Summer Musicals – 32 Hot Shows for the Season
Whether you’re doing some research, putting on a show, or simply looking for 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 for you! A full list of summer musicals are listed below. The following shows either mention the season or are set in summertime.
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Musicals That Mention Summer
Anne of Green Gables
Musical Type: Post-Golden Age (1965)
Songs That Mention Summer: “Where Did the Summer Go To”, “Ice Cream”
Grease
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1971)
Songs That Mention Summer: “Summer Nights”
Mamma Mia!
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary/Jukebox (1999)
Songs That Mention Summer: “Our Last Summer”
Marry Me a Little
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary/Revue (1980)
Songs That Mention Summer: “The Girls of Summer”
Porgy and Bess
Musical Type: Opera (1935)
Songs That Mention Summer: “Summertime”
Rags
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1986)
Songs That Mention Summer: “Blame It on the Summer Night”, “Three Sunny Rooms”
Seventeen
Musical Type: Golden Age (1951)
Songs That Mention Summer: “Things Are Gonna Hum This Summer”, “Summertime is Summertime”
Spring Awakening
Musical Type: Contemporary (2006)
Songs That Mention Summer: “The Song of Purple Summer”
The Last Five Years
Musical Type: Contemporary (2001)
Songs That Mention Summer: “A Summer in Ohio”
The Most Happy Fella
Musical Type: Golden Age (1956)
Songs That Mention Summer: “Song of a Summer Night”, “Warm All Over”
Two Gentlemen of Verona
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1971)
Songs That Mention Summer: “Summer, Summer”
Wish You Were Here
Musical Type: Golden Age (1952)
Songs That Mention Summer: “Summer Afternoon”
Musicals That Mention Heat/Weather
110 in the Shade
Musical Type: Post-Golden Age (1963)
Songs That Mention Heat: “Gonna Be Another Hot Day”
As Thousands Cheer
Musical Type: Jazz Age/Revue (1933)
Songs That Mention Heat: “Heat Wave”
Bright Star
Musical Type: Contemporary (2014)
Songs That Mention Heat: “Sun is Gonna Shine”
Kiss Me, Kate
Musical Type: Golden Age (1948)
Songs That Mention Heat: “Too Darn Hot”
New Girl in Town
Musical Type: Golden Age (1957)
Songs That Mention Heat: “Sunshine Girl”
Street Scene
Musical Type: Opera (1947)
Songs That Mention Heat: “Ain’t It Awful, the Heat?”
Sunday in the Park with George
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1984)
Songs That Mention Heat: “It’s Hot Up Here”
Musicals with Summer Vibes
Bullets Over Broadway
Musical Type: Contemporary Jukebox (2014)
Songs with Summer Vibes: “I Want a Hot Dog for My Roll”
By the Beautiful Sea
Musical Type: Golden Age (1954)
Songs with Summer Vibes: “The Sea Song”, “Coney Island Boat”
Escape to Margaritaville
Musical Type: Contemporary/Jukebox (2017)
Songs with Summer Vibes: “Coconut Telegraph Medley”
Falsettos
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1992)
Songs with Summer Vibes: “The Baseball Game”
Flying Over Sunset
Musical Type: Contemporary (2021)
Songs with Summer Vibes: “A Sapphire Dragonfly”, “Flying Over Sunset”
Good News!
Musical Type: Jazz Age (1927)
Songs with Summer Vibes: “Keep Your Sunny Side Up”, “Life is Just a Bowl of Cherries”
Honeymoon in Vegas
Musical Type: Contemporary (2013)
Songs with Summer Vibes: “Out of the Sun”, “Hawaii”
In the Heights
Musical Type: Contemporary (2005)
Songs with Summer Vibes: “Piragua”, “When the Sun Goes Down”
Mary Poppins
Musical Type: Post-Golden Age/Contemporary (1964/2004)
Songs with Summer Vibes: “Let’s Go Fly a Kite”, “Jolly Holiday”
Me and My Girl
Musical Type: Jazz Age (1937)
Songs with Summer Vibes: “The Sun Has Got His Hat On”
Once on This Island
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1990)
Songs with Summer Vibes: “Waiting for Life”
Salad Days
Musical Type: Golden Age (1954)
Songs with Summer Vibes: “I Sit in the Sun”, “Sand in My Eyes”
Musical Info ➝
Seussical
Musical Type: Contemporary (2000)
Songs with Summer Vibes: “Mayzie in Palm Beach”
Sugar
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1972)
Songs with Summer Vibes: “Sun on My Face”
The Little Mermaid
Musical Type: 1989 Film/Contemporary Musical (2007)
Songs with Summer Vibes: “Under the Sea”
Want a weekly list of stagey surprises?!
Which of these summer musicals is your favorite?
Or have you ever played a role in any of the above summer 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.
