Top 5 Historical Musicals Other Than Hamilton


Six The Musical at the Brooks Atkinson Broadway

Hamilton has once again taken the world by storm. After premiering a year early on Disney Plus it helped launch the streaming service into unprecedented levels of success.

So we are celebrating that success by sharing 5 other great Broadway musicals about history.

Just a few ground rules, we are not including musicals set in history that do not follow actual events like Girl From the North Country or Pippin. They must be actually based in things or characters that actually happened, even if some details are changed.

1. Newsies

Newsies takes place during the historic newsboy strike in New York City. While it features some fictional characters, the basic story of the strike is factual and it does feature historical figures like Crutchie. With a stellar score by Alan Menken, this musical is a great escape.

2. 1776

Want another musical set in the American Revolution? Well, then 1776 is for you. This musical follows the creation of the Declaration of Independence, featuring some of the same characters who also appear in Hamilton, although with a more traditional musical theater score.

3. Six

Six The Musical Broadway Stage Door

Six is a new hit musical that has become an international sensation. Following the six ex-wives of Henry VIII, this musical reimagines all of them as pop singers competing with one another as they tell their stories.

4. Chicago

Chicago Playbill In Front of Stage Broadway

Chicago appears as if it is a fictional story but it is actually based on the stories of several accused murderers. It is meant to show how the press sensationalizing murders can change outcomes, featuring stories eerily similar to actual cases from Chicago in the 1920s.

5. Assassins

This is a bit more untraditional. This musical follows a series of assassins and attempted assassins of US presidents all being tempted into killing presidents to better their lives. It is a strange approach but the execution makes it all worthwhile, with one of Sondheim's best scores to go along with it.

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