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 or forgotten 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 bad thing. A few of the musicals below happen to be my favorites!
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Contents:
Obscure Jazz Age Musicals
Music: Kurt Weill Lyrics: Bertolt Brecht Book: Elisabeth Hauptmann
Musical Type: Jazz Age (1929)
Music: Richard Rodgers Lyrics: Lorenz Hart Book: Ben Hecht, Charles MacArthur
Musical Type: Jazz Age (1935)
Music: Con Conrad Lyrics: Gus Kahn Book: Philip Bartholomae, Otto Harbach
Musical Type: Jazz Age (1926)
Music: Harold Arlen Lyrics: Ira Gershwin, E.Y. Harburg
Musical Type: Jazz Age (1934)
Music: Richard Rodgers Lyrics: Lorenz Hart Book: Herbert Fields
Musical Type: Jazz Age (1926)
Music: Vincent Youmans Lyrics: Edward Heyman Book: Brian Hooker
Musical Type: Jazz Age (1932)
Obscure Golden Age Musicals
A Party with Betty Comden and Adolph Green
Lyrics/Book: Betty Comden, Adolph Green Featured Songs: Leonard Bernstein, Jule Styne, André Previn, Saul Chaplin, Roger Edens, Morton Gould
Musical Type: Golden Age (1958)
Music: Harold Arlen Lyrics: E.Y. Harburg Book: Sig Herzig, Fred Saidy
Musical Type: Golden Age (1944)
Music: Arthur Schwartz Lyrics/Book: Dorothy Fields Book: Herbert Fields
Musical Type: Golden Age (1954)
Music: Robb Stewart Book: Neville Phillips, Robin Chancellor
Musical Type: Golden Age (1956)
Music/Lyrics: George Weiss, Robert Goldman, Glenn Paxton Book: Abe Burrows
Musical Type: Golden Age (1959)
Music/Lyrics: Frank Loesser Book: John Fearnley, Beverly Cross, Tommy Steele
Musical Type: Golden Age (1952)
Music: Harold Karr Lyrics: Matt Dubey Book: Howard Lindsay, Russel Crouse
Musical Type: Golden Age (1956)
Music: Laurie Johnson Lyrics: Lionel Bart Book: Bernard Miles
Musical Type: Golden Age (1959)
Music/Lyrics: Hugh Martin Book: Jerome Lawrence, Robert E. Lee
Musical Type: Golden Age (1948)
Magdalena: A Musical Adventure
Music: Heitor Villa-Lobos Lyrics: Robert Wright, George Forrest Book: Frederick Hazlitt Brennan, Homer Curran
Musical Type: Golden Age (1948)
Music/Lyrics: Various
Musical Type: Golden Age (1952)
Music/Lyrics: Bob Merrill Book: George Abbott
Musical Type: Golden Age (1957)
Music/Lyrics: Jay Livingston, Ray Evans Book: Al Morgan, José Ferrer
Musical Type: Golden Age (1958)
Music/Lyrics: Leonard Bernstein
Musical Type: Golden Age (1950)
Music: Victor Young Lyrics/Book: Stella Unger Book: Victor Wolfson
Musical Type: Golden Age (1955)
Music/Lyrics: Various
Musical Type: Golden Age (1957)
Music/Lyrics: Bob Merrill Book: Joseph Stein, Robert Russell
Musical Type: Golden Age (1959)
Music: Jerry Bock Lyrics: Sheldon Harnick Book: Joseph Stein, Will Glickman
Musical Type: Golden Age (1958)
Music: Tommy Wolf Lyrics: Fran Landesman Book: Jay Landesman, Theodore J. Flicker
Musical Type: Golden Age (1959)
Music/Lyrics/Book: Sandy Wilson
Musical Type: Golden Age (1958)
Obscure 1960s Musicals
Music/Lyrics: Walter Marks Book: Ernest Kinoy
Musical Type: Post-Golden Age (1964)
Music/Lyrics: Marian Grudeff, Raymond Jessel Book: Jerome Coopersmith Additional Songs: Jerry Bock, Sheldon Harnick
Musical Type: Post-Golden Age (1965)
Music/Lyrics: Walter Marks Book: Ernest Kinoy
Musical Type: Post-Golden Age (1968)
Music/Lyrics: Jack Lawrence, Stan Freeman Book: Jerome Chodorov
Musical Type: Post-Golden Age (1964)
Music: Manos Hadjidakis Lyrics: Joe Darion Book: Jules Dassin
Musical Type: Post-Golden Age (1967)
Music/Lyrics: Bill Jacob, Patti Jacob Book: Melville Shavelson
Musical Type: Post-Golden Age (1969)
Music/Lyrics: Robert Wright, George Forrest Book: Peter Stone
Musical Type: Post-Golden Age (1961)
Music/Lyrics: Jay Livingston, Ray Evans Book: Abram S. Ginnes
Musical Type: Post-Golden Age (1961)
Now is the Time for All Good Men
Music: Nancy Ford Lyrics/Book: Gretchen Cryer
Musical Type: Post-Golden Age (1967)
Music: Albert Hague Lyrics/Book: Allan Sherman
Musical Type: Post-Golden Age (1969)
Music: Andrew Lloyd Webber Lyrics: Tim Rice
Musical Type: Post-Golden Age/Contemporary (1965/2005)
The Secret Life of Walter Mitty
Music: Leon Carr Lyrics: Earl Shuman Book: Joe Manchester
Musical Type: Post-Golden Age (1964)
Music/Lyrics: Harold Rome Book: Howard Da Silva, Felix Leon
Musical Type: Post-Golden Age (1965)
Music/Lyrics: Ervin Drake Book: Budd Schulberg, Stuart Schulberg
Musical Type: Post-Golden Age (1964)
Obscure 1970s Musicals
Music: Billy Goldenberg Lyrics: Alan Bergman, Marilyn Bergman Book: Jerome Kass
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1978)
Music: Michael J. Lewis Lyrics/Book: Anthony Burgess
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1973)
Music: Richard Rodgers Lyrics: Martin Charnin, Raymond Jessel Book: Thomas Meehan
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1979)
Music: Jule Styne Lyrics: Leo Robin, Adolph Green, Betty Comden Book: Anita Loos, Joseph Fields, Kenny Solms, Gail Parent
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1974)
Music/Lyrics: Richard M. Sherman, Robert B. Sherman Book: Will Holt
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1974)
Music: Harvey Schmidt Lyrics/Book: Tom Jones
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1975)
Music/Lyrics/Book: Tommy Butler
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1976)
Music: Claibe Richardson Lyrics/Book: Kenward Elmslie
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1971)
Music: John Williams Lyrics: James Harbert Book: Edward Anhalt
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1975)
Obscure 1980s Musicals
Music/Lyrics: Various Book: Larry Gallagher
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1985)
Music: Gerald Jay Markoe Lyrics: Michael Colby
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1982)
Music: Elizabeth Swados Lyrics/Book: Garry Trudeau
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1983)
Music: Larry Grossman Lyrics: Ellen Fitzhugh Book: Fay Kanin
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1985)
Music: Raphael Crystal Lyrics: Richard Engquist Book: Nahma Sandrow
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1984)
Music/Lyrics: Brian Gari Book: Allan Knee
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1987)
Music/Lyrics: Peter Allen Book: Harvey Fierstein, Charles Suppon
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1988)
Music: George Gershwin Lyrics: Ira Gershwin Book: Peter Stone, Timothy S. Mayer
Musical Type: Jazz Age/Pre-Contemporary (1983)
Music/Lyrics/Book: Mbongeni Ngema Music/Lyrics: Hugh Masekela
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1987)
Music/Lyrics/Book: Leslie Bricusse
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1989)
Music/Lyrics/Book: Barry Keating Book: Stuart Ross
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1987)
Music/Lyrics: Tom Wilson Weinberg
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1987)
Music/Lyrics: David Heneker Lyrics/Book: Warner Brown
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1980)
Music: Howard Marren Lyrics: Susan Birkenhead Book: Jeffrey Sweet
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1984)
Obscure 1990s Musicals
Music: Richard Rodgers Lyrics: Oscar Hammerstein II Concept: Walter Bobbie
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1993)
Music/Lyrics/Book: Michael John LaChiusa
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1993)
Music/Lyrics: Various Book: Francis Essex, Rob Bettinson
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1995)
Music: Jimmy McHugh Lyrics: Dorothy Fields, Harold Adamson Book: Sherman Yellen
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1997)
Music: George Stiles Lyrics: Paul Leigh Book: Claire Luckham
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1993)
Music/Lyrics: Duke Ellington, Various Book: Cheryl L. West
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1996)
Music/Lyrics/Book: Steve Brown Lyrics/Book: Justin Greene
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1998)
Music: Martin Silvestri Lyrics/Book: Joel Higgins
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1993)
Music: Dana P. Rowe Lyrics/Book: John Dempsey
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1997)
Music/Lyrics: Steve Schalchlin Lyrics: John Bettis, Marie Cain Book: Jim Brochu
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1997)
Music: Jeffrey Stock Lyrics: Susan Birkenhead Book: James Magruder
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1997)
Music: Jeffrey Lunden Lyrics/Book: Arthur Perlman
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1992)
Obscure 2000s Musicals
Music/Lyrics: David Essex Book: Jon Conway
Musical Type: Contemporary/Jukebox (2008)
Music/Lyrics/Book: Michael John LaChiusa
Musical Type: Contemporary (2006)
Music/Lyrics/Book: Cinco Paul Book: Ken Daurio
Musical Type: Contemporary (2008)
Music/Lyrics: Stephen Schwartz Book: Anthony Stein
Musical Type: Contemporary (2005)
Music: David Friedman Lyrics/Book: Peter Kellogg
Musical Type: Contemporary (2004)
Music/Lyrics: Various Book: Dick Scanlan, Sherie Rene Scott
Musical Type: Contemporary (2009)
Music/Lyrics/Book: Peter Mills Book: Cara Reichel
Musical Type: Contemporary (2009)
Music/Lyrics: Paul Williams Book: Garry Marshall
Musical Type: Contemporary (2007)
Music/Lyrics: Various Book: George C. Wolfe
Musical Type: Contemporary (2002)
Music/Lyrics: Ricky Ian Gordon Lyrics/Book: Richard Nelson
Musical Type: Contemporary (2003)
Music/Lyrics: Various Book: Phillip George, David Lowenstein
Musical Type: Contemporary (2006)
The Great American Trailer Park Musical
Music/Lyrics: David Nehls Book: Betsy Kelso
Musical Type: Contemporary (2005)
Music: Steven M. Alper Lyrics: Sarah Knapp Book: Mark Harelik
Musical Type: Contemporary (2000)
Music: A.R. Rahman, Christopher Nightingale, Värttinä Lyrics/Book: Matthew Warchus, Shaun McKenna
Musical Type: Contemporary (2006)
Music: Jimmy Roberts Lyrics/Book: Joe DiPietro
Musical Type: Contemporary (2003)
Obscure 2010s Musicals
Music: Joshua Schmidt Lyrics: Jan Levy Tranen Book: Austin Pendleton
Musical Type: Contemporary (2011)
Music/Lyrics: Janis Joplin, Various Book: Randy Johnson
Musical Type: Contemporary (2013)
Music/Lyrics/Book: David Eric Davis Book: Sam Forman
Musical Type: Contemporary (2013)
Music/Lyrics: Robert Creighton, Cristopher McGovern Book: Peter Colley
Musical Type: Contemporary (2015)
Music/Lyrics: Richard Taylor Book: Rachel Wagstaff
Musical Type: Contemporary (2016)
Music: Brad Carroll Lyrics/Book: Peter Sham
Musical Type: Contemporary (2010)
Music/Lyrics/Book: Robert J. Sherman
Musical Type: Contemporary (2015)
Music/Lyrics: Danny Abosch Book: Joshua Borths
Musical Type: Contemporary (2011)
Music/Lyrics/Book: Michael John LaChiusa
Musical Type: Contemporary (2011)
Music/Lyrics: Matt Sax Lyrics/Book: Eric Rosen
Musical Type: Contemporary (2010)
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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 holds a BA in theatre, a TESOL drama certificate, and has worked and interned with Broadway and Off-Broadway theaters.