Musicals Set in the 1920s – The Full List of Shows
Last Updated: May 25, 2025
With the rise of jazz, the glamour of speakeasies, and shifting social norms, musicals set in the 1920s capture a decade of excitement and change. These shows bring to life the Roaring Twenties in all its vibrancy. Here’s the full list of musicals set in the 1920s.
Post Contents:
Musicals Fully Set in the 1920s
Musicals Partially Set in the 1920s
Musicals Fully Set in the 1920s
Music/Lyrics/Book: Joshua Schmidt Lyrics/Book: Jason Loewith
Musical Type: Contemporary (2007)
When It’s Set: The 1920s
Music: Jimmy McHugh Lyrics: Dorothy Fields
Musical Type: Jazz Age (1928)
When It’s Set: The 1920s
Music/Lyrics: Paul Williams Book: Alan Parker
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1976)
When It’s Set: The 1920s
Music/Lyrics: Various Book: Woody Allen
Musical Type: Contemporary (2014)
When It’s Set: The 1920s
Music: Andrew Lloyd Webber Lyrics/Book: Alan Ayckbourn
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1975)
When It’s Set: The 1920s
Music: John Kander Lyrics/Book: Fred Ebb Book: Bob Fosse
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1975)
When It’s Set: The 1920s
Music/Lyrics: Maury Yeston Book: Peter Stone, Thomas Meehan
Musical Type: Contemporary (2011)
When It’s Set: The 1920s
Music/Lyrics: Cole Porter Book: Herbert Fields
Musical Type: Jazz Age (1929)
When It’s Set: The 1920s
Music/Lyrics: Adam Guettel Book: Tina Landau
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1994)
When It’s Set: The 1920s
Music: Jule Styne Lyrics: Leo Robin Book: Joseph Fields, Anita Loos
Musical Type: Golden Age (1949)
When It’s Set: The 1920s
Music: Ray Henderson Lyrics/Book: Buddy DeSylva Lyrics: Lew Brown Book: Laurence Schwab
Musical Type: Jazz Age (1927)
When It’s Set: The 1920s
Music/Lyrics: Robert Wright, George Forrest, Maury Yeston Book: Luther Davis
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1989)
When It’s Set: The 1920s
Music/Lyrics: Marc Blitzstein Book: Joseph Stein
Musical Type: Golden Age (1959)
When It’s Set: The 1920s
Music: Con Conrad Lyrics: Gus Kahn Book: Philip Bartholomae, Otto Harbach
Musical Type: Jazz Age (1926)
When It’s Set: The 1920s
Music: George Gershwin Lyrics: Ira Gershwin Book: Guy Bolton, Fred Thompson
Musical Type: Jazz Age (1924)
When It’s Set: The 1920s
Music/Lyrics: Peter Allen Book: Harvey Fierstein, Charles Suppon
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1988)
When It’s Set: The 1920s
Music/Lyrics/Book: Robert J. Sherman
Musical Type: Contemporary (2015)
When It’s Set: The 1920s
Music: Jimmy McHugh Lyrics: Dorothy Fields, Harold Adamson Book: Sherman Yellen
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1997)
When It’s Set: The 1920s
Music: Vivian Ellis, Richard Myers Lyrics/Book: Clifford Grey, Greatrex Newman
Musical Type: Jazz Age (1928)
When It’s Set: The 1920s
Music: George Gershwin Lyrics: Ira Gershwin Book: Peter Stone, Timothy S. Mayer
Musical Type: Jazz Age/Pre-Contemporary (1983)
When It’s Set: The 1920s
Music: George Gershwin Lyrics: Ira Gershwin Book: Joe DiPietro
Musical Type: Contemporary (2012)
When It’s Set: The 1920s
Music: Vincent Youmans Lyrics: Irving Caesar Lyrics/Book: Otto Harbach Book: Frank Mandel
Musical Type: Jazz Age (1925)
When It’s Set: The 1920s
Music: George Gershwin Lyrics: Ira Gershwin Book: Guy Bolton, P.G. Wodehouse
Musical Type: Jazz Age (1926)
When It’s Set: The 1920s
Music: Jerome Kern Lyrics: Clifford Grey Book: Guy Bolton Additional Music/Lyrics: Victor Herbert, Anne Caldwell, Buddy DeSylva, P.G. Wodehouse
Musical Type: Jazz Age (1920)
When It’s Set: The 1920s
Music/Lyrics: Stephen Sondheim Book: Julius J. Epstein
Musical Type: Golden Age (1955) / Pre-Contemporary (1997)
When It’s Set: The 1920s
Music/Lyrics: Eubie Blake, Noble Sissle Book: Flournoy Miller, Aubrey Lyles
Musical Type: Jazz Age (1921)
When It’s Set: The 1920s
Music/Lyrics: Nacio Herb Brown, Arthur Freed Book: Adolph Green, Betty Comden
Musical Type: 1952 Film/Pre-Contemporary Musical (1983)
When It’s Set: The 1920s
Music: George Gershwin Lyrics: Ira Gershwin Book: Morrie Ryskind Original Libretto: George S. Kaufman
Musical Type: Jazz Age (1930)
When It’s Set: The 1920s
Music/Lyrics/Book: Sandy Wilson
Musical Type: Golden Age (1953)
When It’s Set: The 1920s
Music: Jerome Kern Lyrics/Book: George Grossmith, Jr., P.G. Wodehouse
Musical Type: Jazz Age (1922)
When It’s Set: The 1920s
Music: Sigmund Romberg Lyrics/Book: Otto Harbach, Oscar Hammerstein II, Frank Mandel
Musical Type: Jazz Age (1926)
When It’s Set: The 1920s
Music: Richard Rodgers Lyrics: Lorenz Hart Book: Herbert Fields
Musical Type: Jazz Age (1926)
When It’s Set: The 1920s
Music: Jason Howland Lyrics: Nathan Tysen Book: Kait Kerrigan
Musical Type: Contemporary (2023)
When It’s Set: The 1920s
Music: John Kander Lyrics: Fred Ebb Book: N. Richard Nash
Musical Type: Post-Golden Age (1967)
When It’s Set: The 1920s
Music/Lyrics/Book: Frank Loesser
Musical Type: Golden Age (1956)
When It’s Set: The 1920s
Music/Lyrics: Cole Porter Book: Herbert Fields
Musical Type: Jazz Age (1930)
When It’s Set: The 1920s
Music/Lyrics/Book: Andrew Lippa
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1997)
When It’s Set: The 1920s
Music/Lyrics/Book: Michael John LaChiusa Book: George C. Wolfe
Musical Type: Contemporary (2000)
When It’s Set: The 1920s
Music: Jeanine Tesori Lyrics/Book: Dick Scanlan Book: Richard Morris
Musical Type: Contemporary (2002)
When It’s Set: The 1920s
Music: Lee Pockriss Lyrics: Anne Croswell Book: David Shaw
Musical Type: Post-Golden Age (1963)
When It’s Set: The 1920s
Music/Lyrics: Cole Porter Book: Rowland Leigh
Musical Type: Jazz Age (1938)
When It’s Set: The 1920s
Music: John Kander Lyrics: Fred Ebb Book: Joseph Stein
Musical Type: Post-Golden Age (1968)
When It’s Set: The 1920s
Musicals Partially Set in the 1920s
Music: Richard Rodgers Lyrics: Lorenz Hart Book: Herbert Fields
Musical Type: Jazz Age (1927)
When It’s Set: 400s, 1920s
Music: Richard Rodgers Lyrics/Book: Oscar Hammerstein II
Musical Type: Golden Age (1947)
When It’s Set: 1900s-1940s
Music: Stephen Flaherty Lyrics: Lynn Ahrens Book: Terrence McNally
Musical Type: Contemporary (2016)
When It’s Set: 1900s-1920s
Music/Lyrics: Various
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1985)
When It’s Set: 1910s-1930s
Music: Frank Wildhorn Lyrics: Don Black Book: Ivan Menchell
Musical Type: Contemporary (2009)
When It’s Set: 1920s-1930s
Music/Book: Steve Martin Music/Lyrics: Edie Brickell
Musical Type: Contemporary (2014)
When It’s Set: 1920s, 1940s
Music/Lyrics: Various Book: Loften Mitchell
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1976)
When It’s Set: 1920s, 1930s, 1940s, 1970s
Music: Lucy Simon Lyrics: Michael Korie, Amy Powers Book: Michael Weller
Musical Type: Contemporary (2011)
When It’s Set: 1910s-1930s
Music/Lyrics: Harold Rome Book: S.N. Behrman, Joshua Logan
Musical Type: Golden Age (1954)
When It’s Set: 1920s-1930s
Music: Jerry Bock Lyrics: Sheldon Harnick Book: Jerome Weidman, George Abbott
Musical Type: Golden Age (1959)
When It’s Set: 1910s-1930s
Music: Jule Styne Lyrics: Bob Merrill Book: Isobel Lennart
Musical Type: Post-Golden Age (1964)
When It’s Set: 1910s-1920s
Music/Lyrics: George M. Cohan Lyrics: Mary Cohan Book: Michael Stewart, John Pascal, Francine Pascal
Musical Type: Post-Golden Age (1968)
When It’s Set: 1880s-1930s
Music/Lyrics: Michael John LaChiusa Book: Sybille Pearson
Musical Type: Contemporary (2009)
When It’s Set: 1920s-1950s
Music: Jule Styne Lyrics: Stephen Sondheim Book: Arthur Laurents
Musical Type: Golden Age (1959)
When It’s Set: 1920s-1930s
Music: Jule Styne Lyrics: Adolph Green, Betty Comden Book: Arthur Laurents
Musical Type: Post-Golden Age (1967)
When It’s Set: 1910s-1960s
Music: Barry Manilow Lyrics/Book: Bruce Sussman
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1997)
When It’s Set: 1920s-1930s
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/Lyrics: Bill Jacob, Patti Jacob Book: Melville Shavelson
Musical Type: Post-Golden Age (1969)
When It’s Set: 1920s-1930s
Music/Book: Matt Gould Lyrics/Book: Carson Kreitzer
Musical Type: Contemporary (2018)
When It’s Set: 1910s-1930s
Music: Jule Styne Lyrics: Leo Robin, Adolph Green, Betty Comden Book: Anita Loos, Joseph Fields, Kenny Solms, Gail Parent
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1974)
When It’s Set: 1920s-1940s
Music: Kurt Weill Lyrics: Various Book: Alfred Uhry
Musical Type: Contemporary (2007)
When It’s Set: 1920s-1950s
Music: Stephen Flaherty Lyrics: Gertrude Stein Adaptation: Frank Galati
Musical Type: Contemporary (2006)
When It’s Set: 1890s-1930s
Music/Lyrics: Jerry Herman Book: Michael Stewart
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1974)
When It’s Set: 1910s-1930s
Music/Lyrics: Jerry Herman Book: Jerome Lawrence, Robert E. Lee
Musical Type: Post-Golden Age (1966)
When It’s Set: 1920s-1940s
Music/Lyrics/Book: Michael John LaChiusa
Musical Type: Contemporary (2011)
When It’s Set: 1900s-1920s
Music/Lyrics: Stephen Sondheim Book: John Weidman
Musical Type: Contemporary (2003)
When It’s Set: 1890s-1930s
Music: David Pomeranz, David Friedman Lyrics/Book: Kathie Lee Gifford
Musical Type: Contemporary (2005)
When It’s Set: 1910s-1940s
Music: Jerome Kern Lyrics/Book: Oscar Hammerstein II
Musical Type: Jazz Age (1927)
When It’s Set: 1880s-1920s
Music/Lyrics/Book: Shaina Taub
Musical Type: Contemporary (2022)
When It’s Set: 1910s, 1920s, 1970s
Music/Lyrics: David Heneker Lyrics/Book: Warner Brown
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1980)
When It’s Set: 1910s-1920s
Music/Lyrics: Brenda Russell, Allee Willis, Stephen Bray Book: Marsha Norman
Musical Type: Contemporary (2005)
When It’s Set: 1900s-1940s
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Music/Lyrics: Darren Clark Lyrics/Book: Jethro Compton
Musical Type: Contemporary (2019)
When It’s Set: 1910s-1980s
Music/Lyrics: Lisa Lambert, Greg Morrison Book: Bob Martin, Don McKellar
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1998)
When It’s Set: 1920s, Present
Music: Cy Coleman Lyrics: Betty Comden, Adolph Green Book: Peter Stone
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1991)
When It’s Set: 1910s-1930s
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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 and a TESOL drama certificate, with experience working and interning in Broadway and Off-Broadway theaters.
