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Best Musicals for High Schools

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Published on: Jun 19, 2024
By: Lindsey Melrost
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One of the great American traditions, the high school musical is where many young people unlock a lifelong love of theater. Most high schools across the US provide musical theater programs that give students the opportunity to audition, rehearse, and perform for an audience of their peers and families. Students can also get involved in backstage roles, including stage management, set and costume design, lighting, and more. Some view high school theater as a fun extracurricular activity, while others will go on to pursue a career in theater.

Each year, teachers have the task of selecting and licensing the musicals their high school students will perform. They need to consider criteria such as budget, cast size, and suitable subject matter. Teen editions (also called school editions) of musicals are incredibly useful, since they are shorter in length, edited for inappropriate content, have simplified technical requirements, and are adjusted for teen voices. Typically, teachers look for shows with a large ensemble cast to allow as many students as possible to participate in performing roles.

We’ve compiled a list of the most popular musicals for high schools, taking into account the latest information from the Educational Theatre Association on the musicals most frequently licensed by school theater programs. Shows based on popular films are a clear trend, and Disney musicals (known for their large ensemble casts) are a strong presence on the list. Note that many of the shows have options for full-length or teen/junior editions, so be sure to choose the version that best fits your school’s needs. For more information on licensing and frequently asked questions, read to the end!

Most Popular Musicals for High School Performances

The Addams Family Musical

The Addams Family

Cast: 10 roles + ensemble

Info: Created by Marshall Brickman, Rick Elice, and Andrew Lippa; based on the cartoon by Charles Addams. Premiered on Broadway at the Lunt-Fontanne Theatre in 2010.

Tony Nominations: Best Score; Best Featured Actor

Frozen Jr

Disney’s Frozen

Cast: 15 roles + ensemble

Info: Created by Kristin Anderson-Lopez, Robert Lopez, and Jennifer Lee; based on the 2013 Disney film. Premiered on Broadway at the St. James Theatre in 2018 and currently running in the West End.

Tony Nominations: Best Musical; Best Book; Best Score

Note: Only Frozen JR. is available to license. The full-length version is not currently available.

Mamma-Mia--West-End-London-Logo

Mamma Mia!

Cast: 13 roles + ensemble

Info: Created by Catherine Johnson, Benny Andersson, and Björn Ulvaeus, and based on the music of ABBA. Premiered in the West End in 1999 and on Broadway at the Royal Alexandra Theatre in 2000. The show is still running in London, making it the sixth-longest running show in West End history.

Tony Nominations: Best Musical; Best Book; Best Actress; Best Featured Actress; Best Orchestrations

Matilda the Musical on the West End

Roald Dahl’s Matilda: The Musical

Cast: 14 roles + ensemble

Info: Created by Dennis Kelly and Tim Minchin and based on the book by Roald Dahl. Premiered in the West End in 2011 and on Broadway in 2013. The show is still running in London with performances scheduled until May 2025.

Tony Awards: Best Book; Best Featured Actor; Best Scenic Design; Best Lighting

Tony Nominations: Best Musical; Best Score; Best Direction; Best Choreography; Best Orchestrations; Best Actor; Best Featured Actress; Best Costume Design

Into the Woods Musical

Into the Woods

Cast: 18 roles

Info: Created by Stephen Sondheim and James Lapine; based on the Brothers Grimm fairytales. Premiered on Broadway at the Martin Beck Theatre in 1987.

Tony Awards: Best Book; Best Score; Best Actress

Tony Nominations: Best Musical; Best Direction; Best Featured Actor; Best Choreography; Best Scenic Design; Best Costume Design; Best Lighting  

Newsies the Musical

Disney’s Newsies

Cast: 9 roles + ensemble

Info: Created by Harvey Fierstein, Alan Menken, and Jack Feldman; based on the 1992 Disney film. Premiered on Broadway at the Nederlander Theatre in 2012.

Tony Awards: Best Score; Best Choreography

Tony Nominations: Best Musical; Best Book; Best Direction; Best Actor; Best Scenic Design; Best Orchestrations

Willy Wonka Musical

Roald Dahl’s Willy Wonka

Cast: 13 roles + ensemble

Info: Created by Leslie Bricusse and Anthony Newley; based on the book Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl and the 1971 film of the same name.

Note: This musical was commissioned by Music Theatre International for licensing purposes and has not been produced on Broadway. Though they share the same source material, Willy Wonka has no affiliation with the musical Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, which played on Broadway in 2017. Willy Wonka is closer to the 1971 film and includes beloved songs like “Candy Man” and “Pure Imagination.”

Beauty and the Beast Musical

Disney’s Beauty and the Beast

Cast: 18 roles + ensemble

Info: Created by Alan Menken, Howard Ashman, Tim Rice, and Linda Woolverton; based on the 1991 Disney film. Premiered on Broadway at the Palace Theatre in 1994.

Tony Awards: Best Costume Design

Tony Nominations: Best Musical; Best Book; Best Score; Best Direction; Best Actress; Best Actor; Best Featured Actor; Best Lighting

Annie Musical

Annie

Cast: 8 roles + ensemble

Info: Created by Charles Strouse, Martin Charnin, and Thomas Meehan; based on the comic strip by Harold Gray. Premiered on Broadway at the Alvin Theatre (now the Neil Simon Theatre) in 1977.

Tony Awards: Best Musical; Best Book; Best Score; Best Actress (Dorothy Loudon); Best Choreography; Best Scenic Design; Best Costume Design

Tony Nominations: Best Direction; Best Actor; Best Actress (Andrea McArdle)

The Little Mermaid Musical

Disney’s The Little Mermaid

Cast: 12 roles + ensemble

Info: Created by Alan Menken, Howard Ashman, Glenn Slater, and Doug Wright; based on the 1989 Disney film. Premiered on Broadway at the Lunt-Fontanne Theatre in 2008.

Tony Nominations: Best Score; Best Lighting

High School Musical

Disney’s High School Musical

Cast: 11 roles + ensemble

Info: Created by David Simpatico and various composers; based on the 2006 Disney Channel Original Movie. The show toured the US from 2007 – 2008.

Note: This musical has not been produced on Broadway.

The SpongeBob Musical

The SpongeBob Musical

Cast: 16 roles + ensemble

Info: Created by Kyle Jarrow, Tina Landau, and various composers; based on the animated TV series. Premiered on Broadway at the Palace Theatre in 2017.

Tony Awards: Best Scenic Design

Tony Nominations: Best Musical; Best Book; Best Score; Best Direction; Best Actor; Best Featured Actor; Best Orchestrations; Best Choreography; Best Sound Design; Best Costume Design; Best Lighting

Chicago-Broadway

Chicago

Cast: 19 roles + ensemble

Info: Created by John Kander, Fred Ebb, and Bob Fosse. Premiered on Broadway in 1975 at the 46th Street Theatre (now the Richard Rodgers Theatre).

Tony Nominations: Best Musical; Best Book; Best Score; Best Direction; Best Actor; Best Actress; Best Choreography; Best Scenic Design; Best Costume Design; Best Lighting

West Side Story School Edition

West Side Story

Cast: 10 roles + ensemble

Info: Created by Arthur Laurents, Leonard Bernstein, and Stephen Sondheim; loosely based on William Shakespeare’s Romeo & Juliet. Premiered on Broadway at the Winter Garden Theatre in 1957.

Tony Awards: Best Scenic Design; Best Choreography

Tony Nominations: Best Musical; Best Featured Actress; Best Costume Design; Best Conductor and Musical Director

The Music Man

The Music Man

Cast: 13 roles + ensemble

Info: Created by Meredith Willson and Franklin Lacey. Premiered at The Majestic Theatre in 1957.

Tony Awards: Best Musical; Best Actor; Best Featured Actress; Best Featured Actor; Best Conductor and Musical Director

Tony Nominations: Best Direction; Best Choreography

The Lion King Jr

Disney’s The Lion King Jr

Cast: 17 roles + ensemble

Info: Created by Elton John, Tim Rice, Will Van Dyke, Lebo M, Mark Mancina, Jay Rifkin, Roger Allers, and Irene Mecchi; based on the 1994 Disney film. Premiered on Broadway at the New Amsterdam Theatre in 1997. The Lion King is still running today at the Minskoff Theatre.

Tony Awards: Best Musical; Best Direction; Best Choreography; Best Scenic Design; Best Costume Design; Best Lighting

Tony Nominations: Best Book; Best Score; Best Featured Actor; Best Featured Actress; Best Orchestrations

Note: Only The Lion King JR. is available to license. The full-length version is not currently available.

Legally Blonde: The Musical

Cast: 7 roles + ensemble

Info: Created by Heather Hach, Laurence O’Keefe, and Nell Benjamin; based on the 2001 film. Premiered on Broadway at the Palace Theatre in 2007.

Tony Nominations: Best Musical; Best Score; Best Actress; Best Featured Actor; Best Featured Actress; Best Choreography; Best Costume Design

Mean Girls High School Version

Mean Girls

Cast: 10 roles + ensemble

Info: Created by Tina Fey, Jeff Richmond, and Nell Benjamin; based on the 2004 film. Premiered on Broadway at the August Wilson Theatre in 2018.

Tony Nominations: Best Musical; Best Book; Best Score; Best Direction; Best Actress; Best Featured Actor; Best Featured Actress; Best Orchestrations; Best Choreography; Best Sound Design; Best Costume Design; Best Scenic Design

Little Shop of Horrors

Cast: 8 roles

Info: Created by Alan Menken and Howard Ashman. Premiered on Broadway at the Virginia Theatre (now the August Wilson Theatre) in 2003. This musical featuring a man-eating plant is currently playing off-Broadway at the Westside Theatre.

Tony Nominations: Best Actor

Shrek the Musical

Shrek: The Musical

Cast: 7 roles + ensemble

Info: Created by David Lindsay-Abaire and Jeanine Tesori; based on the 2001 DreamWorks animated film. Premiered on Broadway at the Broadway Theatre in 2008.

Tony Awards: Best Costume Design

Tony Nominations: Best Musical; Best Book; Best Score; Best Actor; Best Actress; Best Featured Actor; Best Orchestrations

Mary Poppins Musical

Disney’s Mary Poppins

Cast: 16 roles + ensemble

Info: Created by Richard M. Sherman, Robert B. Sherman, and Julian Fellowes; based on the books by P.L. Travers and the 1964 film. Premiered in the West End in 2004 and on Broadway at the New Amsterdam Theatre in 2006.

Tony Awards: Best Scenic Design

Tony Nominations: Best Musical; Best Actor; Best Featured Actress; Best Choreography; Best Costume Design; Best Lighting

Peter Pan Musical

Peter Pan

Cast: 9 roles + ensemble

Info: Created by Carolyn Leigh, Morris "Moose" Charlap, Jule Styne, Betty Comden and Adolph Green; based on the 1904 play by J.M. Barrie. Premiered on Broadway at the Winter Garden Theatre in 1954.

Tony Awards: Best Actress; Best Featured Actor; Best Stage Technician

Alice in Wonderland

Alice in Wonderland

Cast: 10 roles + ensemble

Info: Created by Jim Eiler and Jeanne Bargy; based on the books by Lewis Carroll and the 1951 Disney film.

Note: This musical was created for regional and educational performance and has not been produced on Broadway.

You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown

You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown

Cast: 6 roles

Info: Created by Clark Gesner and with additional music and lyrics by Andrew Lippa in the 1999 revision; based on the comic strip Peanuts by Charles M. Shulz. Premiered on Broadway at the John Golden Theatre in 1971.

Tony Awards (1999 Revival): Best Featured Actor; Best Featured Actress

Tony Nominations: Best Revival; Best Direction

Licensing

Once you’ve chosen a show, the next step is to license it. Because the copyright to any play or musical belongs to its authors, a license is required for amateur and professional organizations to perform any show that isn’t their own original work. Licenses cost a fee, which can cover royalties for the creators, rental of performance materials (such as scripts and scores), and more. Licensing is how plays live on beyond their original productions, and royalties are an important part of an author’s income.

Licenses are typically handled by the musical’s publisher or a licensing company. Licensing companies hold the dramatic performance rights for large libraries of shows and are responsible for handling license applications. They approve who may perform a show and when, they enforce any restrictions (for example regarding altering the script or music) and may protect against competition by allowing only one production of a given show in a certain geographical area at a time.

Top Licensing Companies

Music Theatre International holds one of the world’s largest catalogues of musicals and handles the licensing for Disney musicals. They offer Broadway Junior editions, which are 60-minute versions of Broadway musicals geared toward middle school-aged students, but can be a suitable choice for high school programs with time constraints. To browse Disney musicals quickly, you can visit Disney Theatrical Licensing. The site will eventually link you back to MTI but it’s a good way to see the full Disney catalogue.

Concord Theatricals encompasses the catalogues of R&H Theatricals, Samuel French, Tams-Witmark and The Andrew Lloyd Webber Collection. Concord Theatricals offer licenses for many of the most famous plays and musicals, including the work of Irving Berlin, Agatha Christie, George & Ira Gershwin, Marvin Hamlisch, Lorraine Hansberry, Kander & Ebb, Kitt & Yorkey, Ken Ludwig, Marlow & Moss, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Anaïs Mitchell, Dominique Morisseau, Cole Porter, Richard Rodgers & Oscar Hammerstein II, Thornton Wilder, and August Wilson.

Broadway Licensing comprises the imprints of Broadway Licensing, Dramatists Play Service, Playscripts, and Stageworks. They handle licensing for an impressive collection of works including those by Arthur Miller, Tennessee Williams, Lynn Nottage, Alan Menken, Stephen King, the Bee Gees, and The Beatles. They handle the licensing for Harry Potter Theatrical Productions, as well as the works of Ian McWethy and Don Zolidis who are prolific writers of plays specifically for the high school stage.

Theatrical Rights Worldwide is a major licensing company that holds the rights to many famous musicals including Grease, Jersey Boys, The Addams Family, The Color Purple, Spamalot, and more. They offer school editions of plays and “Young@Part” editions, which are 65 to 70-minute versions of Broadway musicals for middle and elementary schools.

FAQs

Where can I find teen editions of musicals?

Check out some of these catalogues:

Concord Theatricals Musicals: Youth and Teen Editions

MTI Shows: School Editions

MTI Shows: Broadway Junior

Broadway Licensing: Perfect for Schools

TRW Musicals: School Editions

What kinds of shows are good for high school students?

Large ensemble casts, minimal complexity in technical requirements and musical arrangements, age-appropriate subject matter, time constraints, and budget are all things to keep in mind when selecting a high school musical. School editions of Broadway shows are a great option for producing simplified musicals on a budget. The most popular high school musical choices tend to be stories the students and audiences are familiar with, such as musical adaptations of hit films or classic Broadway musicals.

Why do I need a license for my production?

Musicals are the intellectual property of their creators and are subject to copyright law. Licenses provide protection for artists by allowing them to control when, where, and by whom their work is reproduced. It’s also important that creators are fairly compensated for the use of their work. License fees cover royalties, which are a percentage fee artists earn when their work is reproduced. Royalties are a crucial revenue stream for playwrights, lyricists, and composers. Producing a show without a license is considered intellectual property theft; it is not only unethical but illegal and could result in criminal charges. Any musical under copyright must be licensed whether the performance is public or private and even if you’re not charging admission.

The licensing process also ensures productions comply with regulations. For example, most shows have strict rules against making any changes to the casting, script, and score. It’s also typically necessary to credit the creators and original producers, and there may be guidelines around marketing the show.  

How expensive is it to license a musical?

The price can vary widely, but getting a license is generally much less expensive for schools than for professional productions. The license fee covers the royalties paid to the show’s creators and the cost of the performance materials, including scripts, scores, guides and handbooks, etc.

What if I can’t find who licenses a show?

Try looking up the creators – the author or composers – and send an email to their agent. Most creatives have a website with a contact page or the contact information of their agent. Simply send an email saying you’re interested in producing the musical, and they can direct you.

Broadway Shows for Teens

Are you in New York with your high schooler and looking for a great Broadway show? Check out our article on the Best Broadway Shows for Teens for information on Tony Award winning hits, fan favorites, and more.

Lindsey Melrost

Lindsey Melrost

Contributing Writer

Lindsey Melrost has recently relocated to New York after seven years working in entertainment in London. She worked in TV development at BBC Studios broadcaster UKTV, and is a former Olivier Awards panelist. She is excited to transfer her passion for theater from the West End to Broadway.


Education: Tulane University, Master of Arts (M.A.), English Language and Literature
Knowledge: Theater, Literary, Production

Published

Jun 19, 2024

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