Pop/Rock Musicals – The Full List of 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. And that’s why we’ve put together this list of the most notable pop/rock musicals for you below, sorted alphabetically.
The following list is broken down into three categories – “Pop/Rock Jukebox Musicals”, “Pop/Rock Musicals”, and “Pop/Rock Mixed Genre Musicals”. Each category is sorted alphabetically.
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Pop/Rock Jukebox Musicals
Music/Lyrics: Max Martin, Various Book: David West Read
Musical Type: Contemporary/Jukebox (2019)
Music/Lyrics: Neil Diamond Book: Anthony McCarten
Musical Type: Contemporary/Jukebox (2022)
Beautiful – The Carole King Musical
Music/Lyrics: Various Book: Douglas McGrath
Musical Type: Contemporary/Jukebox (2013)
Music/Lyrics: Various Book: Larry Gallagher
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary/Revue (1985)
Music/Lyrics: Various Book: Roger Kumble, Lindsey Rosin, Jordan Ross
Musical Type: Contemporary/Jukebox (2015)
Music/Lyrics: Various Book: Dick Scanlan, Sherie Rene Scott
Musical Type: Contemporary (2009)
Music/Lyrics: Various Book: Alexander Dinelaris Jr.
Musical Type: Contemporary/Jukebox (2012)
Pop/Rock Musicals
Music/Lyrics: Jason Robert Brown Book: Dan Elish, Robert Horn
Musical Type: Contemporary (2007)
Music: Elton John Lyrics: Tim Rice Book: Linda Woolverton, Robert Falls, David Henry Hwang
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1998)
Music: Duncan Sheik Lyrics/Book: Steven Sater, Jessie Nelson
Musical Type: Contemporary (2019)
Music/Book: Damon Intrabartolo Lyrics/Book: Jon Hartmere
Musical Type: Contemporary
Music/Lyrics: Eddie Perfect Book: Scott Brown, Anthony King
Musical Type: Contemporary
Music: Elton John Lyrics/Book: Lee Hall
Musical Type: Contemporary (2005)
Music: Michael Gore Lyrics: Dean Pitchford Book: Lawrence D. Cohen
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1988)
Music/Lyrics/Book: Paul Hodge Book: Michael Hodge
Musical Type: Contemporary (2012)
Music: Justin Paul Lyrics: Benj Pasek Book: Steven Levenson
Musical Type: Contemporary (2015)
Music/Lyrics/Book: David Bryan, Joe DiPietro
Musical Type: Contemporary (2019)
Music: Elizabeth Swados Lyrics/Book: Gary Trudeau
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1983)
Music: Steve Margoshes Lyrics: Jacques Levy
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1988)
Music/Lyrics: Robbie Roth Lyrics/Book: Robert Cary Book: Tom Hedley
Musical Type: Contemporary (2008)
Music: Tom Snow Lyrics/Book: Dean Pitchford Book: Walter Bobbie
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1998)
Music/Lyrics/Book: Dave Stewart, Glen Ballard, Bruce Joel Rubin
Musical Type: Contemporary
Music/Lyrics: Nick Blaemire Book: James Gardiner
Musical Type: Contemporary (2008)
Music/Lyrics/Book: Laurence O’Keefe, Kevin Murphy
Musical Type: Contemporary (1980s style)
Music/Lyrics: Various Book: David Simpatico
Musical Type: Contemporary (2007)
Music/Lyrics: Cyndi Lauper Book: Harvey Fierstein
Musical Type: Contemporary
Music/Lyrics: Nell Benjamin, Laurence O’Keefe Book: Heather Hach
Musical Type: Contemporary (2007)
Music/Lyrics: Craig Adams Book: Ian Watson
Musical Type: Contemporary (2013)
Music/Lyrics: Lewis Flinn Book: Douglas Carter Beane
Musical Type: Contemporary (2011)
Music: Jeff Richmond Lyrics: Nell Benjamin Book: Tina Fey
Musical Type: Contemporary (2017)
Music: Tom Kitt Lyrics/Book: Brian Yorkey
Musical Type: Contemporary
Polkadots: The Cool Kids Musical
Music/Lyrics: Greg Borowsky, Douglas Lyons Book: Melvin Tunstall III
Musical Type: Contemporary (2016)
Music/Lyrics: Bryan Adams, Jim Vallance Book: Garry Marshall, J. F. Lawton
Musical Type: Contemporary
Music: Stephen Flaherty Lyrics: Lynn Ahrens Book: Thomas Meehan, Sylvester Stallone
Musical Type: Contemporary
See Rock City and Other Destinations
Music: Brad Alexander Lyrics/Book: Adam Mathias
Musical Type: Contemporary (2010)
Music: Duncan Sheik Lyrics/Book: Steven Sater
Musical Type: Contemporary
Music: Andrew & Alistair Lloyd Webber Lyrics: Stilgoe, Aquilina, Black, Coler, Yazbek
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1980s)
Music: Matthew Sklar Lyrics/Book: Chad Beguelin Book: Tim Herlihy
Musical Type: Contemporary (1980s Style)
Music/Lyrics/Book: Preston Max Allen
Musical Type: Contemporary (2015)
Pop/Rock Mixed Genre Musicals
Music/Lyrics: Micki Grant
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary/Revue (1971)
Music Genre: Pop-Rock/Gospel
Elegies for Angels, Punks and Raging Queens
Music: Janet Hood Lyrics/Book: Bill Russell
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary/Song Cycle (1989)
Music Genre: Pop-Rock/Blues
Music: Andrew Lloyd Webber Lyrics: Tim Rice
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1970s)
Music Genre: Pop-Rock/Latin
Music: Tom Kitt Lyrics: Amanda Green Book: David Lindsay-Abaire
Musical Type: Contemporary (2006)
Music Genre: Pop-Rock/Mixed
Music/Lyrics: Paul Simon Lyrics/Book: Derek Walcott
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1998)
Music Genre: Latin/Doo-Wop/Pop-Rock
Music: Andrew Lloyd Webber Lyrics/Book: Ben Elton
Musical Type: Contemporary (2000)
Music Genre: Pop-Rock/Mixed
Music/Lyrics: David Yazbek Book: Terrence McNally
Musical Type: Contemporary (2000)
Music Genre: Pop-Rock/Mixed
Music: Galt MacDermot Lyrics/Book: William Dumaresq
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1983)
Music Genre: Pop-Rock/Folk
Music/Lyrics/Book: Max Vernon
Musical Type: Contemporary (2017)
Music Genre: Pop-Rock/Disco
Music/Book: Andrew Lloyd Webber Lyrics: Jim Steinman Book: Patricia Knop, Gale Edwards
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1996)
Music Genre: Pop-Rock/Musical Theatre
Music/Lyrics: Jeff Lynne, John Farrar Book: Douglas Carter Beane
Musical Type: Contemporary (2007)
Music Genre: Pop-Rock/Disco
Want a weekly list of stagey surprises?!
Which of these pop/rock musicals is your favorite?
Or have you ever played a role in any of the above pop/rock 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 has a TESOL drama certificate, a BA in theatre, and has worked and interned with Broadway and Off-Broadway theaters.