Last Updated on January 7, 2023
If you love high school musicals or are looking for the best of the genre, this is for you. This list includes the top 20 most popular high school musicals in 2023.
Picking musicals for high school is a huge responsibility. In addition to finding a show that’s appropriate for your students, you need to consider parents, school leadership, the school board, and the community at large. It can be challenging, but it’s worth it to see shy kids transform into confident, capable actors and singers.
Whether you work at a school with a big arts budget or you’re building a high-school drama program from the ground up, these musicals are a great place to start planning your next theater season.
Sometimes, you just need a surefire hit for your theater program — and that’s when it’s time to choose from the most popular high school musicals. Each of these shows is virtually guaranteed to draw a huge audience, so you can pack the house with excited friends, family members, and people from the community. When you want to build interest in your school’s drama club, start here!
Table of Contents
Top 20 Most Popular High School Musicals
Below are some of the best high school musicals to consider
1. Beauty and the Beast
You probably already know the story of Beauty and the Beast — and that’s exactly why it’s one of the most popular musicals for high school. Audiences won’t think twice about buying tickets because they already know they’ll love the show! Plus, the cast has a large number of roles, so you can show off more of your talented performers. (The fun costumes don’t hurt, either.)
Cast: 12 roles, large ensemble
Licensing: Music Theater International
2. Mamma Mia!
One challenge that high school theater directors face is finding musicals with plenty of roles. If your drama department is packed with stars, Mamma Mia! makes it easy to feature them. There are six starring female roles and three leading men, plus a variety of smaller parts. Dancing, singing, and ABBA — what’s not to love? As a bonus, you won’t have to spend much on costumes; summer street clothes work just fine.
Cast: 13 roles, large ensemble
Licensing: Music Theater International
3. The Addams Family
Since it debuted in 2010, the Addams Family has been rising up the charts of the top high school musicals. It’s easy to see why — the characters are quirky, the music is fun, and the sets are delightfully dark. This is a great show to do while your students are in the Halloween spirit, but it works any time of year.
Cast: 10 roles, flexible ensemble
Licensing: Theatrical Rights Worldwide
4. Into the Woods
Die-hard theater nerds have always been obsessed with Sondheim’s masterpiece, Into the Woods. The 2014 movie starring Meryl Streep brought everyone else into the fold — now this show is guaranteed to draw a crowd. You can perform it in a theater of any size, but it works particularly well in an intimate black-box setting.
Cast: 18 roles, no ensemble
Licensing: Music Theater International
5. The Wizard of Oz
Get ready — you’re about to hear “there’s no place like home” on repeat. Ever since The Wizard of Oz movie came out in 1939, this adorable musical has been an American classic. You can bet that local families will be buying tickets en masse — no parent is going to deny their kids the chance to see Dorothy and the Cowardly Lion in person? High schoolers love this show partly for the iconic characters, and partly because it’s just so much fun. Plus, if you live in a conservative area, no one will find fault with the squeaky-clean plot.
Cast: 8 roles, 16 featured, large ensemble
Licensing: Concord Theatricals
6. The Sound of Music
The Sound of Music is one of the best musicals to do in high school. It has everything: a big cast, cute kids, beloved music, and just enough darkness to keep things interesting. And let’s not forget — nuns! (There’s something about a nun costume that makes a chorus role more fun.) If your theater program needs to make money for future shows, this classic Rodgers and Hammerstein musical is sure to spike ticket sales.
Cast: 11 roles, 7 children, flexible ensemble
Licensing: Concord Theatricals
7. Cinderella
Cinderella is an easy musical to do with your high school students for one reason: the music is extremely singable. There are no complex harmonies, and most of the vocal lines are easy to pick up quickly. The dancing might be a stumbling block, but as long as your actors can master a basic box step, you’re golden. If you’re just starting a theater program, the undeniable magic of Cinderella is sure to draw your kids in and keep them spellbound.
Cast: 11 roles, large ensemble
Licensing: Concord Theatricals (Enchanted edition | Broadway version)
8. Once Upon a Mattress
Once Upon a Mattress offers a comical, quirky take on the fairy tale musical. This show, which debuted on Broadway in 1959, is based on “The Princess and the Pea.” The princess in question is anything but a damsel in distress — Winnifred the Woebegone can take care of herself. With its laugh-out-loud dialogue and delightful music, this musical is a fun challenge for novice actors. Interestingly, the music was written by Mary Rodgers, the daughter of the famous Richard Rodgers.
Cast: 11 roles, flexible ensemble
Licensing: Concord Theatricals
9. Working
You haven’t heard of the musical Working? You’re not alone — this small show is rarely produced. The story unravels in a series of vignettes, each showing the perspective of a different type of worker. It’s the perfect musical for high schoolers; there’s a solid moral to the story, and each actor gets to explore more than one character. You can do the show with as few as six performers or expand the cast to accommodate the number of kids who come out for auditions. Since there’s minimal interaction between characters, rehearsals are a breeze!
Cast: 6 roles (can be expanded)
Licensing: Music Theater International
10. Grease
Grease is one of the top high school musicals of all time. The tale of Danny, Sandy, and friends is fun and frothy, with a surprisingly deep undercurrent. Students resonate with the show because it doesn’t make light of the very real problems they face and the potentially lifelong consequences of their decisions. For the director, the plot presents a teaching moment: is it ever wise to change yourself for a romantic partner?
Cast: 17 roles, large ensemble
Licensing: Concord Theatricals (also: school version)
11. You’re A Good Man, Charlie Brown
This musical hits all of the bases for high school: it’s easy to produce, and you can do it on an exceptionally small budget. It’s also one of the best small cast musicals for high school — and since everyone recognizes the name, selling tickets is a breeze!
Cast: 6 roles
Licensing: Concord Theatricals
12. Little Shop of Horrors
Are you looking for an easy musical that doesn’t look easy? Little Shop of Horrors delivers, big time. The music is fun, but it doesn’t involve complicated harmonies or challenging rhythms. There are no big chorus numbers — in fact, there’s barely a chorus at all — so you can work in small groups with students. The biggest challenge is Audrey II, the bloodthirsty plant.
Cast: 8 roles, optional small ensemble
Licensing: Music Theater International
13. The Pirates of Penzance
The Pirates of Penzance is one of the best low-budget musicals you can do with a high school group for one big reason: it’s in the public domain, so you don’t need to pay licensing fees! Costumes are easy to put together with thrift-store finds or volunteers who can sew, and you can get away with very minimal sets.
Cast: 11 roles, optional ensemble
Licensing: Public domain
14. A Bronx Tale (High School Edition)
Cast: 6 roles
Licensing: Broadway Licensing
15. The Fantasticks
Cast: 8 roles
Licensing: Music Theater International
16. The Apple Tree
Cast: 3-9, flexible ensemble
Licensing: Music Theater International
17. The Robber Bridegroom
10 roles, flexible ensemble
Licensing: Music Theater International
18. Disaster! The Musical
Cast: 11 roles, flexible ensemble
Licensing: Music Theater International
19. Matilda
Cast: 14 roles, flexible ensemble
Licensing: Music Theater International
20. Legally Blonde the Musical
Cast: 7 roles, flexible ensemble Licensing: Music Theater International
What Musicals can High Schools perform?
Legally, high schools can perform any musical that’s available for licensing. Of course, if you’re a drama teacher or director, you know it’s never that simple! There are many different stakeholders at play — parents, teachers, kids, principals, and school-board officials, to name a few.
As you’re choosing a high school musical, some factors to consider include:
- Guidance from the school administration and school board: Ask about what’s acceptable; some schools request that you replace all swears with milder language, for example, while others might ask you to stay away from “adult” content.
- Parent opinions: The best time to seek parent opinions is before you license a show. Instead, run your final musical selections by the PTA or a music/theater booster organization for approval. If possible, make the script available for parents to read. Most licensing companies allow you to request a perusal copy (read more at MTI), which allows people to look at the script and the vocal score before you commit to a licensing agreement.
- Type of community: If you live in a conservative area, local parents may kick up a fuss at even the slightest mention of cursing/drugs/sex/etc. That doesn’t mean you can’t or shouldn’t choose a musical that will ruffle feathers — just make sure you (and your students) are prepared and willing to deal with any potential controversy!
- Budget: Musicals can be very expensive to produce, even at the high school level. Before you finalize the show selection, estimate costs for licensing, stage rental (if necessary), costuming, sets, props, and marketing. Chances are, it’ll be more expensive than you anticipate — ensure that your budget can handle the costs. When your fund are low, look for low-budget musicals or shows that can be done with minimal staging. You’re A Good Man Charlie Brown is one great option; The Robber Bridegroom is another.
- Casting: The musical you choose depends on your high school. If you’re just getting a musical theater program off the ground, consider choosing an easy musical that will make your students look and feel great. Think anything by Rodgers and Hammerstein — easy to sing for beginners, fun to perform, and crowd-pleasing. (This builds enthusiasm among students, audiences, and the administration, making it easier to put on more shows in the future.) If you have a developed theater program and plenty of talent, you can push the boundaries with unexpected shows or contemporary musicals.
We would love to hear about the shows you do! Let us know your favorite high school musicals – we’ll add them to the list to help other teachers find the best shows for their students.