Musicals Set in the 1980s – 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 1980s are included below.
The following list is broken down into three categories – “Musicals Fully Set in the 1980s”, “Musicals Partially Set in the 1980s”, and “Musicals Set Around the 1980s”. Each category is sorted alphabetically.
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Musicals Fully Set in the 1980s
Music/Lyrics/Book: Clark Baxtresser
Musical Type: Contemporary (2020)
When It’s Set: The 1980s
Music/Lyrics: Duncan Sheik Book: Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa
Musical Type: Contemporary (2013)
When It’s Set: The 1980s
Music: Elton John Lyrics/Book: Lee Hall
Musical Type: Contemporary (2005)
When It’s Set: The 1980s
Music/Lyrics/Book: Paul Scott Goodman
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1999)
When It’s Set: The 1980s
Music: Charles Strouse Lyrics: Lee Adams Book: Michael Stewart
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1981)
When It’s Set: The 1980s
Music: Elizabeth Swados Lyrics/Book: Gary Trudeau
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1983)
When It’s Set: The 1980s
Music/Lyrics/Book: Ben Adams, Chris Wilkins
Musical Type: Contemporary (2016)
When It’s Set: The 1980s
Music/Lyrics: William Finn Book: James Lapine
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1990)
When It’s Set: The 1980s
Music: Steve Margoshes Lyrics: Jacques Levy
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1988)
When It’s Set: The 1980s
Music/Lyrics: Robbie Roth Lyrics/Book: Robert Cary Book: Tom Hedley
Musical Type: Contemporary (2008)
When It’s Set: The 1980s
Music/Lyrics/Book: Laurence O’Keefe, Kevin Murphy
Musical Type: Contemporary (2010)
When It’s Set: The 1980s
Music/Lyrics: Stephen Trask Book: John Cameron Mitchell
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1998)
When It’s Set: The 1980s
Music/Lyrics: Jerry Herman Book: Harvey Fierstein
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1983)
When It’s Set: The 1980s
Music: Peter Lurye Book/Lyrics: Kate Chavez, Robin Holloway, Lindsey Hope Pearlman, Lee D. Zlotoff
Musical Type: Contemporary (2022)
When It’s Set: The 1980s
Music/Lyrics: Charles Strouse Book: Warren Leight
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary/Revue (1985)
When It’s Set: The 1980s
Music/Lyrics: Bryan Adams, Jim Vallance Book: Garry Marshall, J.F. Lawton
Musical Type: Contemporary (2018)
When It’s Set: The 1980s
Music/Lyrics: Various Book: Chris D’Arienzo
Musical Type: Contemporary/Jukebox (2005)
When It’s Set: The 1980s
Music/Lyrics: Gary Clark, John Carney Book: Enda Walsh
Musical Type: Contemporary (2019)
When It’s Set: The 1980s
Music: Marvin Hamlisch Lyrics/Book: Howard Ashman
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1986)
When It’s Set: The 1980s
Stranger Sings! The Parody Musical
Music/Lyrics/Book: Jonathan Hogue
Musical Type: Contemporary (2021)
When It’s Set: The 1980s
Music/Book: Cy Coleman Lyrics/Book: Ira Gasman Book: David Newman
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1990)
When It’s Set: The 1980s
The Secret Diary of Adrian Mole Aged 13 3/4
Music/Lyrics: Pippa Cleary Lyrics/Book: Jake Brunger
Musical Type: Contemporary (2015)
When It’s Set: The 1980s
Music: Henry Krieger Lyrics: Robert Lorick Book: Charles Blackwell
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1983)
When It’s Set: The 1980s
Music: Matthew Sklar Lyrics/Book: Chad Beguelin Book: Tim Herlihy
Musical Type: Contemporary (2006)
When It’s Set: The 1980s
Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown
Music/Lyrics: David Yazbek Book: Jeffrey Lane
Musical Type: Contemporary (2010)
When It’s Set: The 1980s
Music/Lyrics: Jeff Lynne, John Farrar Book: Douglas Carter Beane
Musical Type: Contemporary (2007)
When It’s Set: The 1980s
Musicals Partially Set in the 1980s
Music/Lyrics: Edward Kleban Book: Linda Kline, Lonny Price
Musical Type: Contemporary (2000)
When It’s Set: 1950s-1980s
Music/Lyrics/Book: Jay Kuo Book: Marc Acito, Lorenzo Thione
Musical Type: Contemporary (2012)
When It’s Set: 1940s-2000s
Music: Alan Silvestri Lyrics: Glen Ballard Book: Robert Zemeckis, Bob Gale
Musical Type: Contemporary (2020)
When It’s Set: 1980s/1950s
Music/Lyrics/Book: Willy Russell
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1983)
When It’s Set: 1960s-1980s
Music/Lyrics: Various Book: Jon Conway
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary/Jukebox (1998)
When It’s Set: 1970s-1980s
Music/Lyrics: Ted Shen Book: Ellen Fitzhugh, Harrison David Rivers
Musical Type: Contemporary (2019)
When It’s Set: 1960s/1980s
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/Lyrics/Book: David Bryan, Joe DiPietro
Musical Type: Contemporary (2019)
When It’s Set: 1980s-1990s
Music/Lyrics/Book: William Finn Book: James Lapine
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1992)
When It’s Set: 1970s-1980s
Music: Jeanine Tesori Lyrics/Book: Lisa Kron
Musical Type: Contemporary (2013)
When It’s Set: 1970s-2010s
Music/Lyrics: Bob Marley Book: Lee Hall
Musical Type: Contemporary (2021)
When It’s Set: 1950s-1980s
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: 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
Music/Lyrics: Gloria & Emilio Estefan, Miami Sound Machine Book: Alexander Dinelaris Jr.
Musical Type: Contemporary/Jukebox (2015)
When It’s Set: 1980s-1990s
Music/Lyrics/Book: Jonathan Larson
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1996)
When It’s Set: 1980s-1990s
Music: Keith Herrmann Lyrics/Book: Barry Harman
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1987)
When It’s Set: 1800s/1980s
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/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: Various Book: Rick Elice
Musical Type: Contemporary Jukebox (2018)
When It’s Set: 1960s-1980s
Music/Lyrics: Various Book: Katori Hall, Frank Ketelaar, Kees Prins
Musical Type: Contemporary/Jukebox (2018)
When It’s Set: 1950s-1980s
Musicals Set Around the 1980s
Elegies for Angels, Punks and Raging Queens
Music: Janet Hood Lyrics/Book: Bill Russell
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary/Song Cycle (1989)
When It’s Set: Around the 1980s
More Musicals by Setting
• Musicals set in the 1980s → 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.