13 Broadway Shows For History Buffs
If you're a history fan looking to check out some historical-based Broadway musicals, look no further!
By: Stephi Wild Nov. 07, 2021
Historical themes have always been incorporated into stage shows, from classic Broadway musicals to contemporary productions. Contrary to what some may believe, not all historical-themed productions are old Broadway musicals. Several historical musicals have gone on to become classics, though this is not specifically a golden age musicals list.
Hamilton may be one of the most famous examples of a newer musical that was based on historical events, but more have begun to emerge recently as well, including Six and Diana. Another fan-favorite is Newsies, and recently Oklahoma! has gotten a resurgence following the Broadway revival in 2019.
Check out our top 10 favorite Broadway musicals about history in the list below!
Hamilton
When most people think about a historical-based musical, Hamilton is the first one to come to mind. Lin-Manuel Miranda's show rose to fame in 2015, making Alexander Hamilton a household name.
The musical tells the unlikely story of the ten-dollar founding father, Alexander Hamilton who was young, scrappy, and hungry and ready to mark his mark on this new nation. From bastard orphan to George Washington's right hand man, rebel to war hero, loving husband caught in the country's first sex scandal to the Treasury secretary who made an untrusting world believe in the American economy, Hamilton is an exploration of a political mastermind. This revolutionary tale of America's fiery founding is told through the sounds of the what this nation has become.
Hamilton premiered Off-Broadway on February 17, 2015, at The Public Theater, and it won eight Drama Desk Awards, including Outstanding Musical. It then transferred to the Richard Rodgers Theatre on Broadway, opening on August 6, 2015, receiving a record-breaking 16 Tony nominations and 11 awards, including Best Musical. It received the 2016 Pulitzer Prize for Drama. A filmed version of the Broadway production was released in 2020 on Disney+.
Learn more about Hamilton, and stay up to date on all news, here.
Six
Six is another relatively new one, with the musical coming out of the UK in 2017, before transferring to the West End, Broadway and embarking on several tours.
From Tudor queens to pop princesses, in this new musical experience, the six wives of Henry VIII take the mic to reclaim their identities and finally move out of the shadow of their infamous spouse. Remixing five hundred years of historical heartbreak into a 21st century musical celebration about girl power, this all-female cast and band bring to life one of the most popular and viral scores of the decade in an exciting and thrilling stage show unlike anything else you've ever experienced on Broadway.
The musical features a book, music, and lyrics by Toby Marlow and Lucy Moss, with its world premiere taking place at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe in 2017, presented by Cambridge University Musical Theatre Society. Later that year, the show made its professional debut, and then launched a UK tour in July 2018. The production briefly transferred to the Arts Theatre in the West End on 30 August 2018, and then returned on 17 January 2019. Several subsequent productions were announced, including further UK tours, and productions in Australia and New Zealand. The show is now playing at Broadway's Brooks Atkinson Theatre.
Learn more about Six, and stay up to date on all news, here.
Assassins
Assassins is a musical with music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim and a book by John Weidman, based on an original concept by Charles Gilbert Jr. The musical focuses on a group of historical figures who attempted to assassinate Presidents of the United States, and explores what their presence in American history says about the ideals of their life and country. The score is written to reflect both popular music of the various eras.
The original production premiered Off-Broadway in 1990, and later was revived on Broadway in 2004. That year, it won five Tony Awards, including Best Revival of a Musical. There have been several subsequent productions in London's West End, and regionally across several countries. The musical is set to be revived off-Broadway in November 2021, after being delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Learn more about the upcoming production here.
1776
1776 is yet another musical based on the early days of our country, with music and lyrics by Sherman Edwards and a book by Peter Stone. The show is based on the events leading up to the signing of the Declaration of Independence, telling a story of the efforts of John Adams to persuade his colleagues to sign the document.
The show premiered on Broadway in 1969, and earned won three Tony Awards, including Best Musical. In 1972, it was made into a film adaptation. A Broadway revival ran in 1997, and subsequent productions have run in London, Australia, Chicago, and on tour. A new Broadway revival is in the works, featuring an all-female cast, but it was delayed due to COVID-19.
Stay up to date on news about the upcoming production here.
Allegiance
Inspired by George Takei's true-life experience, Allegiance is an untold American story spanning from the lush California heartland, to the windswept prairies of Wyoming, to the European battlefields of World War II- a multi-generational tale of one Japanese American family's love, optimism and unparalleled heroism in the face of unimaginable circumstances.
The musical premiered in September 2012 in San Diego, California and then had a run on Broadway from October 2015 to February 2016.
Learn more about the Broadway production and check out our coverage here.
Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson
This show takes on a comedic view, in the form of a rock musical about the founding of the Democratic Party. It redefines Andrew Jackson, America's seventh President, as an emo rock star and focuses on populism, the Indian Removal Act, and his relationship with his wife Rachel.
Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson features music and lyrics written by Michael Friedman and a book written by its director Alex Timbers. It opened Off-Broadway in May 2009 at The Public Theater, and premiered on Broadway the following year.
Learn more and check out flashbacks to our coverage of the 2010 Broadway production here.
Diana, The Musical
The newest musical on this list, Diana tells the story of the titular princess, from director Christopher Ashley, and writers Joe DiPietro and David Bryan.
Engaged to a prince she barely knows, 19-year-old Diana Spencer is thrust onto the world stage and, overnight, becomes the most famous woman in the world. As she struggles to navigate her way within the rigid structure of the royal family, Princess Diana finds herself trapped in a loveless marriage, eventually finding her voice by devoting herself to those in need. Forced to endure a media spotlight brighter than the world has ever known, Princess Diana defies all expectations to emerge as her own woman and create a legacy that will endure forever.
The production began Broadway performances prior to the COVID-19 shutdown, and returned on November 2, 2021, ahead of a November 17 opening. The production was also filmed and is now available to stream on Netflix.
Learn more about the Broadway production here.
Evita
The story of Eva Peron is immortalized in the musical Evita, written by Andrew Lloyd Webber. Elaine Paige originated the role in the West End in 1978, and Patti LuPone played the part in the original Broadway cast in 1979.
Evita tells the story of the life of Argentine political leader Eva Perón, the second wife of Argentine president Juan Perón, and follows her early life, rise to power, charity work, and death.
The musical began as a rock opera concept album released in 1976, before opening in London's West End in 1978, winning the Laurence Olivier Award for Best Musical. Evita opened on Broadway a year later, where it was the first British musical to receive the Tony Award for Best Musical. The musical was turned into a film, starring Madonna, in 1996, and was revived in London in 2006, on Broadway in 2012, and again in the West End in 2014.
Learn more about the most recent Broadway revival and check out our coverage here.
Newsies
Newsies is one example that started as a film before eventually moving to the stage and becoming a cult classic. Based on the real-life Newsboys Strike of 1899 in New York City, the musical tells the story of Jack Kelly and his unlikely band of underdogs who take on the biggest names in publishing in a fight for justice.
Newsies features music by Alan Menken, lyrics by Jack Feldman, and a book by Harvey Fierstein based on the film's screenplay by Bob Tzudiker and Noni White. It premiered at the Paper Mill Playhouse in 2011 and made its Broadway debut in 2012. The production was filmed for a limited theatrical release, and later became available to stream online.
Learn more about the Broadway production and check out our coverage here.
Porgy and Bess
With music by George Gershwin and a libretto by DuBose and Dorothy Heyward and Ira Gershwin, Porgy and Bess explores the relationships among members of a close-knit community in 1920s South Carolina. The score is infused with timeless melodies that have become standards of the Great American Songbook.
The production premiered in 1935 and was revived in 1942. The Gershwins' Porgy and Bess, an adapted production directed by Diane Paulus, premiered at The American Repertory Theatre in 2011, before transferring to Broadway later that year. There have been several subsequent productions across the United States, and around the world, including in London.
Learn more about the most recent Broadway production and check out our coverage here.
Come From Away
Come From Away tells a fictionalized version of the real-life story of what transpired when 38 planes were ordered to land unexpectedly in the small town of Gander, Newfoundlandr, Canada. The characters in the musical are based on real Gander residents who took in, housed, and fed, 7,000 stranded travelers.
The musical opened on Broadway at the Gerald Schoenfeld Theatre in 2017, after runs in Toronto, San Diego, Seattle, and Washington, D.C. The production was nominated for seven Tony Awards including Best Musical, Best Original Score, Best Book of a Musical and Best Featured Actress in a Musical for Jenn Colella, winning for Best Direction of a Musical for Christopher Ashley.
There have been subsequent productions in Canada, regionally in the United States, London, Australia, and more. The musical was also filmed with its original Broadway cast and is now available to stream on Apple TV+.
Learn more and stay up to date on all news regarding the Broadway production here.
Oklahoma!
Oklahoma!, the first musical written by the duo of Rodgers and Hammerstein, is set in farm country outside the town of Claremore, Indian Territory, in 1906. The musical is based on Lynn Riggs' 1931 play, Green Grow the Lilacs, and tells the story of farm girl Laurey Williams and her courtship by two rival suitors, cowboy Curly McLain and the sinister and farmhand Jud Fry.
The original Broadway production opened on March 31, 1943. There have been several subsequent revivals, national tours, foreign productions and an Oscar-winning 1955 film adaptation. The most recent Broadway revival ran in 2019, in a reimagined production for the musicals' 75th anniversary. The production was nominated for eight Tony Awards and won Best Revival of a Musical and Best Featured Actress in a Musical for Ali Stroker.
Learn more about the 2019 Broadway revival and check out all of our coverage here.
Ragtime
Ragtime is a musical with music by Stephen Flaherty, lyrics by Lynn Ahrens, and a book by Terrence McNally, based on the 1975 novel of the same name by E.L. Doctorow.
The musical is set in the early 20th century, and tells the story of three groups in the United States: African Americans, upper-class suburbanites, and Eastern European immigrants. The show incorporates historical figures such as Harry Houdini, Evelyn Nesbit, Booker T. Washington, J. P. Morgan, Henry Ford, Stanford White, Harry Kendall Thaw, Admiral Peary, Matthew Henson, and Emma Goldman.
The original Broadway production opened in 1998, and there have been subsequent productions around the world including in London, Australia, and Scandanavia. A Broadway revival ran in 2009, and Manhattan Concert Productions held a one-night only concert of the musical in 2013. A reunion concert was planned for 2020 but was put on hold due to COVID-19.
Did we miss one of your favorites? Tell us which historical Broadway musical you like best!
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