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.

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

Altar Boyz

Music/Lyrics: Gary Adler, Michael Patrick Walker  Book: Kevin Del Aguila

Musical Type: Contemporary (2004)

Music Genre: Pop


Bring It On

Music: Tom Kitt  Music/Lyrics: Lin-Manuel Miranda  Lyrics: Amanda Green  Book: Jeff Whitty

Musical Type: Contemporary (2011)

Music Genre: Pop


Emojiland

Music/Lyrics/Book: Keith Harrison, Laura Schein

Musical Type: Contemporary (2020)

Music Genre: Pop


Eugenius!

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


Fangirls

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


Moulin Rouge!

Music/Lyrics: Various  Book: John Logan

Musical Type: Contemporary/Jukebox (2018)

Music Genre: Pop


Ride the Cyclone

Music/Lyrics/Book: Brooke Maxwell, Jacob Richmond

Musical Type: Contemporary (2015)

Music Genre: Pop


Six

Music/Lyrics/Book: Toby Marlow, Lucy Moss

Musical Type: Contemporary (2017)

Music Genre: Pop


Soho Cinders

Music: George Stiles  Lyrics/Book: Anthony Drewe  Book: Elliot Davis

Musical Type: Contemporary (2011)

Music Genre: Pop


Tokyo Rose

Music: William Patrick Harrison  Lyrics/Book: Maryhee Yoon, Cara Baldwin

Musical Type: Contemporary (2021)

Music Genre: Pop


We Aren’t Kids Anymore

Music/Lyrics: Drew Gasparini

Musical Type: Contemporary (2020)

Music Genre: Pop


We Won’t Sleep

Music/Lyrics: Ari Afsar  Book: Lauren M. Gunderson

Musical Type: Contemporary (2019)

Music Genre: Pop


wonder.land

Music: Damon Albarn  Lyrics/Book: Moira Buffini

Musical Type: Contemporary (2015)

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


A VHS Christmas Carol

Music/Lyrics: Clark Baxtresser

Musical Type: Contemporary (2020)

Music Genre: Electro-Pop


American Psycho

Music/Lyrics: Duncan Sheik  Book: Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa

Musical Type: Contemporary (2013)

Music Genre: Electro-Pop


Closer to Heaven

Music/Lyrics: Pet Shop Boys  Book: Jonathan Harvey

Musical Type: Contemporary (2001)

Music Genre: Electro-Pop


Here Lies Love

Music: Fatboy Slim  Music/Lyrics: David Byrne

Musical Type: Contemporary (2013)

Music Genre: Electro-Pop


KPOP

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.)


21 Chump Street

Music/Lyrics: Lin-Manuel Miranda

Musical Type: Contemporary (2014)

Music Genre: Pop/Rap


A Strange Loop

Music/Lyrics/Book: Michael R. Jackson

Musical Type: Contemporary (2019)

Music Genre: Pop/Gospel/Mixed


Dreamgirls

Music: Henry Krieger  Lyrics/Book: Tom Eyen

Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1981)

Music Genre: Disco/Gospel/Soul/R&B/Pop


Dreamland

Music/Lyrics/Book: Chris Miller, Nathan Tysen

Musical Type: Contemporary (2020)

Music Genre: Pop/Mixed


Fugitive Songs

Music: Chris Miller  Lyrics: Nathan Tysen

Musical Type: Contemporary (2008)

Music Genre: Pop/Country


Hamilton

Music/Lyrics/Book: Lin-Manuel Miranda

Musical Type: Contemporary (2015)

Music Genre: Pop/Rap/R&B


His Story

Music/Lyrics/Book: Anna Miriam Brown

Musical Type: Contemporary (2019)

Music Genre: Hip Hop/Pop/Reggae/R&B


In the Green

Music/Lyrics/Book: Grace McLean

Musical Type: Contemporary (2019)

Music Genre: Pop/Mixed


Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat

Music: Andrew Lloyd Webber  Lyrics: Tim Rice

Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1968)

Music Genre: Pop/Mixed


Little Fish

Music/Lyrics/Book: Michael John LaChiusa

Musical Type: Contemporary (2003)

Music Genre: Jazz/Pop/Rock/Musical Theatre


Motown: The Musical

Music/Lyrics: Various  Book: Berry Gordy

Musical Type: Contemporary/Jukebox (2013)

Music Genre: Pop/R&B/Soul


Naked Boys Singing!

Music/Lyrics: Various  Book: Robert Schrock

Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1999)

Music Genre: Pop/Dance/Musical Theatre


Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812

Music/Lyrics/Book: Dave Malloy

Musical Type: Contemporary (2012)

Music Genre: Pop/Mixed


Our House

Music/Lyrics: Madness  Book: Tim Firth

Musical Type: Contemporary (2002)

Music Genre: Pop/Ska/Reggae


Raisin

Music: Judd Woldin  Lyrics: Robert Brittan  Book: Robert Nemiroff, Charlotte Zaltzberg

Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1973)

Music Genre: Jazz/Pop/Blues/Gospel


Space Dogs

Music/Lyrics/Book: Nick Blaemire, Van Hughes

Musical Type: Contemporary (2022)

Music Genre: Pop/Mixed


Spamilton

Music: Various  Lyrics/Book: Gerard Alessandrini

Musical Type: Contemporary (2016)

Music Genre: Pop/Rap/R&B


Taboo

Music/Lyrics: Boy George  Music: Kevan Frost, John Themis, Richie Stevens  Book: Mark Davies Markham, Charles Busch

Musical Type: Contemporary (2002)

Music Genre: Musical Theatre/Pop/Rock/Reggae


The Fields of Ambrosia

Music: Martin Silvestri  Lyrics/Book: Joel Higgins

Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1993)

Music Genre: Funk/Musical Theatre/Pop/Soul


Venice

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

Musical Type: Contemporary (2010)

Music Genre: Rap/Hip-Hop/Pop


Witness Uganda

Music/Lyrics/Book: Matt Gould, Griffin Matthews

Musical Type: Contemporary (2014)

Music Genre: Pop/Mixed


Working

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 Genre: Country/Soul/Pop/Folk/Latin/Musical Theatre


Retro Pop Musicals

Forever Plaid

Music/Lyrics: Various  Book: Stuart Ross

Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1989)

Music Genre: 1950s Pop


Hot Shoe Shuffle

Music/Lyrics: Various  Book: Larry Buttrose, Kathryn Riding

Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary/Jukebox (1992)

Music Genre: 1920s-1940s Pop


Jolson

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

Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1995)

Music Genre: Retro Pop


Mamma Mia!

Music/Lyrics: Benny Andersson, Björn Ulvaeus  Book: Catherine Johnson

Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary/Jukebox (1999)

Music Genre: 1970s/1980s Pop


MJ The Musical

Music/Lyrics: Michael Jackson, Various  Book: Lynn Nottage

Musical Type: Contemporary/Jukebox (2022)

Music Genre: 1960s-1990s Pop


Pippin

Music/Lyrics: Stephen Schwartz  Book: Roger O. Hirson

Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1972)

Music Genre: Retro Pop


The Boy From Oz

Music/Lyrics: Peter Allen  Book: Nick Enright, Martin Sherman

Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary/Jukebox (1998)

Music Genre: 1960s-1990s Pop


The Cher Show

Music/Lyrics: Various  Book: Rick Elice

Musical Type: Contemporary/Jukebox (2018)

Music Genre: 1960s-1980s Pop


The Marvelous Wonderettes

Music/Lyrics: Various  Book: Roger Bean

Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary/Jukebox (1999)

Music Genre: 1950s Pop


The Marvelous Wonderettes: Caps and Gowns

Music/Lyrics: Various  Book: Roger Bean

Musical Type: Contemporary/Jukebox (2013)

Music Genre: 1950s/1960s Pop


The Marvelous Wonderettes: Dream On

Music/Lyrics: Various  Book: Roger Bean

Musical Type: Contemporary/Jukebox (2016)

Music Genre: 1960s/1970s Pop


Winter Wonderettes

Music/Lyrics: Various  Book: Roger Bean

Musical Type: Contemporary/Jukebox (2016)

Music Genre: 1960s Pop


Other blog posts you might like:

• Jukebox Musicals

• New Musicals

• Popular Musicals

Pop/Rock Musicals

Rock Musicals


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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!


Stacy Karyn, author of pop/rock musicals.
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.


 

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