38+ Musicals with Narrators – The Full List of Shows
Looking for a musical that’s narrated by one or more characters? While many musicals make use of narration, the following shows rely on it to drive the story. Here is the full alphabetical list of musicals with narrators, including which character serves that role in each show.
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Musicals With Narrators
Music: Alan Menken Lyrics: Glenn Slater Book: Chazz Palminteri
Musical Type: Contemporary (2016)
The Narrator: Calogero
Music/Lyrics: Janis Joplin, Various Book: Randy Johnson
Musical Type: Contemporary (2013)
The Narrator: Janis Joplin
Music/Lyrics: Clark Baxtresser
Musical Type: Contemporary (2020)
The Narrator: The Narrator
Music/Lyrics: Stephen Sondheim Book: Arthur Laurents
Musical Type: Post-Golden Age (1964)
The Narrator: Narrator
Music/Lyrics: Stephen Sondheim Book: John Weidman
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1990)
The Narrator: Balladeer
Music: Alan Menken Lyrics: Howard Ashman, Tim Rice Book: Linda Woolverton
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1994)
The Narrator: Narrator
Music/Lyrics: Eddie Perfect Book: Scott Brown, Anthony King
Musical Type: Contemporary (2018)
The Narrator: Beetlejuice
Music/Lyrics/Book: Mark Schoenfeld, Barri McPherson
Musical Type: Contemporary (2004)
The Narrator: Street Singer
Music/Lyrics/Book: Willy Russell
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1983)
The Narrator: Narrator
Music: John Kander Lyrics: Fred Ebb Book: Joe Masteroff
Musical Type: Post-Golden Age (1966)
The Narrator: Emcee
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)
The Narrator: Voltaire
Music/Lyrics: Marc Shaiman Lyrics: Scott Wittman Book: Terrence McNally
Musical Type: Contemporary (2009)
The Narrator: Frank Abagnale, Jr.
Music: Benny Andersson, Björn Ulvaeus Lyrics: Tim Rice Book: Richard Nelson
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1984)
The Narrator: The Arbiter
Music: Andrew Lloyd Webber Lyrics: Tim Rice
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1976)
The Narrator: Che
Music: Jerry Bock Lyrics: Sheldon Harnick Book: Joseph Stein
Musical Type: Post-Golden Age (1964)
The Narrator: Tevye
Music: Jeanine Tesori Lyrics/Book: Lisa Kron
Musical Type: Contemporary (2013)
The Narrator: Adult Alison
Music/Lyrics/Book: Anaïs Mitchell
Musical Type: Contemporary (2006)
The Narrator: Hermes
Music/Lyrics/Book: Lin-Manuel Miranda
Musical Type: Contemporary (2015)
The Narrators: Aaron Burr, Eliza Hamilton
Music/Lyrics: Stephen Sondheim Book: James Lapine
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1986)
The Narrator: Narrator
Music: Bob Gaudio Lyrics: Bob Crewe Book: Marshall Brickman, Rick Elice
Musical Type: Contemporary (2004)
The Narrators: Multiple
Music: Andrew Lloyd Webber Lyrics: Tim Rice
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1970)
The Narrator: Judas Iscariot
Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat
Music: Andrew Lloyd Webber Lyrics: Tim Rice
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1968)
The Narrator: Narrator
Music: Jeff Richmond Lyrics: Nell Benjamin Book: Tina Fey
Musical Type: Contemporary (2017)
The Narrators: Cady, Damian, and Janis
Music/Lyrics: Juliana Nash Lyrics/Book: Julia Jordan
Musical Type: Contemporary (2012)
The Narrator: Narrator
Music/Lyrics: Ricky Ian Gordon Lyrics/Book: Richard Nelson
Musical Type: Contemporary (2003)
The Narrator: Narrator
Music/Lyrics/Book: Jonathan Christenson
Musical Type: Contemporary (2010)
The Narrators: The Players
Music/Lyrics: Stephen Sondheim Book: John Weidman
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1976)
The Narrator: Reciter
Music/Lyrics/Book: Stew Music: Heidi Rodewald
Musical Type: Contemporary (2006)
The Narrator: Narrator
Peter Pan: A Musical Adventure
Music: George Stiles Lyrics: Anthony Drewe Book: Willis Hall
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1997)
The Narrator: Storyteller
Music/Lyrics: Stephen Schwartz Book: Roger O. Hirson
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1972)
The Narrator: Leading Player
Music: Stephen Flaherty Lyrics: Lynn Ahrens Book: Terrence McNally
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1996)
The Narrators: Multiple
Music/Book: Dan Studney Lyrics/Book: Kevin Murphy
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1998)
The Narrator: The Lecturer
Music/Lyrics/Book: Jonathan Larson
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1996)
The Narrator: Mark Cohen
Music/Lyrics/Book: Brooke Maxwell, Jacob Richmond
Musical Type: Contemporary (2015)
The Narrator: The Amazing Karnak
Music/Lyrics: Various Book: Chris D’Arienzo
Musical Type: Contemporary (2005)
The Narrator: Lonny
Music/Book: Stephen Flaherty Lyrics/Book: Lynn Ahrens
Musical Type: Contemporary (2000)
The Narrator: The Cat in the Hat
Music/Lyrics: Stephen Sondheim, Leonard Bernstein, Mary Rodgers, Richard Rodgers, Jule Styne
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1976)
The Narrator: Narrator
Music/Lyrics: Lisa Lambert, Greg Morrison Book: Bob Martin, Don McKellar
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1998)
The Narrator: Man in Chair
Music: Harvey Schmidt Lyrics/Book: Tom Jones
Musical Type: Post-Golden Age (1960)
The Narrator: El Gallo
Music: John Kander Lyrics/Book: Greg Pierce
Musical Type: Contemporary (2013)
The Narrator: Narrator
Music: Andrew Lloyd Webber Lyrics: Tim Rice
Musical Type: Post-Golden Age/Contemporary (1965/2005)
The Narrator: Narrator
Music/Lyrics/Book: Rupert Holmes
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1985)
The Narrator: Mr. William Cartwright (The Chairman)
Music/Lyrics/Book: Richard O’Brien
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1973)
The Narrator: Narrator
Music/Lyrics: John Kander, Fred Ebb Book: David Thompson
Musical Type: Contemporary (2010)
The Narrator: Interlocutor
Music/Lyrics: Mark Hollmann Lyrics/Book: Greg Kotis
Musical Type: Contemporary (2001)
The Narrators: Officer Lockstock and Little Sally
Music/Lyrics: Matt Sax Lyrics/Book: Eric Rosen
Musical Type: Contemporary (2010)
The Narrator: The Clown MC
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Which of these musicals with Narrators is your favorite?
Or have you ever played a role in any of the above narrated musicals? Feel free to share in the comments below! And if you enjoy exploring 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.