12 Musicals Set in Asia – The Full List of Shows
Whether you’re doing some research, putting on a show, or simply looking for new musicals to get into, it’s good to get familiar with what’s out there. And that’s why we’ve put together this list for you. A full list of musicals set in Asia is included below!
This list is broken down into two categories – “Musicals Fully Set in Asia” and “Musicals Partially Set in Asia”. Each category is sorted alphabetically.
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Musicals Fully Set in Asia
Music: A.R. Rahman Lyrics: Don Black Book: Meera Syal, Thomas Meehan
Musical Type: Contemporary (2002)
Setting: India
Music: Sammy Fain Lyrics: Paul Francis Webster Book: Pearl S. Buck, Charles K. Peck, Jr.
Musical Type: Post-Golden Age (1960)
Setting: India
Music: Frank Wildhorn Lyrics: Jack Murphy Book: Ivan Menchell
Musical Type: Contemporary (2015)
Setting: Japan
Music: Fatboy Slim Music/Lyrics: David Byrne
Musical Type: Contemporary (2013)
Setting: Philippines
Music: Rob Bowman Lyrics/Book: David H. Bell
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1986)
Setting: Japan
Music/Lyrics: Stephen Sondheim Book: John Weidman
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1976)
Setting: Japan
Music: Richard Rodgers Lyrics/Book: Oscar Hammerstein II
Musical Type: Golden Age (1951)
Setting: Thailand
Music: William Patrick Harrison Lyrics/Book: Maryhee Yoon, Cara Baldwin
Musical Type: Contemporary (2021)
Setting: Japan
Musicals Partially Set in Asia
Music: Benny Andersson, Björn Ulvaeus Lyrics: Tim Rice Book: Richard Nelson
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1984)
Setting: Hungary, Thailand, USA
Music: Claude-Michel Schönberg Lyrics: Alain Boublil, Richard Maltby, Jr.
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1989)
Setting: Thailand, USA (Georgia), Vietnam
Music/Lyrics/Book: Michael John LaChiusa
Musical Type: Contemporary (2004)
Setting: Japan, USA (NYC)
Music: Lucy Simon Lyrics/Book: Marsha Norman
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1991)
Setting: England, India
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Which of these musicals set in Asia is your favorite?
Or have you ever played a role in any of the above musicals set in Asia? Feel free to share in the comments below! And if you enjoy exploring these lists, check out the musical database, where you can discover musicals organized by composer, theme, setting, and much 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 and a TESOL drama certificate, with experience working and interning in Broadway and Off-Broadway theaters.