20+ Musicals Set on Ships – The Full List of Shows
Last Updated: May 6, 2025
From grand ocean voyages to life aboard an ocean liner, the sea has acted as the backdrop for many musicals over the years. Whether a show is entirely set at sea or features key scenes on the open water, you’ll find it below. Here’s a full list of musicals set on ships.
Post Contents:
Musicals Set on Ships
Music: Sammy Fain Lyrics: Dan Shapiro Book: Guy Bolton, Eddie Davis
Musical Type: Golden Age (1955)
Setting: Africa (Morocco), Italy, At Sea
Music/Lyrics: Cole Porter Book: Guy Bolton, P.G. Wodehouse, Howard Lindsay, Russel Crouse
Musical Type: Jazz Age (1934)
Setting: USA (NYC), At Sea
Music/Lyrics: Leonard Bernstein Lyrics: Richard Wilbur, John La Touche, Stephen Sondheim*, Dorothy Parker Book: John Caird*, Hugh Wheeler*, Lillian Hellman
* Writers who worked on the 1974/1999 revivals of the show
Musical Type: Golden Age (1956)
Setting: Argentina, France (Paris), Italy, Portugal, Spain, Uruguay, At Sea
Music: Jim Wise Lyrics/Book: George Haimsohn, Robin Miller
Musical Type: Post-Golden Age (1966)
Setting: USA (NYC), At Sea
Music/Lyrics: Various Book: Jack Plotnick, Seth Rudetsky
Musical Type: Contemporary (2011)
Setting: At Sea
Music/Lyrics/Book: Leslie Bricusse
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1998)
Setting: England, At Sea
Music: Mark Baron Lyrics/Book: Jeffrey Jackson
Musical Type: Contemporary (2007)
Setting: Arctic, Germany, Switzerland, At Sea
Music: Jule Styne Lyrics: Leo Robin Book: Joseph Fields, Anita Loos
Musical Type: Golden Age (1949)
Setting: France (Paris), USA (NYC), At Sea
Music: Harold Karr Lyrics: Matt Dubey Book: Howard Lindsay, Russel Crouse
Musical Type: Golden Age (1956)
Setting: Monaco, USA, At Sea
Music: Justin Paul Lyrics: Benj Pasek Book: Timothy Allen McDonald
Musical Type: Contemporary (2010)
Setting: England (Dover, London), USA (NYC), At Sea
Music: Jule Styne Lyrics: Leo Robin, Adolph Green, Betty Comden Book: Anita Loos, Joseph Fields, Kenny Solms, Gail Parent
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1974)
Setting: France (Paris), USA (NYC), At Sea
Music/Lyrics/Book: Dan Goggin
Musical Type: Contemporary (2002)
Setting: At Sea
Music/Lyrics: Jay Livingston, Ray Evans Book: Al Morgan, José Ferrer
Musical Type: Golden Age (1958)
Setting: England (London), France (Paris), At Sea
Music/Lyrics/Book: Noël Coward
Musical Type: Post-Golden Age (1961)
Setting: At Sea
Music: Jerome Kern Lyrics/Book: Oscar Hammerstein II
Musical Type: Jazz Age (1927)
Setting: USA (Illinois, Mississippi), At Sea
Music/Lyrics: The Avett Brothers Book: John Logan
Musical Type: Contemporary (2022)
Setting: USA (Massachusetts), At Sea
Music: Alan Menken Lyrics: Howard Ashman, Glenn Slater Book: Doug Wright
Musical Type: 1989 Film/Contemporary Musical (2007)
Setting: Fictional, At Sea
Music: Sigmund Romberg Lyrics/Book: Oscar Hammerstein II, Frank Mandel, Laurence Schwab
Musical Type: Jazz Age (1927)
Setting: USA (Louisiana), At Sea
Music/Book: Claude-Michel Schönberg Lyrics: John Dempsey Lyrics/Book: Alain Boublil, Richard Maltby, Jr.
Musical Type: Contemporary (2006)
Setting: England, Ireland, At Sea
Music/Lyrics: Various Book: Kyle Jarrow
Musical Type: Contemporary (2016)
Setting: Fictional, At Sea
Music/Lyrics: Meredith Willson Book: Richard Morris
Musical Type: Post-Golden Age (1960)
Setting: France (Paris), Monte Carlo, USA (Colorado, Missouri), At Sea
Music/Lyrics: Maury Yeston Book: Peter Stone
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1997)
Setting: England, At Sea
Music: Jerome Kern Lyrics: Schuyler Green Book: Philip Bartholomae, Guy Bolton
Musical Type: Pre-Jazz Age (1915)
Setting: USA (New York), At Sea
Musicals with Ships in Them
Music: Leonard Bernstein Lyrics/Book: Betty Comden, Adolph Green
Musical Type: Golden Age (1944)
Setting: USA (NYC)
Music: Moose Charlap, Jule Styne Lyrics: Carolyn Leigh, Betty Comden, Adolph Green Book: J.M. Barrie
Musical Type: Golden Age (1954)
Setting: England (London), Fictional
Music/Lyrics: Stephen Sondheim Book: Hugh Wheeler
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1979)
Setting: England (London)
Music: Arthur Sullivan Lyrics: W.S. Gilbert
Musical Type: Opera (1800s)
Setting: England
Music/Lyrics: Sting Book: Brian Yorkey, John Logan, Lorne Campbell
Musical Type: Contemporary (2014)
Setting: England
Musicals with Boats in Them
Music/Lyrics: Roger Miller Book: William Hauptman
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1985)
Setting: USA (Missouri)
Music/Lyrics: Leonard Bernstein Lyrics: Richard Wilbur, John La Touche, Stephen Sondheim, Dorothy Parker Book: John Caird, Hugh Wheeler, Lillian Hellman
Musical Type: Golden Age (1956)
Setting: France (Paris), Italy, Spain, Uruguay
Music: Richard Rodgers Lyrics/Book: Oscar Hammerstein II Book: Joshua Logan
Musical Type: Golden Age (1949)
Setting: South Pacific
Music/Lyrics/Book: Jason Robert Brown
Musical Type: Contemporary (2001)
Setting: USA (NYC, Ohio)
Music: George Stiles Lyrics: Anthony Drewe Book: Julian Fellowes
Musical Type: Contemporary (2016)
Setting: Fictional
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Which of these musicals set on ships is your favorite?
Or have you ever played a role in any of the above musicals set on boats/ships? Feel free to share in the comments! And if you enjoy these lists, check out the musical database, where you can discover musicals organized by composer, theme, setting, and much more!
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.
