Musicals Set in California

Musicals Fully Set in California

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Back to the Future

Music/Lyrics: Alan Silvestri, Glen Ballard  Book: Bob Gale

Musical Type: Contemporary (2020)

Setting: California (Hill Valley)

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Bubble Boy

Music/Lyrics/Book: Cinco Paul  Book: Ken Daurio

Musical Type: Contemporary (2008)

Setting: California

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City of Angels

Music: Cy Coleman  Lyrics: David Zippel  Book: Larry Gelbart

Musical Type: Late 20th Century (1989)

Setting: California (Los Angeles)

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Dogfight

Music/Lyrics: Benj Pasek, Justin Paul  Book: Peter Duchan

Musical Type: Contemporary (2012)

Setting: California (San Francisco)

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Fade Out – Fade In

Music: Jule Styne  Lyrics/Book: Betty Comden, Adolph Green

Musical Type: Post-Golden Age (1964)

Setting: California (Hollywood)

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Flower Drum Song

Music: Richard Rodgers  Lyrics/Book: Oscar Hammerstein II  Book: David Henry Hwang, Joseph Fields

Musical Type: Golden Age (1958)

Setting: California (San Francisco)

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I Remember Mama

Music: Richard Rodgers  Lyrics: Martin Charnin, Raymond Jessel  Book: Thomas Meehan

Musical Type: Late 20th Century (1979)

Setting: California (San Francisco)

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MJ The Musical

Music/Lyrics: Various  Book: Lynn Nottage

Musical Type: Contemporary (2022)

Setting: California (Los Angeles)

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Mrs. Doubtfire

Music/Lyrics/Book: Karey Kirkpatrick  Music/Lyrics: Wayne Kirkpatrick  Book: John O’Farrell

Musical Type: Contemporary (2022)

Setting: California (San Francisco)

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Nick & Nora

Music: Charles Strouse  Lyrics: Richard Maltby, Jr.  Book: Arthur Laurents

Musical Type: Late 20th Century (1991)

Setting: California (Hollywood)

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Nunset Boulevard

Music/Lyrics/Book: Dan Goggin

Musical Type: Contemporary (2009)

Setting: California (Hollywood)

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Paint Your Wagon

Music: Frederick Loewe  Lyrics/Book: Alan Jay Lerner

Musical Type: Golden Age (1951)

Setting: California

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Pipe Dream

Music: Richard Rodgers  Lyrics/Book: Oscar Hammerstein II

Musical Type: Golden Age (1955)

Setting: California (Monterey)

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Pretty Woman

Music/Lyrics: Bryan Adams, Jim Vallance  Book: Garry Marshall, J.F. Lawton

Musical Type: Contemporary (2018)

Setting: California (Hollywood, Los Angeles)

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Real Women Have Curves

Music/Lyrics: Joy Huerta, Benjamin Velez  Book: Lisa Loomer, Nell Benjamin

Musical Type: Contemporary (2023)

Setting: California (Los Angeles)

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Rock of Ages

Music/Lyrics: Various  Book: Chris D’Arienzo

Musical Type: Contemporary (2005)

Setting: California (Hollywood)

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Singin’ in the Rain

Music/Lyrics: Nacio Herb Brown, Arthur Freed  Book: Adolph Green, Betty Comden

Musical Type: 1952 Film/Late 20th Century Musical (1983)

Setting: California (Hollywood)

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Smile

Music: Marvin Hamlisch  Lyrics/Book: Howard Ashman

Musical Type: Late 20th Century (1986)

Setting: California (Santa Rosa)

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Sunset Boulevard

Music: Andrew Lloyd Webber  Lyrics/Book: Don Black, Christopher Hampton

Musical Type: Late 20th Century (1991)

Setting: California (Los Angeles)

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The Human Comedy

Music: Galt MacDermot  Libretto: William Dumaresq

Musical Type: Late 20th Century (1983)

Setting: California

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The Most Happy Fella

Music/Lyrics/Book: Frank Loesser

Musical Type: Golden Age (1956)

Setting: California (Napa, San Francisco)

Musicals Partially Set in California

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3 Guys Naked from the Waist Down

Music: Michael Rupert  Lyrics/Book: Jerry Colker

Musical Type: Late 20th Century (1985)

Setting: USA (California, NYC)

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A Day in Hollywood / A Night in the Ukraine

Music: Frank Lazarus, Various  Lyrics/Book: Dick Vosburgh

Musical Type: Late 20th Century (1979)

Setting: Ukraine, USA (California)

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Allegiance

Music/Lyrics/Book: Jay Kuo  Book: Marc Acito, Lorenzo Thione

Musical Type: Contemporary (2012)

Setting: France, Italy, USA (California, Washington, D.C., Wyoming)

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Beautiful: The Carole King Musical

Music/Lyrics: Gerry Goffin, Carole King, Barry Mann, Cynthia Weil  Book: Douglas McGrath

Musical Type: Contemporary (2013)

Setting: USA (California, NYC)

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Chaplin

Music/Lyrics/Book: Christopher Curtis  Book: Thomas Meehan

Musical Type: Contemporary (2006)

Setting: England (London), USA (California)

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First Daughter Suite

Music/Lyrics: Michael John La Chiusa

Musical Type: Contemporary (2015)

Setting: USA (California, Maine, Washington D.C.)

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Flying Over Sunset

Music: Tom Kitt  Lyrics: Michael Korie  Book: James Lapine

Musical Type: Contemporary (2021)

Setting: USA (California, Connecticut, Washington, D.C.)

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Harmony

Music: Barry Manilow  Lyrics/Book: Bruce Sussman

Musical Type: Late 20th Century (1997)

Setting: Denmark, Germany, USA (California, NYC)

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Jelly’s Last Jam

Music: Jelly Roll Morton, Luther Henderson  Lyrics: Susan Birkenhead  Book: George C. Wolfe

Musical Type: Late 20th Century (1992)

Setting: USA (California, Illinois, Louisiana, NYC)

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Legally Blonde

Music/Lyrics: Nell Benjamin, Laurence O’Keefe  Book: Heather Hach

Musical Type: Contemporary (2007)

Setting: USA (California, Massachusetts)

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Lempicka

Music/Book: Matt Gould  Lyrics/Book: Carson Kreitzer

Musical Type: Contemporary (2018)

Setting: France (Paris), USA (California)

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Little Me

Music: Cy Coleman  Lyrics: Carolyn Leigh  Book: Neil Simon

Musical Type: Post-Golden Age (1962)

Setting: France, Monte Carlo, USA (California, Illinois, New York)

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Little Miss Sunshine

Music/Lyrics: William Finn  Book: James Lapine

Musical Type: Contemporary (2011)

Setting: USA (California, New Mexico)

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LoveMusik

Music: Kurt Weill  Lyrics: Various  Book: Alfred Uhry

Musical Type: Contemporary (2007)

Setting: Germany, USA (California, NYC)

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Loving Repeating

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

Musical Type: Contemporary (2006)

Setting: France (Paris), Italy, USA (California, Illinois, Maryland)

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Mack & Mabel

Music/Lyrics: Jerry Herman  Book: Michael Stewart

Musical Type: Late 20th Century (1974)

Setting: USA (California, NYC)

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Merrily We Roll Along

Music/Lyrics: Stephen Sondheim  Book: George Furth

Musical Type: Late 20th Century (1981)

Setting: USA (California, NYC)

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Motown: The Musical

Music/Lyrics: Various  Book: Berry Gordy

Musical Type: Contemporary (2013)

Setting: Caribbean, England, France, USA (California, Michigan)

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On Your Feet!

Music/Lyrics: Gloria Estefan, Emilio Estefan, Miami Sound Machine  Book: Alexander Dinelaris

Musical Type: Contemporary (2015)

Setting: England (London), Spain, USA (California, Florida, Nevada, NYC, Washington, D.C.), Vietnam

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Paramour

Music: Guy Dubuc, Marc Lessard  Music/Lyrics: Andreas Carlsson

Musical Type: Contemporary (2016)

Setting: USA (California, NYC)

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Passing Strange

Music/Lyrics/Book: Stew  Music: Heidi Rodewald

Musical Type: Contemporary (2006)

Setting: Germany (Berlin), Netherlands (Amsterdam), USA (California)

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Redwood

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

Musical Type: Contemporary (2024)

Setting: USA (California, The Road)

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Road Show

Music/Lyrics: Stephen Sondheim  Book: John Weidman

Musical Type: Contemporary (2003)

Setting: USA (California, Florida, NYC)

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Scandalous

Music: David Pomeranz, David Friedman  Lyrics/Book: Kathie Lee Gifford

Musical Type: Contemporary (2005)

Setting: Canada, China, USA (California)

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Some Like It Hot

Music/Lyrics: Marc Shaiman  Lyrics: Scott Wittman  Book: Matthew López, Amber Ruffin

Musical Type: Contemporary (2022)

Setting: Mexico, USA (California, Illinois)

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Song and Dance

Music: Andrew Lloyd Webber  Lyrics: Don Black, Richard Maltby, Jr.

Musical Type: Late 20th Century (1982)

Setting: USA (California, NYC)

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Summer: The Donna Summer Musical

Music/Lyrics: Donna Summer, Giorgio Moroder, Paul Jabara, Various  Book: Colman Domingo, Robert Cary, Des McAnuff

Musical Type: Contemporary (2017)

Setting: Germany, USA (California, Massachusetts, NYC)

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Tell Me on a Sunday

Music: Andrew Lloyd Webber  Lyrics: Don Black

Musical Type: Late 20th Century (1979)

Setting: USA (California, NYC)

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The Biograph Girl

Music/Lyrics: David Heneker  Lyrics/Book: Warner Brown

Musical Type: Late 20th Century (1980)

Setting: USA (California, NYC)

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The Lightning Thief

Music/Lyrics: Rob Rokicki  Book: Joe Tracz

Musical Type: Contemporary (2014)

Setting: USA (California, New Jersey, NYC), Fictional

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They’re Playing Our Song

Music: Marvin Hamlisch  Lyrics: Carole Bayer Sager  Book: Neil Simon

Musical Type: Late 20th Century (1978)

Setting: USA (California, NYC)

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What Makes Sammy Run?

Music/Lyrics: Ervin Drake  Book: Budd Schulberg, Stuart Schulberg

Musical Type: Post-Golden Age (1964)

Setting: USA (California, NYC)

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Xanadu

Music/Lyrics: Jeff Lynne, John Farrar  Book: Douglas Carter Beane

Musical Type: Contemporary (2007)

Setting: Greece, USA (California)

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Yank!

Music: Joseph Zellnik  Lyrics/Book: David Zellnik

Musical Type: Contemporary (2005)

Setting: USA (California, Midwest)

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Zorro

Music: Gipsy Kings, John Cameron  Lyrics/Book: Stephen Clark  Book: Helen Edmundson

Musical Type: Contemporary (2008)

Setting: Spain, USA (California)