Musical Lists

31+ Musicals with Narrators – The Full List of Shows

Are you looking for a musical that’s narrated by one or more characters? While many musicals use narration in their plots, the following selections heavily rely on it to drive the story. Explore the complete alphabetical list of musicals with narrators below!


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Musicals With Narrators

A Night With Janis Joplin

Music/Lyrics: Janis Joplin, Various  Book: Randy Johnson

Musical Type: Contemporary (2013)

The Narrator: Janis Joplin


A VHS Christmas Carol

Music/Lyrics: Clark Baxtresser

Musical Type: Contemporary (2020)

The Narrator: The Narrator


Anyone Can Whistle

Music/Lyrics: Stephen Sondheim  Book: Arthur Laurents

Musical Type: Post-Golden Age (1964)

The Narrator: Narrator


Assassins

Music/Lyrics: Stephen Sondheim  Book: John Weidman

Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1990)

The Narrator: Balladeer


Beauty and the Beast

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

Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1994)

The Narrator: Narrator


BKLYN: The Musical

Music/Lyrics/Book: Mark Schoenfeld, Barri McPherson

Musical Type: Contemporary (2004)

The Narrator: Street Singer


Blood Brothers

Music/Lyrics/Book: Willy Russell

Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1983)

The Narrator: Narrator


Cabaret

Music: John Kander  Lyrics: Fred Ebb  Book: Joe Masteroff

Musical Type: Post-Golden Age (1966)

The Narrator: Emcee


Evita

Music: Andrew Lloyd Webber  Lyrics: Tim Rice

Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1976)

The Narrator: Che


Fiddler on the Roof

Music: Jerry Bock  Lyrics: Sheldon Harnick  Book: Joseph Stein

Musical Type: Post-Golden Age (1964)

The Narrator: Tevye


Hadestown

Music/Lyrics/Book: Anaïs Mitchell

Musical Type: Contemporary (2006)

The Narrator: Hermes


Hamilton

Music/Lyrics/Book: Lin-Manuel Miranda

Musical Type: Contemporary (2015)

The Narrators: Aaron Burr, Eliza Hamilton


Into the Woods

Music/Lyrics: Stephen Sondheim  Book: James Lapine

Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1986)

The Narrator: Narrator


Jersey Boys

Music: Bob Gaudio  Lyrics: Bob Crewe  Book: Marshall Brickman, Rick Elice

Musical Type: Contemporary (2004)

The Narrators: Multiple


Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat

Music: Andrew Lloyd Webber  Lyrics: Tim Rice

Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1968)

The Narrator: Narrator


Murder Ballad

Music/Lyrics: Juliana Nash  Lyrics/Book: Julia Jordan

Musical Type: Contemporary (2012)

The Narrator: Narrator


My Life with Albertine

Music/Lyrics: Ricky Ian Gordon  Lyrics/Book: Richard Nelson

Musical Type: Contemporary (2003)

The Narrator: Narrator


Nevermore

Music/Lyrics/Book: Jonathan Christenson

Musical Type: Contemporary (2010)

The Narrators: The Players


Pacific Overtures

Music/Lyrics: Stephen Sondheim  Book: John Weidman

Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1976)

The Narrator: Reciter


Passing Strange

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


Pippin

Music/Lyrics: Stephen Schwartz  Book: Roger O. Hirson

Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1972)

The Narrator: Leading Player


Ragtime

Music: Stephen Flaherty  Lyrics: Lynn Ahrens  Book: Terrence McNally

Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1996)

The Narrators: Multiple


Reefer Madness

Music/Book: Dan Studney  Lyrics/Book: Kevin Murphy

Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1998)

The Narrator: The Lecturer


Rent

Music/Lyrics/Book: Jonathan Larson

Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1996)

The Narrator: Mark Cohen


Ride the Cyclone

Music/Lyrics/Book: Brooke Maxwell, Jacob Richmond

Musical Type: Contemporary (2015)

The Narrator: The Amazing Karnak


Rock of Ages

Music/Lyrics: Various  Book: Chris D’Arienzo

Musical Type: Contemporary (2005)

The Narrator: Lonny


Seussical

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

Musical Type: Contemporary (2000)

The Narrator: The Cat in the Hat


Side by Side by Sondheim

Music/Lyrics: Stephen Sondheim, Leonard Bernstein, Mary Rodgers, Richard Rodgers, Jule Styne

Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1976)

The Narrator: Narrator


The Drowsy Chaperone

Music/Lyrics: Lisa Lambert, Greg Morrison  Book: Bob Martin, Don McKellar

Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1998)

The Narrator: Man in Chair


The Fantasticks

Music: Harvey Schmidt  Lyrics/Book: Tom Jones

Musical Type: Post-Golden Age (1960)

The Narrator: El Gallo


The Landing

Music: John Kander  Lyrics/Book: Greg Pierce

Musical Type: Contemporary (2013)

The Narrator: Narrator


The Likes of Us

Music: Andrew Lloyd Webber  Lyrics: Tim Rice

Musical Type: Post-Golden Age/Contemporary (1965/2005)

The Narrator: Narrator


The Rocky Horror Show

Music/Lyrics/Book: Richard O’Brien

Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1973)

The Narrator: Narrator


The Scottsboro Boys

Music/Lyrics: John Kander, Fred Ebb  Book: David Thompson

Musical Type: Contemporary (2010)

The Narrator: Interlocutor


Urinetown

Music/Lyrics: Mark Hollmann  Lyrics/Book: Greg Kotis

Musical Type: Contemporary (2001)

The Narrators: Officer Lockstock and Little Sally


Venice

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 like these types of lists, check out the musical database. That’s where you’ll find musicals sorted by composer, theme, setting, and more!


Stacy Karyn, author of Musicals With Narrators.
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.


 

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