16 of our favourite female-led musicals
Find out more about these empowering musicals🎶
Theatre is great at elevating and empowering voices that may not be listened to as much in real life, so for International Women’s Day we wanted to celebrate empowering female lead musicals!
From powerful characters to inspiring stories,
Have a look at some of our favourite female empowering musicals below:
Wicked
Wicked has played more than 6,500 incredible performances at London's Apollo Victoria Theatre. More than 11 million people have experienced the show in London, making it one of the most popular West End musicals of all time.
The Color Purple
Nominated for eleven 2006 Tony Awards, including Best Musical, Best Book, and Best Original Score. The off-West End production opened on Broadway in 2015. Based on Alice Walker's 1982 novel of the same name, The Color Purple spans 35 years in the life of Celie, a teenage African-American girl living in Georgia. Though her string of unfortunate events Celie learns that no matter what happens to her, she is still here.
SIX
Created by Toby Marlow and Lucy Moss the pair came up with the idea to create a musical on Henry VIII's six wives and the rest was history. The show is a one act show and one of the shortest shows on Broadway.
Matilda
Matilda The Musical has travelled to 91 cities and won over 100 international awards. The story: an extraordinary little girl who, armed with a vivid imagination and a sharp mind, dares to take a stand and change her own destiny.
Heathers
Based on the 1989 film of the same name written by Daniel Waters, Heathers follows high school senior, Veronica Sawyer, a girl who longs to be cool who finds her way into the most powerful clique at school.
Chicago
The original Broadway production opened on the 3rd of June 1975 and ran for 936 performances. Chicago follows wannabe jazz stars who get their fame not just for their singing or dancing talent, but for committing murders that make headlines all across Chicago.
Annie
The original Broadway production opened in 1977 and ran for nearly six years, Annie tells the story of a young orphan girl. She lives in a tough orphanage during the Great Depression. Despite her circumstances, Annie remains optimistic and dreams of finding her parents.
Evita
Evita won seven Tony Awards in 1980, including Best Book, Best Score and Best Musical of the year. It concentrates on the life of Argentine political leader Eva Perón, the second wife of Argentine president Juan Perón. The story follows Evita's early life, rise to power, charity work, and death.
Hello Dolly
Winning 10 Tony Awards, including Best Musical and Best Actress in a Musical for Carol Channing. Dolly, a matchmaker trying to find a new husband for herself and falling for one of her clients, Horace Vandergelder.
Sister Act
Based on the movie with the same name, this tribute to the universal power of friendship, sisterhood and music tells the hilarious story of the disco diva whose life takes a surprising turn when she witnesses a murder. Under protective custody she is hidden in the one place she won't be found – a convent! Disguised as a nun and under the suspicious watch of Mother Superior, Deloris helps her fellow sisters find their voices as she unexpectedly rediscovers her own.
Waitress
Waitress is a musical with music and lyrics by Sara Bareilles and a book by Jessie Nelson. The musical is based on the 2007 film of the same name, written and directed by Adrienne Shelly. Jenna Hunterson is a waitress and expert pie maker stuck in a small town and a loveless marriage. When a baking contest offers her a chance at escape.
9 to 5
Based on the 1980 film of the same name, with music and lyrics by Dolly Parton. It tells the story of three women pushed to boiling point by their sexist and egotistical boss. Concocting a plan to kidnap and turn the tables on their despicable supervisor.
Legally Blonde
Legally Blonde premiered in pre-Broadway tryouts in San Francisco. In April 2007 the show moved to Broadway. The show tells the story of Elle Woods, a sorority girl who enrolls at Harvard Law School to win back her ex-boyfriend Warner. She discovers how her knowledge of the law can help others, and she successfully defends exercise queen Brooke Wyndham in a murder trial.
Hairspray
Hairspray received 13 Tony Award nominations, winning eight, including for best musical, book, score and direction. The story of Tracy Turnblad teaches us all to look past the colour of one's skin and fight for every human being's equal rights.
Tina: The Tina Turner Musical
One of the world's best-selling artists of all time, Tina Turner has won 12 Grammy Awards and her live shows have been seen by millions, with more concert tickets sold than any other solo performer in music history. Tina follows the journey of Anna Mae Bullock from humble beginnings in to her rise as a global megastar by the name of Tina Turner.
& Juliet
The story focuses on a "what if" scenario, where Juliet does not die at the end of Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet. The most famous love story of all time. All about empowerment, challenging yourself and taking your own destiny and making it happen.
Read more:
11 of our favourite jukebox musicals 📻