13 of our favourite LGBT+ musicals
June is Pride Month
Last updated 7th Jun 2022
For many LGBT+ people, the theatre has been their safe place, somewhere where they could express ourselves freely without fear of judgement of the outside. However, when it came to the stories they were telling, the narrative often shifted back to the heteronormative mainstream.
At the beginning, gay themes were all in the subtext and packed away as double entendres by lyricists such as Cole Porter. However, as society progressed so did the representation and musicals started to normalise LGBT+ characters, to the point we see new musicals that aren't afraid centre on LGBT+ stories and relationships.
To celebrate Pride Month in June we take a look at our favourite LGBT+ musicals, thanks to our friends at Magic at the Musicals.
Check out our favourite LGBT+ musicals below:
A Chorus Line
In 1974 a group of dancers gathered and shared their personal stories, these stories would become the basis of the musical A Chorus Line. Now regarded as a Broadway classic, A Chorus Line tells us the stories of 17 Broadway dancers as they audition for places in a chorus line of a fictional Broadway show.
While you may not think of A Chorus Line as a gay musical the same way you think of shows like Rent or Everybody's Talking About Jamie it was ground-breaking for its time as it openly discussed gay stories on a Broadway stage. Most other gay works during the 1970s and 80s found themselves hidden away off-off-Broadway. However not only did this show make it to the Great White Way, it also swept the 1976 Tony Awards with nine wins as well as lasting to 1990 with 6,137 performances.
Cabaret
Based on Christopher Isherwood's semi-autobiographical Goodbye to Berlin, Cabaret takes us to Germany in the early 1930s: a pivotal time in the country's history. Still suffering the brunt of the First World War, Berlin goes through an eerie transition from the epicentre of an avant-garde safe space where queer people were tolerated, to a fascist regime under Hitler's Nazis. At the KitKat Klub we meet a collection of eccentric characters where the lines of gender identity and sexuality are blurred in the city once considered the gay capital of Europe.
Cabaret was a very progressive piece for its time, while the main relationship displayed in the musical is a heterosexual one there are plenty of hints to bisexuality amongst the characters. In fact, the character's lack of labels and ability to view sexuality as fluid could be considered quite modern. While some jokes we see in the film and earlier renditions of the show have not aged well (especially when depicting trans identities) the show has still done a good job of presenting LGBT characters, especially during a time where it was less accepted.
Kinky Boots
Based on the film of the same name, Kinky Boots takes us to Northampton where a struggling shoe factory searches for a way breathe new life into their business. When new owner Charlie Price meets a drag queen named Lola, an idea forms that the factory could create high heeled boots designed for men.
Kinky Boots comes as a celebration of diversity in a society that progresses onwards. While Lola may face backlash from those who fear change, we see their views shift and the importance of accepting each other's differences. Kinky Boots is a feel-good show that never fails to have you leaving the theatre full of joy.
Bare: The Musical
Set in a Catholic high school where a group of students struggle to deal with their sexual identities as well as what their futures. In the show we meet Peter and Jason, a pair of young lovers who fall out over the decision to make their romance public, as Jason fears the impact it may have on his reputation.
Bare is a lesser-known musical and is more likely to be found at fringe theatres or as amateur productions. However, the show has proved to resonate with many young queer people, with the songs such as 'Role of a Lifetime' appearing in the repertoire of many young performers.
Priscilla Queen of the Desert
Priscilla Queen of the Desert follows three drag queens as they travel across Australia for a gig in the remote desert. The story introduces us to some of the whacky characters they meet along the way along with some of the homophobia and transphobia that they suffer. The stage adaptation of the 1994 film puts the story alongside a set of camp classics such as 'What's Love Got to do with It' and 'MacArthur Park'.
Priscilla came about during an era where attitudes towards LGBT+ themes were progressing. They were able to introduce a mainstream audience to themes they may have found challenging at the time and serve it within the genre of a jukebox musical that feels more comfortable and familiar.
Fun Home
Fun Home tells us the story of the American cartoonist, Alison Bechdel. The story is based on Alison's graphic memoir based on the same name and explores her discovery of her own sexuality as well as her relationship with her gay father.
The musical opened off-Broadway in 2013 and the Broadway production opened in 2015. Fun Home made history as the first musical on Broadway to feature an openly lesbian protagonist and was nominated for 12 Tony Awards, five of which they won, including Best Musical.
Hedwig and the Angry inch
John Cameron Mitchell's Hedwig and the Angry Inch tells us the story of a genderqueer rock singer from East Germany called Hedwig Robinson. The show is in the style of a rock concert where Hedwig tells her story through monologues and songs. She explains how she fell victim to a botched sex-change operation, followed a GI to America, and how she's now hosting concerts at nearby locations of her former lover, Tommy Gnosis' tour venues due to him stealing her songs.
The musical explores trans stories during an era when that transgender people weren't acknowledged or accepted by society and weren't able to access appropriate healthcare. From having a cult following in the late 90s the show became a smash hit from it's Tony Award-winning Broadway debut in 2014.
Rent
Rent tells us the story of a group of friends in Manhattan's East Village through a turbulent year of their lives. Based on Puccini's La Bohème the story tells us about Mark, a struggling filmmaker who's documenting his friends as they deal with homelessness, love, and the AIDS crisis.
Rent was revolutionary in the way it unapologetically portrayed the devastation of the AIDS crisis putting it front and centre on a Broadway stage. The haunting images of a group of young people burying their friends were common for many in the LGBT+ community throughout the 1980s but was always hidden away. While 25 years later some may regard Rent as a product of its time, it will always be remembered as a crucial milestone in theatre history that helped shift conversations about LGBT+ themes.
Everybody's Talking About Jamie
Based on a true story, this musical film follows Jamie New, a 16-year-old from Sheffield as he takes on his school, his bullies, and his disapproving father as he decides to go to his school prom in full drag.
Along the way he meets Hugo, a former drag queen once known as Loco Chanelle. With the support of Hugo, Jamie's best friend Pritti, and his mother, Jamie is able to be his true self.
The beauty of Everybody's Talking About Jamie is its ability to be unapologetically queer. While Jamie does experience the shame cast on him by his peers, (a feeling that many LGBT+ people can empathise with) the theme of defiance outweighs it as Jamie follows through with his aim to go to his prom in drag. The show also shows the power of a supportive parent through Jamie's mother, her support plays a crucial driving force in helping Jamie overcome his inner saboteur. The show became a smash hit and even has a film adaptation!
The Rocky Horror Show
The Rocky Horror Show is a cult classic that opened back in 1973 and is a wild tribute to science fiction and horror B movies of the 1960s. As a young innocent couple's car breaks down, they go to ask for assistance at a nearby house. At the house they meet Frank-N-Furter, a mad, gender-bending scientist who unveils his latest creation, Rocky, a Frankenstein-like monster designed to look like the perfect man.
Both the stage version and 1975 film adaption hold a very special place in the hearts of many LGBT+ people. It was seen as a celebration of diversity that allowed different types of people to happily co-exist. A trip to the theatre to see the Rocky Horror show is unlike any other theatre experience, with audience members usually dressed up and screaming out the lines.
The Color Purple
Based on Alice Walker's 1982 novel of the same name, The Color Purple tells us the story of Celie, a young black woman from Georgia. The story spans over thirty-five years of her life during the early 20th century. She is separated from her sister and children and sold by her abusive father to her husband, Mister, who's even more abusive. Later on, we meet the jazz singer Shug Avery who we discover is Mister's lover. Shug finds herself being cared for by Celie, who is starting to feel warmth towards her.
The Color Purple dives into so many themes with multiple plotlines. The musical was able to revive the lesbian themes between Celie and Shug which Steven Spielberg's 1985 film reduced down to a single kiss. In a show that handles so many heavy subjects it was also able to show the complexity of human sexuality in an era where being LGBT+ was far less visible.
Falsettos
William Finn and James Lapine's Falsettos tells the story of Marvin, a man trying to keep his family together after leaving his wife for his male lover. The musical deals with topics such as Jewish identity as well as being gay in the 1970s and 80s which includes how the AIDS crisis impacted the gay community.
The musical was nominated for seven Tony Awards where it won Best Book and Best Score. While HIV and AIDS aren't specifically named in the musical, they are clearly referenced and affect the characters. One of the reasons the musicals was revived on Broadway in 2016 was to help educate younger audiences of how bad the crisis was.
La Cage aux Folles
Based on the French play of the same name, Jerry Herman and Harvey Fierstein's La Cage aux Folles was groundbreaking when it opened on Broadway.
The musical tells the story of Georges, the manager of a bar in San Tropez that features drag acts, and his partner Albin, who performs at the bar. When Georges' son brings over his fiancée's ultra-conservative parent, Georges wants to try to present himself as a more traditional family man. When Albin struggles to play the role of macho 'uncle Al' he decides to find more creative ways to fit in with the family.
La Cage opened in 1983 and was one of the first Broadway musicals to focus on a gay couple. The show managed to win six Tony Awards including Best Musical, Best Score, and Best Book. The show also includes the iconic number 'I am What I am' which went on to become the ultimate gay anthem!
The Prom
The Prom was inspired by the story of Constance McMillen, whose school board made attempts to block her from attending her school prom when she revealed she planned to wear a suit and bring her girlfriend. Celebrities including Green Day, Cat Cora, and Lance Bass helped sponsor a 'second-chance prom' that Constance could take her girlfriend to.
In the musical it's a group of has-been Broadway actors who make the trip to Indiana to help Emma go to the prom. The Prom has music by Matthew Sklar, lyrics by Chad Beguelin and a book by Bob Martin and Chad Beguelin. The original idea for the musical was by Jack Viertel.
After a run in Atlanta, The Prom opened on Broadway 15th November 2018 at the Longacre Theatre where it ran until the following summer. Glee creator Ryan Murphy adapted The Prom into a film for Netflix which was released in December 2020, it featured Jo Ellen Pellman, Ariana DeBose, Meryl Streep, James Corden, Nicole Kidman, Keegan-Michael Key, Andrew Rannells and Kerry Washington.
A Strange Loop
Michael R. Jackson's musical started out as a personal monologue called 'Why I Can't Get Work' which he wrote in his early 20s. The monologue eventually evolved into A Strange Loop, a musical about Usher, a Black, Queer writer writing a musical about a Black, Queer writer who is writing a musical about a Black, Queer writer.
Following an off-Broadway run and a run in Washington DC, A Strange Loop opened on Broadway on26th April 2022 at the Lyceum Theatre. The musical was nominated for 11 Tony Awards and won Best Musical and Best Book of a Musical, it also won the Pulitzer Prize for Drama in 2020.
Trevor the Musical
Based on the 1994 film of the same name, Trevor the Musical tells the story of a 13-year-old called Trevor, a huge Diana Ross fan whose world is turned upside down when his classmates discover he has a crush on another boy.
The musical adaptation opened off-Broadway in November 2021 where the production was filmed and was released on Disney+ during Pride month 2022.
My Son's a Queer, (But what can you do?)
Whilst not exactly a musical (although there are some wonderful original songs by The Bake Off Musical's Pippa Cleary) My Son's a Queer, (But what can you do?) fits perfectly onto this list. When Rob Madge was a child they would put on shows and parades in their living room with their parents often capturing it all on VHS. Many of those clips went viral when Rob shared them on social media during lockdown and then transferred to the stage when Rob decided to put on their living room Disney parade once again.
In Rob's autobiographical show, they take you through the highs and lows of growing up as a queer person with a big affection for costumes and theatre. One of the stand-out messages from this show - which received two West End runs and an Olivier nomination - is the power that parents have when they support their children no matter what.
Read more:
Songs and music videos that champion the LGBTQ+ community
Celebrity allies for the LGBTQ+ community
8 key moments that shaped LGBT+ representation in TV