31+ Musicals Written By Black Artists – A Full List
In case you didn’t know, August is Black Business Month – a time to celebrate and support Black-owned businesses! And while creating a musical might not be the first thing you think of when you think of the word “business”, it is in a way, a very specific type of business! So here is a full list of musicals written by Black artists.
I encourage you to pick a show you aren’t familiar with and give it a listen this month!
* Musicals have been listed if at least one member of the writing team is a Black artist.
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1920s-1960s Musicals Written by Black Artists
Black Nativity
Music/Lyrics: Traditional Book: Langston Hughes
Musical Type: Post-Golden Age (1961)
Shuffle Along
Music: Eubie Blake Lyrics: Noble Sissle Book: F.E. Miller, Aubrey Lyles
Musical Type: Jazz Age (1921)
St. Louis Woman
Music: Harold Arlen Lyrics: Johnny Mercer Book: Arna Bontemps, Countee Cullen
Musical Type: Golden Age (1946)
1970s-1990s Musicals By Black Artists
Ain’t Misbehavin’
Music: Fats Waller Lyrics: Various Book: Murray Horwitz, Richard Maltby Jr.
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary/Revue (1978)
Black and Blue
Music: W.C. Handy, Louis Armstrong, Duke Ellington, Fats Waller, Eubie Blake, Big Maybelle
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary/Revue (1985)
Bring in ‘da Noise, Bring in ‘da Funk
Music: Waters, Mark, Duquesnay Lyrics: Gaines, Wolfe, Duquesnay Book: Gaines
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary/Revue (1995)
Bubbling Brown Sugar
Music/Lyrics: Various Book: Loften Mitchell
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary/Revue (1976)
Don’t Play Us Cheap
Music/Lyrics/Book: Melvin Van Peebles
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1972)
Five Guys Named Moe
Music/Lyrics: Louis Jordan Book: Clarke Peters
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary/Revue (1990)
It Ain’t Nothin’ But the Blues
Music/Lyrics: Various Book: Bevel, Gaithers, Myler, Taylor, Wheetman
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary/Revue (1999)
Jelly’s Last Jam
Music: Jelly Roll Morton, Luther Henderson Lyrics: Susan Birkenhead Book: George C. Wolfe
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1992)
Play On!
Music/Lyrics: Duke Ellington/Various Book: Cheryl L. West
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1996)
Purlie
Music: Gary Geld Lyrics/Book: Peter Udell Book: Ossie Davis, Philip Rose
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1970)
Sarafina!
Music/Lyrics/Book: Mbongeni Ngema Music/Lyrics: Hugh Masakela
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1987)
The Capeman
Music/Lyrics: Paul Simon Lyrics/Book: Derek Walcott
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1998)
The Wiz
Music/Lyrics: Smalls, Graphenreed, Wheeler, Faison, Vandross, Walzer Book: William Brown
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1974)
Working
Music/Lyrics/Book: Schwartz, Carnelia, Grant, M. Rodgers, Taylor, Birkenhead, Faso
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1977)
Contemporary Musicals By Black Artists
A Strange Loop
Music/Lyrics/Book: Michael R. Jackson
Musical Type: Contemporary (2019)
Ain’t Too Proud
Music/Lyrics: The Temptations Book: Dominique Morisseau
Musical Type: Contemporary/Jukebox (2017)
Bella: An American Tall Tale
Music/Lyrics/Book: Kirsten Childs
Musical Type: Contemporary (2016)
Broadbend, Arkansas
Music/Lyrics: Ted Shen Book: Ellen Fitzhugh, Harrison David Rivers
Musical Type: Contemporary (2019)
Don’t Bother Me, I Can’t Cope
Music/Lyrics: Micki Grant
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary/Revue (1971)
Fela!
Music/Lyrics: Fela Kuti Book: Bill T. Jones, Jim Lewis
Musical Type: Contemporary/Jukebox (2008)
Harlem Song
Music/Lyrics: Various Book: George C. Wolfe
Musical Type: Contemporary/Revue (2002)
MJ: the Musical
Music/Lyrics: Michael Jackson, Various Book: Lynn Nottage
Musical Type: Contemporary/Jukebox (2022)
Motown: The Musical
Music/Lyrics: Various Book: Berry Gordy
Musical Type: Contemporary/Jukebox (2013)
Passing Strange
Music/Lyrics/Book: Stew, Heidi Rodewald
Musical Type: Contemporary (2006)
Polkadots: The Cool Kids Musical
Music/Lyrics: Greg Borowsky, Douglas Lyons Book: Melvin Tunstall III
Musical Type: Contemporary (2016)
Summer: The Donna Summer Musical
Music/Lyrics: Various Book: Colman Domingo, Robert Cary, Des McAnuff
Musical Type: Contemporary/Jukebox (2017)
The Bubbly Black Girl Sheds Her Chameleon Skin
Music/Lyrics/Book: Kirsten Childs
Musical Type: Contemporary (2000)
The Color Purple
Music/Lyrics: Brenda Russell, Allee Willis, Stephen Bray Book: Marsha Norman
Musical Type: Contemporary (2005)
The Visitor
Music: Tom Kitt Lyrics/Book: Brian Yorkey Book: Kwame Kwei-Armah
Musical Type: Contemporary (2021)
The Wild Party
Music/Lyrics/Book: Michael John LaChiusa Book: George C. Wolfe
Musical Type: Contemporary (2000)
Tina: The Tina Turner Musical
Music/Lyrics: Various Book: Katori Hall, Frank Ketelaar, Kees Prins
Musical Type: Contemporary/Jukebox (2018)
Want a weekly list of stagey surprises?!
Which of these musicals written by Black artists is your favorite?
Or have you ever played a role in any of the above musicals written by Black artists? 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!
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 has a TESOL drama certificate, a BA in theatre, and has worked and interned with Broadway and Off-Broadway theaters.
