Musicals Set in the 1920s – A Full List
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! The most notable musicals set in the 1920s are included below.
The following list is broken down into two categories – “Musicals Fully Set in the 1920s” and “Musicals Partially Set in the 1920s”. Each category is sorted alphabetically.
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Musicals Fully Set in the 1920s
Adding Machine
Music/Lyrics/Book: Joshua Schmidt Lyrics/Book: Jason Loewith
Musical Type: Contemporary (2007)
Bugsy Malone
Music/Lyrics: Paul Williams Book: Alan Parker
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1976)
Bullets Over Broadway
Music/Lyrics: Various Book: Woody Allen
Musical Type: Contemporary Jukebox (2014)
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory
Music/Lyrics: Marc Shaiman, Scott Wittman Book: David Greig
Musical Type: Contemporary (2013)
Chicago
Music: John Kander Lyrics: Fred Ebb Book: Fred Ebb, Bob Fosse
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1975)
Death Takes a Holiday
Music/Lyrics: Maury Yeston Book: Peter Stone, Thomas Meehan
Musical Type: Contemporary (2011)
Fifty Million Frenchmen
Music/Lyrics: Cole Porter Book: Herbert Fields
Musical Type: Jazz Age (1929)
Floyd Collins
Music/Lyrics: Adam Guettel Book: Tina Landau
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1994)
Funny Face
Music: George Gershwin Lyrics: Ira Gershwin Book: Paul Gerard Smith, Fred Thompson
Musical Type: Jazz Age (1927)
Gentlemen Prefer Blondes
Music: Jule Styne Lyrics: Leo Robin Book: Joseph Fields, Anita Loos
Musical Type: Golden Age (1949)
Good News!
Music: Ray Henderson Lyrics: B.G. DeSylva, Lew Brown Book: Schwab, DeSylva
Musical Type: Jazz Age (1927)
Grand Hotel
Music/Lyrics: Robert Wright, George Forrest, Maury Yeston Book: Luther Davis
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1989)
Juno
Music/Lyrics: Marc Blitzstein Book: Joseph Stein
Musical Type: Golden Age (1959)
Lady, Be Good
Music: George Gershwin Lyrics: Ira Gershwin Book: Guy Bolton, Fred Thompson
Musical Type: Jazz Age (1924)
Legs Diamond
Music/Lyrics: Peter Allen Book: Harvey Fierstein, Charles Suppon
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1988)
Love Birds
Music/Lyrics/Book: Robert J. Sherman
Musical Type: Contemporary (2015)
Lucky in the Rain
Music: Jimmy McHugh Lyrics: Dorothy Fields, Harold Adamson
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1997)
My One and Only
Music: George Gershwin Lyrics: Ira Gershwin Book: Peter Stone, Timothy S. Mayer
Musical Type: Jazz Age/Pre-Contemporary (1983)
Nice Work If You Can Get It
Music: George Gershwin Lyrics: Ira Gershwin Book: Joe DiPietro
Musical Type: Contemporary (2012)
No, No, Nanette
Music: Vincent Youmans Lyrics/Book: Irving Caesar, Otto Harbach, Frank Mandel
Musical Type: Jazz Age (1925)
Oh, Kay!
Music: George Gershwin Lyrics: Ira Gershwin Book: Guy Bolton, P.G. Wodehouse
Musical Type: Jazz Age (1926)
Sally
Music: Jerome Kern, Victor Herbert Lyrics: Grey, De Sylva, Wodehouse, Caldwell Book: Bolton
Musical Type: Jazz Age (1920)
Saturday Night
Music/Lyrics: Stephen Sondheim Book: Julius J. Epstein, Philip G. Epstein
Musical Type: Golden Age (1955) / Pre-Contemporary (1997)
Singin’ in the Rain
Music: Nacio Herb Brown Lyrics: Arthur Freed Book: Adolph Green, Betty Comden
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary/Golden Age (1983)
Strike Up the Band
Music: George Gershwin Lyrics: Ira Gershwin Book: Morrie Ryskind
Musical Type: Jazz Age (1930)
Sugar
Music: Jule Styne Lyrics: Bob Merrill Book: Peter Stone
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1972)
The Boy Friend
Music/Lyrics/Book: Sandy Wilson
Musical Type: Golden Age (1953)
The Cabaret Girl
Music: Jerome Kern Lyrics/Book: George Grossmith, P.G. Wodehouse
Musical Type: Jazz Age (1922)
The Desert Song
Music: Sigmund Romberg Lyrics: Otto Harbach Book: Hammerstein, Harbach, Mandel
Musical Type: Jazz Age/Operetta (1926)
The Drowsy Chaperone
Music/Lyrics: Lisa Lambert, Greg Morrison Book: Bob Martin, Don McKellar
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1998)
The Girl Friend
Music: Richard Rodgers Lyrics: Lorenz Hart Book: Herbert Fields
Musical Type: Jazz Age (1926)
The Happy Time
Music: John Kander Lyrics: Fred Ebb Book: N. Richard Nash
Musical Type: Post-Golden Age (1967)
The Most Happy Fella
Music/Lyrics/Book: Frank Loesser
Musical Type: Golden Age (1956)
The New Yorkers
Music/Lyrics: Cole Porter Book: Herbert Fields
Musical Type: Jazz Age (1930)
The Wild Party
Music/Lyrics/Book: Andrew Lippa
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1997)
The Wild Party
Music/Lyrics/Book: Michael John LaChiusa Book: George C. Wolfe
Musical Type: Contemporary (2000)
Thoroughly Modern Millie
Music: Jeanine Tesori Lyrics: Dick Scanlan Book: Richard Morris, Scanlan
Musical Type: Contemporary (2002)
Tovarich
Music: Lee Pockriss Lyrics: Anne Croswell Book: David Shaw
Musical Type: Post-Golden Age (1963)
You Never Know
Music/Lyrics: Cole Porter, Robert Katscher Book: Rowland Leigh
Musical Type: Jazz Age (1938)
Musicals Partially Set in the 1920s
Allegro
Music: Richard Rodgers Book/Lyrics: Oscar Hammerstein II
Musical Type: Golden Age (1947)
Anastasia
Music: Stephen Flaherty Lyrics: Lynn Ahrens Book: Terrence McNally
Musical Type: Contemporary (2016)
Black and Blue
Music: W.C. Handy, Louis Armstrong, Duke Ellington, Fats Waller, Eubie Blake, Big Maybelle
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1985)
Bonnie & Clyde
Music: Frank Wildhorn Lyrics: Don Black Book: Ivan Menchell
Musical Type: Contemporary (2009)
Bright Star
Music: Steve Martin, Edie Brickell Lyrics: Edie Brickell Book: Steve Martin
Musical Type: Contemporary (2014)
Chaplin
Music/Lyrics: Christopher Curtis Book: Thomas Meehan, Curtis
Musical Type: Contemporary (2006)
Doctor Zhivago
Music: Lucy Simon Lyrics: Michael Korie, Amy Powers
Musical Type: Contemporary (2011)
Fanny
Music/Lyrics: Harold Rome Book: S.N. Behrman, Joshua Logan
Musical Type: Golden Age (1954)
Fiorello
Music: Jerry Bock Lyrics: Sheldon Harnick Book: Jerome Weidman, George Abbott
Musical Type: Golden Age (1959)
Funny Girl
Music: Jule Styne Lyrics: Bob Merrill Book: Isobel Lennart
Musical Type: Post-Golden Age (1964)
George M!
Music/Lyrics: George M. Cohan Lyrics: Mary Cohan Book: Michael Stewart, John Pascal, Francine Pascal
Musical Type: Post-Golden Age (1968)
Giant
Music/Lyrics: Michael John LaChiusa Book: Sybille Pearson
Musical Type: Contemporary (2009)
Gypsy
Music: Jule Styne Lyrics: Stephen Sondheim Book: Arthur Laurents
Musical Type: Golden Age (1959)
Hallelujah, Baby!
Music: Jule Styne Lyrics: Adolph Green, Betty Comden Book: Arthur Laurents
Musical Type: Post-Golden Age (1967)
Jelly’s Last Jam
Music: Jelly Roll Morton, Luther Henderson Lyrics: Susan Birkenhead Book: George C. Wolfe
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1992)
Lorelei
Music: Jule Styne Lyrics: Adolph Green, Betty Comden Book: Solms, Parent
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1974)
LoveMusik
Music: Kurt Weill Lyrics: Various Book: Alfred Uhry
Musical Type: Contemporary (2007)
Mack & Mabel
Music/Lyrics: Jerry Herman Book: Michael Stewart
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1974)
Mame
Music/Lyrics: Jerry Herman Book: Jerome Lawrence, Robert Edwin Lee
Musical Type: Post-Golden Age (1966)
Minnie’s Boys
Music: Larry Grossman Lyrics: Hal Hackady Book: Arthur Marx, Robert Fisher
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1970)
Miss Littlewood
Music/Lyrics/Book: Sam Kenyon
Musical Type: Contemporary (2018)
Queen of the Mist
Music/Lyrics/Book: Michael John LaChiusa
Musical Type: Contemporary (2011)
Road Show
Music/Lyrics: Stephen Sondheim Book: John Weidman
Musical Type: Contemporary (2003)
Scandalous
Music: David Pomeranz, David Friedman Lyrics/Book: Kathie Lee Gifford
Musical Type: Contemporary (2005)
Show Boat
Music: Jerome Kern Lyrics/Book: Oscar Hammerstein II
Musical Type: Jazz Age (1927)
The Biograph Girl
Music/Lyrics/Book: David Heneker, Warner Brown
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1980)
The Color Purple
Music/Lyrics: Brenda Russell, Allee Willis, Stephen Bray Book: Marsha Norman
Musical Type: Contemporary (2005)
The Will Rogers Follies
Music: Cy Coleman Lyrics: Betty Comden, Adolph Green Book: Peter Stone
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1991)
Related Posts:
• Musicals set in the 1920s → You are here!
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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 has a TESOL drama certificate, a BA in theatre, and has worked and interned with Broadway and Off-Broadway theaters.
