90+ Obscure Musicals That You Might Not Know
Whether you’re auditioning for musicals, setting up your rep book, or simply looking for some new musicals to get into, it’s good to get familiar with what’s out there. And that’s why we’ve put together this list of the most obscure musicals for you below, sorted by time period.
There are of course some other unknown musicals out there that are even more obscure. But I’ve only included ones that also have easily available music samples available and/or licensing options online for your convenience!
Also, obscure isn’t necessarily a negative thing. A few of the musicals below happen to be my favorite of all time!
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Obscure Jazz Age Musicals
Happy End
Music: Kurt Weill Lyrics: Bertolt Brecht Book: Elisabeth Hauptmann
Jumbo
Music: Richard Rodgers Lyrics: Lorenz Hart Book: Ben Hecht, Charles MacArthur
Life Begins at 8:40
Music: Harold Arlen Lyrics: Ira Gershwin, E.Y. Harburg
The Girl Friend
Music: Richard Rodgers Lyrics: Lorenz Hart Book: Herbert Fields
Through the Years
Music: Vincent Youmans Lyrics: Edward Heyman Book: Brian Hooker
Treasure Girl
Music: George Gershwin Lyrics: Ira Gershwin Book: Fred Thompson, Vincent Lawrence
Obscure Golden Age Musicals
A Party with Betty Comden and Adolph Green
Music: L Bernstein, J. Styne, A. Previn, S. Chaplin, R. Edens Lyrics: B. Comden, A. Green
By the Beautiful Sea
Music: Arthur Schwartz Lyrics/Book: Dorothy Fields Book: Herbert Fields
Chrysanthemum
Music: Robb Stewart Book: Neville Phillips, Robin Chancellor
First Impressions
Music/Lyrics: George Weiss, Bo Goldman, Glenn Paxton Book: Abe Burrows
Hans Christian Andersen
Music/Lyrics: Frank Loesser Book: John Fearnley, Beverly Cross, Tommy Steele
Happy Hunting
Music: Harold Karr Lyrics: Matt Dubey Book: Howard Lindsay, Russel Crouse
Lock Up Your Daughters
Music: Laurie Johnson Lyrics: Lionel Bart Book: Bernard Miles
Musical Info ➝
Look Ma, I’m Dancin’!
Music/Lyrics: Hugh Martin Book: Jerome Lawrence, Robert E. Lee
Magdalena: A Musical Adventure
Music: Heitor Villa-Lobos Lyrics: Robert Wright, George Forrest Book: Brennan, Curran
New Girl in Town
Music/Lyrics: Bob Merrill Book: George Abbott
Oh, Captain!
Music/Lyrics: Jay Livingston, Ray Evans Book: Al Morgan, José Ferrer
Peter Pan (Bernstein)
Music/Lyrics: Leonard Bernstein
Seventh Heaven
Music: Victor Young Lyrics: Stella Unger Book: Unger, Victor Wolfson
Take Me Along
Music/Lyrics: Bob Merrill Book: Joseph Stein, Robert Russell
The Body Beautiful
Music: Jerry Bock Lyrics: Sheldon Harnick Book: Joseph Stein, Will Glickman
The Day Before Spring
Music: Frederick Loewe Lyrics/Book: Alan Jay Lerner
The Nervous Set
Music/Lyrics: Jay Landesman, Theodore J. Flicker
Obscure Post-Golden Age Musicals
Bajour
Music/Lyrics: Walter Marks Book: Ernest Kinoy
Baker Street
Music/Lyrics: Marian Grudeff, Raymond Jessel, Jerry Bock Book: Jerome Coopersmith
Golden Rainbow
Music/Lyrics: Walter Marks Book: Ernest Kinoy
I Had a Ball
Music/Lyrics: Jack Lawrence, Stan Freeman Book: Jerome Chodorov
Jimmy
Music: Bill Jacob Lyrics: Patti Jacob Book: Melville Shavelson
Kean
Music/Lyrics: Robert Wright, George Forrest Book: Peter Stone
Let It Ride
Music/Lyrics: Jay Livingston, Ray Evans Book: Abram S. Ginnes
Now is the Time for All Good Men
Music: Nancy Ford Lyrics/Book: Gretchen Cryer
The Fig Leaves are Falling
Music: Albert Hague Lyrics/Book: Allan Sherman
The Likes of Us
Music: Andrew Lloyd Webber Lyrics: Tim Rice Book: Leslie Thomas
The Secret Life of Walter Mitty
Music: Leon Carr Lyrics: Earl Shuman Book: Joe Manchester
The Zulu and the Zayda
Music/Lyrics: Harold Rome Book: Howard De Silva, Felix Leon
Obscure 1970s Musicals
Ballroom
Music: Billy Goldenberg Lyrics: Alan Bergman, Marilyn Bergman Book: Jerome Kass
Cyrano
Music: Michael J. Lewis Lyrics/Book: Anthony Burgess
I Remember Mama
Music: Richard Rodgers Lyrics: Martin Charnin, Raymond Jessel Book: Thomas Meehan
Lorelei
Music: Jule Styne Lyrics: Adolph Green, Betty Comden Book: Solms, Parent
Over Here!
Music/Lyrics: Richard M. Sherman, Robert B. Sherman Book: Will Holt
Philemon
Music: Harvey Schmidt Lyrics/Book: Tom Jones
The Grass Harp
Music: Claibe Richardson Lyrics/Book: Kenward Elmslie
Thomas and the King
Music: John Williams Lyrics: James Harbert Book: Edward Anhalt
Obscure 1980s Musicals
A Doll’s Life
Music: Larry Grossman Lyrics/Book: Betty Comden, Adolph Green
Beehive: The 60s Musical
Music/Lyrics: Various Book: Larry Gallagher
Diamonds
Music/Lyrics/Book: Various
Doonesbury
Music: Elizabeth Swados Lyrics/Book: Gary Trudeau
Grind
Music: Larry Grossman Lyrics: Ellen Fitzhugh Book: Fay Kanin
Is There Life After High School?
Music/Lyrics: Craig Carnelia Book: Jeffrey Kindley
Kuni-Leml
Music: Raphael Crystal Lyrics: Richard Engquist Book: Nahma Sandrow
Late Nite Comic
Music/Lyrics: Brian Gari Book: Allan Knee
Legs Diamond
Music/Lyrics: Peter Allen Book: Harvey Fierstein, Charles Suppon
My One and Only
Music: George Gershwin Lyrics: Ira Gershwin Book: Peter Stone, Timothy S. Mayer
Sarafina!
Music/Lyrics/Book: Mbongeni Ngema Music/Lyrics: Hugh Masakela
Sherlock Holmes: The Musical
Music/Lyrics/Book: Leslie Bricusse
Starmites
Music/Lyrics/Book: Barry Keating Book: Stuart Ross
Ten Percent Revue
Music/Lyrics: Tom Wilson Weinberg
The Biograph Girl
Music/Lyrics/Book: David Heneker, Warner Brown
What About Luv?
Music: Howard Marren Lyrics: Susan Birkenhead Book: Jeffrey Sweet
Obscure 1990s Musicals
Boogie Nights
Music/Lyrics: Various Book: Jon Conway
Bring In ‘Da Noise, Bring In ‘Da Funk
Music: Waters, Mark, Duquesnay Lyrics: Gaines, Wolfe, Duquesnay Book: Gaines
First Lady Suite
Music/Lyrics/Book: Michael John LaChiusa
Jolson
Music/Lyrics: Various Book: Francis Essex, Rob Bettinson
Lucky in the Rain
Music: Jimmy McHugh Lyrics: Dorothy Fields, Harold Adamson
Moll Flanders
Music: George Stiles Lyrics: Paul Leigh Book: Claire Luckham
Play On!
Music/Lyrics: Duke Ellington/Various Book: Cheryl L. West
Spend Spend Spend
Music/Lyrics/Book: Steve Brown, Justin Greene
The Fields of Ambrosia
Music: Martin Silvestri Lyrics/Book: Joel Higgins
The Fix
Music: Dana P. Rowe Lyrics/Book: John Dempsey
The Last Session
Music: Steve Schalchlin Lyrics: Schalchlin, John Bettis, Marie Cain Book: Jim Brochu
Triumph of Love
Music: Jeffrey Stock Lyrics: Susan Birkenhead Book: James Magruder
Wings
Music: Jeffrey Lunden Lyrics/Book: Arthur Perlman
Obscure 2000s Musicals
All the Fun of the Fair
Music/Lyrics: Various Book: Jon Conway
Bernarda Alba
Music/Lyrics/Book: Michael John LaChiusa
Breast Wishes
Music/Lyrics: Bruce Brown Book: Various
Bubble Boy
Music/Lyrics: Cinco Paul Book: Paul, Ken Daurio
Captain Louie
Music/Lyrics: Stephen Schwartz Book: Anthony Stein
Desperate Measures
Music: David Friedman Lyrics/Book: Peter Kellogg
Everyday Rapture
Music/Lyrics: Various Book: Dick Scanlan, Sherie Rene Scott
Golden Boy of the Blue Ridge
Music/Lyrics: Peter Mills Book: Mills, Cara Reichel
Happy Days
Music/Lyrics: Paul Williams Book: Garry Marshall
Harlem Song
Music/Lyrics: Various Book: George C. Wolfe
Judy’s Scary Little Christmas
Music/Lyrics: Joe Patrick Ward Book: David Church, Jim Webber
My Life with Albertine
Music/Lyrics: Ricky Ian Gordon Lyrics/Book: Richard Nelson
SHOUT! The Mod Musical
Music/Lyrics: Various Book: Phillip George, David Lowenstein
The Great American Trailer Park Musical
Music/Lyrics: David Nehls Book: Betsy Kelso
The Immigrant
Music: Steven M. Alper Lyrics: Sarah Knapp Book: Mark Harelik
The Lord of the Rings
Music: Rahman, Nightingale, Värttinä Lyrics/Book: Matthew Warchus, Shaun McKenna
The Thing About Men
Music: Jimmy Roberts Lyrics/Book: Joe DiPietro
Urban Cowboy
Music/Lyrics: Jason Robert Brown, Jeff Blumenkrantz, Others Book: Latham, Oesterman
Obscure 2010s Musicals
A Minister’s Wife
Music: Joshua Schmidt Lyrics: Jan Levy-Tranen Book: Austin Pendleton
A Night with Janis Joplin
Music/Lyrics: Janis Joplin Book: Randy Johnson
Brooklyn Crush
Music/Lyrics/Book: David Eric Davis Book: Sam Forman
Cagney
Music/Lyrics: Robert Creighton, Cristopher McGovern Book: Peter Colley
Lend Me a Tenor
Music: Brad Carroll Lyrics/Book: Peter Sham
Love Birds
Music/Lyrics/Book: Robert J. Sherman
Nevermore
Music/Lyrics/Book: Jonathan Christenson
Placebo
Music/Lyrics: Danny Abosch Book: Joshua Borths
Queen of the Mist
Music/Lyrics/Book: Michael John LaChiusa
See Rock City & Other Destinations
Music: Brad Alexander Lyrics/Book: Adam Mathias
The Dolls of New Albion
Music/Lyrics/Book: Paul Shapera
Venice
Music: Matt Sax Lyrics/Book: Matt Sax, Eric Rosen
Other blog posts you might like:
• Musicals Based on True Stories
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Which of these obscure musicals is your favorite?
Or have you ever played a role in any of the above obscure 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!
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.
