Musicals of the 1920s – A Complete Ordered List
The musicals of the 1920s boasted glamorous showgirls, light-hearted shows, and larger-than-life dance numbers. A few of the popular trends at the time included jazz, Gershwin, Cole Porter, and romantic comedies.
The 1920s marked the beginning of the “jazz age” of musical theatre. And the most notable musicals of the decade are included below.
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1920 Musicals
Sally (1920)
Music: Jerome Kern, Victor Herbert Lyrics: Grey, De Sylva, Wodehouse, Caldwell Book: Bolton
1921 Musicals
Shuffle Along (1921)
Music: Eubie Blake Lyrics: Noble Sissle Book: F.E. Miller, Aubrey Lyles
1922 Musicals
The Cabaret Girl (1922)
Music: Jerome Kern Lyrics/Book: George Grossmith, P.G. Wodehouse
1924 Musicals
Lady, Be Good! (1924)
Music: George Gershwin Lyrics: Ira Gershwin Book: Guy Bolton, Fred Thompson
The Student Prince (1924)
Music: Sigmund Romberg Lyrics/Book: Dorothy Donnelly
1925 Musicals
Dearest Enemy (1925)
Music: Richard Rodgers Lyrics: Lorenz Hart Book: Herbert Fields
No, No Nanette (1925)
Music: Vincent Youmans Lyrics/Book: Irving Caesar, Otto Harbach, Frank Mandel
The Cocoanuts (1925)
Music/Lyrics: Irving Berlin Book: George S. Kaufman, Morrie Ryskind
Tip-Toes (1925)
Music: George Gershwin Lyrics: Ira Gershwin Book: Guy Bolton, Fred Thompson
1926 Musicals
Oh, Kay! (1926)
Music: George Gershwin Lyrics: Ira Gershwin Book: Guy Bolton, P.G. Wodehouse
The Desert Song (1926)
Music: Sigmund Romberg Lyrics: Otto Harbach Book: Hammerstein, Harbach, Mandel
The Girl Friend (1926)
Music: Richard Rodgers Lyrics: Lorenz Hart Book: Herbert Fields
1927 Musicals
A Connecticut Yankee (1927)
Music: Richard Rodgers Lyrics: Lorenz Hart Book: Herbert Fields
Funny Face (1927)
Music: George Gershwin Lyrics: Ira Gershwin Book: Paul Gerard Smith, Fred Thompson
Good News! (1927)
Music: Ray Henderson Lyrics: B.G. DeSylva, Lew Brown Book: Schwab, DeSylva
Show Boat (1927)
Music: Jerome Kern Lyrics/Book: Oscar Hammerstein II
Strike Up The Band (1927)
Music: George Gershwin Lyrics: Ira Gershwin Book: Morrie Ryskind
The New Moon (1927)
Music: Sigmund Romberg Lyrics/Book: Oscar Hammerstein II, Frank Mandel, Laurence Schwab
1928 Musicals
Blackbirds of 1928 (1928)
Music: Jimmy McHugh Lyrics: Dorothy Fields
Rosalie (1928)
Music: George Gershwin, Romberg Lyrics: Ira Gershwin, Wodehouse Book: McGuire, Bolton
The Threepenny Opera (1928)
Music: Kurt Weill Lyrics/Book: Bertolt Brecht
Treasure Girl (1928)
Music: George Gershwin Lyrics: Ira Gershwin Book: Fred Thompson, Vincent Lawrence
1929 Musicals
Fifty Million Frenchmen (1929)
Music/Lyrics: Cole Porter Book: Herbert Fields
Happy End (1929)
Music: Kurt Weill Lyrics: Bertolt Brecht Book: Elisabeth Hauptmann
More Musicals by Year
• Musicals of the 1920s → You are here!
• Golden Age Musicals (1940 – 1959)
• Post-Golden Age Musicals (1960 – 1969)
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Which of these musicals of the 1920s is your favorite?
Or have you ever played a role in any of these 1920s 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!
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.
