Musicals with Animals in Them

The following list includes musicals with animals in them, focusing on works featuring live or symbolic animals. Additional musical lists are available in the musical database.

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On This Page:

Musicals Featuring Live Animals

Musicals with Performers in Animal Costumes

Musicals with Scenic, Prop, or Puppet Animals

Musicals with Implied / Symbolic Animals

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Musicals Featuring Live Animals

Animals in these productions may be portrayed live or represented through props, puppetry, or other staging techniques.

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A Christmas Story

Music/Lyrics: Benj Pasek, Justin Paul  Book: Joseph Robinette

Musical Type: Contemporary (2009)

Live Animals: The Bumpus Hounds

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Annie

Music: Charles Strouse  Lyrics: Martin Charnin  Book: Thomas Meehan

Musical Type: Late 20th Century (1976)

Live Animal: Sandy the Dog

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As Thousands Cheer

Music/Lyrics: Irving Berlin  Book: Moss Hart

Musical Type: Jazz Age (1933)

Live Animal: Gertrude the Pomeranian

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Bullets Over Broadway

Music/Lyrics: Various  Book: Woody Allen

Musical Type: Contemporary (2014)

Live Animal: Mr. Woofles the Dog

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Chitty Chitty Bang Bang

Music/Lyrics: Richard M. Sherman, Robert B. Sherman  Adaptations: Jeremy Sams, Ray Roderick

Musical Type: 1968 Film/Contemporary Musical (2002)

Live Animals: A Pack of Dogs

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Gypsy

Music: Jule Styne  Lyrics: Stephen Sondheim  Book: Arthur Laurents

Musical Type: Golden Age (1959)

Live Animals: Chowsie the Dog and a Baby Lamb

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Legally Blonde

Music/Lyrics: Nell Benjamin, Laurence O’Keefe  Book: Heather Hach

Musical Type: Contemporary (2007)

Live Animals: Bruiser and Rufus the Dogs

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Oliver!

Music/Lyrics/Book: Lionel Bart

Musical Type: Post-Golden Age (1960)

Live Animal: Bullseye the Dog

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Once on This Island

Music: Stephen Flaherty  Lyrics/Book: Lynn Ahrens

Musical Type: Late 20th Century (1990)

Live Animal: A Goat

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The Will Rogers Follies

Music: Cy Coleman  Lyrics: Betty Comden, Adolph Green  Book: Peter Stone

Musical Type: Late 20th Century (1991)

Live Animals: Wild West Show Dogs

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The Wiz

Music/Lyrics: Charlie Smalls  Book: William F. Brown

Musical Type: Late 20th Century (1974)

Live Animal: Toto the Dog

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The Wizard of Oz

Music/Lyrics: Harold Arlen, Yip Harburg  Music: Herbert Stothart  Book: L. Frank Baum, John Kane

Musical Type: 1939 Film/Late 20th Century Musical (1987)

Live Animal: Toto the Dog

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The Wizard of Oz (ALW)

Music: Harold Arlen, Herbert Stothart  Music/Book: Andrew Lloyd Webber  Lyrics: Yip Harburg, Tim Rice  Book: Jeremy Sams

Musical Type: Contemporary (2011)

Live Animal: Toto the Dog

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Musicals with Performers in Animal Costumes

These musicals feature animal roles portrayed by actors, dancers, or puppeteers in costume.

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A Year with Frog and Toad

Music: Robert Reale  Lyrics/Book: Willie Reale

Musical Type: Contemporary (2002)

Animal Roles: Frog and Toad

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Aladdin

Music: Alan Menken  Lyrics/Book: Chad Beguelin  Lyrics: Tim Rice, Howard Ashman

Musical Type: 1992 Film/Contemporary Musical (2011)

Animal Role: Iago

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Alice by Heart

Music: Duncan Sheik  Lyrics/Book: Steven Sater  Book: Jessie Nelson

Musical Type: Contemporary (2019)

Animal Roles: Cheshire Cat, White Rabbit, Others

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Amélie

Music/Lyrics: Daniel Messé  Lyrics: Nathan Tysen  Book: Craig Lucas

Musical Type: Contemporary (2015)

Animal Role: Fluffy the Goldfish

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Bat Boy

Music/Lyrics: Laurence O’Keefe  Book: Keythe Farley, Brian Flemming

Musical Type: Late 20th Century (1997)

Animal Roles: Bat Boy, Various Animals

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Beauty and the Beast

Music: Alan Menken  Lyrics: Howard Ashman, Tim Rice  Book: Linda Woolverton

Musical Type: Late 20th Century (1994)

Animal Roles: Wolves

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Between the Lines

Music/Lyrics: Elyssa Samsel, Kate Anderson  Book: Timothy Allen McDonald

Musical Type: Contemporary (2017)

Animal Role: Frump

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Birds of Paradise

Music/Book: David Evans  Lyrics/Book: Winnie Holzman

Musical Type: Late 20th Century (1987)

Animal Roles: Andy, Hope, and Dave in Penguin Suits

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Boop! The Musical

Music: David Foster  Lyrics: Susan Birkenhead  Book: Bob Martin

Musical Type: Contemporary (2023)

Animal Roles: Pudgy the Dog

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Bumblescratch

Music/Lyrics/Book: Robert J. Sherman

Musical Type: Contemporary (2016)

Animal Roles: Multiple Rats

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Candide

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)

Animal Roles: Two Pink Sheep

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Captain Louie

Music/Lyrics: Stephen Schwartz  Book: Anthony Stein

Musical Type: Contemporary (2005)

Animal Role: The Cat

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Cats

Music: Andrew Lloyd Webber  Lyrics: T.S. Eliot, Trevor Nunn, Richard Stilgoe

Musical Type: Late 20th Century (1981)

Animal Roles: Multiple Cats

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Children of Eden

Music/Lyrics: Stephen Schwartz  Book: John Caird

Musical Type: Late 20th Century (1991)

Animal Roles: Animals (Storytellers)

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Doctor Dolittle

Music/Lyrics/Book: Leslie Bricusse

Musical Type: Late 20th Century (1998)

Animal Roles: Polynesia the Parrot, Misc. Animals

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Dog Man: The Musical

Music: Brad Alexander  Lyrics/Book: Kevin Del Aguila

Musical Type: Contemporary (2019)

Animal Roles: Dog Man, Flippy the Fish, Lil Petey, Petey the Cat

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Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus!

Music: Deborah Wicks La Puma  Lyrics/Book: Mo Willems  Book: Mr. Warburton

Musical Type: Contemporary (2019)

Animal Roles: The Pigeon, Puppy, Ducklings

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Elephant and Piggie’s “We are in a Play!”

Music: Deborah Wicks La Puma  Lyrics/Book: Mo Willems

Musical Type: Contemporary (2013)

Animal Roles: Gerald, Piggie, Squirrels, Dog, Penguin

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Finding Nemo

Music/Lyrics: Kristen Anderson-Lopez, Robert Lopez  Book: Lindsay Anderson

Musical Type: Contemporary (2007)

Animal Roles: Multiple Fish and Sea Life

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Frozen

Music/Lyrics: Robert Lopez, Kristen Anderson-Lopez  Book: Jennifer Lee

Musical Type: Contemporary (2017)

Animal Role: Sven the Reindeer

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Goldilocks and the Three Bears

Music: George Stiles  Lyrics/Book: Anthony Drewe

Musical Type: Contemporary (2013)

Animal Roles: Baby Bear, Father Bear, Mother Bear, Puppet Bird

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Hello, Dolly!

Music/Lyrics: Jerry Herman  Book: Michael Stewart

Musical Type: Post-Golden Age (1964)

Animal Role: Horse

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Henry and Mudge

Music: Bree Lowdermilk  Lyrics/Book: Kait Kerrigan

Musical Type: Contemporary (2006)

Animal Role: Mudge the Dog

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Honk!

Music: George Stiles  Lyrics/Book: Anthony Drewe

Musical Type: Late 20th Century (1993)

Animal Roles: Multiple Farm Animals

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Into the Woods

Music/Lyrics: Stephen Sondheim  Book: James Lapine

Musical Type: Late 20th Century (1986)

Animal Role: Wolf

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James and the Giant Peach

Music: Justin Paul  Lyrics: Benj Pasek  Book: Timothy Allen McDonald

Musical Type: Contemporary (2010)

Animal Roles: Grasshopper, Spider, Centipede, Earthworm, Ladybug, Seagulls

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Just So

Music: George Stiles  Lyrics/Book: Anthony Drewe

Musical Type: Late 20th Century (1984)

Animal Roles: A Variety of Animals

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Lizard Boy

Music/Lyrics/Book: Justin Huertas

Musical Type: Contemporary (2015)

Animal Role: Lizard Boy

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Love Birds

Music/Lyrics/Book: Robert J. Sherman

Musical Type: Contemporary (2015)

Animal Roles: Multiple Birds

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Paddington: The Musical

Music/Lyrics: Tom Fletcher  Book: Jessica Swale

Musical Type: Contemporary (2025)

Animal Role: Paddington

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Peter Pan

Music: Moose Charlap, Jule Styne  Lyrics: Carolyn Leigh, Betty Comden, Adolph Green  Book: J.M. Barrie

Musical Type: Golden Age (1954)

Animal Roles: Crocodile, Nana, Various Animals

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Peter Pan: A Musical Adventure

Music: George Stiles  Lyrics: Anthony Drewe  Book: Willis Hall

Musical Type: Late 20th Century (1997)

Animal Roles: Crocodile, Nana

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Ride the Cyclone

Music/Lyrics/Book: Brooke Maxwell, Jacob Richmond

Musical Type: Contemporary (2015)

Animal Featured: Virgil the Rat

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Seussical

Music/Book: Stephen Flaherty  Lyrics/Book: Lynn Ahrens

Musical Type: Contemporary (2000)

Animal Roles: A Variety of Animals

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Shrek

Music: Jeanine Tesori  Lyrics/Book: David Lindsay-Abaire

Musical Type: Contemporary (2008)

Animal Roles: Donkey, Dragon, Misc. Animals

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Silence!

Music/Lyrics: Jon Kaplan, Al Kaplan  Book: Hunter Bell

Musical Type: Contemporary (2005)

Animal Roles: A Chorus of Lambs

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Snoopy!!!

Music: Larry Grossman  Lyrics: Hal Hackady  Book: Warren Lockhart, Arthur Whitelaw, Michael Grace

Musical Type: Late 20th Century (1975)

Animal Roles: Snoopy, Woodstock

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Tarzan

Music/Lyrics: Phil Collins  Book: David Henry Hwang

Musical Type: 1999 Film/Contemporary Musical (2006)

Animal Roles: Apes, Gorillas, Leopard

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The Apple Tree

Music/Book: Jerry Bock  Lyrics/Book: Sheldon Harnick  Book: Jerome Coopersmith

Musical Type: Post-Golden Age (1966)

Animal Role: The Snake

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The Frogs

Music/Lyrics: Stephen Sondheim  Book: Burt Shevelove, Nathan Lane

Musical Type: Late 20th Century (1974)

Animal Roles: Frogs

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The Lion King

Music: Elton John  Lyrics: Tim Rice  Book: Roger Allers, Irene Mecchi

Musical Type: Late 20th Century (1997)

Animal Roles: A Variety of Animals

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The Little Mermaid

Music: Alan Menken  Lyrics: Howard Ashman, Glenn Slater  Book: Doug Wright

Musical Type: 1989 Film/Contemporary Musical (2007)

Animal Roles: Multiple Fish and Sea Life

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The SpongeBob Musical

Music/Lyrics: Various  Book: Kyle Jarrow

Musical Type: Contemporary (2016)

Animal Roles: Multiple Fish and Sea Life

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The Three Little Pigs

Music: George Stiles  Lyrics/Book: Anthony Drewe

Musical Type: Contemporary (2013)

Animal Roles: A Variety of Animals

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The Wind in the Willows

Music: George Stiles  Lyrics: Anthony Drewe  Book: Julian Fellowes

Musical Type: Contemporary (2016)

Animal Roles: A Variety of Animals

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The Witches

Music/Lyrics: Dave Malloy  Lyrics/Book: Lucy Kirkwood

Musical Type: Contemporary (2023)

Animal Roles: Children Turned to Mice

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The Wiz

Music/Lyrics: Charlie Smalls  Book: William F. Brown

Musical Type: Late 20th Century (1974)

Animal Roles: Lion, Winged Monky, Crows, Field Mice

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The Wizard of Oz

Music/Lyrics: Harold Arlen, Yip Harburg  Music: Herbert Stothart  Book: L. Frank Baum, John Kane

Musical Type: 1939 Film/Late 20th Century Musical (1987)

Animal Roles: Cowardly Lion, Crows, Flying Monkeys

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The Wizard of Oz (ALW)

Music: Harold Arlen, Herbert Stothart  Music/Book: Andrew Lloyd Webber  Lyrics: Yip Harburg, Tim Rice  Book: Jeremy Sams

Musical Type: Contemporary (2011)

Animal Roles: Cowardly Lion, Flying Monkeys

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Twisted

Music: A.J. Holmes  Lyrics: Kaley McMahon  Book: Matt Lang, Nick Lang, Eric Kahn Gale

Musical Type: Contemporary (2013)

Animal Roles: Bird, Monkey

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Water for Elephants

Music/Lyrics: PigPen Theatre Co.  Book: Rick Elice

Musical Type: Contemporary (2023)

Animal Roles: A Variety of Animals

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Wicked

Music/Lyrics: Stephen Schwartz  Book: Winnie Holzman

Musical Type: Contemporary (2003)

Animal Roles: Dr. Dillamond, Chistery, Monkeys

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You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown

Music/Lyrics/Book: Clark Gesner  Additional Songs: Andrew Lippa

Musical Type: Post-Golden Age (1967)

Animal Role: Snoopy

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Last Reviewed: April 18, 2026