Musicals Set in the 1800s – The Full List of Shows
Whether you’re auditioning for musicals, setting up your rep book, or simply looking for some 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! Here’s the full list of musicals set in the 1800s.
The following list is broken down into two categories – “Musicals Fully Set in the 1800s” and “Musicals Partially Set in the 1800s”. Each category is sorted alphabetically.
* This post includes the years 1800-1899. For more recent dates, see the list at the bottom of the page.
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Musicals Fully Set in the 1800s
Music: Alan Menken Lyrics/Book: Lynn Ahrens Book: Mike Ockrent
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1994)
When It’s Set: The 1800s/19th Century
Music/Lyrics: Irving Berlin Book: Dorothy Fields, Herbert Fields
Musical Type: Golden Age (1946)
When It’s Set: The 1800s/19th Century
Music/Lyrics: Marian Grudeff, Raymond Jessel Book: Jerome Coopersmith Additional Songs: Jerry Bock, Sheldon Harnick
Musical Type: Post-Golden Age (1965)
When It’s Set: The 1890s
Music: Cy Coleman Lyrics: Michael Stewart Book: Mark Bramble
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1980)
When It’s Set: The 1800s/19th Century
Music: Alan Menken Lyrics: Howard Ashman, Tim Rice Book: Linda Woolverton
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1994)
When It’s Set: The 1800s/19th Century
Music/Lyrics: Roger Miller Book: William Hauptman
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1985)
When It’s Set: The 1800s/19th Century
Music: Harold Arlen Lyrics: E.Y. Harburg Book: Sig Herzig, Fred Saidy
Musical Type: Golden Age (1944)
When It’s Set: The 1860s
Music: Sammy Fain Lyrics: Paul Francis Webster Adaptation: Ronald Hanmer, Phil Park
Musical Type: Post-Golden Age (1961)
When It’s Set: The 1870s
Music/Lyrics: Cole Porter Book: Abe Burrows
Musical Type: Golden Age (1953)
When It’s Set: The 1890s
Music: Richard Rodgers Lyrics/Book: Oscar Hammerstein II
Musical Type: Golden Age (1945)
When It’s Set: The 1870s-1880s
Music: Gerald Jay Markoe Lyrics: Michael Colby
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1982)
When It’s Set: The 1800s/19th Century
Music: David Friedman Lyrics/Book: Peter Kellogg
Musical Type: Contemporary (2004)
When It’s Set: The Late 1800s
Music: Stephen Flaherty Lyrics/Book: Lynn Ahrens
Musical Type: Contemporary (2005)
When It’s Set: The 1840s
Music/Lyrics: Harold Rome Book: Leonard Gershe
Musical Type: Golden Age (1959)
When It’s Set: The 1890s
Music/Lyrics/Book: Leslie Bricusse
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1998)
When It’s Set: The 1800s/19th Century
Music: Frank Wildhorn Lyrics/Book: Don Black, Christopher Hampton
Musical Type: Contemporary (2001)
When It’s Set: The 1800s/19th Century
Music: Lee Pockriss Lyrics/Book: Anne Croswell
Musical Type: Post-Golden Age (1960)
When It’s Set: The 1800s/19th Century
Music/Lyrics: George Weiss, Robert Goldman, Glenn Paxton Book: Abe Burrows
Musical Type: Golden Age (1959)
When It’s Set: The 1810s
Music/Lyrics: Frank Loesser Book: John Fearnley, Beverly Cross, Tommy Steele
Musical Type: Golden Age (1952)
When It’s Set: The 1830s
Music/Lyrics: Jerry Herman Book: Michael Stewart
Musical Type: Post-Golden Age (1964)
When It’s Set: The 1890s
Music/Lyrics: Paul Gordon Lyrics/Book: John Caird
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1995)
When It’s Set: The 1800s/19th Century
Music: Frank Wildhorn Lyrics/Book: Leslie Bricusse
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1990)
When It’s Set: The 1800s/19th Century
Music/Lyrics: Robert Wright, George Forrest Book: Peter Stone
Musical Type: Post-Golden Age (1961)
When It’s Set: The 1800s/Early 19th Century
Music/Lyrics: Claude-Michel Schönberg Lyrics: Alan Boublil, Herbert Kretzmer, Jean-Marc Natel
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1980)
When It’s Set: The 1800s/19th Century
Music: Jason Howland Lyrics: Mindi Dickstein Book: Allan Knee
Musical Type: Contemporary (2005)
When It’s Set: The 1800s/19th Century
Music/Lyrics: Steven Cheslik-DeMeyer, Alan Stevens Hewitt Music/Lyrics/Book: Tim Maner
Musical Type: Contemporary (2009)
When It’s Set: The 1890s
Music/Lyrics/Book: Hugo Peretti, Luigi Creatore, George David Weiss Book: Morton DaCosta
Musical Type: Post-Golden Age (1968)
When It’s Set: The 1860s
Music/Lyrics/Book: Michael John LaChiusa
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1999)
When It’s Set: The 1890s
Music/Lyrics: Irving Berlin Book: Robert E. Sherwood
Musical Type: Golden Age (1949)
When It’s Set: The 1880s
Music/Lyrics: Various Book: John Logan
Musical Type: Contemporary (2018)
When It’s Set: The 1800s/19th Century
Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812
Music/Lyrics/Book: Dave Malloy
Musical Type: Contemporary (2012)
When It’s Set: The 1810s
Music/Lyrics/Book: Jonathan Christenson
Musical Type: Contemporary (2010)
When It’s Set: The 1800s/19th Century
Music: Alan Menken Lyrics: Jack Feldman Book: Harvey Fierstein
Musical Type: 1992 Film/Contemporary Musical (2011)
When It’s Set: The 1890s
Music/Lyrics/Book: Lionel Bart
Musical Type: Post-Golden Age (1960)
When It’s Set: The 1800s/19th Century
Music/Lyrics: Stephen Sondheim Book: John Weidman
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1976)
When It’s Set: The 1850s-1860s
Music: Frederick Loewe Lyrics/Book: Alan Jay Lerner
Musical Type: Golden Age (1951)
When It’s Set: The 1850s
Music/Lyrics: Stephen Sondheim Book: James Lapine
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1994)
When It’s Set: The 1860s
Music: Cyril Ornadel Lyrics: Leslie Bricusse Book: Wolf Mankowitz
Musical Type: Post-Golden Age (1963)
When It’s Set: The 1820s
Music: Ron Grainer Lyrics/Book: Ronald Millar
Musical Type: Post-Golden Age (1964)
When It’s Set: The 1840s
Music: Harold Arlen Lyrics: Johnny Mercer Book: Morton DaCosta
Musical Type: Golden Age (1959)
When It’s Set: The 1880s
Music/Lyrics/Book: Leslie Bricusse
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1992)
When It’s Set: The 1860s
Seven Brides for Seven Brothers
Music/Lyrics: Gene de Paul, Al Kasha, Joel Hirschhorn Lyrics: Johnny Mercer Book: Lawrence Kasha, David Landay
Musical Type: 1954 Film/Pre-Contemporary Musical (1982)
When It’s Set: The 1850s
Music: Gary Geld Lyrics/Book: Peter Udell Book: Philip Rose, James Lee Barrett
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1974)
When It’s Set: The 1860s
Music: Edvard Grieg Lyrics: Robert Wright, George Forrest Book: Milton Lazarus, Homer Curran
Musical Type: Golden Age (1944)
When It’s Set: The 1860s
Music: Duncan Sheik Lyrics/Book: Steven Sater
Musical Type: Contemporary (2006)
When It’s Set: The 1890s
Music: Harold Arlen Lyrics: Johnny Mercer Book: Arna Bontemps, Countee Cullen
Musical Type: Golden Age (1946)
When It’s Set: The 1890s
Music/Lyrics: Stephen Sondheim Book: Hugh Wheeler
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1979)
When It’s Set: The 1840s
Music: Jerry Bock Lyrics: Sheldon Harnick Book: George Abbott, Jerome Weidman
Musical Type: Post-Golden Age (1960)
When It’s Set: The 1890s
Music/Book: Frank Wildhorn Lyrics: Jack Murphy Book: Gregory Boyd
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1998)
When It’s Set: The 1860s
Music: Frank Wildhorn Lyrics/Book: Jack Murphy
Musical Type: Contemporary (2009)
When It’s Set: The 1800s/19th Century
Music: Sigmund Romberg Lyrics: Leo Robin Book: Jerome Chodorov, Joseph Fields
Musical Type: Golden Age (1954)
When It’s Set: The 1860s
Music: Peter Rutherford Lyrics/Book: James Millar
Musical Type: Contemporary (2008)
When It’s Set: The 1890s
Music: Richard Rodgers Lyrics/Book: Oscar Hammerstein II
Musical Type: Golden Age (1951)
When It’s Set: The 1800s/19th Century
Music: Andrew Lloyd Webber Lyrics: Tim Rice
Musical Type: Post-Golden Age/Contemporary (1965/2005)
When It’s Set: The 1800s/19th Century
Music/Lyrics/Book: Rupert Holmes
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1985)
When It’s Set: The 1860s
Music/Book: Andrew Lloyd Webber Lyrics: Charles Hart Lyrics/Book: Richard Stilgoe
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1986)
When It’s Set: The 1880s
Music: Arthur Sullivan Lyrics: W.S. Gilbert
Musical Type: Opera (1879)
When It’s Set: The 1800s
Music: Kurt Weill Lyrics/Book: Bertolt Brecht
Musical Type: Opera (1928)
When It’s Set: The 1830s
Music/Lyrics/Book: Jeff Blim Book: Matt Lang, Nick Lang
Musical Type: Contemporary (2014)
When It’s Set: The 1840s
Music: Andrew Lloyd Webber Lyrics: David Zippel Book: Charlotte Jones
Musical Type: Contemporary (2004)
When It’s Set: The 1800s/19th Century
Music/Lyrics: Ralph Blane Book: Charles O’Neal, Abe Burrows
Musical Type: Golden Age (1952)
When It’s Set: The 1890s
Music: Chris Miller Lyrics: Nathan Tysen Book: Claudia Shear, Tim Federle
Musical Type: Contemporary (2015)
When It’s Set: The 1890s
Music: James Van Heusen Lyrics: Sammy Cahn Book: Roger O. Hirson, Ketti Frings
Musical Type: Post-Golden Age (1966)
When It’s Set: The 1880s
Music/Lyrics: Frank Loesser Book: George Abbott
Musical Type: Golden Age (1948)
When It’s Set: The 1890s
Musicals Partially Set in the 1800s
Music/Lyrics: Michael Friedman Book: Alex Timbers
Musical Type: Contemporary (2008)
When It’s Set: 1770s-1840s
Music/Lyrics/Book: Christopher Curtis Book: Thomas Meehan
Musical Type: Contemporary (2006)
When It’s Set: 1890s/1910s/1930s/1950s
Music: Frederick Loewe Lyrics/Book: Alan Jay Lerner
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1973)
When It’s Set: 1890s-1910s
Music/Lyrics/Book: Lin-Manuel Miranda
Musical Type: Contemporary (2015)
When It’s Set: 1700s-1800s
Music: Harvey Schmidt Lyrics/Book: Tom Jones
Musical Type: Post-Golden Age (1966)
When It’s Set: 1890s-1940s
Music: Jelly Roll Morton, Luther Henderson Lyrics: Susan Birkenhead Book: George C. Wolfe
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1992)
When It’s Set: 1890s-1940s
Music: Stephen Flaherty Lyrics: Gertrude Stein Book: Frank Galati
Musical Type: Contemporary (2006)
When It’s Set: 1890s-1930s
Music/Lyrics: Bob Merrill Book: George Abbott
Musical Type: Golden Age (1957)
When It’s Set: 1890s-1910s
Music/Lyrics: Stephen Sondheim Book: John Weidman
Musical Type: Contemporary (2003)
When It’s Set: 1890s-1930s
Music: Keith Herrmann Lyrics/Book: Barry Harman
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1987)
When It’s Set: 1800s/1980s
Music: Jerome Kern Lyrics/Book: Oscar Hammerstein II
Musical Type: Jazz Age (1927)
When It’s Set: 1880s-1920s
Sunday in the Park with George
Music/Lyrics: Stephen Sondheim Book: James Lapine
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1984)
When It’s Set: 1800s/1980s
Music: Jerry Bock Lyrics: Sheldon Harnick Book: Sherman Yellen
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1970)
When It’s Set: 1700s-1810s
Music: Vincent Youmans Lyrics: Edward Heyman Book: Brian Hooker
Musical Type: Jazz Age (1932)
When It’s Set: 1800s/1910s
Music/Lyrics: Various Book: Mel Marvin, Gary Pearle, Mary Kyte
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1979)
When It’s Set: 1890s-1910s
Music/Lyrics/Book: Bernard J. Taylor
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1992)
When It’s Set: 1770s-1800s
Music: John Kander Lyrics: Fred Ebb Book: Joseph Stein
Musical Type: Post-Golden Age (1968)
When It’s Set: 1790s-1810s
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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.