Musicals Set in Italy – The Complete List
Last Updated: May 6, 2025
The following list features stage musicals set in Italy, including works that are set fully or partially within the country. Additional musical lists are available in the musical database.
On This Page:
Musicals Partially Set in Italy
Musicals Fully Set in Italy
A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum
Music/Lyrics: Stephen Sondheim Book: Burt Shevelove, Larry Gelbart
Musical Type: Post-Golden Age (1962)
Setting: Italy (Rome)
Music: Milton Schafer Lyrics: Ronny Graham Book: A.J. Russell
Musical Type: Post-Golden Age (1962)
Setting: Italy (Rome)
Music: Burton Lane Lyrics/Book: Alan Jay Lerner Book: Joseph Stein
Musical Type: Late 20th Century (1979)
Setting: Italy
Music/Lyrics: Maury Yeston Book: Peter Stone, Thomas Meehan
Musical Type: Contemporary (2011)
Setting: Italy
Music: Richard Rodgers Lyrics: Stephen Sondheim Book: Arthur Laurents
Musical Type: Post-Golden Age (1965)
Setting: Italy (Venice)
Music/Lyrics: Maury Yeston Book: Arthur Kopit
Musical Type: Late 20th Century (1982)
Setting: Italy (Venice)
Music/Lyrics: Stephen Sondheim Book: James Lapine
Musical Type: Late 20th Century (1994)
Setting: Italy (Milan)
Music/Lyrics: Adam Guettel Book: Craig Lucas
Musical Type: Contemporary (2003)
Setting: Italy
Music: Galt MacDermot Lyrics/Adaptation: John Guare Adaptation: Mel Shapiro
Musical Type: Late 20th Century (1971)
Setting: Italy (Milan, Verona)
Musicals Partially Set in Italy
Music/Lyrics: Max Martin, Various Book: David West Read
Musical Type: Contemporary (2019)
Setting: England, France (Paris), Italy
Music/Lyrics/Book: Jay Kuo Book: Marc Acito, Lorenzo Thione
Musical Type: Contemporary (2012)
Setting: France, Italy, USA (California, Washington, D.C., Wyoming)
Music: Sammy Fain Lyrics: Dan Shapiro Book: Guy Bolton, Eddie Davis
Musical Type: Golden Age (1955)
Setting: Africa (Morocco), Italy, At Sea
Music/Book: Andrew Lloyd Webber Lyrics: Don Black, Charles Hart
Musical Type: Late 20th Century (1989)
Setting: France, Italy
Music/Lyrics: Leonard Bernstein Lyrics: Richard Wilbur, John La Touche, Stephen Sondheim, Dorothy Parker Book: John Caird, Hugh Wheeler, Lillian Hellman
Musical Type: Golden Age (1956)
Setting: Argentina, France (Paris), Italy, Portugal, Spain, Uruguay, At Sea
Music: Stephen Flaherty Lyrics: Gertrude Stein Book: Frank Galati
Musical Type: Contemporary (2006)
Setting: France (Paris), Italy, USA (California, Illinois, Maryland)
Music/Lyrics: Cole Porter Book: Romney Brent, Steve Mackes, Michael Whaley
Musical Type: Jazz Age (1933)
Setting: England, France (Neuville, Paris), Greece, Italy, Switzerland, Turkey
Music: Edvard Grieg Lyrics: Robert Wright, George Forrest Book: Milton Lazarus
Musical Type: Golden Age (1944)
Setting: Denmark, Italy, Norway
Music: Stephen Flaherty Lyrics/Books: Lynn Ahrens
Musical Type: Contemporary (2007)
Setting: France, Italy
Music/Lyrics: Irving Berlin Book: Matthew White, Howard Jacques
Musical Type: 1935 Film / Contemporary Musical (2011)
Setting: England (London), Italy (Venice), USA (NYC)
Musicals That Mention Italy
Anything Can Happen in the Theater
Music/Lyrics: Maury Yeston Concept: Gerard Alessandrini
Musical Type: Contemporary (2019)
Song That Mentions Italy: “Cinema Italiano”
Music: Brad Carroll Lyrics/Book: Peter Sham
Musical Type: Contemporary (2010)
Song That Mentions Italy: “Facciamo L’Amor”
Music/Lyrics: Billy Joel Concept: Twyla Tharp
Musical Type: Contemporary (2002)
Song That Mentions Italy: “Scenes from an Italian Restaurant”
Music: Charles Strouse Lyrics: Stephen Schwartz Book: Joseph Stein Revisions: David Thompson
Musical Type: Late 20th Century (1986)
Song That Mentions Italy: “Meet an Italian”
Music/Lyrics: Jason Robert Brown Book: Marsha Norman
Musical Type: Contemporary (2013)
Song That Mentions Italy: “To Build a Home”
Music/Lyrics/Book: Frank Loesser
Musical Type: Golden Age (1956)
Song That Mentions Italy: “Sposalizio”