Musicals Set in the 1960s – 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 1960s are included below.
The following list is broken down into three categories – “Musicals Fully Set in the 1960s”, “Musicals Partially Set in the 1960s”, and “Musicals Set Around the 1960s”. Each category is sorted alphabetically.
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Musicals Fully Set in the 1960s
Music: Alan Menken Lyrics: Glenn Slater Book: Chazz Palminteri
Musical Type: Contemporary (2016)
When It’s Set: The 1960s
Music: Stephen Flaherty Lyrics: Lynn Ahrens Book: Terrence McNally
Musical Type: Contemporary (2002)
When It’s Set: The 1960s
Music/Lyrics: Various Book: Floyd Mutrux, Colin Escott
Musical Type: Contemporary/Jukebox (2009)
When It’s Set: The 1960s
Music/Lyrics: Various Book: Larry Gallagher
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary/Revue (1985)
When It’s Set: The 1960s
Music/Lyrics: Bob Merrill Book: Michael Stewart
Musical Type: Post Golden Age (1961)
When It’s Set: The 1960s
Music: Jeanine Tesori Lyrics/Book: Tony Kushner
Musical Type: Contemporary (2003)
When It’s Set: The 1960s
Music/Lyrics: Marc Shaiman Lyrics: Scott Wittman Book: Terrence McNally
Musical Type: Contemporary (2009)
When It’s Set: The 1960s
Music/Lyrics: Various Book: Eleanor Bergstein
Musical Type: Contemporary/Jukebox (2004)
When It’s Set: The 1960s
Music: Richard Rodgers Lyrics: Stephen Sondheim Book: Arthur Laurents
Musical Type: Post Golden Age (1965)
When It’s Set: The 1960s
Music: Jule Styne Lyrics: Betty Comden, Adolph Green Book: Garson Kanin
Musical Type: Post-Golden Age (1960)
When It’s Set: The 1960s
Music/Lyrics: Benj Pasek, Justin Paul Book: Peter Duchan
Musical Type: Contemporary (2012)
When It’s Set: The 1960s
Music/Lyrics: Naomi Livingston Lyrics/Book: Hugo Chiarella
Musical Type: Contemporary (2018)
When It’s Set: The 1960s
Music/Lyrics/Book: Kim Rosenstock, Will Connolly, Michael Mitnick
Musical Type: Contemporary (2014)
When It’s Set: The 1960s
Music: Charles Strouse Lyrics: Lee Adams Book: Clifford Odets, William Gibson
Musical Type: Post-Golden Age (1964)
When It’s Set: The 1960s
Music/Lyrics: Walter Marks Book: Ernest Kinoy
Musical Type: Post-Golden Age (1968)
When It’s Set: The 1960s
Music: Galt MacDermot Lyrics/Book: Gerome Ragni, James Rado
Musical Type: Post Golden Age (1967)
When It’s Set: The 1960s
Music/Lyrics: Marc Shaiman Lyrics: Scott Wittman Book: Mark O’Donnell, Thomas Meehan
Musical Type: Contemporary (2002)
When It’s Set: The 1960s
Music/Lyrics: Bob Merrill Book: Nunnally Johnson
Musical Type: Post-Golden Age (1967)
When It’s Set: The 1960s
Music/Lyrics/Book: Hugh Martin, Timothy Gray
Musical Type: Post-Golden Age (1964)
When It’s Set: The 1960s
Music: Manos Hadjidakis Lyrics: Joe Darion Book: Jules Dassin
Musical Type: Post-Golden Age (1967)
When It’s Set: The 1960s
It’s a Bird… It’s a Plane… It’s Superman
Music: Charles Strouse Lyrics: Lee Adams Book: Newman, Benton
Musical Type: Post-Golden Age (1966)
When It’s Set: The 1960s
Music: Bob Gaudio Lyrics: Bob Crewe Book: Marshall Brickman, Rick Elice
Musical Type: Contemporary/Jukebox (2004)
When It’s Set: The 1960s
Music/Lyrics: The Beatles
Musical Type: Contemporary/Revue (2012)
When It’s Set: The 1960s
Music: Alan Menken Lyrics/Book: Howard Ashman
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1982)
When It’s Set: The 1960s
Music/Lyrics/Book: Joe Iconis
Musical Type: Contemporary (2019)
When It’s Set: The 1960s
Music: David Arnold Lyrics: Richard Thomas Book: Richard Bean
Musical Type: Contemporary (2014)
When It’s Set: The 1960s
Music/Lyrics: Jerry Herman Book: Don Appell
Musical Type: Post Golden Age (1961)
When It’s Set: The 1960s
Miracle on 34th Street / Here’s Love
Music/Lyrics/Book: Meredith Willson
Musical Type: Post Golden Age (1963)
When It’s Set: The 1960s
Music/Lyrics: Billy Joel
Musical Type: Contemporary/Jukebox (2002)
When It’s Set: The 1960s
Music/Lyrics: Irving Berlin Book: Howard Lindsay, Russel Crouse
Musical Type: Post Golden Age (1962)
When It’s Set: The 1960s
Music/Lyrics: Maury Yeston Book: Arthur Kopit
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1982)
When It’s Set: The 1960s
Music/Lyrics: Richard Rodgers Book: Samuel A. Taylor
Musical Type: Post Golden Age (1962)
When It’s Set: The 1960s
Now Is the Time for All Good Men
Music: Nancy Ford Lyrics/Book: Gretchen Cryer
Musical Type: Post-Golden Age (1967)
When It’s Set: The 1960s
Music: Burt Bacharach Lyrics: Hal David Book: Neil Simon
Musical Type: Post Golden Age (1968)
When It’s Set: The 1960s
Music/Lyrics/Book: Noël Coward
Musical Type: Post-Golden Age (1961)
When It’s Set: The 1960s
Music: Jimmy Van Heusen Lyrics: Sammy Cahn Book: Peter Stone
Musical Type: Post-Golden Age (1965)
When It’s Set: The 1960s
Music/Lyrics/Book: Steve Brown, Justin Greene
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1998)
When It’s Set: The 1960s
Music: Andrew Lloyd Webber Lyrics/Book: Don Black, Christopher Hampton
Musical Type: Contemporary (2013)
When It’s Set: The 1960s
Music/Lyrics: Ray Davies Book: Joe Penhall
Musical Type: Contemporary/Jukebox (2014)
When It’s Set: The 1960s
Music: Cy Coleman Lyrics: Dorothy Fields Book: Neil Simon
Musical Type: Post Golden Age (1966)
When It’s Set: The 1960s
Music/Lyrics: Jason Robert Brown Book: Marsha Norman
Musical Type: Contemporary (2013)
When It’s Set: The 1960s
Music: Chris Miller Lyrics: Nathan Tysen Book: Mariana Elder
Musical Type: Contemporary (2010)
When It’s Set: The 1960s
The Secret Life of Walter Mitty
Music: Leon Carr Lyrics: Earl Shuman Book: Joe Manchester
Musical Type: Post-Golden Age (1964)
When It’s Set: The 1960s
Music/Lyrics: Harold Rome Book: Howard De Silva, Felix Leon
Musical Type: Post-Golden Age (1965)
When It’s Set: The 1960s
Music: Jeanine Tesori Lyrics/Book: Brian Crawley
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1997)
When It’s Set: The 1960s
Music/Lyrics: Various Book: Roger Bean
Musical Type: Contemporary/Jukebox (2016)
When It’s Set: The 1960s
Music: John Kander Lyrics: Fred Ebb Book: Peter Stone
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1981)
When It’s Set: The 1960s
Music/Lyrics: Hal Hester, Danny Apolinar Book: Donald Driver
Musical Type: Post-Golden Age (1968)
When It’s Set: The 1960s
Musicals Partially Set in the 1960s
Music/Lyrics: Edward Kleban Book: Linda Kline, Lonny Price
Musical Type: Contemporary (2000)
When It’s Set: 1950s-1980s
Music/Lyrics: The Temptations Book: Dominique Morisseau
Musical Type: Contemporary/Jukebox (2017)
When It’s Set: 1960s-1970s
Music/Lyrics/Book: Jay Kuo Book: Marc Acito, Lorenzo Thione
Musical Type: Contemporary (2012)
When It’s Set: 1940s-2000s
Music/Book: Andrew Lloyd Webber Lyrics: Don Black, Charles Hart
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1989)
When It’s Set: 1940s-1960s
Beautiful: The Carole King Musical
Music/Lyrics: Various Book: Douglas McGrath
Musical Type: Contemporary/Jukebox (2013)
When It’s Set: 1960s-1970s
Music/Lyrics/Book: Willy Russell
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1983)
When It’s Set: 1960s-1980s
Music/Lyrics: Ted Shen Book: Ellen Fitzhugh, Harrison David Rivers
Musical Type: Contemporary (2019)
When It’s Set: 1960s/1980s
Music/Lyrics/Book: Christopher Curtis Book: Thomas Meehan
Musical Type: Contemporary (2006)
When It’s Set: 1900s-1960s
Music: Benny Andersson, Björn Ulvaeus Lyrics: Tim Rice, Ulvaeus Book: Richard Nelson, Rice
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1984)
When It’s Set: 1950s-1980s
Music: Henry Krieger Lyrics/Book: Tom Eyen
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1981)
When It’s Set: 1960s-1970s
Music/Lyrics: Bob Marley Book: Lee Hall
Musical Type: Contemporary (2021)
When It’s Set: 1950s-1980s
Music: Scott Frankel Lyrics: Michael Korie Book: Doug Wright
Musical Type: Contemporary (2006)
When It’s Set: 1930s-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/Book: Andrew Lippa Lyrics/Book: Tom Greenwald
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1995)
When It’s Set: 1950s-1990s
Music/Lyrics: Ellie Greenwich Lyrics: Jeff Barry, Phil Spector, Shadow Morton, Jeff Kent, Ellen Foley Book: Anne Beatts
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary/Jukebox (1984)
When It’s Set: 1960s/1980s
Music/Lyrics: Stephen Sondheim Book: George Furth
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1981)
When It’s Set: 1950s-1970s
Music/Lyrics/Book: Sam Kenyon
Musical Type: Contemporary (2018)
When It’s Set: 1910s-1960s
Music/Lyrics: Michael Jackson, Various Book: Lynn Nottage
Musical Type: Contemporary/Jukebox (2022)
When It’s Set: 1960s-1990s
Music/Lyrics: Various Book: Berry Gordy
Musical Type: Contemporary/Jukebox (2013)
When It’s Set: 1950s-1980s
On a Clear Day You Can See Forever
Music: Burton Lane Lyrics/Book: Alan Jay Lerner
Musical Type: Post-Golden Age (1965)
When It’s Set: 1960s/1700s
Music/Lyrics/Book: Tommy Butler
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1976)
When It’s Set: 1950s-1960s
Music/Lyrics: Various Book: Phillip George, David Lowenstein
Musical Type: Contemporary/Revue (2006)
When It’s Set: 1960s-1970s
Music/Lyrics/Book: Nick Blaemire, Van Hughes
Musical Type: Contemporary (2022)
When It’s Set: 1950s-1960s
Music/Lyrics: Clark Baxtresser, Pierce Siebers Book: Corey Lubowich, Joey Richter, Brian Rosenthal
Musical Type: Contemporary (2016)
When It’s Set: 1950s-1960s
Summer: The Donna Summer Musical
Music/Lyrics: Various Book: Colman Domingo, Robert Cary, Des McAnuff
Musical Type: Contemporary/Jukebox (2017)
When It’s Set: 1960s-1980s
Music: Andrew Lloyd Webber Lyrics/Book: Ben Elton
Musical Type: Contemporary (2000)
When It’s Set: 1960s-1970s
Music/Lyrics: Peter Allen Book: Nick Enright, Martin Sherman
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary/Jukebox (1998)
When It’s Set: 1960s-1990s
The Bubbly Black Girl Sheds Her Chameleon Skin
Music/Lyrics/Book: Kirsten Childs
Musical Type: Contemporary (2000)
When It’s Set: 1960s-1990s
Music/Lyrics: Paul Simon Lyrics/Book: Derek Walcott
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1998)
When It’s Set: 1950s-1970s
Music/Lyrics: Various Book: Rick Elice
Musical Type: Contemporary/Jukebox (2018)
When It’s Set: 1960s-1980s
The Marvelous Wonderettes: Caps and Gowns
Music/Lyrics: Various Book: Roger Bean
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary/Jukebox (1999)
When It’s Set: 1950s-1960s
The Marvelous Wonderettes: Dream On
Music/Lyrics: Various Book: Roger Bean
Musical Type: Contemporary/Jukebox (2016)
When It’s Set: 1960s-1970s
Music/Lyrics/Book: Pete Townshend Book: Des McAnuff
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1992)
When It’s Set: 1940s-1960s
Music/Lyrics: Various Book: Katori Hall, Frank Ketelaar, Kees Prins
Musical Type: Contemporary/Jukebox (2018)
When It’s Set: 1950s-1980s
Music/Lyrics: David Kirshenbaum Book: Jack Heifner
Musical Type: Contemporary (2006)
When It’s Set: 1960s-1970s
Music: Scott Frankel Lyrics: Michael Korie Book: Doug Wright
Musical Type: Contemporary (2016)
When It’s Set: 1930s-1960s
Musicals Set Around the 1960s
How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying
Music/Lyrics: Frank Loesser Book: Abe Burrows, Jack Weinstock, Willie Gilbert
Musical Type: Post-Golden Age (1961)
When It’s Set: Around the 1960s
Music: Marvin Laird Lyrics/Book: Joel Paley
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1992)
When It’s Set: Around the 1960s
More Musicals by Setting
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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.