51+ Sung-Through Musicals – The Full List of Shows
Looking for a musical that’s sung from start to finish? The following shows have very little dialogue in them and use song to move the story forward. Here’s the full list of sung-through musicals.
The following list is broken down into two categories – “Sung-Through Musicals” and “Nearly Sung-Through Musicals“. Each category is sorted alphabetically.
* Although not included below, song cycles and musical revues are also usually sung-through.
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Sung-Through Musicals
Music/Lyrics: Clark Baxtresser
Musical Type: Contemporary (2020)
Cast Size: 14
Music/Lyrics/Book: Robert J. Sherman
Musical Type: Contemporary (2016)
Cast Size: 13+
Music: Andrew Lloyd Webber Lyrics: T.S. Eliot, Trevor Nunn, Richard Stilgoe
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1981)
Cast Size: 20+
Music: Gerald Jay Markoe Lyrics: Michael Colby
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1982)
Cast Size: 8
Music: Andrew Lloyd Webber Lyrics: Tim Rice
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1976)
Cast Size: 10+
Music: Polly Pen Lyrics: Peggy Harman
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1985)
Cast Size: 2
Music: Fatboy Slim Music/Lyrics: David Byrne
Musical Type: Contemporary (2013)
Cast Size: 10+
Music: Andrew Lloyd Webber Lyrics: Tim Rice
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1968)
Cast Size: 20+
Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat
Music: Andrew Lloyd Webber Lyrics: Tim Rice
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1968)
Cast Size: 20+
Music/Lyrics: Claude-Michel Schönberg Lyrics: Alan Boublil, Herbert Kretzmer, Jean-Marc Natel
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1980)
Cast Size: 30+
Music: Brad Ross Lyrics: Ellen Greenfield, Hal Hackady
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1999)
Cast Size: 3
Music: Claude-Michel Schönberg Lyrics: Alain Boublil, Richard Maltby, Jr.
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1989)
Cast Size: 15+
Music/Lyrics: Billy Joel
Musical Type: Contemporary (2002)
Cast Size: 7+
Music/Lyrics: Juliana Nash Lyrics/Book: Julia Jordan
Musical Type: Contemporary (2012)
Cast Size: 4
Music/Lyrics: Adam Gwon
Musical Type: Contemporary (2008)
Cast Size: 4
Music: Andrew Lloyd Webber Lyrics: Don Black, Richard Maltby Jr.
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1982)
Cast Size: 1
Music: Andrew Lloyd Webber, Alistair Lloyd Webber Lyrics: Richard Stilgoe, David Yazbek, Nick Coler
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1984)
Cast Size: 25+
Music: Andrew Lloyd Webber Lyrics: Don Black
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1979)
Cast Size: 1
Music: Jerome Moross Libretto: John Latouche
Musical Type: Golden Age (1954)
Cast Size: 30+
Music: Galt MacDermot Libretto: William Dumaresq
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1983)
Cast Size: 22
Music: Andrew Lloyd Webber Lyrics: Tim Rice
Musical Type: Post-Golden Age/Contemporary (1965/2005)
Cast Size: 8+
Nearly Sung-Through Musicals
These musicals are nearly sung-through with just a tiny bit of spoken dialogue. Also, a book writer has been credited in the following.
Music/Lyrics/Book: William Finn Book: James Lapine
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1998)
Cast Size: 10
Music: Green Day Lyrics/Book: Billie Joe Armstrong Book: Michael Mayer
Musical Type: Contemporary (2009)
Cast Size: 10+
Music/Book: Andrew Lloyd Webber Lyrics: Don Black, Charles Hart
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1989)
Cast Size: 25+
Music/Book: Damon Intrabartolo Lyrics/Book: Jon Hartmere
Musical Type: Contemporary (2000)
Cast Size: 15+
Music: Jeanine Tesori Lyrics/Book: Tony Kushner
Musical Type: Contemporary (2003)
Cast Size: 16
Music: Benny Andersson, Björn Ulvaeus Lyrics: Tim Rice Book: Richard Nelson
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1984)
Cast Size: 15+
Music/Lyrics/Book: Irene Sankoff, David Hein
Musical Type: Contemporary (2013)
Cast Size: 12+
Music/Lyrics/Book: William Finn Book: James Lapine
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1992)
Cast Size: 7
Music/Lyrics/Book: Anaïs Mitchell
Musical Type: Contemporary (2006)
Cast Size: 11+
Music/Lyrics/Book: Lin-Manuel Miranda
Musical Type: Contemporary (2015)
Cast Size: 13+
Music/Lyrics/Book: William Finn
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1979)
Cast Size: 4
Music: Frank Wildhorn Lyrics/Book: Leslie Bricusse
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1990)
Cast Size: 14+
Music/Lyrics/Book: Richard Thomas, Stewart Lee
Musical Type: Contemporary (2001)
Cast Size: 11+
Music/Book: Andrew Lippa Lyrics/Book: Tom Greenwald
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1995)
Cast Size: 2
Music/Lyrics: Steven Cheslik-DeMeyer, Alan Stevens Hewitt Music/Lyrics/Book: Tim Maner
Musical Type: Contemporary (2009)
Cast Size: 4
Music/Book: Andrew Lloyd Webber Lyrics/Book: Glenn Slater Book: Ben Elton, Frederick Forsyth
Musical Type: Contemporary (2010)
Cast Size: 12+
Music/Book: Claude-Michel Schönberg Lyrics/Book: Alain Boublil Lyrics: Edward Hardy, Stephen Clark
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1996)
Cast Size: 20+
Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812
Music/Lyrics/Book: Dave Malloy
Musical Type: Contemporary (2012)
Cast Size: 16+
Music: Tom Kitt Lyrics/Book: Brian Yorkey
Musical Type: Contemporary (2008)
Cast Size: 6
Music: Stephen Flaherty Lyrics/Book: Lynn Ahrens
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1990)
Cast Size: 10+
Music/Lyrics: Jason Robert Brown Book: Alfred Uhry
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1998)
Cast Size: 20+
Music/Lyrics/Book: Stew Music: Heidi Rodewald
Musical Type: Contemporary (2006)
Cast Size: 7
Music: Stephen Flaherty Lyrics: Lynn Ahrens Book: Terrence McNally
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1996)
Cast Size: 20+
Music/Lyrics/Book: Jonathan Larson
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1996)
Cast Size: 13+
Music/Book: Stephen Flaherty Lyrics/Book: Lynn Ahrens
Musical Type: Contemporary (2000)
Cast Size: 15+
Music: Henry Krieger Lyrics/Book: Bill Russell
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1997)
Cast Size: 25+
Music: Andrew Lloyd Webber Lyrics/Book: Don Black, Christopher Hampton
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1991)
Cast Size: 45+
Music/Lyrics/Book: Paul Shapera
Musical Type: Contemporary (2012)
Cast Size: 12+
Music/Lyrics/Book: Jason Robert Brown
Musical Type: Contemporary (2001)
Cast Size: 2
Music/Lyrics/Book: Frank Loesser
Musical Type: Golden Age (1956)
Cast Size: 10+
Music/Book: Andrew Lloyd Webber Lyrics: Charles Hart Lyrics/Book: Richard Stilgoe
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1986)
Cast Size: 25+
Music/Book: Claude-Michel Schönberg Lyrics: John Dempsey Lyrics/Book: Alain Boublil, Richard Maltby, Jr.
Musical Type: Contemporary (2006)
Cast Size: 20+
Music/Lyrics/Book: Pete Townshend Book: Des McAnuff
Musical Type: Pre-Contemporary (1992)
Cast Size: 14+
Music: Andrew Lloyd Webber Lyrics: David Zippel Book: Charlotte Jones
Musical Type: Contemporary (2004)
Cast Size: 14+
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Which of these sung-through musicals is your favorite?
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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.