70+ Obscure Musicals That You Might Not Know
Looking for a musical that’s off the beaten path? From hidden gems to lesser-known productions, these shows are not the most widely known in the theatre community. But that doesn’t make them any less remarkable—some are even my own personal favorites! Here’s the full list of obscure musicals, sorted by time period.
Post Contents:
Obscure Jazz Age Musicals
Music: Kurt Weill Lyrics: Bertolt Brecht Book: Elisabeth Hauptmann, Michael Feingold
Musical Type: Jazz Age (1929)
Genre: Melodrama
Music: Richard Rodgers Lyrics: Lorenz Hart Book: Ben Hecht, Charles MacArthur
Musical Type: Jazz Age (1935)
Genre: Romantic Comedy
Music: Con Conrad Lyrics: Gus Kahn Book: Philip Bartholomae, Otto Harbach
Musical Type: Jazz Age (1926)
Genre: Romantic Comedy
Music: Harold Arlen Lyrics: Ira Gershwin, Yip Harburg
Musical Type: Jazz Age (1934)
Genre: Revue
Music: Richard Rodgers Lyrics: Lorenz Hart Book: Herbert Fields
Musical Type: Jazz Age (1926)
Genre: Romantic Comedy
Music: Vincent Youmans Lyrics: Edward Heyman Book: Brian Hooker
Musical Type: Jazz Age (1932)
Genre: Romance
Obscure Golden Age Musicals
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: Revue
Music: Harold Arlen Lyrics: Yip Harburg Book: Sig Herzig, Fred Saidy
Musical Type: Golden Age (1944)
Genre: Dramedy
Music: Arthur Schwartz Lyrics/Book: Dorothy Fields Book: Herbert Fields
Musical Type: Golden Age (1954)
Genre: Romantic Comedy
Music: Robb Stewart Lyrics/Book: Neville Phillips, Robin Chancellor
Musical Type: Golden Age (1956)
Genre: Melodrama
Music/Lyrics: George Weiss, Robert Goldman, Glenn Paxton Book: Abe Burrows
Musical Type: Golden Age (1959)
Genre: Romance
Music/Lyrics: Frank Loesser Book: John Fearnley, Beverly Cross, Tommy Steele
Musical Type: Golden Age (1952)
Genre: Fairy Tale
Music: Harold Karr Lyrics: Matt Dubey Book: Howard Lindsay, Russel Crouse
Musical Type: Golden Age (1956)
Genre: Romantic Comedy
Music: Laurie Johnson Lyrics: Lionel Bart Book: Bernard Miles
Musical Type: Golden Age (1959)
Genre: Farce
Music/Lyrics: Hugh Martin Book: Jerome Lawrence, Robert E. Lee
Musical Type: Golden Age (1948)
Genre: Farce
Music: Heitor Villa-Lobos Lyrics: Robert Wright, George Forrest Book: Frederick Hazlitt Brennan, Homer Curran
Musical Type: Golden Age (1948)
Genre: Adventure
Music/Lyrics: Various
Musical Type: Golden Age (1952)
Genre: Revue
Music/Lyrics: Bob Merrill Book: George Abbott
Musical Type: Golden Age (1957)
Genre: Romantic Dramedy
Music/Lyrics: Jay Livingston, Ray Evans Book: Al Morgan, José Ferrer
Musical Type: Golden Age (1958)
Genre: Comedy
Music: Victor Young Lyrics/Book: Stella Unger Book: Victor Wolfson
Musical Type: Golden Age (1955)
Genre: Romantic Drama
Music: David Martin Lyrics/Book: Langston Hughes
Musical Type: Golden Age (1957)
Genre: Dramedy
Music/Lyrics: Bob Merrill Book: Joseph Stein, Robert Russell
Musical Type: Golden Age (1959)
Genre: Dramedy
Music: Robert Emmett Dolan Lyrics: Johnny Mercer Book: John Whedon, Sam Moore
Musical Type: Golden Age (1949)
Genre: Dramedy
Music: Jerry Bock Lyrics: Sheldon Harnick Book: Joseph Stein, Will Glickman
Musical Type: Golden Age (1958)
Genre: Romantic Comedy
Music: Tommy Wolf Lyrics: Fran Landesman Book: Jay Landesman, Theodore J. Flicker
Musical Type: Golden Age (1959)
Genre: Dramedy
Music/Lyrics/Book: Sandy Wilson
Musical Type: Golden Age (1958)
Genre: Dramedy
Music: Moose Charlap Lyrics: Norman Gimbel Book: Cy Feuer, Ernest Martin, Dan Cushman
Musical Type: Golden Age (1958)
Genre: Dramedy / Western
Obscure 1960s Musicals
Music/Lyrics: Walter Marks Book: Ernest Kinoy
Musical Type: Post-Golden Age (1964)
Genre: Dramedy
Music/Lyrics: Marian Grudeff, Raymond Jessel Book: Jerome Coopersmith Additional Songs: Jerry Bock, Sheldon Harnick
Musical Type: Post-Golden Age (1965)
Genre: Adventure / Mystery
Music/Lyrics: Walter Marks Book: Ernest Kinoy
Musical Type: Post-Golden Age (1968)
Genre: Dramedy
Music/Lyrics: Jack Lawrence, Stan Freeman Book: Jerome Chodorov
Musical Type: Post-Golden Age (1964)
Genre: Romantic Comedy
Music: Manos Hadjidakis Lyrics: Joe Darion Book: Jules Dassin
Musical Type: Post-Golden Age (1967)
Genre: Dramedy
Music/Lyrics: Bill Jacob, Patti Jacob Book: Melville Shavelson
Musical Type: Post-Golden Age (1969)
Genre: Semi-Biography
Music/Lyrics: Robert Wright, George Forrest Book: Peter Stone
Musical Type: Post-Golden Age (1961)
Genre: Romantic Drama
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
Music: Albert Hague Lyrics/Book: Allan Sherman
Musical Type: Post-Golden Age (1969)
Genre: Romantic Dramedy
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
Music/Lyrics: Harold Rome Book: Howard Da Silva, Felix Leon
Musical Type: Post-Golden Age (1965)
Genre: Dramedy
Music: Lee Pockriss Lyrics: Anne Croswell Book: David Shaw
Musical Type: Post-Golden Age (1963)
Genre: Comedy
Music/Lyrics: Ervin Drake Book: Budd Schulberg, Stuart Schulberg
Musical Type: Post-Golden Age (1964)
Genre: Dramedy
Obscure 1970s Musicals
Music: Billy Goldenberg Lyrics: Alan Bergman, Marilyn Bergman Book: Jerome Kass
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1978)
Genre: Romantic Drama
Music: Michael J. Lewis Lyrics/Book: Anthony Burgess
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1973)
Genre: Romantic Drama
Music: Richard Rodgers Lyrics: Martin Charnin, Raymond Jessel Book: Thomas Meehan
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1979)
Genre: Dramedy
Music: Jule Styne Lyrics: Leo Robin, Adolph Green, Betty Comden Book: Anita Loos, Joseph Fields, Kenny Solms, Gail Parent
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1974)
Genre: Comedy
Music/Lyrics: Richard M. Sherman, Robert B. Sherman Book: Will Holt
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1974)
Genre: Social Commentary
Music: Harvey Schmidt Lyrics/Book: Tom Jones
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1975)
Genre: Drama
Music: Jule Styne Lyrics/Book: Bob Merrill
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1971)
Genre: Dark Comedy
Music: Claibe Richardson Lyrics/Book: Kenward Elmslie
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1971)
Genre: Dramedy
Music: John Williams Lyrics: James Harbert Book: Edward Anhalt
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1975)
Genre: Historical
Obscure 1980s Musicals
Music/Lyrics: Various Book: Larry Gallagher
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1985)
Genre: Revue
Music: Gerald Jay Markoe Lyrics: Michael Colby
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1982)
Genre: Melodrama
Music: Elizabeth Swados Lyrics/Book: Garry Trudeau
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1983)
Genre: Comedy / Satire
Music: Larry Grossman Lyrics: Ellen Fitzhugh Book: Fay Kanin
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1985)
Genre: Drama
Music/Lyrics: Brian Gari Book: Allan Knee
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1987)
Genre: Romantic Drama / Semi-Autobiography
Music/Lyrics: Peter Allen Book: Harvey Fierstein, Charles Suppon
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1988)
Genre: Semi-Biography
Music/Lyrics: Charles Strouse Book: Warren Leight
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1985)
Genre: Revue / Satire
Music: George Gershwin Lyrics: Ira Gershwin Book: Peter Stone, Timothy S. Mayer
Musical Type: Jazz Age/Pre-Contemporary (1983)
Genre: Romantic Comedy
Music/Lyrics/Book: Mbongeni Ngema Additional Songs: Hugh Masekela
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1987)
Genre: Historical
Music/Lyrics/Book: Leslie Bricusse
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1989)
Genre: Dramedy / Mystery
Music/Lyrics/Book: Barry Keating Book: Stuart Ross
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1987)
Genre: Science Fiction
Music/Lyrics: David Heneker Lyrics/Book: Warner Brown
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1980)
Genre: Drama
Obscure 1990s Musicals
Music: Richard Rodgers Lyrics: Oscar Hammerstein II Concept: Walter Bobbie
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1993)
Genre: Revue
Music/Lyrics/Book: Michael John LaChiusa
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1993)
Genre: Dramedy
Music/Lyrics/Book: Bob Merrill
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1990)
Genre: Drama
Music/Lyrics: Various Book: Francis Essex, Rob Bettinson
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1995)
Genre: Biography
Music: Jimmy McHugh Lyrics: Dorothy Fields, Harold Adamson Book: Sherman Yellen
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1997)
Genre: Romantic Comedy
Music: George Stiles Lyrics: Paul Leigh Book: Claire Luckham
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1993)
Genre: Romantic Drama
Music/Lyrics: Duke Ellington, Various Book: Cheryl West
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1996)
Genre: Romantic Dramedy
Music/Lyrics/Book: Steve Brown Lyrics/Book: Justin Greene
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1998)
Genre: Dramedy
Music: Martin Silvestri Lyrics/Book: Joel Higgins
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1993)
Genre: Drama
Music: Dana P. Rowe Lyrics/Book: John Dempsey
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1997)
Genre: Satire
Music: Jeffrey Stock Lyrics: Susan Birkenhead Book: James Magruder
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1997)
Genre: Romantic Comedy
Music: Jeffrey Lunden Lyrics/Book: Arthur Perlman
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1992)
Genre: Drama
Obscure 2000s Musicals
Music/Lyrics: David Essex Book: Jon Conway
Musical Type: Contemporary (2008)
Genre: Romantic Drama
Music/Lyrics/Book: Michael John LaChiusa
Musical Type: Contemporary (2006)
Genre: Drama
Music/Lyrics/Book: Cinco Paul Book: Ken Daurio
Musical Type: Contemporary (2008)
Genre: Comedy
Music/Lyrics: Stephen Schwartz Book: Anthony Stein
Musical Type: Contemporary (2005)
Genre: Theatre for Young Audiences
Music: David Friedman Lyrics/Book: Peter Kellogg
Musical Type: Contemporary (2004)
Genre: Comedy / Western
Music/Lyrics: Various Book: Dick Scanlan, Sherie Rene Scott
Musical Type: Contemporary (2009)
Genre: Semi-Autobiography
Music/Lyrics: Paul Williams Book: Garry Marshall
Musical Type: Contemporary (2007)
Genre: Comedy
Music/Lyrics: Ricky Ian Gordon Lyrics/Book: Richard Nelson
Musical Type: Contemporary (2003)
Genre: Romantic Drama
Music/Lyrics: Various Book: Phillip George, David Lowenstein
Musical Type: Contemporary (2006)
Genre: Dramedy
The Great American Trailer Park Musical
Music/Lyrics: David Nehls Book: Betsy Kelso
Musical Type: Contemporary (2005)
Genre: Comedy
Music: A.R. Rahman, Christopher Nightingale, Värttinä Lyrics/Book: Matthew Warchus, Shaun McKenna
Musical Type: Contemporary (2006)
Genre: Fantasy
Music: Jimmy Roberts Lyrics/Book: Joe DiPietro
Musical Type: Contemporary (2003)
Genre: Romantic Comedy
Obscure 2010s Musicals
Music: Joshua Schmidt Lyrics: Jan Levy Tranen Book: Austin Pendleton
Musical Type: Contemporary (2011)
Genre: Drama
Music/Lyrics: Janis Joplin, Various Book: Randy Johnson
Musical Type: Contemporary (2013)
Genre: Biography
Music: Brad Carroll Lyrics/Book: Peter Sham
Musical Type: Contemporary (2010)
Genre: Comedy
Music/Lyrics/Book: Robert J. Sherman
Musical Type: Contemporary (2015)
Genre: Fantasy
Music/Lyrics: Danny Abosch Book: Joshua Borths
Musical Type: Contemporary (2011)
Genre: Drama
Music/Lyrics/Book: Michael John LaChiusa
Musical Type: Contemporary (2011)
Genre: Biography
Music/Lyrics: Matt Sax Lyrics/Book: Eric Rosen
Musical Type: Contemporary (2010)
Genre: Science Fiction
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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 enjoy exploring these lists, check out the musical database, where you can discover musicals organized by composer, theme, setting, and much 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 and a TESOL drama certificate, with experience working and interning in Broadway and Off-Broadway theaters.
