Musicals Set in the 1980s – The Full List of Shows
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 1980s.
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
3 Guys Naked from the Waist Down
Music: Michael Rupert Lyrics/Book: Jerry Colker
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1985)
When It’s Set: The 1980s
Music/Lyrics: 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: Elizabeth Swados Lyrics/Book: Garry 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/Book: William Finn Book: James Lapine
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1990)
When It’s Set: The 1980s
Music: Steve Margoshes Lyrics: Jacques Levy Book: José Fernandez
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: Stephen Flaherty Lyrics/Book: Lynn Ahrens
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1988)
When It’s Set: The 1980s
Music/Lyrics: Charles Strouse Book: Warren Leight
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1985)
When It’s Set: The 1980s
Music/Lyrics: Madness Book: Tim Firth
Musical Type: Contemporary (2002)
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 (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
Music/Lyrics: Boy George Music: Kevan Frost, John Themis, Richie Stevens Book: Mark Davies Markham, Charles Busch
Musical Type: Contemporary (2002)
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
Music: John Kander Lyrics: Fred Ebb Book: Terrence McNally
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1984)
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
Music: Julianne Wick Davis Lyrics/Book: Dan Collins
Musical Type: Contemporary (2022)
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: Neil Diamond Book: Anthony McCarten
Musical Type: Contemporary (2022)
When It’s Set: 1960s-1990s
Music/Lyrics: Edward Kleban Book: Linda Kline, Lonny Price
Musical Type: Contemporary (2000)
When It’s Set: 1950s-1980s
Music/Lyrics: Alan Silvestri, 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: Benny Andersson, Björn Ulvaeus Lyrics: Tim Rice Book: Richard Nelson
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1984)
When It’s Set: 1950s/1980s
Music/Lyrics: David Bryan Lyrics/Book: 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/Lyrics: Michael John La Chiusa
Musical Type: Contemporary (2015)
When It’s Set: 1970s/1980s/2000s
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 & Friends Book: Anne Beatts
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1984)
When It’s Set: 1960s/1980s
Music/Lyrics: Michael Jackson, Various Book: Lynn Nottage
Musical Type: Contemporary (2022)
When It’s Set: 1960s-1990s
Music/Lyrics: Various Book: Berry Gordy
Musical Type: Contemporary (2013)
When It’s Set: 1950s-1980s
Music/Lyrics: Gloria & Emilio Estefan, Miami Sound Machine Book: Alexander Dinelaris
Musical Type: Contemporary (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: Donna Summer, Giorgio Moroder, Paul Jabra, Various Book: Colman Domingo, Robert Cary, Des McAnuff
Musical Type: Contemporary (2017)
When It’s Set: 1960s-1980s
Sunday in the Park with George
Music/Lyrics: Stephen Sondheim Book: James Lapine
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1984)
When It’s Set: 1800s/1980s
Music/Lyrics: Peter Allen Book: Nick Enright, Martin Sherman
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1998)
When It’s Set: 1960s-1990s
Music/Lyrics: Various Book: Rick Elice
Musical Type: Contemporary (2018)
When It’s Set: 1960s-1990s
The Great American Trailer Park Musical
Music/Lyrics: David Nehls Book: Betsy Kelso
Musical Type: Contemporary (2005)
When It’s Set: 1980s/2000s
Music/Lyrics: Various Book: Katori Hall, Frank Ketelaar, Kees Prins
Musical Type: Contemporary (2018)
When It’s Set: 1950s-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 holds a BA in theatre, a TESOL drama certificate, and has worked and interned with Broadway and Off-Broadway theaters.