Musical Lists

Obscure Musicals

The following list includes obscure musicals that are lesser-known or infrequently produced. Additional musical lists are available in the musical database.


On This Page:

Obscure Jazz Age Musicals

Obscure Golden Age Musicals

Obscure 1960s Musicals

Obscure 1970s Musicals

Obscure 1980s Musicals

Obscure 1990s Musicals

Obscure 2000s Musicals

Obscure 2010s Musicals



Happy End

Music: Kurt Weill  Lyrics: Bertolt Brecht  Book: Elisabeth Hauptmann, Michael Feingold

Musical Type: Jazz Age (1929)

Genre: Comedy / Satire


Jumbo

Music: Richard Rodgers  Lyrics: Lorenz Hart  Book: Ben Hecht, Charles MacArthur

Musical Type: Jazz Age (1935)

Genre: Comedy / Romance


Kitty’s Kisses

Music: Con Conrad  Lyrics: Gus Kahn  Book: Philip Bartholomae, Otto Harbach

Musical Type: Jazz Age (1926)

Genre: Comedy / Romance


Life Begins at 8:40

Music: Harold Arlen  Lyrics: Ira Gershwin, Yip Harburg

Musical Type: Jazz Age (1934)

Genre: Revue


The Girl Friend

Music: Richard Rodgers  Lyrics: Lorenz Hart  Book: Herbert Fields

Musical Type: Jazz Age (1926)

Genre: Comedy / Romance


Through the Years

Music: Vincent Youmans  Lyrics: Edward Heyman  Book: Brian Hooker

Musical Type: Jazz Age (1932)

Genre: Romance



A Party with Betty Comden and Adolph Green

Lyrics/Book: Betty Comden, Adolph Green  Music: Leonard Bernstein, Jule Styne, André Previn, Saul Chaplin, Roger Eden, Morton Gould

Musical Type: Golden Age (1958)

Genre: Comedy


Bloomer Girl

Music: Harold Arlen  Lyrics: Yip Harburg  Book: Sig Herzig, Fred Saidy

Musical Type: Golden Age (1944)

Genre: Comedy / Drama


By the Beautiful Sea

Music: Arthur Schwartz  Lyrics/Book: Dorothy Fields  Book: Herbert Fields

Musical Type: Golden Age (1954)

Genre: Comedy / Romance


Chrysanthemum

Music: Robb Stewart  Lyrics/Book: Neville Phillips, Robin Chancellor

Musical Type: Golden Age (1956)

Genre: Comedy


First Impressions

Music/Lyrics: George Weiss, Robert Goldman, Glenn Paxton  Book: Abe Burrows

Musical Type: Golden Age (1959)

Genre: Romance


Hans Christian Andersen

Music/Lyrics: Frank Loesser  Book: John Fearnley, Beverly Cross, Tommy Steele

Musical Type: Golden Age (1952)

Genre: Fantasy


Happy Hunting

Music: Harold Karr  Lyrics: Matt Dubey  Book: Howard Lindsay, Russel Crouse

Musical Type: Golden Age (1956)

Genre: Comedy / Romance


Lock Up Your Daughters

Music: Laurie Johnson  Lyrics: Lionel Bart  Book: Bernard Miles

Musical Type: Golden Age (1959)

Genre: Comedy


Look Ma, I’m Dancin’!

Music/Lyrics: Hugh Martin  Book: Jerome Lawrence, Robert E. Lee

Musical Type: Golden Age (1948)

Genre: Comedy


Magdalena

Music: Heitor Villa-Lobos  Lyrics: Robert Wright, George Forrest  Book: Frederick Hazlitt Brennan, Homer Curran

Musical Type: Golden Age (1948)

Genre: Adventure


New Faces of 1952

Music/Lyrics: Various

Musical Type: Golden Age (1952)

Genre: Revue


New Girl in Town

Music/Lyrics: Bob Merrill  Book: George Abbott

Musical Type: Golden Age (1957)

Genre: Comedy / Drama / Romance


Oh, Captain!

Music/Lyrics: Jay Livingston, Ray Evans  Book: Al Morgan, José Ferrer

Musical Type: Golden Age (1958)

Genre: Comedy


Seventh Heaven

Music: Victor Young  Lyrics/Book: Stella Unger  Book: Victor Wolfson

Musical Type: Golden Age (1955)

Genre: Drama / Romance


Simply Heavenly

Music: David Martin  Lyrics/Book: Langston Hughes

Musical Type: Golden Age (1957)

Genre: Comedy


Take Me Along

Music/Lyrics: Bob Merrill  Book: Joseph Stein, Robert Russell

Musical Type: Golden Age (1959)

Genre: Comedy / Drama


Texas, Li’l Darlin’

Music: Robert Emmett Dolan  Lyrics: Johnny Mercer  Book: John Whedon, Sam Moore

Musical Type: Golden Age (1949)

Genre: Comedy


The Body Beautiful

Music: Jerry Bock  Lyrics: Sheldon Harnick  Book: Joseph Stein, Will Glickman

Musical Type: Golden Age (1958)

Genre: Comedy


The Nervous Set

Music: Tommy Wolf  Lyrics: Fran Landesman  Book: Jay Landesman, Theodore J. Flicker

Musical Type: Golden Age (1959)

Genre: Comedy


Valmouth

Music/Lyrics/Book: Sandy Wilson

Musical Type: Golden Age (1958)

Genre: Comedy


Whoop-Up

Music: Moose Charlap  Lyrics: Norman Gimbel  Book: Cy Feuer, Ernest Martin, Dan Cushman

Musical Type: Golden Age (1958)

Genre: Comedy / Western



Bajour

Music/Lyrics: Walter Marks  Book: Ernest Kinoy

Musical Type: Post-Golden Age (1964)

Genre: Comedy / Drama


Baker Street

Music/Lyrics: Marian Grudeff, Raymond Jessel  Book: Jerome Coopersmith  Additional Songs: Jerry Bock, Sheldon Harnick

Musical Type: Post-Golden Age (1965)

Genre: Adventure / Mystery


Golden Rainbow

Music/Lyrics: Walter Marks  Book: Ernest Kinoy

Musical Type: Post-Golden Age (1968)

Genre: Comedy


I Had a Ball

Music/Lyrics: Jack Lawrence, Stan Freeman  Book: Jerome Chodorov

Musical Type: Post-Golden Age (1964)

Genre: Comedy / Romance


Illya Darling

Music: Manos Hadjidakis  Lyrics: Joe Darion  Book: Jules Dassin

Musical Type: Post-Golden Age (1967)

Genre: Comedy / Drama


Jimmy

Music/Lyrics: Bill Jacob, Patti Jacob  Book: Melville Shavelson

Musical Type: Post-Golden Age (1969)

Genre: Biography


Kean

Music/Lyrics: Robert Wright, George Forrest  Book: Peter Stone

Musical Type: Post-Golden Age (1961)

Genre: Drama / Romance


Let It Ride!

Music/Lyrics: Jay Livingston, Ray Evans  Book: Abram S. Ginnes

Musical Type: Post-Golden Age (1961)

Genre: Comedy


Now Is the Time for All Good Men

Music: Nancy Ford  Lyrics/Book: Gretchen Cryer

Musical Type: Post-Golden Age (1967)

Genre: Drama


The Fig Leaves Are Falling

Music: Albert Hague  Lyrics/Book: Allan Sherman

Musical Type: Post-Golden Age (1969)

Genre: Comedy / Drama / Romance


The Likes of Us

Music: Andrew Lloyd Webber  Lyrics: Tim Rice

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

Genre: Drama


The Secret Life of Walter Mitty

Music: Leon Carr  Lyrics: Earl Shuman  Book: Joe Manchester

Musical Type: Post-Golden Age (1964)

Genre: Fantasy


The Zulu and the Zayda

Music/Lyrics: Harold Rome  Book: Howard Da Silva, Felix Leon

Musical Type: Post-Golden Age (1965)

Genre: Comedy / Drama


Tovarich

Music: Lee Pockriss  Lyrics: Anne Croswell  Book: David Shaw

Musical Type: Post-Golden Age (1963)

Genre: Comedy


Twang!!

Music/Lyrics/Book: Lionel Bart  Book: Harvey Orkin, Julian Woolford

Musical Type: Post-Golden Age (1965)

Genre: Comedy / Spoof


What Makes Sammy Run?

Music/Lyrics: Ervin Drake  Book: Budd Schulberg, Stuart Schulberg

Musical Type: Post-Golden Age (1964)

Genre: Comedy / Drama



Ballroom

Music: Billy Goldenberg  Lyrics: Alan Bergman, Marilyn Bergman  Book: Jerome Kass

Musical Type: Late 20th Century (1978)

Genre: Drama / Romance


Cyrano

Music: Michael J. Lewis  Lyrics/Book: Anthony Burgess

Musical Type: Late 20th Century (1973)

Genre: Drama / Romance


I Remember Mama

Music: Richard Rodgers  Lyrics: Martin Charnin, Raymond Jessel  Book: Thomas Meehan

Musical Type: Late 20th Century (1979)

Genre: Comedy / Drama


Lorelei

Music: Jule Styne  Lyrics: Leo Robin, Adolph Green, Betty Comden  Book: Anita Loos, Joseph Fields, Kenny Solms, Gail Parent

Musical Type: Late 20th Century (1974)

Genre: Comedy


Over Here!

Music/Lyrics: Richard M. Sherman, Robert B. Sherman  Book: Will Holt

Musical Type: Late 20th Century (1974)

Genre: Comedy / Satire


Philemon

Music: Harvey Schmidt  Lyrics/Book: Tom Jones

Musical Type: Late 20th Century (1975)

Genre: Drama


Prettybelle

Music: Jule Styne  Lyrics/Book: Bob Merrill

Musical Type: Late 20th Century (1971)

Genre: Dark Comedy


The Grass Harp

Music: Claibe Richardson  Lyrics/Book: Kenward Elmslie

Musical Type: Late 20th Century (1971)

Genre: Comedy / Drama


Thomas and the King

Music: John Williams  Lyrics: James Harbert  Book: Edward Anhalt

Musical Type: Late 20th Century (1975)

Genre: Drama / Historical



Beehive: The 60’s Musical

Music/Lyrics: Various  Book: Larry Gallagher

Musical Type: Late 20th Century (1985)

Genre: Revue


Charlotte Sweet

Music: Gerald Jay Markoe  Lyrics: Michael Colby

Musical Type: Late 20th Century (1982)

Genre: Comedy


Doonesbury

Music: Elizabeth Swados  Lyrics/Book: Garry Trudeau

Musical Type: Late 20th Century (1983)

Genre: Comedy / Satire


Grind

Music: Larry Grossman  Lyrics: Ellen Fitzhugh  Book: Fay Kanin

Musical Type: Late 20th Century (1985)

Genre: Drama


Late Nite Comic

Music/Lyrics: Brian Gari  Book: Allan Knee

Musical Type: Late 20th Century (1987)

Genre: Autobiography / Drama / Romance


Legs Diamond

Music/Lyrics: Peter Allen  Book: Harvey Fierstein, Charles Suppon

Musical Type: Late 20th Century (1988)

Genre: Comedy


Mayor

Music/Lyrics: Charles Strouse  Book: Warren Leight

Musical Type: Late 20th Century (1985)

Genre: Comedy / Satire


My One and Only

Music: George Gershwin  Lyrics: Ira Gershwin  Book: Peter Stone, Timothy S. Mayer

Musical Type: Late 20th Century (1983)

Genre: Comedy / Romance


Sarafina!

Music/Lyrics/Book: Mbongeni Ngema  Additional Songs: Hugh Masekela

Musical Type: Late 20th Century (1987)

Genre: Drama / Historical


Sherlock Holmes: The Musical

Music/Lyrics/Book: Leslie Bricusse

Musical Type: Late 20th Century (1989)

Genre: Mystery


Starmites

Music/Lyrics/Book: Barry Keating  Book: Stuart Ross

Musical Type: Late 20th Century (1987)

Genre: Science Fiction


The Biograph Girl

Music/Lyrics: David Heneker  Lyrics/Book: Warner Brown

Musical Type: Late 20th Century (1980)

Genre: Drama



A Grand Night for Singing

Music: Richard Rodgers  Lyrics: Oscar Hammerstein II  Concept: Walter Bobbie

Musical Type: Late 20th Century (1993)

Genre: Comedy


First Lady Suite

Music/Lyrics/Book: Michael John LaChiusa

Musical Type: Late 20th Century (1993)

Genre: Comedy / Drama / Historical


Hannah…1939

Music/Lyrics/Book: Bob Merrill

Musical Type: Late 20th Century (1990)

Genre: Drama


Jolson

Music/Lyrics: Various  Book: Francis Essex, Rob Bettinson

Musical Type: Late 20th Century (1995)

Genre: Biography


Lucky in the Rain

Music: Jimmy McHugh  Lyrics: Dorothy Fields, Harold Adamson  Book: Sherman Yellen

Musical Type: Late 20th Century (1997)

Genre: Comedy / Romance


Moll Flanders

Music: George Stiles  Lyrics: Paul Leigh  Book: Claire Luckham

Musical Type: Late 20th Century (1993)

Genre: Drama / Romance


Play On!

Music/Lyrics: Duke Ellington, Various  Book: Cheryl West

Musical Type: Late 20th Century (1996)

Genre: Comedy / Romance


Spend Spend Spend

Music/Lyrics/Book: Steve Brown  Lyrics/Book: Justin Greene

Musical Type: Late 20th Century (1998)

Genre: Comedy / Drama


The Fields of Ambrosia

Music: Martin Silvestri  Lyrics/Book: Joel Higgins

Musical Type: Late 20th Century (1993)

Genre: Drama


The Fix

Music: Dana P. Rowe  Lyrics/Book: John Dempsey

Musical Type: Late 20th Century (1997)

Genre: Satire


Triumph of Love

Music: Jeffrey Stock  Lyrics: Susan Birkenhead  Book: James Magruder

Musical Type: Late 20th Century (1997)

Genre: Comedy / Romance


Wings

Music: Jeffrey Lunden  Lyrics/Book: Arthur Perlman

Musical Type: Late 20th Century (1992)

Genre: Drama



All the Fun of the Fair

Music/Lyrics: David Essex  Book: Jon Conway

Musical Type: Contemporary (2008)

Genre: Drama / Romance


Bernarda Alba

Music/Lyrics/Book: Michael John LaChiusa

Musical Type: Contemporary (2006)

Genre: Drama


Bubble Boy

Music/Lyrics/Book: Cinco Paul  Book: Ken Daurio

Musical Type: Contemporary (2008)

Genre: Comedy


Captain Louie

Music/Lyrics: Stephen Schwartz  Book: Anthony Stein

Musical Type: Contemporary (2005)

Genre: Fantasy


Desperate Measures

Music: David Friedman  Lyrics/Book: Peter Kellogg

Musical Type: Contemporary (2004)

Genre: Comedy / Western


Everyday Rapture

Music/Lyrics: Various  Book: Dick Scanlan, Sherie Rene Scott

Musical Type: Contemporary (2009)

Genre: Autobiography


Happy Days

Music/Lyrics: Paul Williams  Book: Garry Marshall

Musical Type: Contemporary (2007)

Genre: Comedy


My Life with Albertine

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

Musical Type: Contemporary (2003)

Genre: Drama / Romance


SHOUT! The Mod Musical

Music/Lyrics: Various  Book: Phillip George, David Lowenstein

Musical Type: Contemporary (2006)

Genre: Comedy


The Great American Trailer Park Musical

Music/Lyrics: David Nehls  Book: Betsy Kelso

Musical Type: Contemporary (2005)

Genre: Comedy


The Lord of the Rings

Music: A.R. Rahman, Christopher Nightingale, Värttinä  Lyrics/Book: Matthew Warchus, Shaun McKenna

Musical Type: Contemporary (2006)

Genre: Fantasy


The Thing About Men

Music: Jimmy Roberts  Lyrics/Book: Joe DiPietro

Musical Type: Contemporary (2003)

Genre: Comedy / Romance



A Minister’s Wife

Music: Joshua Schmidt  Lyrics: Jan Levy Tranen  Book: Austin Pendleton

Musical Type: Contemporary (2011)

Genre: Drama


A Night With Janis Joplin

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

Musical Type: Contemporary (2013)

Genre: Biography


Lend Me a Tenor

Music: Brad Carroll  Lyrics/Book: Peter Sham

Musical Type: Contemporary (2010)

Genre: Comedy


Love Birds

Music/Lyrics/Book: Robert J. Sherman

Musical Type: Contemporary (2015)

Genre: Fantasy


Placebo

Music/Lyrics: Danny Abosch  Book: Joshua Borths

Musical Type: Contemporary (2011)

Genre: Drama


Queen of the Mist

Music/Lyrics/Book: Michael John LaChiusa

Musical Type: Contemporary (2011)

Genre: Biography


Venice

Music/Lyrics: Matt Sax  Lyrics/Book: Eric Rosen

Musical Type: Contemporary (2010)

Genre: Science Fiction