Pop Musicals – A Full List of Popular Shows
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. Here’s a full list of pop musicals to date, sorted alphabetically. The line between pop and pop/rock can be a bit blurry, but all of the shows below lean more towards pop.
This list is broken down into four categories – “Contemporary Pop Musicals”, “Electro-Pop Musicals”, “Mixed Genre Pop Musicals”, and “Retro Pop Musicals”. Each category is sorted alphabetically.
Here’s where you can find Theatre Trip’s full list of Pop/Rock Musicals.
And to enhance your researching experience, you can pop on Theatre Trip’s Spotify playlist while scrolling – “Musical Theatre Dance Party”➝.
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Contemporary Pop Musicals
Music/Lyrics: Gary Adler, Michael Patrick Walker Book: Kevin Del Aguila
Musical Type: Contemporary (2004)
Music Genre: Pop
Music: Tom Kitt Music/Lyrics: Lin-Manuel Miranda Lyrics: Amanda Green Book: Jeff Whitty
Musical Type: Contemporary (2011)
Music Genre: Pop
Music/Lyrics/Book: Keith Harrison, Laura Schein
Musical Type: Contemporary (2020)
Music Genre: Pop
Music/Lyrics/Book: Ben Adams, Chris Wilkins
Musical Type: Contemporary (2016)
Music Genre: Pop
Everybody’s Talking About Jamie
Music: Dan Gillespie Sells Lyrics/Book: Tom MacRae
Musical Type: Contemporary (2017)
Music Genre: Pop
Music/Lyrics/Book: Yve Blake
Musical Type: Contemporary (2019)
Music Genre: Pop
Fantastically Great Women Who Changed the World
Music/Lyrics: Miranda Cooper Music: Jennifer Decilveo Lyrics: Chris Bush
Musical Type: Contemporary (2021)
Music Genre: Pop
Music/Lyrics: Various Book: John Logan
Musical Type: Contemporary (2018)
Music Genre: Pop
Music/Lyrics/Book: Brooke Maxwell, Jacob Richmond
Musical Type: Contemporary (2015)
Music Genre: Pop
Music/Lyrics/Book: Toby Marlow, Lucy Moss
Musical Type: Contemporary (2017)
Music Genre: Pop
Music: George Stiles Lyrics/Book: Anthony Drewe Book: Elliot Davis
Musical Type: Contemporary (2011)
Music Genre: Pop
Music: William Patrick Harrison Lyrics/Book: Maryhee Yoon, Cara Baldwin
Musical Type: Contemporary (2021)
Music Genre: Pop
Music/Lyrics: Drew Gasparini
Musical Type: Contemporary (2020)
Music Genre: Pop
Electro-Pop Musicals
The following musicals feature elements of techno, pop, and EDM.
A Very Merry Unauthorized Children’s Scientology Pageant
Music/Lyrics/Book: Kyle Jarrow
Musical Type: Contemporary (2003)
Music Genre: Electro-Pop
Music/Lyrics: Clark Baxtresser
Musical Type: Contemporary (2020)
Music Genre: Electro-Pop
Music/Lyrics: Duncan Sheik Book: Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa
Musical Type: Contemporary (2013)
Music Genre: Electro-Pop
Music/Lyrics: Pet Shop Boys Book: Jonathan Harvey
Musical Type: Contemporary (2001)
Music Genre: Electro-Pop
Music: Fatboy Slim Music/Lyrics: David Byrne
Musical Type: Contemporary (2013)
Music Genre: Electro-Pop
Music/Lyrics: Helen Park, Max Vernon Book: Jason Kim
Musical Type: Contemporary (2017)
Music Genre: Electro-Pop
Mixed Genre Pop Musicals
The following musicals contain pop songs/elements of pop, but are also mixed with various other genres (R&B, hip-hop, rap, gospel, jazz, country, etc.)
Music/Lyrics: Lin-Manuel Miranda
Musical Type: Contemporary (2014)
Music Genres: Pop / Rap
Music/Lyrics/Book: Michael R. Jackson
Musical Type: Contemporary (2019)
Music Genres: Gospel / Pop / Mixed
Music: Benny Andersson, Björn Ulvaeus Lyrics: Tim Rice Book: Richard Nelson
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1984)
Music Genres: Classical / Musical Theatre / Pop / Rock
Music/Book: Barry Manilow Lyrics/Book: Bruce Sussman, Jack Feldman
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1990)
Music Genres: Jazz / Pop / Swing
Music/Lyrics: David Yazbek Book: Jeffrey Lane
Musical Type: Contemporary (2004)
Music Genres: Jazz / Musical Theatre / Pop
Music: Henry Krieger Lyrics/Book: Tom Eyen
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1981)
Music Genres: Disco / Gospel / Pop / R&B / Soul
Music/Lyrics/Book: Chris Miller, Nathan Tysen
Musical Type: Contemporary (2020)
Music Genres: Musical Theatre / Pop / Rap
Music: Chris Miller Lyrics: Nathan Tysen
Musical Type: Contemporary (2008)
Music Genres: Country / Gospel / Pop
Music: Matthew Sklar Lyrics: Nell Benjamin Book: Bob Martin, Chad Beguelin
Musical Type: Contemporary (2018)
Music Genres: Jazz / Hip Hop / Latin / Musical Theatre / Pop
Music/Lyrics/Book: Lin-Manuel Miranda
Musical Type: Contemporary (2015)
Music Genres: Pop / Rap / R&B
Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat
Music: Andrew Lloyd Webber Lyrics: Tim Rice
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1968)
Music Genres: Calypso / Country / Musical Theatre / Pop / Rock & Roll
Music: Taliep Petersen Lyrics/Book: David Kramer
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1996)
Music Genres: Doo-Wop / Jazz / Pop / Rock & Roll
Music/Lyrics: Various Book: Berry Gordy
Musical Type: Contemporary (2013)
Music Genres: Pop / R&B / Soul
Music/Lyrics: Various Book: Robert Schrock
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1999)
Music Genres: Dance / Musical Theatre / Pop
Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812
Music/Lyrics/Book: Dave Malloy
Musical Type: Contemporary (2012)
Music Genres: Mixed / Pop
Music/Lyrics: Madness Book: Tim Firth
Musical Type: Contemporary (2002)
Music Genres: Pop / Reggae / Ska
Music: Judd Woldin Lyrics: Robert Brittan Book: Robert Nemiroff, Charlotte Zaltzberg
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1973)
Music Genres: Blues / Gospel / Jazz / Pop
Music: Cy Coleman Lyrics: Dorothy Fields Book: Michael Bennett
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1973)
Music Genres: Jazz / Musical Theatre / Pop
Music: Various Lyrics/Book: Gerard Alessandrini
Musical Type: Contemporary (2016)
Music Genres: Pop / Rap / R&B
Music/Lyrics: Boy George Music: Kevan Frost, John Themis, Richie Stevens Book: Mark Davies Markham, Charles Busch
Musical Type: Contemporary (2002)
Music Genres: Musical Theatre / Pop / Reggae / Rock
Music: Martin Silvestri Lyrics/Book: Joel Higgins
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1993)
Music Genres: Funk / Musical Theatre / Pop / Soul
Music: Claibe Richardson Lyrics/Book: Kenward Elmslie
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1971)
Music Genres: Musical Theatre / Pop
Music/Lyrics: Tori Amos Lyrics/Book: Samuel Adamson
Musical Type: Contemporary (2013)
Music Genres: Classical / Musical Theatre / Pop
Music/Lyrics/Concept: Shaina Taub Concept: Kwame Kwei-Armah
Musical Type: Contemporary (2016)
Music Genres: Funk / Jazz / Musical Theatre / Pop
Music/Lyrics: Matt Sax Lyrics/Book: Eric Rosen
Musical Type: Contemporary (2010)
Music Genres: Hip Hop / Pop / Rap
Music/Lyrics/Book: Matt Gould, Griffin Matthews
Musical Type: Contemporary (2014)
Music Genres: African / Pop
Songs: Craig Carnelia, Micki Grant, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Mary Rodgers, Susan Birkenhead, James Taylor Songs/Adaptation: Stephen Schwartz Adaptation: Nina Faso
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1977)
Music Genres: Country / Folk / Latin / Musical Theatre / Pop / Soul
Retro Pop Musicals
Music/Lyrics: Various Book: Stuart Ross
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1989)
Music Genre: 1950s Pop
Music/Lyrics: Various Book: Larry Buttrose, Kathryn Riding
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1992)
Music Genre: 1920s-1940s Jazz / Pop
Music/Lyrics: Various Book: Francis Essex, Rob Bettinson
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1995)
Music Genre: Retro Pop
Music/Lyrics: Benny Andersson, Björn Ulvaeus Book: Catherine Johnson
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1999)
Music Genre: 1970s / 1980s Pop
Music/Lyrics: Michael Jackson, Various Book: Lynn Nottage
Musical Type: Contemporary (2022)
Music Genre: 1960s-1990s Pop
Music/Lyrics: Stephen Schwartz Book: Roger O. Hirson
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1972)
Music Genre: Retro Pop
Music/Lyrics: Peter Allen Book: Nick Enright, Martin Sherman
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1998)
Music Genre: 1960s-1990s Pop
Music/Lyrics: Various Book: Rick Elice
Musical Type: Contemporary (2018)
Music Genre: 1960s-1990s Pop
Music/Lyrics: Various Book: Roger Bean
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1999)
Music Genre: 1950s Pop
The Marvelous Wonderettes: Caps and Gowns
Music/Lyrics: Various Book: Roger Bean
Musical Type: Contemporary (2013)
Music Genre: 1950s / 1960s Pop
The Marvelous Wonderettes: Dream On
Music/Lyrics: Various Book: Roger Bean
Musical Type: Contemporary (2016)
Music Genre: 1960s / 1970s Pop
Music/Lyrics: Various Book: Roger Bean
Musical Type: Contemporary (2016)
Music Genre: 1960s Pop
Other blog posts you might like:
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Which of these pop musicals is your favorite?
Or have you ever played a role in any of the above pop 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.