23 Best Small Cast Musicals

Melancholy Play: A Chamber Musical

Centered on Tilly and her melancholy of distinct quality, Melancholy Play: A Chamber Musical tells the story of how every stranger she meets falls in love with her. Her melancholy inexplicably turns to happiness, however, and suddenly her lovers are tossed into chaos.

Even more upsetting, Tilly’s hairdresser Frances becomes so melancholy that she turns into an almond. It’s up to Tilly to figure out how to turn Frances back.

Murder for Two

Featuring a book and the music of Joe Kinosian and a book and lyrics of Kellen Blair, Murder for Two is a two-actor whodunit in which both actors sing and play the piano located onstage.

It is designed such that one actor plays all the suspects and ancillary characters while the other plays the policeman investigating the murder. It keeps both actors very busy.

The musical originally premiered in 2011 in Chicago, and from 2013 to 2014, it would go on to run Off-Broadway in New York.

Jerry’s Girls

Jerry’s Girls had humble beginnings as a presentation at a Manhattan nightclub. The revue featured four actresses along with composer and lyricist Jerry Herman.

Following the success of Herman’s La Cage Aux Folles, an all-star, full-scale version of Jerry’s Girls was mounted and launched in February 1984 in Palm Beach, Florida, at the Royal Poinciana Playhouse.

The show toured, and it was a success. The revue would go on to premiere on Broadway in December 1985 at the St. James Theatre in New York City. It ran for 14 previews and 141 performances.

Jerry’s Girls puts the brilliant songwriting of Jerry Herman front and center while honoring more than 40 female stars who’ve appeared in his musicals.

Lady Day at Emerson’s Bar & Grill

This jukebox musical, written by Lanie Robertson, explores some of jazz and swing music singer Billie Holiday’s pivotal life moments. It also features several Holiday classics, like “God Bless the Child,” “Somebody’s on My Mind,” and “Don’t Explain.”

The musical premiered in Atlanta, Georgia, at the Alliance Theatre, in April 1986. An Off-Broadway run would begin shortly after in June 1986 and closed after 281 performances.

The musical is set in South Philadelphia, in March 1959. It narrows in on Holiday, who is giving one of her final performances in a dingy bar. She sings and shares stories from her life while becoming more intoxicated and by the end, increasingly incoherent.

Now. Here. This.

From the team of [title of show] comes Now. Here. This., a four-person musical exploring life’s difficult questions, such as friendship, outer space, reptiles, and death.

The show debuted Off-Broadway in March 2012 at the Vineyard Theatre in New York City. The show had a short run, closing in April 2012.

Set in a natural history museum, Now. Here. This. follows the journey of four friends who travel from the present, to the past, and back to the present. The museum exhibits prompt them to share stories from their own lives along the way.

Nunsense

Featuring the music, lyrics, and book of writer, composer, and lyricist Dan Goggin, Nunsense is a comedy musical originally based on a line of greeting cards.

The concept was further developed by Goggin, who created a cabaret show that ultimately turned into a full-length musical.

The Off-Broadway production would open in December 1985 and would run for 3,672 performances. This made it the second longest-running Off-Broadway production ever.

Nunsense was also adapted for TV, and it even inspired three spin-offs and six sequels.

The hilarious story follows five nuns who are doing their best to manage a fundraiser because the rest of the sisterhood died of botulism. The remaining nuns must raise the funds necessary to bury the deceased.

Ordinary Days

Sung-through musical, Ordinary Days follows four characters – Claire, Jason, Warren, and Deb, who discover how their ordinary lives connect in extraordinary ways. The musical is set in New York City.

Ordinary Days features the music and lyrics of composer and lyricist Adam Gwon. The show opened Off-West End in 2008 and Off-Broadway in 2009. It continues to play across the world.

Pete ‘n’ Keely

Featuring the music of Patrick Brady, the lyrics of Mark Waldrop and Patrick S. Brady (among others), and a book by James Hindman, small scale musical Pete ‘n’ Keely premiered Off-Broadway in December 2000 at the John Houseman Theatre.

The story narrows in on a divorced signing duo who reunite on a TV special, reprise their best songs, and go off script to bicker with each other, much to the amusement of viewing audiences.

Pump Boys and Dinettes

Written by a performance group of the same name, Pump Boys and Dinettes premiered on Broadway in February 1982. Originally a two-man show, the musical grew from humble beginnings.

The story follows two women and four men who work at a gas station / dinette located somewhere between Smyrna and Frog Level, California.

Romance/Romance

With music by Keith Herrmann and lyrics and a book by Barry Harman, Romance/Romance is a two-act musical. The two acts, however, are only linked by one song (performed in each act) and the common theme of love.

The first act, The Little Comedy, is based on an Arthur Schnitzler short story that explores the relationship between a couple, with a twist – both parties have adopted personalities separate from their own.

The second act, Summer Share, is based on the 1898 play Le pain de ménage by French author Jules Renard. Two married thirtysomething couples spend time in a rented cottage, as innocuous flirtation quickly turns into the possibility of an affair.

The Ballad of Little Jo

Based on a film of the same name, The Ballad of Little Jo follows the true story of Josephine Monaghan. Josephine disguised herself as a man named “Jo,” living in a tough Idaho mining town for almost 20 years.

With the music of Grammy-winning songwriter Mike Reid, the folk-ballad-infused music of The Ballad of Little Jo brings the story to life.

The musical also features the lyrics of Sarah Schlesinger, along with a book by Sarah Schlesinger, Mike Reid, and John Dias.

Top Small Cast Musicals, Final Thoughts

Did you find what you were looking for? Which production do you wish you caught? What musical do you plan to see next?

Musicals for small casts are nothing if not innovative, often relying on the strengths of the performers, auditory cues, and props for storytelling. That’s what makes them worth seeing! So, be sure to support your favorite musicals.