80+ Musicals Written by One Person – The Full List
Curious about musicals that were born from the brilliance of one single creator? Or are you writing a musical and looking for inspiration from successful people who have done it on their own? Look no further! In this post, you’ll find a full list of these remarkable works, each crafted entirely by a single composer who penned the lyrics, book, and music for the show.
The following list is broken down into two categories – “Musicals Written by One Person” and “Song Cycles / Revues Written by One Person“.
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Musicals Written by One Person
Music/Lyrics: Lin-Manuel Miranda
Musical Type: Contemporary (2014)
Music/Lyrics/Book: Michael R. Jackson
Musical Type: Contemporary (2019)
Music/Lyrics/Book: Jill Santoriello
Musical Type: Contemporary (2007)
A Very Merry Unauthorized Children’s Scientology Pageant
Music/Lyrics/Book: Kyle Jarrow
Musical Type: Contemporary (2003)
Music/Lyrics: Clark Baxtresser
Musical Type: Contemporary (2020)
Music/Lyrics/Book: Jim Steinman
Musical Type: Contemporary (2017)
Music/Lyrics/Book: Michael John LaChiusa
Musical Type: Contemporary (2006)
Music/Lyrics/Book: Willy Russell
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1983)
Music/Lyrics/Book: Paul Scott Goodman
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1999)
Music/Lyrics/Book: Robert J. Sherman
Musical Type: Contemporary (2016)
Music/Lyrics/Book: Barry Wyner
Musical Type: Contemporary (2006)
Music/Lyrics/Book: Sandy Wilson
Musical Type: Post-Golden Age (1965)
Music/Lyrics/Book: Leslie Bricusse
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1998)
Music/Lyrics/Book: Melvin Van Peebles
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1972)
Music/Lyrics/Book: Yve Blake
Musical Type: Contemporary (2019)
Music/Lyrics: Michael John La Chiusa
Musical Type: Contemporary (2015)
Music/Lyrics/Book: Michael John LaChiusa
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1993)
Music/Lyrics/Book: Anaïs Mitchell
Musical Type: Contemporary (2006)
Music/Lyrics/Book: Lin-Manuel Miranda
Musical Type: Contemporary (2015)
Music/Lyrics/Book: Michael John LaChiusa
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1994)
Music/Lyrics/Book: William Finn
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1979)
Music/Lyrics/Book: Michael John LaChiusa
Musical Type: Contemporary (2003)
Music/Lyrics/Book: Rick Besoyan
Musical Type: Golden Age (1959)
Music/Lyrics/Book: Justin Huertas
Musical Type: Contemporary (2015)
Music/Lyrics/Book: Robert J. Sherman
Musical Type: Contemporary (2015)
Music/Lyrics/Book: Joe Iconis
Musical Type: Contemporary (2019)
Music/Lyrics/Book: William Finn
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1981)
Music/Lyrics/Book: Michael John LaChiusa
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1999)
Miracle on 34th Street (Here’s Love)
Music/Lyrics/Book: Meredith Willson
Musical Type: Post-Golden Age (1963)
Music/Lyrics: Billy Joel
Musical Type: Contemporary (2002)
Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812
Music/Lyrics/Book: Dave Malloy
Musical Type: Contemporary (2012)
Music/Lyrics/Book: Jonathan Christenson
Musical Type: Contemporary (2010)
Music/Lyrics/Book: Dan Goggin
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1998)
Music/Lyrics/Book: Dan Goggin
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1985)
Music/Lyrics/Book: Dan Goggin
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1992)
Music/Lyrics/Book: Dan Goggin
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1998)
Music/Lyrics/Book: Dan Goggin
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1995)
Music/Lyrics/Book: Dan Goggin
Musical Type: Contemporary (2009)
Music/Lyrics/Book: Dave Malloy
Musical Type: Contemporary (2019)
Music/Lyrics/Book: Lionel Bart
Musical Type: Post-Golden Age (1960)
Music/Lyrics: Adam Gwon
Musical Type: Contemporary (2008)
Music/Lyrics/Book: Rick Hip-Flores
Musical Type: Contemporary (2014)
Music/Lyrics/Book: Dave Malloy
Musical Type: Contemporary (2015)
Music/Lyrics/Book: Michael John LaChiusa
Musical Type: Contemporary (2011)
Rags Parkland Sings the Songs of the Future
Music/Lyrics/Book: Andrew R. Butler
Musical Type: Contemporary (2018)
Music/Lyrics/Book: Jonathan Larson
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1996)
Music/Lyrics/Book: Elizabeth Swados
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1978)
Music/Lyrics/Book: Noël Coward
Musical Type: Post-Golden Age (1961)
Music/Lyrics/Book: Leslie Bricusse
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1992)
Music/Lyrics/Book: Michael John LaChiusa
Musical Type: Contemporary (2004)
Music/Lyrics/Book: Leslie Bricusse
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1989)
Music/Lyrics/Book: Sandy Wilson
Musical Type: Golden Age (1953)
Music/Lyrics/Book: Marc Blitzstein
Musical Type: Jazz Age (1938)
Music/Lyrics/Book: Paul Shapera
Musical Type: Contemporary (2012)
Music/Lyrics/Book: Jason Robert Brown
Musical Type: Contemporary (2001)
Music/Lyrics/Book: Benjamin Scheuer
Musical Type: Contemporary (2014)
Music/Lyrics/Book: Frank Loesser
Musical Type: Golden Age (1956)
Music/Lyrics/Book: Meredith Willson
Musical Type: Golden Age (1957)
Music/Lyrics/Book: Rupert Holmes
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1985)
Music/Lyrics/Book: Richard O’Brien
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1973)
Music/Lyrics/Book: Max Vernon
Musical Type: Contemporary (2017)
Music/Lyrics/Book: Andrew Lippa
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1997)
Music/Lyrics/Book: Jonathan Larson
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary/Contemporary (1990/2001)
Music/Lyrics/Book: Sandy Wilson
Musical Type: Golden Age (1958)
Music/Lyrics/Book: Preston Max Allen
Musical Type: Contemporary (2015)
Song Cycles / Revues Written by One Person
Music/Lyrics/Book: Ryan Scott Oliver
Musical Type: Contemporary (2012)
Music/Lyrics: Micki Grant
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1971)
Music/Lyrics: William Finn
Musical Type: Contemporary (2003)
Music/Lyrics/Book: Dave Malloy
Musical Type: Contemporary (2014)
Music/Lyrics: William Finn
Musical Type: Contemporary (2000)
Music/Lyrics: Adam Guettel
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1998)
Music/Lyrics/Book: Jerry Herman
Musical Type: Post-Golden Age (1960)
Music/Lyrics: Stephen Sondheim
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1992)
Music/Lyrics: Jason Robert Brown
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1995)
Music/Lyrics/Book: Joe Iconis
Musical Type: Contemporary (2008)
Music/Lyrics: Irving Berlin
Musical Type: Golden Age (1942)
Music/Lyrics: Drew Gasparini
Musical Type: Contemporary (2019)
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Which of these musicals written by one person is your favorite?
Or have you ever played a role in any of the above musicals written by one person? 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 holds a BA in theatre, a TESOL drama certificate, and has worked and interned with Broadway and Off-Broadway theaters.