If you’re looking for musicals with female leads, you’re not alone — many theater groups have an abundance of talented women. The musical theater canon hasn’t quite caught up; in many shows (especially Golden Age musicals), the number of leading female roles are limited.
We’ve got you! As you plan your theater season, consider these female-heavy musicals. For more ideas, check out our picks for musicals for high school with female leads.
Top image courtesy of Branko Collin under CC BY-SA 2.0
1. Gypsy
No list of musicals with female leads is complete without Gypsy. This show has one of the most iconic leading ladies of all time: Mama Rose, who’s been played by Ethel Merman, Patti LuPone, Bernadette Peters, Angela Lansbury, and Tyne Daly. (And how great is Imelda Staunton in the video above?) The ultimate stage mother, Rose will stop at nothing to make her daughters a success in show business. With lyrics by Stephen Sondheim, you know it’s going to be a joy to sing.
Cast: 8 female, 2 male, large ensemble
Licensing: Concord Theatricals
2. In the Green
In the Green is unlike anything you’ve ever seen (or heard, for that matter) — it’s a contemporary musical with an all-female cast and distinct medieval influences. That makes sense, considering that the plot follows the remarkable 12th-century nun/composer/visionary/medical writer, Hildegard von Bingen. At a young age, she’s sequestered from the world in a monastery with the anchoress Jutta.
Cast: 5 female
Licensing: Broadway Licensing
3. Nine
Looking for a musicals with lots of female leads? Look no further than Nine, which stars a whopping 22 women. If you’ve ever seen the Fellini film 8 1/2, you’ll recognize the plot — legendary Italian movie director Guido Contini is struggling to fix his marriage and find the right plot for his next film. When he retreats to a Venetian spa, the women (and mistresses) in his life start to wreak havoc. This show won Best Musical in the 1982 Tonys and Best Revival of a Musical in 2003 (with Laura Benanti, above); your audience might not be familiar with it, but it’s sure to be a hit.
Cast: 22 female, 1 male, 4 boys
Licensing: Concord Theatricals
4. Nunsense
With its all-female cast, Nunsense is a favorite community theater musical. It’s absurd and funny; 52 nuns have passed due to botulism from bad vichyssoise, and the Little Sisters of Hoboken are putting on a talent-show fundraiser to give them a proper burial. If you’re looking for a lighthearted show with easy costuming and lots of laughs, this is the one. (Watch the full version here.)
Cast: 5 female
Licensing: Concord Theatricals
5. Quilters
If you need a musical with female leads, Quilters is an excellent choice. With seven leading ladies, it’s an opportunity to show off your best female singers. Follow Sarah and her daughters as they brave an uncertain future on the American frontier. Using the quilt-making process as a storytelling framework, it brings the pioneer women’s stories to life.
Cast: 7 female, ensemble
Licensing: Broadway Licensing
6. The Spitfire Grill
There aren’t many musicals set in Wisconsin, but that special midwestern flair sets The Spitfire Grill apart. Percy has just gotten out of prison, and she moves to a small town to start over. The locals are suspicious, but as Percy proves herself, she becomes a part of the community — until her tragic past is revealed. Heartbreaking and beautiful, this musical is based on the 1996 movie starring Ellen Burstyn.
Cast: 3 female, 1 male, ensemble
Licensing: Concord Theatricals
7. Jerry’s Girls
If you can get past the cringeworthy name, Jerry’s Girls is a charming musical revue featuring the hits of Jerry Herman. The show mixes in the best showstopping songs from Hello Dolly, Mame, and La Cage Aux Folles, Parade, and more. (We love how “Hello, Dolly” has become “Hello, Dollies.”) You’ll need three very strong female singers to carry the show, but it’s an easy crowd-pleaser with minimal staging and fun costuming opportunities.
Cast: 3 female
Licensing: Concord Theatricals
8. Lizzie: The Musical
With its pounding rock score and all-female cast, Lizzie: The Musical is reminiscent of Six (which isn’t yet available for licensing). As you might guess, this musical is about the famous axe-murderer Lizzie Borden. The show takes place in 1892, but the music is decidedly modern — perfect for singers with serious chops.
Cast: 4 female
Licensing: Broadway Licensing
9. Vanities: The Musical
Based on the 1976 Jack Heifner play of the same name, Vanities: The Musical is a celebration of female friendship. The show opens on three women growing up in a small town in Texas in the 1960s and follows them through the decades. Your actors will love the fun, modern score, and there’s plenty of flexibility in terms of sets, costumes, and staging.
Cast: 3 female
Licensing: Concord Theatricals
10. Swingtime Canteen
Travel back to 1940s with Swingtime Canteen, an all-girl musical with a delightful vintage twist. Movie star Marian Ames and her female band are hosting a canteen show for the WWII troops. It’s an immersive evening; your audience is transported to wartime London with interruptions for air raid sirens and a delay in other performers’ arrival times. (Which results in a delightful, rapid-fire mashup of Andrews Sisters songs.) You won’t find any belting in this musical — it’s a musical for women who can sing in a classic 40s style.
Cast: 5 female
Licensing: Concord Theatricals
11. Nuncrackers
Looking for musicals with a mostly female cast for Christmas? Try Nuncrackers, the sequel to Nunsense. The Little Sisters of Hoboken are back — but this time, they’re putting on a Christmas show with Father Virgil and a few students from Mount Saint Helen’s convent. It’s a fun musical with female leads, but it allows you to add in more cast members, too.
Cast: 5 female, 1 male, 2 girls, 2 boys
Licensing: Concord Theatricals
12. Little By Little
Starring two women and one man, Little by Little is a touching small-cast musical about a love triangle between three lifelong friends. It explores the unique, deep relationships that happen when childhood buddies get together, break up, and figure out how to move forward.
Cast: 2 female, 1 male
Licensing: Concord Theatricals
13. A…My Name Will Always Be Alice
Do you need musicals with female leads that you can do on a budget? A…My Name Will Always Be Alice could be the perfect fit. It’s a cabaret-style show made up of small vignettes and songs; you can do it with minimal staging and virtually no set pieces. The score has a bit of rock, a bit of pop, and a bit of country.
Cast: 5 female
Licensing: Concord Theatricals
