Category

Musicals based on plays

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West Side Story

American musical with a book by Arthur Laurents, music by Leonard Bernstein and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim

1956 musical based on Shaw's "Pygmalion"

1975 musical by John Kander and Fred Ebb

Oklahoma! is the first musical written by the duo of Rodgers and Hammerstein. The musical is based on Lynn Riggs's 1931 play, Green Grow the Lilacs. Set in farm country outside the town of Claremore, Indian Territory, in 1906, it tells the story of farm girl Laurey Williams and her courtship by two rival suitors, cowboy Curly McLain and the sinister and frightening farmhand Jud Fry. A secondary romance concerns cowboy Will Parker and his flirtatious fiancée, Ado Annie.

theatrical musical by John Kander debuted in 1966

Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street

1979 musical by Stephen Sondheim and Hugh Wheeler

Spring Awakening

rock musical with music by Duncan Sheik and a book and lyrics by Steven Sater

A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum

1945 musical by Richard Rodgers (music) and Oscar Hammerstein II (book and lyrics)

La Cage aux Folles

1983 musical composed by Jerry Herman, with libretto by Harvey Fierstein

1954 musical adaptation

No, No, Nanette

1924 musical comedy by Irving Caesar, Otto Harbach, and Vincent Youmans

musical with a book by Joe Masteroff, lyrics by Sheldon Harnick, and music by Jerry Bock

opera by Hans Werner Henze

The Fantasticks

musical by Harvey Schmidt and Tom Jones

Merrily We Roll Along

1926 musical with music by George Gershwin, lyrics by Ira Gershwin, book by Guy Bolton and P. G. Wodehouse.

1953 musical adapted by Charles Lederer and Luther Davis from the 1911 play of the same name by Edward Knoblock, with lyrics and musical adaptation by Robert Wright and George Forrest

The Student Prince

opera by Sigmund Romberg

The Boys from Syracuse

1938 musical by Richard Rodgers and Lorenz Hart

Whoopee! is a 1928 musical comedy play with a book based on Owen Davis's play, The Nervous Wreck. The musical libretto was written by William Anthony McGuire, with music by Walter Donaldson and lyrics by Gus Kahn. The musical premiered on Broadway in 1928, starring Eddie Cantor, and introduced the hit song "Love Me or Leave Me", sung by Ruth Etting. A film version opened in 1930.