Hey all! Sorry if this post is annoying but I would really love to hear all of your recommendations. I'm currently a history major who got here thanks to Sondheim's Assassins, and I guess I have a niche interest in historical musicals (Parade, 1776, Clinton the musical, the Fix, Ragtime, etc) and I would love if anyone had some suggestions for more musicals that I might enjoy. Thank you!!
Of course, Hamilton has to be on that list. Also, I suppose, Come From Away. Would The King and I fit here too?
Then there are other musicals featuring fictional characters in shows (Hair, Falsettos, Cabaret, Fiddler on the Roof) the evoke a definite era. And others (Fun Home) featuring characters based on real people which are not historical characters. I believe Kinky Boots and The Band’s Visit (and their previous movies) are also based on a true stories. Correct me if I’m wrong.
Floyd Collins is based on an actual historical event. I'd also recommend Ragtime - technically the story is fiction, but it weaves in actual historical events and figures
Jimmy, what are you doing here in the middle of the night? It's almost 9 PM!
You seem to be asking particularly about American historical musicals.
Franklin in Paris Love Life 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue Teddy and Alice Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson Parade The Scottsboro Boys Fiorello Jimmy Onward Victoria Allegiance Come From Away Hamilton The Unsinkable Molly Brown Knickerbocker Holiday Tintypes Quilters The Civil War (sort of) Road Show Assassins
not to mention show biz history, i.e. bio, musicals like Gypsy Shuffle Along The Will Rogers Follies Funny Girl Side Show George M Jersey Boys The Cher Show Ain't Too Proud to Beg| Beautiful Summer
Also, it's technically an opera, but Nixon in China is absolutely phenomenal. You might also check out Henry Miller's The American Clock, which is a vaudeville-style semi-musical piece about the depression (see also Pennies From Heaven, which also utilizes upbeat, depression-era songs with biting, hard-edged irony). The Wild Party is also worth a look, as it specifically satirizes and details the tougher side of the roaring twenties.