Musicals Set in the 1940s – 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! Here’s the full list of musicals set in the 1940s.
The following list is broken down into two categories – “Musicals Fully Set in the 1940s” and “Musicals Partially Set in the 1940s”. Each category is sorted alphabetically.
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Musicals Fully Set in the 1940s
Music/Lyrics: Benj Pasek, Justin Paul Book: Joseph Robinette
Musical Type: Contemporary (2009)
When It’s Set: The 1940s
Music: Duncan Sheik Lyrics/Book: Steven Sater Book: Jessie Nelson
Musical Type: Contemporary (2019)
When It’s Set: The 1940s
Music: Michel Legrand Lyrics/Book: Didier van Cauwelaert, Jeremy Sams
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1997)
When It’s Set: The 1940s
Music/Lyrics: George Gershwin, Ira Gershwin Book: Craig Lucas
Musical Type: 1951 Film/Contemporary Musical (2014)
When It’s Set: The 1940s
Music/Lyrics/Book: Richard Oberacker Lyrics/Book: Robert Taylor
Musical Type: Contemporary (2015)
When It’s Set: The 1940s
Music/Lyrics: Hugh Martin, Ralph Blane Book: John Cecil Holm
Musical Type: Golden Age (1941)
When It’s Set: The 1940s
Music: George Stiles Lyrics: Anthony Drewe Book: Ron Cowen, Daniel Lipman
Musical Type: Contemporary (2011)
When It’s Set: The 1940s
Music/Lyrics/Book: Lionel Bart Book: Joan Maitland
Musical Type: Post-Golden Age (1962)
When It’s Set: The 1940s
Music/Lyrics: Irving Berlin Book: Howard Lindsay, Russel Crouse
Musical Type: Golden Age (1950)
When It’s Set: The 1940s
Music: Georges Bizet Lyrics/Book: Oscar Hammerstein II
Musical Type: Golden Age (1943)
When It’s Set: The 1940s
Music: Cy Coleman Lyrics: David Zippel Book: Larry Gelbart
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1989)
When It’s Set: The 1940s
Music/Book: Barry Manilow Lyrics/Book: Bruce Sussman, Jack Feldman
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1990)
When It’s Set: The 1940s
Music/Lyrics: Jerry Herman Book: Jerome Lawrence, Robert E. Lee
Musical Type: Post-Golden Age (1969)
When It’s Set: The 1940s
Music: Burton Lane Lyrics: E.Y. Harburg Book: E.Y. Harburg, Fred Saidy
Musical Type: Golden Age (1947)
When It’s Set: The 1940s
Music/Lyrics: Richard Taylor Book: Rachel Wagstaff
Musical Type: Contemporary (2016)
When It’s Set: The 1940s
Music: Stuart Brayson Lyrics: Tim Rice Book: Bill Oakes
Musical Type: Contemporary (2013)
When It’s Set: The 1940s
Music/Lyrics: Irving Berlin Book: Gordon Greenberg, Chad Hodge
Musical Type: Contemporary Jukebox (2014)
When It’s Set: The 1940s
Music: Rob Bowman Lyrics/Book: David H. Bell
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1986)
When It’s Set: The 1940s
Music/Lyrics: Cole Porter Book: Bella Spewack, Samuel Spewack
Musical Type: Golden Age (1948)
When It’s Set: The 1940s (and theatre scenes in the 1500s)
Music: Kurt Weill Lyrics/Book: Maxwell Anderson
Musical Type: Golden Age (1949)
When It’s Set: The 1940s
Music/Lyrics: Irving Berlin Book: Morrie Ryskind
Musical Type: Golden Age (1940)
When It’s Set: The 1940s
Music: Michel Legrand Lyrics: Herbert Kretzmer Lyrics/Book: Alain Boublil Book: Claude-Michel Schönberg, Jonathan Kent
Musical Type: Contemporary (2008)
When It’s Set: The 1940s
Music/Lyrics: John Kander, Fred Ebb Lyrics: Lin-Manuel Miranda Book: David Thompson, Sharon Washington
Musical Type: Contemporary (2023)
When It’s Set: The 1940s
Music: Leonard Bernstein Lyrics/Book: Betty Comden, Adolph Green
Musical Type: Golden Age (1944)
When It’s Set: The 1940s
Music/Lyrics: Richard M. Sherman, Robert B. Sherman Book: Will Holt
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1974)
When It’s Set: The 1940s
Music/Lyrics: Cole Porter Book: Herbert Fields, B.G. DeSylva
Musical Type: Golden Age (1940)
When It’s Set: The 1940s
Music/Lyrics: Duke Ellington, Various Book: Cheryl L. West
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1996)
When It’s Set: The 1940s
Music: Richard Rodgers Lyrics/Book: Oscar Hammerstein II Book: Joshua Logan
Musical Type: Golden Age (1949)
When It’s Set: The 1940s
Music: Richard Rodgers Lyrics: Oscar Hammerstein II Book: Tom Briggs, Louis Mattioli
Musical Type: 1945 Film/Pre-Contemporary Musical (1996)
When It’s Set: The 1940s
Music: Kurt Weill Lyrics: Langston Hughes Book: Elmer Rice
Musical Type: Opera (1947)
When It’s Set: The 1940s
Music/Lyrics: David Kirshenbaum Book: Hunter Foster
Musical Type: Contemporary (2000)
When It’s Set: The 1940s
Music/Lyrics: Jerry Herman Book: Michael Stewart, Mark Bramble
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1978)
When It’s Set: The 1940s
Music: Galt MacDermot Libretto: William Dumaresq
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1983)
When It’s Set: The 1940s
Music: William Patrick Harrison Lyrics/Book: Maryhee Yoon, Cara Baldwin
Musical Type: Contemporary (2021)
When It’s Set: The 1940s
Music/Lyrics: Ervin Drake Book: Budd Schulberg, Stuart Schulberg
Musical Type: Post-Golden Age (1964)
When It’s Set: The 1940s
Music: Joseph Zellnik Lyrics/Book: David Zellnik
Musical Type: Contemporary (2005)
When It’s Set: The 1940s
Music: Michael Cohen Lyrics/Book: Enid Futterman
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1985)
When It’s Set: The 1940s
Musicals Partially Set in the 1940s
Music/Lyrics/Book: Jay Kuo Book: Marc Acito, Lorenzo Thione
Musical Type: Contemporary (2012)
When It’s Set: 1940s-2000s
Music: Richard Rodgers Lyrics/Book: Oscar Hammerstein II
Musical Type: Golden Age (1947)
When It’s Set: 1900s-1940s
Music/Book: Andrew Lloyd Webber Lyrics: Don Black, Charles Hart
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1989)
When It’s Set: 1940s-1960s
Music/Book: Steve Martin Music/Lyrics: Edie Brickell
Musical Type: Contemporary (2014)
When It’s Set: 1920s-1940s
Music/Lyrics/Book: Christopher Curtis Book: Thomas Meehan
Musical Type: Contemporary (2006)
When It’s Set: 1890s-1950s
Music: Andrew Lloyd Webber Lyrics: Tim Rice
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1976)
When It’s Set: 1930s-1950s
Music/Lyrics: Michael John LaChiusa Book: Sybille Pearson
Musical Type: Contemporary (2009)
When It’s Set: 1920s-1950s
Music: Scott Frankel Lyrics: Michael Korie Book: Doug Wright
Musical Type: Contemporary (2006)
When It’s Set: 1940s/1970s
Music: Jule Styne Lyrics: Adolph Green, Betty Comden Book: Arthur Laurents
Musical Type: Post-Golden Age (1967)
When It’s Set: 1910s-1960s
Music: Harvey Schmidt Lyrics/Book: Tom Jones
Musical Type: Post-Golden Age (1966)
When It’s Set: 1890s-1940s
Music: Bruce Greer Lyrics/Book: Keith Ferguson
Musical Type: Contemporary (2000)
When It’s Set: 1920s/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: Todd Matshikiza Lyrics: Pat Williams Book: Harry Bloom
Musical Type: Golden Age (1959)
When It’s Set: 1940s-1950s
Music: Stephen Flaherty Lyrics: Lynn Ahrens
Musical Type: Contemporary (2020)
When It’s Set: 1850s/1940s/1950s
Music: Cy Coleman Lyrics: Carolyn Leigh Book: Neil Simon
Musical Type: Post-Golden Age (1962)
When It’s Set: 1930s-1950s
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/Lyrics: Jerry Herman Book: Jerome Lawrence, Robert E. Lee
Musical Type: Post-Golden Age (1966)
When It’s Set: 1920s-1940s
Music/Lyrics/Book: Sam Kenyon
Musical Type: Contemporary (2018)
When It’s Set: 1910s-1960s
Music: George Fenton, Simon Chamberlain Lyrics: Don Black Book: Terry Johnson
Musical Type: Contemporary (2015)
When It’s Set: 1930s-1940s
Music: David Pomeranz, David Friedman Lyrics/Book: Kathie Lee Gifford
Musical Type: Contemporary (2005)
When It’s Set: 1910s-1940s
Music: Andrew Lloyd Webber Lyrics/Book: Don Black, Christopher Hampton
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1991)
When It’s Set: 1940s-1950s
Music/Lyrics/Book: Pete Townshend Book: Des McAnuff
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1992)
When It’s Set: 1940s-1960s
Music: Scott Frankel Lyrics: Michael Korie Book: Doug Wright
Musical Type: Contemporary (2016)
When It’s Set: 1930s-1960s
More Musicals by Setting
• Musicals set in the 1940s → 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 holds a BA in theatre, a TESOL drama certificate, and has worked and interned with Broadway and Off-Broadway theaters.