Musicals of the 1990s – A Complete Ordered List
The musicals of the 1990s were full of surprises. Popular trends of the era included shows featuring country music, productions set in the 19th century, dramas, comedies, pop/rock scores, musical revues, and Disney productions.
The 1990s mark the end of the pre-contemporary musical theatre time period. Here’s the full list of musicals that premiered during the decade. And to enhance your researching experience, you can pop on Theatre Trip’s Spotify playlist while scrolling – “The Best Musical Songs of the 1990s”➝.
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Contents:
1990 Musicals
Music/Lyrics: Stephen Sondheim Book: John Weidman
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1990)
Music/Book: Barry Manilow Lyrics/Book: Bruce Sussman, Jack Feldman
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1990)
Music/Lyrics/Book: William Finn Book: James Lapine
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1990)
Music/Lyrics: Louis Jordan Book: Clarke Peters
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1990)
Music: Frank Wildhorn Lyrics/Book: Leslie Bricusse
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1990)
Music/Lyrics/Book: Robert Longden, Hereward Kaye
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1990)
Music: Stephen Flaherty Lyrics/Book: Lynn Ahrens
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1990)
Music/Book: Cy Coleman Lyrics/Book: Ira Gasman Book: David Newman
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1990)
1991 Musicals
Music/Lyrics: Stephen Schwartz Book: John Caird
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1991)
Music: Charles Strouse Lyrics: Richard Maltby, Jr. Book: Arthur Laurents
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1991)
Music/Lyrics: Maury Yeston Book: Arthur Kopit
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1991)
Music: Andrew Lloyd Webber Lyrics/Book: Don Black, Christopher Hampton
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1991)
Music: Lucy Simon Lyrics/Book: Marsha Norman
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1991)
Music: Cy Coleman Lyrics: Betty Comden, Adolph Green Book: Peter Stone
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1991)
Music: John Kander Lyrics: Fred Ebb Concept: Scott Ellis, Susan Stroman, David Thompson
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1991)
1992 Musicals
Music: George Gershwin Lyrics: Ira Gershwin Book: Ken Ludwig
Musical Type: Jazz Age/Pre-Contemporary (1992)
Music/Lyrics/Book: William Finn Book: James Lapine
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1992)
Music/Lyrics: Various Book: Larry Buttrose, Kathryn Riding
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary/Jukebox (1992)
Music: Jelly Roll Morton, Luther Henderson Lyrics: Susan Birkenhead Book: George C. Wolfe
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1992)
Music: John Kander Lyrics: Fred Ebb Book: Terrence McNally
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1992)
Music: Stephen Flaherty Lyrics: Lynn Ahrens Book: Joseph Dougherty
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1992)
Music/Lyrics/Book: Dan Goggin
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1992)
Music/Lyrics: Stephen Sondheim
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1992)
Music: Marvin Laird Lyrics/Book: Joel Paley
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1992)
Music/Lyrics/Book: Leslie Bricusse
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1992)
Music/Lyrics/Book: Pete Townshend Book: Des McAnuff
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1992)
Music: Alan Menken Lyrics: David Spencer Book: Alan Brennert
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1992)
Music: Jeffrey Lunden Lyrics/Book: Arthur Perlman
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1992)
Music/Lyrics/Book: Bernard J. Taylor
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1992)
1993 Musicals
Music: Richard Rodgers Lyrics: Oscar Hammerstein II Concept: Walter Bobbie
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1993)
Music: Charles Strouse Lyrics: Martin Charnin Book: Thomas Meehan
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1993)
Music/Lyrics/Book: Michael John LaChiusa
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1993)
Music: George Stiles Lyrics/Book: Anthony Drewe
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1993)
Music: George Stiles Lyrics: Paul Leigh Book: Claire Luckham
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1993)
Music/Lyrics/Book: Mike Craver, Mark Hardwick
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1993)
Music/Lyrics: Various Book: George Keating, Scott Ferguson, Kyle Hall
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1993)
Music: Martin Silvestri Lyrics/Book: Joel Higgins
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1993)
Music: Marvin Hamlisch Lyrics: David Zippel Book: Neil Simon
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1993)
Music/Lyrics/Book: Howard Crabtree, Charles Cantanese, Mark Waldrop, Dick Gallagher, Phillip George, Peter Morris
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1993)
Music: Dana P. Rowe Lyrics/Book: John Dempsey
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1993)
1994 Musicals
Music: Alan Menken Lyrics/Book: Lynn Ahrens Book: Mike Ockrent
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1994)
Music: Alan Menken Lyrics: Howard Ashman, Tim Rice Book: Linda Woolverton
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1994)
Music/Lyrics: Adam Guettel Book: Tina Landau
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1994)
Music/Lyrics/Book: Michael John LaChiusa
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1994)
How the Grinch Stole Christmas
Music: Mel Marvin Lyrics/Book: Timothy Mason
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1994)
Music/Lyrics: Stephen Sondheim Book: James Lapine
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1994)
Music/Lyrics: Jerry Leiber, Mike Stoller
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1994)
1995 Musicals
Bring in ‘da Noise, Bring in ‘da Funk
Music/Lyrics/Book: Daryl Waters, Ann Duquesnay, Zane Mark, George C. Wolfe, Reg E. Gaines
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1995)
Music/Lyrics: Richard M. Sherman, Robert B. Sherman Book: A.J. Carothers
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1995)
Music/Lyrics: Paul Gordon Lyrics/Book: John Caird
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1995)
Music/Book: Andrew Lippa Lyrics/Book: Tom Greenwald
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1995)
Music/Lyrics: Various Book: Francis Essex, Rob Bettinson
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1995)
Music/Lyrics/Book: Dan Goggin
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1995)
Music/Lyrics: Jason Robert Brown
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1995)
Music: Henry Mancini, Frank Wildhorn Lyrics: Leslie Bricusse Book: Blake Edwards
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1995)
1996 Musicals
Music: David Shire Lyrics: Richard Maltby, Jr. Book: John Weidman
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1996)
I Love You, You’re Perfect, Now Change
Music: Jimmy Roberts Lyrics/Book: Joe DiPietro
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1996)
Music: Taliep Petersen Lyrics/Book: David Kramer
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1996)
Music/Book: Claude-Michel Schönberg Lyrics/Book: Alain Boublil Lyrics: Edward Hardy, Stephen Clark
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1996)
Music/Lyrics: Duke Ellington, Various Book: Cheryl L. West
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1996)
Music: Stephen Flaherty Lyrics: Lynn Ahrens Book: Terrence McNally
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1996)
Music/Lyrics/Book: Jonathan Larson
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1996)
Music: Richard Rodgers Lyrics: Oscar Hammerstein II Book: Tom Briggs, Louis Mattioli
Musical Type: 1945 Film/Pre-Contemporary Musical (1996)
Music: Dick Gallagher Book/Lyrics/Concept: Mark Waldrop Concept: Howard Crabtree
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1996)
Music/Book: Andrew Lloyd Webber Lyrics: Jim Steinman Book: Patricia Knop, Gale Edwards
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1996)
1997 Musicals
Music: Michel Legrand Lyrics/Book: Didier van Cauwelaert, Jeremy Sams
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1997)
Music/Lyrics: Laurence O’Keefe Book: Keythe Farley, Brian Flemming
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1997)
Music/Lyrics: Cole Porter Lyrics: Susan Birkenhead Book: Arthur Kopit
Musical Type: 1956 Film/Pre-Contemporary Musical (1997)
Music: Jimmy McHugh Lyrics: Dorothy Fields, Harold Adamson Book: Sherman Yellen
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1997)
Peter Pan: A Musical Adventure
Music: George Stiles Lyrics: Anthony Drewe Book: Willis Hall
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1997)
Music/Lyrics: Stephen Sondheim Book: Julius J. Epstein
Musical Type: Golden Age (1955) / Pre-Contemporary (1997)
Music: Henry Krieger Lyrics/Book: Bill Russell
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1997)
Music: John Kander Lyrics: Fred Ebb Book: David Thompson
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1997)
Music/Lyrics/Book: Jim Steinman Lyrics/Book: Michael Kunze Book: David Ives
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1997)
Music: Dana P. Rowe Lyrics/Book: John Dempsey
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1997)
Music/Lyrics: Steve Schalchlin Lyrics: John Bettis, Marie Cain Book: Jim Brochu
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1997)
Music: Elton John Lyrics: Tim Rice Book: Rodger Allers, Irene Mecchi
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1997)
Music: Frank Wildhorn Lyrics/Book: Nan Knighton
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1997)
Music: Harvey Schmidt Lyrics: Tom Jones
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1997)
Music/Lyrics/Book: Andrew Lippa
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1997)
Music/Lyrics: Maury Yeston Book: Peter Stone
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1997)
Music: Jeffrey Stock Lyrics: Susan Birkenhead Book: James Magruder
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1997)
Music: Jeanine Tesori Lyrics/Book: Brian Crawley
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1997)
1998 Musicals
Music/Lyrics/Book: William Finn Book: James Lapine
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1998)
Music: Elton John Lyrics: Tim Rice Book: Linda Woolverton, Robert Falls, David Henry Hwang
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1998)
Music/Lyrics/Book: Leslie Bricusse
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1998)
Music: Tom Snow Lyrics/Book: Dean Pitchford Book: Walter Bobbie
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1998)
Music/Lyrics: Stephen Trask Book: John Cameron Mitchell
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1998)
Music/Lyrics: Adam Guettel
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1998)
Music/Lyrics/Book: Dan Goggin
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1998)
Music/Lyrics/Book: Dan Goggin
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1998)
Music/Lyrics: Jason Robert Brown Book: Alfred Uhry
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1998)
Music/Book: Dan Studney Lyrics/Book: Kevin Murphy
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1998)
Music/Lyrics: Bee Gees Book: Nan Knighton, Arlene Phillips, Paul Nicholas, Robert Stigwood
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary/Jukebox (1998)
Music/Lyrics/Book: Steve Brown Lyrics/Book: Justin Greene
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1998)
Music/Lyrics: Peter Allen Book: Nick Enright, Martin Sherman
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary/Jukebox (1998)
Music/Lyrics/Book: Paul Simon Lyrics/Book: Derek Walcott
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1998)
Music/Book: Frank Wildhorn Lyrics: Jack Murphy Book: Gregory Boyd
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1998)
Music/Lyrics: Lisa Lambert, Greg Morrison Book: Bob Martin, Don McKellar
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1998)
1999 Musicals
Music/Lyrics/Book: Paul Scott Goodman
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1999)
Music/Lyrics: Various Book: John Weidman
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1999)
Music/Lyrics: Various Concept: Chet Walker, Ann Reinking, Richard Matlby, Jr.
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1999)
It Ain’t Nothin’ But the Blues
Music: Various Book: Charles Bevel, Lita Gaithers, Randal Myler, Ron Taylor, Dan Wheetman
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1999)
Music: Brad Ross Lyrics: Ellen Greenfield, Hal Hackady
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1999)
Music/Lyrics: Benny Andersson, Björn Ulvaeus Book: Catherine Johnson
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary/Jukebox (1999)
Music/Lyrics/Book: Michael John LaChiusa
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1999)
Music/Lyrics: Various Book: Robert Schrock
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1999)
Music/Lyrics: Various Book: Paul Kelly
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1999)
Music: Alan Menken Lyrics: Stephen Schwartz Book: James Lapine, Peter Parnell
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1999)
Music/Lyrics: Various Book: Roger Bean
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary/Jukebox (1999)
Other Decades
• Golden Age Musicals (1940 – 1959)
• Post-Golden Age Musicals (1960 – 1969)
• Musicals of the 1990s → You are here!
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Which of these musicals of the 1990s is your favorite?
Or have you ever played a role in any of these 1990s 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 holds a BA in theatre, a TESOL drama certificate, and has worked and interned with Broadway and Off-Broadway theaters.