Musicals of the 1940s – A Complete Ordered List
The musicals of the 1940s played a huge role in popular culture at the time. A few of the popular musical theatre trends included feel-good shows, book musicals, Rodgers & Hammerstein, comedies, love stories, French culture, and big dance numbers.
Because of that, the 1940s-1950s are also referred to as the “golden age” of musical theatre. And the most notable musicals of the decade are included below.
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1940 Musicals
Cabin in the Sky (1940)
Music: Vernon Duke Lyrics: John Latouche Book: Lynn Root
Louisiana Purchase (1940)
Music/Lyrics: Irving Berlin Book: Morrie Ryskind
Pal Joey (1940)
Music: Richard Rodgers Lyrics: Lorenz Hart Book: John O’Hara
Panama Hattie (1940)
Music/Lyrics: Cole Porter Book: Herbert Fields, B.G. DeSylva
1941 Musicals
Best Foot Forward (1941)
Music/Lyrics: Hugh Martin, Ralph Blane Book: John Cecil Holm
Lady in the Dark (1941)
Music: Kurt Weill Lyrics: Ira Gershwin Book: Moss Hart
1942 Musicals
By Jupiter (1942)
Music/Book: Richard Rodgers Lyrics/Book: Lorenz Hart
This Is the Army (1942)
Music/Lyrics: Irving Berlin
1943 Musicals
Carmen Jones (1943)
Music: Georges Bizet Lyrics/Book: Oscar Hammerstein II
Oklahoma! (1943)
Music: Richard Rodgers Book/Lyrics: Oscar Hammerstein II
One Touch of Venus (1943)
Music: Kurt Weill Lyrics: Ogden Nash Book: Nash, S.J. Perelman
Something for the Boys (1943)
Music/Lyrics: Cole Porter Book: Herbert Fields, Dorothy Fields
1944 Musicals
Bloomer Girl (1944)
Music: Harold Arlen Lyrics: E.Y. Harburg Book: Sig Herzig, Fred Saidy
Mexican Hayride (1944)
Music/Lyrics: Cole Porter Book: Herbert Fields, Dorothy Fields
On the Town (1944)
Music: Leonard Bernstein Lyrics/Book: Betty Comden, Adolph Green
Song of Norway (1944)
Music/Lyrics: Edvard Grieg, Robert Wright, George Forrest Book: Lazarus, Curran
1945 Musicals
Carousel (1945)
Music: Richard Rodgers Book/Lyrics: Oscar Hammerstein II
The Day Before Spring (1945)
Music: Frederick Loewe Lyrics/Book: Alan Jay Lerner
Up in Central Park (1945)
Music: Sigmund Romberg Lyrics: Dorothy Fields Book: Herbert Fields, Dorothy Fields
1946 Musicals
Annie Get Your Gun (1946)
Music/Lyrics: Irving Berlin Book: Dorothy Fields, Herbert Fields
Call Me Mister (1946)
Music/Lyrics: Harold Rome Sketches: Arnold Auerbach
St. Louis Woman (1946)
Music: Harold Arlen Lyrics: Johnny Mercer Book: Arna Bontemps, Countee Cullen
1947 Musicals
Allegro (1947)
Music: Richard Rodgers Book/Lyrics: Oscar Hammerstein II
Brigadoon (1947)
Music: Frederick Loewe Lyrics/Book: Alan Jay Lerner
Finian’s Rainbow (1947)
Music: Burton Lane Lyrics: E.Y. Harburg Book: E.Y. Harburg, Fred Saidy
High Button Shoes (1947)
Music: Jule Styne Lyrics: Sammy Cahn Book: Stephen Longstreet, George Abbott
Street Scene (1947)
Music: Kurt Weill Lyrics: Langston Hughes Book: Elmer Rice
1948 Musicals
Kiss Me, Kate (1948)
Music/Lyrics: Cole Porter Book: Bella & Samuel Spewack
Look Ma, I’m Dancin’! (1948)
Music/Lyrics: Hugh Martin Book: Jerome Lawrence, Robert E. Lee
Magdalena (1948)
Music: Heitor Villa-Lobos Lyrics: Robert Wright, George Forrest Book: Brennan, Curran
Where’s Charley? (1948)
Music/Lyrics: Frank Loesser Book: George Abbott
1949 Musicals
Gentlemen Prefer Blondes (1949)
Music: Jule Styne Lyrics: Leo Robin Book: Joseph Fields, Anita Loos
Lost in the Stars (1949)
Music: Kurt Weill Lyrics/Book: Maxwell Anderson
Miss Liberty (1949)
Music/Lyrics: Irving Berlin Book: Robert E. Sherwood
South Pacific (1949)
Music: Richard Rodgers Lyrics/Book: Oscar Hammerstein II Book: Joshua Logan
Other Decades
• Musicals of the 1940s → You are here!
• The Golden Age Musicals (1940 – 1959)
• The Post-Golden Age Musicals (1960- 1969)
Want a weekly list of stagey surprises?!
Which of these musicals of the 1940s is your favorite?
Or have you ever played a role in any of these musicals from the 1940s? 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!
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.
