Marvelous Wonderettes: Dream On

Music/Lyrics: Various  Book: Roger Bean

Musical Type: Contemporary (2016)

Number of Roles: 4

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The Musical of Musicals (The Musical!)

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

Musical Type: Contemporary (2003)

Number of Roles: 4+

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Tomfoolery

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

Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1980)

Number of Roles: 4

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Winter Wonderettes

Music/Lyrics: Various  Book: Roger Bean

Musical Type: Contemporary (2016)

Number of Roles: 4

5 Person Musicals

Below you’ll find musicals with 5 roles in total, ideal for tight-knit performance groups.

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35mm: A Musical Exhibition

Music/Lyrics/Book: Ryan Scott Oliver

Musical Type: Contemporary (2012)

Number of Roles: 5+

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A Grand Night for Singing

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

Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1993)

Number of Roles: 5

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A Minister’s Wife

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

Musical Type: Contemporary (2011)

Number of Roles: 5

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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

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A Year with Frog and Toad

Music: Robert Reale  Lyrics/Book: Willie Reale

Musical Type: Contemporary (2002)

Number of Roles: 5

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Ain’t Misbehavin’

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

Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1978)

Number of Roles: 5

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Altar Boyz

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

Musical Type: Contemporary (2004)

Number of Roles: 5

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Anything Can Happen in the Theater

Music/Lyrics: Maury Yeston  Concept: Gerard Alessandrini

Musical Type: Contemporary (2019)

Number of Roles: 5

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Children’s Letters to God

Music: David Evans  Lyrics: Douglas J. Cohen  Book: Stuart Hample

Musical Type: Contemporary (2004)

Number of Roles: 5+

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Closer Than Ever

Music: David Shire  Lyrics: Richard Maltby, Jr.

Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1989)

Number of Roles: 5

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Elegies: A Song Cycle

Music/Lyrics: William Finn

Musical Type: Contemporary (2003)

Number of Roles: 5+

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Elephant and Piggie’s “We Are in a Play!”

Music: Deborah Wicks La Puma  Lyrics/Book: Mo Willems

Musical Type: Contemporary (2013)

Number of Roles: 5-8

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Fantastically Great Women Who Changed the World

Music/Lyrics: Miranda Cooper  Music: Jennifer Decilveo  Lyrics: Chris Bush

Musical Type: Contemporary (2021)

Number of Roles: 5+

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Fela!

Music/Lyrics: Fela Kuti  Book: Bill T. Jones, Jim Lewis

Musical Type: Contemporary (2008)

Number of Roles: 5+

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Henry and Mudge

Music: Bree Lowdermilk  Lyrics/Book: Kait Kerrigan

Musical Type: Contemporary (2006)

Number of Roles: 5

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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: 5-7

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Make Me a Song

Music/Lyrics: William Finn  Concept: Rob Ruggiero

Musical Type: Contemporary (2006)

Number of Roles: 5

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March of the Falsettos

Music/Lyrics/Book: William Finn

Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1981)

Number of Roles: 5

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Nunsense

Music/Lyrics/Book: Dan Goggin

Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1985)

Number of Roles: 5

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Nunsense II

Music/Lyrics/Book: Dan Goggin

Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1992)

Number of Roles: 5-8

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Nunsense A-Men!

Music/Lyrics/Book: Dan Goggin

Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1998)

Number of Roles: 5

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Operation Mincemeat

Music/Lyrics/Book: David Cumming, Felix Hagan, Natasha Hodgson, Zoë Roberts

Musical Type: Contemporary (2019)

Number of Roles: 5

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Parade

Music/Lyrics/Book: Jerry Herman

Musical Type: Post-Golden Age (1960)

Number of Roles: 5

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Putting It Together

Music/Lyrics: Stephen Sondheim

Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1992)

Number of Roles: 5

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Redwood

Music/Lyrics: Kate Diaz Lyrics/Book: Tina Landau

Musical Type: Contemporary (2024)

Number of Roles: 5

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See What I Wanna See

Music/Lyrics/Book: Michael John LaChiusa

Musical Type: Contemporary (2004)

Number of Roles: 5

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SHOUT! The Mod Musical

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

Musical Type: Contemporary (2006)

Number of Roles: 5

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The Great American Trailer Park Musical

Music/Lyrics: David Nehls  Book: Betsy Kelso

Musical Type: Contemporary (2005)

Number of Roles: 5

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The Show Goes On

Music: Harvey Schmidt  Lyrics: Tom Jones

Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1997)

Number of Roles: 5

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The Thing About Men

Music: Jimmy Roberts  Lyrics/Book: Joe DiPietro

Musical Type: Contemporary (2003)

Number of Roles: 5

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The Three Little Pigs

Music: George Stiles  Lyrics/Book: Anthony Drewe

Musical Type: Contemporary (2013)

Number of Roles: 5

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The Toxic Avenger

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

Musical Type: Contemporary (2008)

Number of Roles: 5

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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

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Tintypes

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

Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1979)

Number of Roles: 5

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[title of show]

Music/Lyrics: Jeff Bowen  Book: Hunter Bell

Musical Type: Contemporary (2006)

Number of Roles: 4 + 1 Pianist

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We Aren’t Kids Anymore

Music/Lyrics: Drew Gasparini

Musical Type: Contemporary (2019)

Number of Roles: 5

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When Pigs Fly

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

Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1996)

Number of Roles: 5

6 Person Musicals

Below you’ll find musicals with 6 roles, great for small ensemble shows.

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21 Chump Street

Music/Lyrics: Lin-Manuel Miranda

Musical Type: Contemporary (2014)

Number of Roles: 6

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As Thousands Cheer

Music/Lyrics: Irving Berlin  Book: Moss Hart

Musical Type: Jazz Age (1933)

Number of Roles: 6+

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Beehive: The 60’s Musical

Music/Lyrics: Various  Book: Larry Gallagher

Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1985)

Number of Roles: 6

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Desperate Measures

Music: David Friedman  Lyrics/Book: Peter Kellogg

Musical Type: Contemporary (2004)

Number of Roles: 6+

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Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus!

Music: Deborah Wicks La Puma  Lyrics/Book: Mo Willems  Book: Mr. Warburton

Musical Type: Contemporary (2019)

Number of Roles: 6

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Fame Becomes Me

Music/Lyrics: Marc Shaiman  Lyrics: Scott Wittman  Book: Martin Short, Daniel Goldfarb

Musical Type: Contemporary (2006)

Number of Roles: 6+

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Fancy Nancy

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

Musical Type: Contemporary (2012)

Number of Roles: 6

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Five Guys Named Moe

Music/Lyrics: Louis Jordan  Book: Clarke Peters

Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1990)

Number of Roles: 6

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Fugitive Songs

Music: Chris Miller  Lyrics: Nathan Tysen

Musical Type: Contemporary (2008)

Number of Roles: 6

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Goldilocks and the Three Bears

Music: George Stiles  Lyrics/Book: Anthony Drewe

Musical Type: Contemporary (2013)

Number of Roles: 6

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Hundred Days

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

Musical Type: Contemporary (2017)

Number of Roles: 6

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I Love You Because

Music: Joshua Salzman  Lyrics: Ryan Cunningham

Musical Type: Contemporary (2006)

Number of Roles: 6

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Junie B. Jones

Music: Zina Goldrich  Lyrics/Book: Marcy Heisler

Musical Type: Contemporary (2004)

Number of Roles: 6+

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Kat and the Kings

Music: Taliep Petersen  Lyrics/Book: David Kramer

Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1996)

Number of Roles: 6

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Meshuggah-Nuns!

Music/Lyrics/Book: Dan Goggin

Musical Type: Contemporary (2002)

Number of Roles: 6

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Next to Normal

Music: Tom Kitt  Lyrics/Book: Brian Yorkey

Musical Type: Contemporary (2008)

Number of Roles: 6

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Nunset Boulevard

Music/Lyrics/Book: Dan Goggin

Musical Type: Contemporary (2009)

Number of Roles: 6

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Preludes

Music/Lyrics/Book: Dave Malloy

Musical Type: Contemporary (2015)

Number of Roles: 6

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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

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Rags Parkland Sings the Songs of the Future

Music/Lyrics/Book: Andrew R. Butler

Musical Type: Contemporary (2018)

Number of Roles: 6

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Schoolhouse Rock Live!

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

Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1993)

Number of Roles: 6

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Six

Music/Lyrics/Book: Toby Marlow, Lucy Moss

Musical Type: Contemporary (2017)

Number of Roles: 6

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Snapshots

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

Musical Type: Contemporary (2005)

Number of Roles: 6

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The Drifters Girl

Music/Lyrics: Various  Book: Ed Curtis

Musical Type: Contemporary (2021)

Number of Roles: 6

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The Man in the Ceiling

Music/Lyrics: Andrew Lippa  Book: Jules Feiffer

Musical Type: Contemporary (2017)

Number of Roles: 6

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The Trail to Oregon!

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

Musical Type: Contemporary (2014)

Number of Roles: 6

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Three Houses

Music/Lyrics/Book: Dave Malloy

Musical Type: Contemporary (2024)

Number of Roles: 6

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Tokyo Rose

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

Musical Type: Contemporary (2021)

Number of Roles: 6

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Working

Music/Lyrics/Adaptation: Stephen Schwartz  Music/Lyrics: Craig Carnelia, Micki Grant, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Mary Rodgers, Susan Birkenhead, James Taylor  Adaptation: Nina Faso

Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1977)

Number of Roles: 6+

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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

7 Person Musicals

Below you’ll find musicals with 7 roles, great for compact but dynamic shows.

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A Strange Loop

Music/Lyrics/Book: Michael R. Jackson

Musical Type: Contemporary (2019)

Number of Roles: 7

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All the Fun of the Fair

Music/Lyrics: David Essex  Book: Jon Conway

Musical Type: Contemporary (2008)

Number of Roles: 7+

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Avenue Q

Music/Lyrics: Robert Lopez, Jeff Marx  Book: Jeff Whitty

Musical Type: Contemporary (2003)

Number of Roles: 7+

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Closer to Heaven

Music/Lyrics: Pet Shop Boys  Book: Jonathan Harvey

Musical Type: Contemporary (2001)

Number of Roles: 7+

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Coco

Music: André Previn  Lyrics/Book: Alan Jay Lerner

Musical Type: Post-Golden Age (1969)

Number of Roles: 7+

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Falsettoland

Music/Lyrics/Book: William Finn  Book: James Lapine

Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1990)

Number of Roles: 7

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Falsettos

Music/Lyrics/Book: William Finn  Book: James Lapine

Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1992)

Number of Roles: 7

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First Date

Music/Lyrics: Alan Zachary, Michael Weiner  Book: Austin Winsberg

Musical Type: Contemporary (2012)

Number of Roles: 7

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First Daughter Suite

Music/Lyrics: Michael John La Chiusa

Musical Type: Contemporary (2015)

Number of Roles: 7

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First Lady Suite

Music/Lyrics/Book: Michael John LaChiusa

Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1993)

Number of Roles: 7