101+ Romantic Musicals – The Full List of Shows

Whether you’re auditioning for romantic musicals, setting up your rep book, or simply looking for some romantic shows to listen to, it’s always good to get familiar with what’s out there. And that’s why we’ve put together this list of romantic musicals for you below.

This list is broken down  into four subgenres – “Romantic Musicals”, “Rom-Com Musicals”, “Romantic Dramas”, and “Other Romantic Genres”.

To enhance your experience, pop on Theatre Trip’s Spotify playlist – “Romantic Musical Songs”➝.


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Romantic Musicals

Dear World

Music/Lyrics: Jerry Herman  Book: Jerome Lawrence, Robert E. Lee

Musical Type: Post-Golden Age (1969)

Genre: Romance


First Impressions

Music/Lyrics: George Weiss, Robert Goldman, Glenn Paxton  Book: Abe Burrows

Musical Type: Golden Age (1959)

Genre: Romance


Hello Again

Music/Lyrics/Book: Michael John LaChiusa

Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1994)

Genre: Romance


Irma La Douce

Music: Marguerite Monnot  Lyrics/Book: Alexandre Breffort

Musical Type: Golden Age (1956)

Genre: Romance


Once

Music/Lyrics: Glen Hansard, Markéta Irglová  Book: Enda Walsh

Musical Type: Contemporary (2011)

Genre: Romance


The Apple Tree

Music/Book: Jerry Bock  Lyrics/Book: Sheldon Harnick  Book: Jerome Coopersmith

Musical Type: Post-Golden Age (1966)

Genre: Romance


The Day Before Spring

Music: Frederick Loewe  Lyrics/Book: Alan Jay Lerner

Musical Type: Golden Age (1945)

Genre: Romance


The Most Happy Fella

Music/Lyrics/Book: Frank Loesser

Musical Type: Golden Age (1956)

Genre: Romance


They’re Playing Our Song

Music: Marvin Hamlisch  Lyrics: Carole Bayer Sager  Book: Neil Simon

Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1978)

Genre: Romance


Through the Years

Music: Vincent Youmans  Lyrics: Edward Heyman  Book: Brian Hooker

Musical Type: Jazz Age/Operetta (1932)

Genre: Romance


Rom-Com Musicals

A Family Affair

Music/Lyrics/Book: James Goldman, John Kander, William Goldman

Musical Type: Post-Golden Age (1962)

Genre: Romantic Comedy


A Little Night Music

Music/Lyrics: Stephen Sondheim  Book: Hugh Wheeler

Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1973)

Genre: Romantic Comedy


An American in Paris

Music/Lyrics: George Gershwin, Ira Gershwin  Book: Craig Lucas

Musical Type: 1951 Film/Contemporary Musical (2014)

Genre: Romantic Comedy


Anything Goes

Music/Lyrics: Cole Porter  Book: Guy Bolton, P.G. Wodehouse, Howard Lindsay, Russel Crouse

Musical Type: Jazz Age (1934)

Genre: Romantic Comedy


Babes in Arms

Music/Book: Richard Rodgers  Lyrics/Book: Lorenz Hart

Musical Type: Jazz Age (1937)

Genre: Romantic Comedy


Bells Are Ringing

Music: Jule Styne  Lyrics/Book: Betty Comden, Adolph Green

Musical Type: Golden Age (1956)

Genre: Romantic Comedy


By the Beautiful Sea

Music: Arthur Schwartz  Lyrics/Book: Dorothy Fields  Book: Herbert Fields

Musical Type: Golden Age (1954)

Genre: Romantic Comedy


Bye Bye Birdie

Music: Charles Strouse  Lyrics: Lee Adams  Book: Michael Stewart

Musical Type: Post-Golden Age (1960)

Genre: Romantic Comedy


Candide

Music/Lyrics: Leonard Bernstein  Lyrics: Richard Wilbur, John Latouche, Stephen Sondheim*, Dorothy Parker  Book: John Caird*, Hugh Wheeler*, Lillian Hellman

* Writers who worked on the 1974/1999 revivals of the show

Musical Type: Golden Age/Operetta (1956)

Genre: Romantic Comedy


Crazy for You

Music: George Gershwin  Lyrics: Ira Gershwin  Book: Ken Ludwig

Musical Type: Jazz Age/Pre-Contemporary (1992)

Genre: Romantic Comedy


Do I Hear a Waltz?

Music: Richard Rodgers  Lyrics: Stephen Sondheim  Book: Arthur Laurents

Musical Type: Post Golden Age (1965)

Genre: Romantic Comedy


Fifty Million Frenchmen

Music/Lyrics: Cole Porter  Book: Herbert Fields

Musical Type: Jazz Age (1929)

Genre: Romantic Comedy


Fine and Dandy

Music: Kay Swift  Lyrics: Paul James  Book: Donald Ogden Stewart

Musical Type: Jazz Age (1930)

Genre: Romantic Comedy


First Date

Music/Lyrics: Alan Zachary, Michael Weiner  Book: Austin Winsberg

Musical Type: Contemporary (2012)

Genre: Romantic Comedy


Flower Drum Song

Music: Richard Rodgers  Lyrics/Book: Oscar Hammerstein II  Book: David Henry Hwang, Joseph Fields

Musical Type: Golden Age (1958)

Genre: Romantic Comedy


Funny Face

Music: George Gershwin  Lyrics: Ira Gershwin  Book: Paul Gerard Smith, Fred Thompson

Musical Type: Jazz Age (1927)

Genre: Romantic Comedy


Gigi

Music: Frederick Loewe  Lyrics/Book: Alan Jay Lerner

Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1973)

Genre: Romantic Comedy


Girl Crazy

Music: George Gershwin  Lyrics: Ira Gershwin  Book: Guy Bolton, John McGowan

Musical Type: Jazz Age (1930)

Genre: Romantic Comedy


Grease

Music/Lyrics/Book: Jim Jacobs, Warren Casey

Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1971)

Genre: Romantic Comedy


Happy Hunting

Music: Harold Karr  Lyrics: Matt Dubey  Book: Howard Lindsay, Russel Crouse

Musical Type: Golden Age (1956)

Genre: Romantic Comedy


Hello, Dolly!

Music/Lyrics: Jerry Herman  Book: Michael Stewart

Musical Type: Post-Golden Age (1964)

Genre: Romantic Comedy


Holiday Inn

Music/Lyrics: Irving Berlin  Book: Gordon Greenberg, Chad Hodge

Musical Type: Contemporary/Jukebox (2014)

Genre: Romantic Comedy


I Had a Ball

Music/Lyrics: Jack Lawrence, Stan Freeman  Book: Jerome Chodorov

Musical Type: Post-Golden Age (1964)

Genre: Romantic Comedy


I Married an Angel

Music/Book: Richard Rodgers  Lyrics/Book: Lorenz Hart

Musical Type: Jazz Age (1938)

Genre: Romantic Comedy


Irene

Music: Harry Tierney  Lyrics: Joseph McCarthy  Book: James Montgomery, Joseph Stein, Hugh Wheeler

Musical Type: Pre-Jazz Age (1919)

Genre: Romantic Comedy


It Shoulda Been You

Music: Barbara Anselmi  Lyrics/Book: Brian Hargrove

Musical Type: Contemporary (2011)

Genre: Romantic Comedy


Jubilee

Music/Lyrics: Cole Porter  Book: Moss Hart

Musical Type: Jazz Age (1935)

Genre: Romantic Comedy


Kitty’s Kisses

Music: Con Conrad  Lyrics: Gus Kahn  Book: Philip Bartholomae, Otto Harbach

Musical Type: Jazz Age (1926)

Genre: Romantic Comedy


Knickerbocker Holiday

Music: Kurt Weill  Lyrics/Book: Maxwell Anderson

Musical Type: Jazz Age/Operetta (1938)

Genre: Romantic Comedy


Lucky in the Rain

Music: Jimmy McHugh  Lyrics: Dorothy Fields, Harold Adamson  Book: Sherman Yellen

Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1997)

Genre: Romantic Comedy


Me and My Girl

Music: Noel Gay  Lyrics/Book: Douglas Furber, L. Arthur Rose

Musical Type: Jazz Age (1937)

Genre: Romantic Comedy


Miss Liberty

Music/Lyrics: Irving Berlin  Book: Robert E. Sherwood

Musical Type: Golden Age (1949)

Genre: Romantic Comedy


My One and Only

Music: George Gershwin  Lyrics: Ira Gershwin  Book: Peter Stone, Timothy S. Mayer

Musical Type: Jazz Age/Pre-Contemporary (1983)

Genre: Romantic Comedy


Nice Work If You Can Get It

Music: George Gershwin  Lyrics: Ira Gershwin  Book: Joe DiPietro

Musical Type: Contemporary (2012)

Genre: Romantic Comedy


Nymph Errant

Music/Lyrics: Cole Porter  Book: Romney Brent, Steve Mackes, Michael Whaley

Musical Type: Jazz Age (1933)

Genre: Romantic Comedy


Oh, Kay!

Music: George Gershwin  Lyrics: Ira Gershwin  Book: Guy Bolton, P.G. Wodehouse

Musical Type: Jazz Age (1926)

Genre: Romantic Comedy


On a Clear Day You Can See Forever

Music: Burton Lane  Lyrics/Book: Alan Jay Lerner

Musical Type: Post-Golden Age (1965)

Genre: Romantic Comedy


On Your Toes

Music/Book: Richard Rodgers  Lyrics/Book: Lorenz Hart  Book: George Abbott

Musical Type: Jazz Age (1936)

Genre: Romantic Comedy


One Touch of Venus

Music: Kurt Weill  Lyrics/Book: Ogden Nash  Book: S.J. Perelman

Musical Type: Golden Age (1943)

Genre: Romantic Comedy


Panama Hattie

Music/Lyrics: Cole Porter  Book: Herbert Fields, B.G. DeSylva

Musical Type: Golden Age (1940)

Genre: Romantic Comedy


Pipe Dream

Music: Richard Rodgers  Lyrics/Book: Oscar Hammerstein II

Musical Type: Golden Age (1955)

Genre: Romantic Comedy


Roberta

Music: Jerome Kern  Lyrics/Book: Otto Harbach

Musical Type: Jazz Age (1933)

Genre: Romantic Comedy


Sally

Music: Jerome Kern, Victor Herbert  Lyrics: Clifford Grey, B.G. De Sylva, P.G. Wodehouse, Anne Caldwell  Book: Guy Bolton

Musical Type: Jazz Age (1920)

Genre: Romantic Comedy


Seven Brides for Seven Brothers

Music/Lyrics: Gene de Paul, Al Kasha, Joel Hirschhorn  Lyrics: Johnny Mercer  Book: Lawrence Kasha, David Landay

Musical Type: 1954 Film/Pre-Contemporary Musical (1982)

Genre: Romantic Comedy


Seventeen

Music: Walter Kent  Lyrics: Kim Gannon  Book: Sally Benson

Musical Type: Golden Age (1951)

Genre: Romantic Comedy


She Loves Me

Music: Jerry Bock  Lyrics: Sheldon Harnick  Book: Joe Masteroff

Musical Type: Post-Golden Age (1963)

Genre: Romantic Comedy


Singin’ in the Rain

Music/Lyrics: Nacio Herb Brown, Arthur Freed  Book: Adolph Green, Betty Comden

Musical Type: 1952 Film/Pre-Contemporary Musical (1983)

Genre: Romantic Comedy


State Fair

Music: Richard Rodgers  Lyrics: Oscar Hammerstein II  Book: Tom Briggs, Louis Mattioli

Musical Type: 1945 Film/Pre-Contemporary Musical (1996)

Genre: Romantic Comedy


Steel Pier

Music: John Kander  Lyrics: Fred Ebb  Book: David Thompson

Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1997)

Genre: Romantic Comedy


The Boys From Syracuse

Music: Richard Rodgers  Lyrics: Lorenz Hart  Book: George Abbott

Musical Type: Jazz Age (1938)

Genre: Romantic Comedy


The Girl Friend

Music: Richard Rodgers  Lyrics: Lorenz Hart  Book: Herbert Fields

Musical Type: Jazz Age (1926)

Genre: Romantic Comedy


The Girl Who Came to Supper

Music/Lyrics: Noël Coward  Book: Harry Kurnitz

Musical Type: Post-Golden Age (1963)

Genre: Romantic Comedy


The Goodbye Girl

Music: Marvin Hamlisch  Lyrics: David Zippel  Book: Neil Simon

Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1993)

Genre: Romantic Comedy


The Happiest Girl in the World

Music: Jacques Offenbach  Lyrics: E.Y. Harburg  Book: Fred Saidy, Henry Mayers

Musical Type: Post-Golden Age/Operetta (1961)

Genre: Romantic Comedy


The Pajama Game

Music/Lyrics: Richard Adler, Jerry Ross  Book: George Abbott, Richard Bissell

Musical Type: Golden Age (1954)

Genre: Romantic Comedy


The Thing About Men

Music: Jimmy Roberts  Lyrics/Book: Joe DiPietro

Musical Type: Contemporary (2003)

Genre: Romantic Comedy


Thoroughly Modern Millie

Music:  Jeanine Tesori  Lyrics/Book: Dick Scanlan  Book: Richard Morris

Musical Type: Contemporary (2002)

Genre: Romantic Comedy


Top Hat

Music/Lyrics: Irving Berlin  Book: Matthew White, Howard Jacques

Musical Type: 1935 Film/Contemporary Musical (2011)

Genre: Romantic Comedy


Triumph of Love

Music: Jeffrey Stock  Lyrics: Susan Birkenhead  Book: James Magruder

Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1997)

Genre: Romantic Comedy


Victor/Victoria

Music: Henry Mancini, Frank Wildhorn  Lyrics: Leslie Bricusse  Book: Blake Edwards

Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1995)

Genre: Romantic Comedy


White Christmas

Music/Lyrics: Irving Berlin  Book: David Ives, Paul Blake

Musical Type: 1954 Film/Contemporary Musical (2000)

Genre: Romantic Comedy


Wish You Were Here

Music/Lyrics: Harold Rome  Book: Arthur Kober, Joshua Logan

Musical Type: Golden Age (1952)

Genre: Romantic Comedy


Woman of the Year

Music: John Kander  Lyrics: Fred Ebb  Book: Peter Stone

Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1981)

Genre: Romantic Comedy


You Never Know

Music/Lyrics: Cole Porter  Book: Rowland Leigh, Paul Lazarus

Musical Type: Jazz Age (1938)

Genre: Romantic Comedy


Romantic Dramas

110 in the Shade

Music: Harvey Schmidt  Lyrics: Tom Jones  Book: N. Richard Nash

Musical Type: Post-Golden Age (1963)

Genre: Romantic Drama


All the Fun of the Fair

Music/Lyrics: David Essex  Book: Jon Conway

Musical Type: Contemporary/Jukebox (2008)

Genre: Romantic Drama


Ballroom

Music: Billy Goldenberg  Lyrics: Alan Bergman, Marilyn Bergman  Book: Jerome Kass

Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1978)

Genre: Romantic Drama


Carnival!

Music/Lyrics: Bob Merrill  Book: Michael Stewart

Musical Type: Post Golden Age (1961)

Genre: Romantic Drama


Carousel

Music: Richard Rodgers  Lyrics/Book: Oscar Hammerstein II

Musical Type: Golden Age (1945)

Genre: Romantic Drama


Christine

Music: Sammy Fain  Lyrics: Paul Francis Webster  Book: Pearl S. Buck, Charles K. Peck, Jr.

Musical Type: Post-Golden Age (1960)

Genre: Romantic Drama


Chrysanthemum

Music: Robb Stewart  Book: Neville Phillips, Robin Chancellor

Musical Type: Golden Age (1956)

Genre: Romantic Drama


Daddy Long Legs

Music/Lyrics: Paul Gordon  Book: John Caird

Musical Type: Contemporary (2009)

Genre: Romantic Drama


Dirty Dancing

Music/Lyrics: Various  Book: Eleanor Bergstein

Musical Type: Contemporary/Jukebox (2004)

Genre: Romantic Drama


Fanny

Music/Lyrics: Harold Rome  Book: S.N. Behrman, Joshua Logan

Musical Type: Golden Age (1954)

Genre: Romantic Drama


Flashdance

Music/Lyrics: Robbie Roth  Lyrics/Book: Robert Cary  Book: Tom Hedley

Musical Type: Contemporary (2008)

Genre: Romantic Drama


House of Flowers

Music/Lyrics: Harold Arlen  Lyrics/Book: Truman Capote

Musical Type: Golden Age (1954)

Genre: Romantic Drama


If/Then

Music: Tom Kitt  Lyrics/Book: Brian Yorkey

Musical Type: Contemporary (2014)

Genre: Romantic Drama


In Pieces

Music/Lyrics: Joey Contreras

Musical Type: Contemporary (2021)

Genre: Romantic Drama


Jane Eyre

Music/Lyrics: Paul Gordon  Lyrics/Book: John Caird

Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1995)

Genre: Romantic Drama


Kean

Music/Lyrics: Robert Wright, George Forrest  Book: Peter Stone

Musical Type: Post-Golden Age (1961)

Genre: Romantic Drama


Lady in the Dark

Music: Kurt Weill  Lyrics: Ira Gershwin  Book: Moss Hart

Musical Type: Golden Age (1941)

Genre: Romantic Drama


Late Nite Comic

Music/Lyrics: Brian Gari  Book: Allan Knee

Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1987)

Genre: Romantic Drama


Miss Saigon

Music: Claude-Michel Schönberg  Lyrics: Alain Boublil, Richard Maltby, Jr.

Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1989)

Genre: Romantic Drama


Moll Flanders

Music: George Stiles  Lyrics: Paul Leigh  Book: Claire Luckham

Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1993)

Genre: Romantic Drama


Moulin Rouge!

Music/Lyrics: Various  Book: John Logan

Musical Type: Contemporary/Jukebox (2018)

Genre: Romantic Drama


Murder Ballad

Music/Lyrics: Juliana Nash  Lyrics/Book: Julia Jordan

Musical Type: Contemporary (2012)

Genre: Romantic Drama


My Life with Albertine

Music/Lyrics: Ricky Ian Gordon  Lyrics/Book: Richard Nelson

Musical Type: Contemporary (2003)

Genre: Romantic Drama


No Strings

Music/Lyrics: Richard Rodgers  Book: Samuel Taylor

Musical Type: Post Golden Age (1962)

Genre: Romantic Drama


Passion

Music/Lyrics: Stephen Sondheim  Book: James Lapine

Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1994)

Genre: Romantic Drama


Pretty Woman

Music/Lyrics: Bryan Adams, Jim Vallance  Book: Garry Marshall, J.F. Lawton

Musical Type: Contemporary (2018)

Genre: Romantic Drama


Robert and Elizabeth

Music: Ron Grainer  Lyrics/Book: Ronald Millar

Musical Type: Post-Golden Age/Operetta (1964)

Genre: Romantic Drama


Romance/Romance

Music: Keith Herrmann  Lyrics/Book: Barry Harman

Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1987)

Genre: Romantic Drama


Song and Dance

Music: Andrew Lloyd Webber  Lyrics: Don Black, Richard Maltby Jr.

Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1982)

Genre: Romantic Drama


Summer of ’42

Music/Lyrics: David Kirshenbaum  Book: Hunter Foster

Musical Type: Contemporary (2000)

Genre: Romantic Drama


The Baker’s Wife

Music/Lyrics: Stephen Schwartz  Book: Joseph Stein

Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1976)

Genre: Romantic Drama


The Body Beautiful

Music: Jerry Bock  Lyrics: Sheldon Harnick  Book: Joseph Stein, Will Glickman

Musical Type: Golden Age (1958)

Genre: Romantic Drama


The Bridges of Madison County

Music/Lyrics: Jason Robert Brown  Book: Marsha Norman

Musical Type: Contemporary (2013)

Genre: Romantic Drama


The Gay Life

Music/Lyrics: Arthur Schwartz, Howard Dietz  Book: Fay Kanin, Michael Kanin

Musical Type: Post-Golden Age (1961)

Genre: Romantic Drama


The King and I

Music: Richard Rodgers  Lyrics/Book: Oscar Hammerstein II

Musical Type: Golden Age (1951)

Genre: Romantic Drama


The Light in the Piazza

Music/Lyrics: Adam Guettel  Book: Craig Lucas

Musical Type: Contemporary (2003)

Genre: Romantic Drama


The Threepenny Opera

Music: Kurt Weill  Lyrics/Book: Bertolt Brecht

Musical Type: Play with Music (1928)

Genre: Romantic Drama


Waitress

Music/Lyrics: Sara Bareilles  Book: Jessie Nelson

Musical Type: Contemporary (2015)

Genre: Romantic Drama


Other Romantic Genres

Busker Alley

Music/Lyrics: Richard M. Sherman, Robert B. Sherman  Book: A.J. Carothers

Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1995)

Genre: Romantic Dramedy


Charlotte Sweet

Music: Gerald Jay Markoe  Lyrics: Michael Colby

Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1982)

Genre: Romantic Dramedy


Dearest Enemy

Music: Richard Rodgers  Lyrics: Lorenz Hart  Book: Herbert Fields

Musical Type: Jazz Age/Operetta (1925)

Genre: Romantic Dramedy


Ghost

Music/Lyrics: Dave Stewart, Glen Ballard  Lyrics/Book: Bruce Joel Rubin

Musical Type: Contemporary (2011)

Genre: Fantasy/Romance/Thriller


I Do! I Do!

Music: Harvey Schmidt  Lyrics/Book: Tom Jones

Musical Type: Post-Golden Age (1966)

Genre: Romantic Dramedy


Leap of Faith

Music: Alan Menken  Lyrics: Glenn Slater  Book: Janus Cercone, Warren Leight

Musical Type: Contemporary (2010)

Genre: Romantic Dramedy


Sweet Charity

Music: Cy Coleman  Lyrics: Dorothy Fields  Book: Neil Simon

Musical Type: Post Golden Age (1966)

Genre: Romantic Dramedy


The Bodyguard

Music/Lyrics: Various  Book: Alexander Dinelaris

Musical Type: Contemporary/Jukebox (2012)

Genre: Romantic Thriller


Zorba

Music: John Kander  Lyrics: Fred Ebb  Book: Joseph Stein

Musical Type: Post-Golden Age (1968)

Genre: Romantic Dramedy


Other blog posts you might like:

Comedy Musicals

• Dramatic Musicals

• Disney Stage Musicals

Mystery Musicals

• Obscure Musicals

Popular Musicals


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Which of these romantic musicals is your favorite?

Or have you ever played a role in any of the above romantic 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 Romantic 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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