Great Collaborations

From Rodgers & Hart, Kaufman & Hart and the Gershwin brothers to Strouse & Adams, Kerrigan & Lowdermilk and the Five Lesbian Brothers, successful teams have been making great theatre for over a century. Check out these hit plays and musicals co-created by collaborative groups or pairs.

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Ahrens & Flaherty

Lynn Ahrens and Stephen Flaherty met at the BMI Musical Theatre Writers’ Workshop in 1982 and went on to write some of the biggest hits of the ensuing decades. Their most recent Broadway hit was:

Anastasia: The Musical Book by Terrence McNally, Music by Stephen Flaherty, Lyrics by Lynn Ahrens (US/UK)
(Full-Length Musical, Dramatic Comedy / 4w, 5m, 1 girl)
Her past is a mystery. Her future is an adventure. Anastasia is a musical about discovering who you are and defining who you’re meant to be.

Jahnna Beecham & Malcolm Hillgartner

Regularly adapting Barbara Robinson’s beloved series of children’s books, Jahnna Beecham & Malcolm Hillgartner are a team that collaborate on theatre for young audiences. Their shows are engaging, warm and filled with heart – perfect for all ages. They have also, under the pen name Jahnna N. Malcolm, written more than 130 books for young adults and young readers.

Bolton, Wodehouse & Kern

The talented trio of Guy Bolton, P.G. Wodehouse and Jerome Kern created a series of sparkling musical comedies known as the Princess Musicals, which wowed early 20th-century audiences with raucous comedy and romantic musical numbers. Those shows included:

Oh, Boy! Book and Lyrics by Guy Bolton and P. G. Wodehouse, Music by Jerome Kern (US/UK)
(Full-Length Musical, Comedy / 6w, 5m + ensemble)
The joyful, bubbly romantic comedy concerns the befuddled George, who elopes with Lou Ellen, a judge’s daughter, against their parents’ wishes.

Leave It to Jane Book and Lyrics by Guy Bolton and P. G. Wodehouse, Music by Jerome Kern, based on College Widow by George Ade (US/UK)
(Full-Length Musical, Comedy / 3w, 4m + ensemble)
In this charming satire on Midwestern college life, Jane, the daughter of the president of Atwater College, attempts to seduce star halfback Billy Bolton.

Bowen & Bell (& Blackwell)

Jeff Bowen and Hunter Bell, “Two Nobodies in New York,” paired up to enter a musical theatre festival, and the rest is history. In collaboration with Susan Blackwell, Heidi Blickenstaff, Larry Pressgrove and Michael Berresse, they continue to explore theatre, music and life.

[title of show] Music and Lyrics by Jeff Bowen, Book by Hunter Bell (US/UK)
(Full-Length Musical, Comedy / 2w, 2m, 1 any gender)
Jeff and Hunter, two struggling writers, have three weeks to submit an original musical to a new festival. With nothing to lose, they create something new with the help of their friends Susan, Heidi and Larry.

Now. Here. This. Book by Hunter Bell and Susan Blackwell, Music and Lyrics by Jeff Bowen, based on a collaboration by Hunter Bell, Michael Berresse, Susan Blackwell, Heidi Blickenstaff, Jeff Bowen and Larry Pressgrove (US/UK)
(Full-Length Musical, Dramatic Comedy / 4 any gender)
Four friends journey through time, from the present to the past and back again. They share stories about friendship, hoarding, hiding, laughing, living, dying and middle school in an attempt to step directly into that elusive “present moment.”

Carner & Gregor

Sam Carner and Derek Gregor met at New York University’s Tisch Graduate Musical Theatre Writing Program in 2001, where they partnered for their class project. They are recipients of the Richard Rodgers Award for Musical Theater, the Kleban Prize and the John Wallowitch Award and have created a body of smart, contemporary musicals that engage committedly and wholeheartedly with the world.

Island Song (Large Cast Edition) Words by Sam Carner, Music by Derek Gregor, Story by Sam Carner, Derek Gregor and Marlo Hunter (US/UK)
(Full-Length Musical, Dramatic Comedy / 9w, 6m)
The energy and passions of New York City explode with a percussive, soaring pop score in this show about 20- and 30-somethings navigating city life. As the city spins around them, they get lost, fight back, fall in love, face setbacks, and, most importantly, come alive with the strength that comes with conquering the Big Apple. Also available for 5 actors in Island Song (Small Cast Edition) (US/UK) or 10 actors in Island Song (Medium Cast Edition) (US/UK).

The Civilians

Founded in 2001, The Civilians (led by founding Artistic Director Steven Cosson) dedicate themselves to ambitious and exuberant new theatre that creatively interrogates our lived experience, questions and tests the stories that shape our world, and awakens new thinking and perceptions. Their work often consists of politically-engaged, historically-centered plays with music and includes:

In The Footprint: The Battle Over Atlantic Yards Written by Steven Cosson, Music and Lyrics by Michael Friedman, created from interviews by The Civilians (US)
(Full-Length Play, Dramatic Comedy / 3w, 3m)
In the Footprint tells the story of Brooklyn’s largest development project in history. The play examines the conflicts that erupted in the case of Atlantic Yards through to their current resolution in an attempt to discover how the fate of the city is decided in present-day New York.

Paris Commune Written by Steven Cosson and Michael Friedman, Songs Adapted by Michael Friedman (US)
(Full-Length Play, Dramatic Comedy / 5w, 3m)
In 1871, working class Parisians overthrew the French government, declared Paris autonomous and launched an attempt to radically reinvent society. In a cascade of music and revolution, this explosive event comes to life.

Ron Clark & Sam Bobrick

These two comic writers had great individual success in television and film, and their theatrical collaboration birthed several hilarious hits, including:

Norman, Is That You? by Ron Clark and Sam Bobrick (US)
(Full-Length Play, Comedy / 2w, 3m)
A father, whose wife of thirty years has left him, comes to New York to seek solace from his son and discovers his son is gay.

Murder at the Howard Johnson’s by Ron Clark and Sam Bobrick (US/UK)
(Full-Length Play, Comedy / 1w, 2m)
Is all fair in love? Even murder? That’s the question posed by this light and funny suspense comedy about a love triangle in a Howard Johnson Motor Inn.

Comden & Green

Betty Comden and Adolph Green had a groundbreaking partnership of over 60 years, winning multiple Tony Awards for their lyrics and/or librettos. They collaborated with numerous composers and created dozens of hits on stage and screen, including Singin’ in the Rain and Auntie Mame. Here are just two of their hit musicals:

On the Town Music by Leonard Bernstein, Book and Lyrics by Betty Comden and Adolph Green, Based on an Idea by Jerome Robbins (US)
(Full-Length Musical, Comedy / 4w, 4m)
This energetic wartime musical, about three sailors on a 24-hour leave in New York City, features a slew of musical theatre standards, including “I Can Cook, Too” and “New York, New York.”

Wonderful Town Book by Joseph Fields and Jerome Chodorov, (Based upon the play My Sister Eileen by Joseph Fields and Jerome Chodorov and the stories by Ruth McKenney), Music by Leonard Bernstein, Lyrics by Betty Comden and Adolph Green (US)
(Full-Length Musical, Comedy / 5w, 9m)
Based on the hit play and film My Sister Eileen, Wonderful Town tells the comical and heartwarming story of two Midwestern sisters, newly arrived in New York.

Culture Clash

This satirical performance group was founded on May 5, 1984 at the Galería de la Raza in San Francisco’s Mission District, by the writers José Antonio Burciaga, Marga Gómez, Monica Palacios, Richard Montoya, Ric Salinas and Herbert Siguenza. With work ranging from comic sketches to dramatic plays and screenplays, L.A.’s premiere Chicano performance group explores the complexity of Latin culture in America.

Water & Power by Richard Montoya (US/UK)
(Full-Length Play, Drama / 7m)
Water & Power is modern noir. What emerges from the long shadows of a rainy night is as mysterious as what will never see the light of day. Who is the Power behind the Power? How does Water flow in a desert? Nothing is concrete in L.A. except the river.

Palestine, New Mexico by Richard Montoya (US/UK)
(Full-Length Play, Drama / 6w, 7m)
Rumors, Secrets, Sand and Blood: U.S. Army Captain Catherine Siler journeys to the New Mexico reservation home of Private First Class Raymond Birdsong on a search for answers. The questionable circumstances surrounding Ray’s death in Afghanistan create a crisis of conscience for the captain.

American Night: The Ballad of Juan José by Richard Montoya (US/UK)
(Full-Length Play, Satire/Political Satire / 3w, 6m)
As Juan José feverishly studies for his citizenship exam, his obsession to pass takes him on a fantastical odyssey through U.S. history guided by a handful of unsung citizens who made courageous choices in some of the country’s toughest times.

The Debate Society

Innovative and risk-taking, The Debate Society is an Obie Award-winning, Brooklyn-based company that creates new plays through the collaboration of Hannah Bos (writer/performer), Paul Thureen (writer/performer) and Oliver Butler (director/developer). Their collaborations include:

Cape Disappointment Written by Hannah Bos and Paul Thureen, Developed by Oliver Butler (US/UK)
(Full-Length Play, Dark Comedy / 2w, 2m)
A decaying drive-in comes to life with stories of lighthouses, naughty little girls, and places you imagine remembering.

Jacuzzi Written by Hannah Bos and Paul Thureen, Developed by Oliver Butler (US/UK)
(Full-Length Play, Dark Comedy / 1w, 3m)
In the Marshall family’s peacefully remote Colorado ski chalet, Erik and Helene are making themselves very much at home… so at home, they just might stay for good.

Blood Play Written by Hannah Bos and Paul Thureen, Developed by Oliver Butler (US/UK)
(Full-Length Play, Dark Comedy / 3w, 3m)
At a tranquil suburban cocktail party in the early 1950s, much is happening that no one is talking about. Blood Play is a darkly comic thriller of post-war verve and pre-adolescent disquiet.

The Five Lesbian Brothers

Daring, hilarious, outrageous and provocative, the work of The Five Lesbian Brothers has been entertaining audiences since the 1980s. The troupe – Maureen Angelos, Babs Davy, Dominique Dibbell, Peg Healey and Lisa Kron – began performing satirical sketches at New York City’s WOW Café and went on to create several brilliant full-length plays, including:

Brave Smiles: Another Lesbian Tragedy by Lisa Kron, Babs Davy, Dominique Dibbell, Peg Healey, Maureen Angelos (US/UK)
(Full-Length Play, Dark Comedy / 5w)
Master satirists The Five Lesbian Brothers turn their merciless eyes on the history of lesbians in theater, film and literature. From their dismal yet erotically charged beginnings at the orphanage, five heroines cross continents and centuries, enduring all manner of suffering before facing their absurdly tragic ends.

Brides of the Moon by Maureen Angelos, Lisa Kron, Dominique Dibbell, Peg Healey (US)
(Full-Length Play, Comedy / 5w)
In this sci-fi sex comedy from the razor-sharp satirists, a group of female astronauts find themselves adrift in space when a discarded Winnebago crashes into their ship’s hull.

George & Ira Gershwin

From 1924 until George’s death in 1937, the Gershwin brothers collaborated almost exclusively with one another, creating a musical songbook that transcended the Jazz Age. From the opera house to the Broadway stage to the silver screen, the songs of George and Ira Gershwin set a new standard for American music. Their work includes:

An American in Paris Music and Lyrics by George Gershwin and Ira Gershwin, Book by Craig Lucas (US/UK)
(Full-Length Musical, Dramatic Comedy / 4w, 5m + ensemble)
Set in the French capital in the wake of World War II, An American in Paris tells the romantic story of a young American soldier, a beautiful French girl, and an indomitable European city – each yearning for a new beginning in the aftermath of international conflict.

Crazy For You® Music and Lyrics by George Gershwin and Ira Gershwin, Book by Ken Ludwig, Co-Conception by Ken Ludwig and Mike Ockrent, Inspired by Material by Guy Bolton and John McGowan (US/UK)
(Full-Length Musical, Comedy / 3w, 4m + ensemble)
City slicker falls for hometown girl in this ebullient romantic comedy featuring cowboys, showgirls, high-energy production numbers, and a glorious score from George and Ira Gershwin.

Nice Work If You Can Get It Music and Lyrics by George and Ira Gershwin, Book by Joe DiPietro, Inspired by Material by Guy Bolton and P.G. Wodehouse (US/UK)
(Full-Length Musical, Comedy / 5w, 5m + ensemble)
This screwball comedy is a surefire crowd-pleaser, with classic Gershwin tunes, romance, exuberant production numbers, and a hilarious script poking fun at class snobbery in the Prohibition era.

The Heather Brothers

Born in London, the brothers Lea, Neil, Charles and John Heather grew up in Zimbabwe and spent their teenage years touring with their rock band. Their broad spectrum of theatre work ranges from 60s pastiche to rock ’n’ roll horror to suspense thriller.

A Slice of Saturday Night Book, Music, and Lyrics by The Heather Brothers (US/UK)
(Full-Length Musical, Comedy / 5w, 4m)
“Perched on the edge between parody of early rock and the real thing” (The Boston Globe), the Heather Brothers’ homage to swinging sixties music was a long-running smash hit.

Blood Money by the Heather Brothers (US/UK)
(Full-Length Play, Drama / 4w, 1m)
Spouses Mike and Liz were once involved in a hit-and-run accident in which a teenage girl was killed. Seven years later, they receive a call from someone claiming to be the dead girl. That event leads to a roller-coaster ride of twists and turns in this kinetic suspense thriller.

Lust Book, Music and Lyrics by The Heather Brothers (US/UK)
(Full-Length Musical, Comedy / 7w, 10m)
This rollicking Restoration revel throws off the shackles of Puritan austerity in the hilarious tale of Homer, a notorious London libertine, whocharms and seduces his way into the hearts and boudoirs of society ladies.

Jones Hope Wooten

Jones Hope Wooten (made up of Jessie Jones, Nicholas Hope and Jamie Wooten) are three of the most popular and widely-produced playwrights in the United States, thanks to their laugh-out-loud comedies and vivid, strong roles for women. Their rollicking, knee-slapping shows, often with a dash of Southern flair, have delighted audiences across the nation. Their collaborations include:

Always a Bridesmaid by Jones Hope Wooten (US/UK)
(Full-Length Play, Drama / 6w)
In this hilarious comedic romp, four friends have sworn to keep the promise they made on the night of their senior prom: to be in each other’s weddings – no matter what. More than 30 years later, these Southern friends-for-life are still making “the long walk” for each other, determined to honor that vow.

Dearly Beloved by Jones Hope Wooten (US)
(Full-Length Play, Comedy / 7w, 4m)
Hilarity, Texas style! An over-the-top wedding, three feuding sisters and a church full of small-town eccentrics. What could possibly go wrong? In this fast-paced, laugh-a-minute comedy, the Futrelle sisters of Fayro, Texas – Frankie, Twink and their estranged sister, Honey Raye – pull off a wild family celebration.

The Savannah Sipping Society by Jones Hope Wooten (US)
(Full-Length Play, Comedy / 4w)
In this laugh-out-loud comedy, four Southern women – each facing major life changes – form an unexpected bond over happy hour and heartache. As they navigate career setbacks, loss, betrayal and reinvention, they find friendship, fun and a fresh start.

Jones & Schmidt

Tom Jones and Harvey Schmidt met at the University of Texas and soon began writing musicals together. Their off-Broadway smash The Fantasticks ran longer than any other musical in history, and their work earned them numerous awards and accolades. Another of their most successful collaborations was:

110 in the Shade by N. Richard Nash, Music by Harvey Schmidt, Lyrics by Tom Jones, based on a play by N. Richard Nash (US/UK)
(Full-Length Musical, Drama / 2w, 5m + ensemble)
This beautiful, touching musical adaptation of Nash’s stage play The Rainmaker explores love, hope and redemption in a small southwestern town during the Great Depression.

Kander & Ebb

Introduced by their mutual music publisher Tommy Valando in 1962, John Kander and Fred Ebb went on to write some of the greatest and most groundbreaking shows of the 20th century. In addition to writing scores for the films Funny Lady and New York, New York, they wrote over 20 stage musicals, including:

Cabaret Book by Joe Masteroff, Based on the play by John Van Druten and stories by Christopher Isherwood, Music by John Kander, Lyrics by Fred Ebb (US/UK)
(Full-Length Musical, Drama / 8w, 8m)
Daring, provocative and exuberantly entertaining, Cabaret explores the dark and heady life of Bohemian Berlin as Germany slowly yields to the emerging Third Reich.

Chicago Book by Fred Ebb and Bob Fosse, Music by John Kander, Lyrics by Fred Ebb (US/UK)
(Full-Length Musical, Comedy / 10w, 9m)
In roaring twenties Chicago, chorine Roxie Hart murders a faithless lover and vies for the spotlight with another “Merry Murderess,” Velma Kelly. Ultimately, the two women join forces in search of fame, fortune and acquittal.

Kiss of the Spider Woman Book by Terrence McNally, Music by John Kander, Lyrics by Fred Ebb, Based on the novel by Manuel Puig (US/UK)
(Full-Length Musical, Drama / 3w, 15m)
Juxtaposing gritty reality with escapist fantasy, this dazzling musical concerns two cell mates in a Latin American prison: Valentin is a tough revolutionary enduring torture and Molina is an unabashed homosexual who fantasizes about a glamorous film actress.

Marcia Kash & Douglas E. Hughes

Longtime collaborators Marcia Kash and Doug Hughes have written five plays together, and their shows never fail to keep audiences in stitches. In addition to Who’s Under Where?, Too Many Cooks and the mystery A Party to Murder, they have written:

Jack of Diamonds by Marcia Kash & Douglas E. Hughes (US/UK)
(Full-Length Play, Comedy / 4w, 3m)
In a luxurious, privately-owned retirement home, four residents fall prey to a smooth-talking financial advisor named Barney Effward. When Effward unexpectedly arrives – along with several million dollars in diamonds – the retirees scramble to exact revenge and recoup their losses before the authorities discover their plans.

Something Fishy by Marcia Kash & Douglas E. Hughes (US/UK)
(Full-Length Play, Comedy / 2w, 3m)
In this timely political farce, presidential candidate Raymond Bream returns to his hometown of Port Pilchard to make a major announcement that will likely win him the election. Meanwhile, the incumbent, President Weever, has sent a couple of henchmen to town to prevent Bream from making his speech – by any means necessary.

Kaufman & Hart

Lauded as “America’s greatest comic playwright,” George S. Kaufman collaborated with several great writers, including Edna Ferber, Ring Lardner, The Gershwins and the Marx Brothers, as he created an astonishing 45 Broadway plays. Perhaps his most celebrated partnership was with the brilliant Moss Hart, with whom he wrote a string of hits, including:

Once in a Lifetime by Moss Hart and George S. Kaufman (US/UK)
(Full-Length Play, Comedy / 19w, 20m)
In the winter of 1928, three down-at-their-heels vaudevillians decide to make their fortune by going Hollywood. The trio, pretending to be
a team of skilled vocal coaches, soon find themselves working for Glogauer Pictures. Kaufman and Hart’s first collaboration is a comedic satire with a Hollywood ending.

The Man Who Came to Dinner by Moss Hart and George S. Kaufman (US)
(Full-Length Play, Comedy / 9w, 14m)
In this enormously popular audience favorite, critic Sheridan Whiteside slips on the Stanley family’s doorstep and breaks his hip. The result is a tumultuous six weeks of confinement in which Whiteside turns the Stanley household upside down, forcing everyone to cater to his egotistical demands. A three-ring circus of machinations ensues.

You Can’t Take It with You by Moss Hart and George S. Kaufman (US)
(Full-Length Play, Comedy / 7w, 9m, 3 any gender)
One of the most popular and successful plays of modern times concerns a large and extended family of charming eccentrics. At first the Sycamores seem mad, but it soon becomes clear that if they are mad, the rest of the world is madder.

Kerrigan & Lowdermilk

Kait Kerrigan (she/her) and Bree Lowdermilk (they/them or she/her) have earned a host of awards and a devoted online following, thanks to their brilliant contemporary songs and musicals. In addition to The Mad Ones (formerly known as The Unauthorized Autobiography of Samantha Brown), their work includes the charming Theatreworks musical Henry and Mudge.

The Mad Ones by Kait Kerrigan and Bree Lowdermilk (US/UK)
(Full-Length Musical, Dramatic Comedy / 3w, 1m)
Samantha Brown balances on the edge of her future, car keys in hand. As she sits in the driver’s seat, she faces a choice: will she follow in her mother’s footsteps, or take the dare of her impetuous best friend and chart a new path?

Ernxst, or the Importance of Being by Justin Elizabeth Sayre, Kait Kerrigan, Bree Lowdermilk, based on Oscar Wilde (US/UK)
(Full-Length Musical, Comedy / 22 any gender) 
This innovative adaptation of Oscar Wilde’s The Importance of Being Earnest maintains the original’s manners and misgivings in the search for love, but adds to Wilde’s vision by breaking down boundaries around gender and identity, reminding us all of the importance of being exactly who we are.

Kooman and Dimond (and Chris Nee)

Michael Koomin and Christopher Dimond met at Carnegie Mellon University, where they were studying under the tutelage of Milan Stitt. They have been awarded a Fred Ebb Award, a Jonathan Larson Grant and were awarded the first Lorenz Hart Award by the ASCAP Foundation. Together, they have created magical, transportive musicals for young audiences across both stage and screen. After meeting executive producer Chris Nee while working on the TV show Vampirina, the duo continued to collaborate with her, and Nee, Kooman and Dimond have since created more musicals that allow young audiences to feel a sense of escapism and wonder.

Finn by Christopher Dimond, Michael Kooman and Chris Nee (US/UK)
(Short Musical, Comedy / 4w, 3m + ensemble)
Hilarious and heartwarming, this underwater musical chronicles the coming-of-age journey of Finn, a young shark who dreams of following in his family’s footsteps by joining the prestigious Shark Guard. As Finn faces the challenges of growing up and following his heart, his musical story becomes a magical journey of self-discovery, friendship and adventure.

Orphie and the Book of Heroes by Michael Kooman and Christopher Dimond (US/UK)
(Full-Length Musical, Comedy / 2w, 5m)
Spunky and curious Orphie, a young girl in Ancient Greece, sets out to save storyteller Homer and his Book of Heroes on a quest that takes her from the heights of Mt. Olympus to the depths of the underworld.

Lawrence & Lee

Jerome Lawrence and Robert E. Lee first teamed up in 1942 to create Armed Forces Radio. Their creative partnership lasted over 50 years and yielded some of the greatest plays and screenplays of the 20th century, including Auntie Mame and Inherit the Wind.

Mame Book by Jerome Lawrence and Robert E. Lee, Music and Lyrics by Jerry Herman, Based on the Novel by Patrick Dennis and the Play Auntie Mame by Lawrence and Lee (US/UK)
(Full-Length Musical, Comedy / 6w, 6m +Ensemble)
“Life is a banquet, and most poor suckers are starving to death!” That’s the motto of Mame Dennis, one of musical theatre’s all-time greatest heroines, in this brassy, tuneful, hilarious and touching adaptation of Patrick Dennis’s bestseller, Auntie Mame.

First Monday in October by Jerome Lawrence and Robert E. Lee (US)
(Full-Length Play, Dramatic Comedy / 2w, 14m)
Produced on Broadway with Henry Fonda and Jane Alexander, this riveting play excites a modern-day debate when conservative female Supreme Court Justice Ruth Loomis and liberal Justice Daniel Snow butt heads over a high-profile pornography case.

Lindsay & Crouse

Howard Lindsay and Russel Crouse collaborated from 1935 to 1962 on a string of hit Broadway comedies and musicals. The Pulitzer Prize-winning team created such hits as Arsenic and Old Lace and Irving Berlin’s Call Me Madam, as well as these gems:

Life With Father by Howard Lindsay and Russel Crouse (US)
(Full-Length Play, Drama / 8w, 8m)
Based on Clarence Day’s book, this long-running play was the greatest dramatic hit of the 20th century. In late 19th-century New York City, stockbroker Clarence Day strives to maintain order in his bustling household.

Anything Goes (2022 Revision) Music and Lyrics by Cole Porter, Book by Guy Bolton, P. G. Wodehouse, Howard Lindsay and Russel Crouse, New Book by Timothy Crouse and John Weidman  (US/UK)
(Full-Length Musical, Comedy / 4w, 3m)
A hilarious shipboard romp wrapped in one of Cole Porter’s most magical scores, Anything Goes is Delightful, Delicious, and De-Lovely!

The Sound of Music Music by Richard Rodgers, Lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II, Book by Howard Lindsay and Russel Crouse, Suggested by The Trapp Family Singers by Maria Augusta Trapp (US/UK)
(Full-Length Musical, Dramatic Comedy / 7w, 4m, 5 girls, 2 boys + ensemble)
One of the most beloved musicals of all time! In Austria, 1938, an exuberant young governess brings music and joy back to a broken family, only to face danger and intrigue as the Nazis gain power.

Jeremy Lloyd & David Croft

Writers Jeremy Lloyd and David Croft co-created two of the most successful sitcoms in UK history; Are You Being Served? ran from 1972-1985, and ’Allo ’Allo kept viewers in stitches from 1982-1992. Lloyd and Croft wrote and produced several other hits, all with the team’s signature comic catchphrases and ending credits, cultural clichés, physical humor and visual gags.

Are You Being Served? by Jeremy Lloyd and David Croft (US/UK)
(Full-Length Play, Comedy / 4w, 8m)
Lovers of innuendo and British humor, look no further than this uproarious play. To the delight of fans everywhere, this popular television comedy is now a stage show that revels in nonstop double entendres.

’Allo ’Allo by Jeremy Lloyd and David Croft (US/UK)
(Full-Length Play, Comedy / 5w, 10m)
Based on the hugely successful British television series, which ran for seven seasons, this uproarious comedy relates the adventures of a hapless cafe owner, Rene, in occupied France.

Marlow & Moss

Meeting at the University of Cambridge, Toby Marlow (they/them) and Lucy Moss (she/her) transformed their shared interest in feminist history and show-stopping, spectacular musicals into SIX, a musical that puts the spotlight firmly back onto the wives of Henry VIII. With a genre-hopping, crowd-pleasing score and a sharp, witty book, the musical drew raves in the West End and on Broadway and has run for over five years at the Lena Horne Theatre.

SIX by Toby Marlow and Lucy Moss (US/UK)
(Full-Length Musical, Dramatic Comedy / 6w)
From Tudor Queens to Pop Icons, the SIX wives of Henry VIII take the mic to reclaim their identities out of the shadow of their infamous spouse, remixing five hundred years of historical heartbreak into a Euphoric Celebration of 21st-century girl power. Also available and currently licensable as SIX: TEEN EDITION (US/UK), a full-length adaptation modified for performance by teen actors for family audiences.

Ian McWethy & Carrie McCrossen

This husband and wife duo have collaborated on numerous plays for school performers and audiences that speak to students at their level without ever talking down to them. Flexible in cast and setting, their work is easy to produce and fantastic to perform.

Rideshare Overshare by Ian McWethy and Carrie McCrossen (US)
(Short Play, Comedy / 6w, 3m, 9 any gender youth)
Will Mike and Elaine ever make it to their blind date? With a motley crew of drivers trying to get them there – some not obeying the rules of the road ­– it’s not always certain.

This is Your Brain on Social Media by Ian McWethy and Carrie McCrossen (US/UK)
(Short Play, Comedy / 11w, 5m, 7 any gender youth)
When a school stages an intervention for three of their most social-media obsessed students, the ultra-righteous Amanda Boseman arrives armed with an array of cautionary tales. This Is Your Brain on Social Media takes on both social-media madness and the grown-up hysteria over kids these days.

Miller & Tysen

Composer Chris Miller and Lyricist Nathan Tysen first made a splash off-Broadway with The Burnt Part Boys and Fugitive Songs before penning the critically acclaimed Broadway musical Tuck Everlasting. The prolific and award-winning duo continues to create groundbreaking work, particularly with their most recent collaboration, created in partnership with the EdTA, Dreamland.

Tuck Everlasting by Claudia Shear, Chris Miller, Nathan Tysen, Tim Federle (US/UK)
(Full-Length Musical, Comedy / 3w, 6m, 1 girl)
What would you do if you had all eternity? Eleven-year-old Winnie Foster yearns for a life of adventure beyond her white picket fence, but when she becomes unexpectedly entwined with the Tuck Family she gets more than she could have imagined: the opportunity to live forever.

Dreamland by Chris Miller and Nathan Tysen (US/UK)
(Full-Length Musical, Comedy / 20 any gender)
Originally commissioned by the Educational Theatre Association for its world premiere at the 2019 International Thespians Festival, Dreamland is a musical riff on Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream, set during the declassification of Area 51.

Osborne & Eppler

J. Dietz Osborne and Nathan Eppler were originally based at Nashville’s Chaffin’s Barn Dinner Theatre and have created a series of Southern comedies known for their pace, charm and down-home laughs. Produced across the country, their work is family-friendly and something that everyone can enjoy.

Southern Fried Funeral by Osborne & Eppler (US)
(Full-Length Play, Comedy / 6w, 5m)
Dewey Frye is dead and the rest of his family is left to pick up the pieces – that is if they don’t kill each other first. Funerals bring out the worst, the best and the funniest in people, and the Fryes are no exception. A big-hearted comedy about family – Southern-style.

Southern Fried Nuptials by Osborne & Eppler (US)
(Full-Length Play, Comedy / 6w, 5m)
Harlene and Attie’s future together is threatened when the bride-to-be’s awful ex-flame shows up with information she doesn’t want her fiancé finding out. A bighearted comedy about family – Southern-style.

Michael Parker & Susan Parker

This prolific husband-and-wife team has been delighting audiences with a string of uproarious comedies, beginning with their 2006 hit Sin, Sex & the C.I.A. English-born Michael and American-born Susan met in Florida in 2000, when she auditioned for his play The Sensuous Senator, and their creative partnership has flourished ever since.

Sandy Toes & Salty Kisses by Michael Parker & Susan Parker (US/UK)
(Full-Length Play, Comedy / 4w, 3m)
The Lovers’ Landing Beach Hotel, a popular wedding destination, has acquired a certain mystique as the home of Sandy Toes & Salty Kisses. Recently inheriting the hotel from her late father, Audrina Brown quickly discovers that her Uncle Bubba, the hotel manager, is running a variety of “extra-curricular activities” on the property. It’s a mystery. It’s a love story. It’s a new farce by the authors of Sex Please We’re Sixty.

Sex Please We’re Sixty by Michael Parker & Susan Parker (US/UK)
(Full-Length Play, Comedy / 4w, 2m)
At Mrs. Stancliffe’s Rose Cottage Bed & Breakfast, Bud “The Stud” Davis believes the inn’s older female guests come to spend time with him in romantic liaisons. When three of the ladies mix up Bud’s Viagra pills with “Venusia” pills, designed to increase the libido of menopausal women, he develops all the symptoms of menopause, complete with hot flashes, mood swings, weeping and irritability.

Michael Patrick & Oisín Kearney

Belfast writer and performer Michael Patrick teamed up with writer/director Oisín Kearney to create the one-man show My Left Nut, a semi-autobiographical comedy that eventually made its way to Edinburgh Festival Fringe in 2018. Their overwhelming success led to the hit BBC series and a second play, The Alternative.

My Left Nut (UK)
(Monologue / 1m)
400 millilitres. That’s how much liquid was drained from Michael’s left testicle. That’s more than a can of coke. He should have told someone sooner, but who could he turn to? Source material for the hit BBC miniseries, My Left Nut is the original coming-of-age comedic play about Belfast, masculinity, friendship, family, love, grief and testicles.

Jason Pizzarello & Patrick Greene

Jason Pizzarello and Patrick Greene have collaborated on many lively contemporary updates of myths of legends, designed to make them accessible and engaging for school audiences. Their work honors the timeless core of these stories while creating something that speaks to modern times.

Around the World in 8 Plays by Jason Pizzarello & Patrick Greene (US)
(Full-Length Play, Comedy / 10w, 10m, 10 any gender youth)
Travel around the world and explore forgotten myths and unusual legends through eight fast-paced and hilarious tales! Always quirky and sometimes bizarre – these eight fables are filled with magic, mystery and morals.

Rice & Lloyd Webber

Tim Rice and Andrew Lloyd Webber began collaborating in 1965 at, respectively, 20 and 17 years of age. Over the subsequent decade, they co-created three of the most innovative and popular musicals of their time, winning numerous awards and breaking box office records. Each writer has gone on to create other blockbuster musicals, but the 1-2-3 success of their early partnership remains unmatched.

Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat Lyrics by Tim Rice, Music by Andrew Lloyd Webber (US)
(Full-Length Musical, Comedy / 2w, 16m)
“Sha la la, Joseph, you’re doing fine! You and your dreamcoat, ahead of your time!” One of the most enduring shows of all time, Joseph… is a reimagining of the Biblical story of Joseph, his father Jacob, eleven brothers and the coat of many colors.

Jesus Christ Superstar Lyrics by Tim Rice, Music by Andrew Lloyd Webber (US)
(Full-Length Musical, Drama / 1w, 8m + ensemble)
What’s the buzz? The first musical by Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice to be produced for the professional stage, Jesus Christ Superstar has wowed audiences for over 40 years. A timeless work, the rock opera is set against the backdrop of an extraordinary and universally-known series of events but seen, unusually, through the eyes of Judas Iscariot.

Evita Lyrics by Tim Rice, Music by Andrew Lloyd Webber (US)
(Full-Length Musical, Drama / 2w, 3m + ensemble)
Evita charts the young and ambitious Eva Peron’s meteoric rise to sainthood. Set in Argentina between 1934-1952, the Tony-winning musical follows Eva Duarte on her journey from poor illegitimate child to ambitious actress to, as wife of military leader-turned-president Juan Peron, the most powerful woman in Latin America, before her death from cancer at age 33.

Rodgers & Hammerstein

Has there ever been a more successful creative partnership than that of Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II? From the groundbreaking and genre-defining impact of their first show, Oklahoma!, to the global success of their final masterpiece, The Sound of Music, Rodgers & Hammerstein continually raised the bar for musical theatre, creating intelligent, provocative, entertaining musicals that will live forever.

Rodgers & Hammerstein’s Oklahoma! Music by Richard Rodgers, Book and Lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II, Original Choreography by Agnes de Mille, Based on the play Green Grow the Lilacs by Lynn Riggs (US/UK)
(Full-Length Musical, Comedy / 4w, 6m)
The groundbreaking musical that set the stage for all that followed! Rodgers & Hammerstein’s exuberant classic is a lively, tuneful musical full of cowboys, farmers, romance and fearless optimism.

Rodgers & Hammerstein’s South Pacific Music by Richard Rodgers,
Lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II, Book by Oscar Hammerstein II and Joshua Logan, Adapted from the Pulitzer Prize-winning novel Tales of the South Pacific by James A. Michener (US/UK)
(Full-Length Musical, Drama / 3w, 7m, 1 girl, 1 boy)
In an island paradise during the Second World War, two Americans – a wide-eyed nurse and a promising young lieutenant – discover love and come face-to-face with their own prejudices.

Rodgers + Hammerstein’s Cinderella Music by Richard Rodgers / Lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II / New Book by Douglas Carter Beane / Original Book by Oscar Hammerstein II (US/UK)
(Full-Length Musical, Comedy / 5w, 4m)
Rodgers + Hammerstein’s Cinderella is the new Broadway adaptation of the classic musical. This contemporary take on the classic tale features Rodgers & Hammerstein’s most beloved songs, including “In My Own Little Corner,” “Impossible/It’s Possible” and “Ten Minutes Ago.”

Rodgers & Hart

Creating an astonishing 28 stage musicals and more than 500 songs, the creative team of Richard Rodgers and Lorenz Hart defined early American musical theatre. Beginning in 1925 with The Garrick Gaieties, which introduced their hit song, “Manhattan,” Rodgers & Hart filled two decades with hit Broadway shows, including A Connecticut Yankee, I’d Rather Be Right, The Boys From Syracuse and these gems:

Babes in Arms Music by Richard Rodgers, Lyrics by Lorenz Hart, Book by George Oppenheimer (US/UK)
(Full-Length Musical, Comedy / 3w, 12m + ensemble)
This quintessential “Hey, kids, let’s put on a show!” musical boasts one of the greatest scores ever written. A group of young summer stock apprentices attempt to stage an original revue, despite resistance from the underhanded theatre owner.

Pal Joey Music by Richard Rodgers, Lyrics by Lorenz Hart, Book by John O’Hara (US/UK)
(Full-Length Musical, Dramatic Comedy / 4w, 2m)
Rodgers & Hart’s hit show was decades ahead of its time; the tuneful and sophisticated musical comedy features a likable, scrappy antihero making his way through Chicago in the late 1930s.

SpitLip

SpitLip (Comprised of the creatives David Cumming, Felix Hagan, Natasha Hodgson and Zoë Roberts) are the incredible creative team behind the smash hit Operation Mincemeat, which experienced stratospheric success on Broadway and in the West End. The show, which was called “a brilliant spy thriller, a brilliant comedy, and a brilliant musical all rolled into one,” won multiple Olivier and Tony Awards and has inspired a legion of avid fans on both sides of the pond.

Operation Mincemeat by David Cumming, Felix Hagan, Natasha Hodgson and Zoë Roberts (US/UK)
(Full-Length Musical, Comedy / 5 any gender adult)
The year is 1943 and we’re losing the war. Luckily, we’re about to gamble all our futures on a stolen corpse. Operation Mincemeat is the fast-paced, hilarious and unbelievable true story of the twisted secret mission that won the Allies World War II. The question is, how did a well-dressed corpse wrong-foot Hitler? The show will also soon be available in a flexible cast version with up to 87 roles, specially adapted for students, called Operation Mincemeat: The Expanded Cast (US/UK).

Strouse & Adams

After meeting in 1949, Charles Strouse and Lee Adams collaborated on a series of summer resort revues before taking Broadway by storm with their 1960 smash hit, Bye Bye Birdie. Their smart, contemporary, tuneful work continued to grace the Broadway stage with subsequent successes like It’s A Bird… It’s a Plane… It’s Superman! and Applause, their dynamic musical adaptation of All About Eve.

Bye Bye Birdie Book by Michael Stewart, Music by Charles Strouse, Lyrics by Lee Adams (US/UK)
(Full-Length Musical, Comedy / 6w, 5m + ensemble)
Teenagers, rock & roll, and national television – Bye Bye Birdie captures the energy and excitement of the late 1950s with warmth, hilarity and an exuberant score.

Golden Boy Book by William Gibson and Clifford Odets, Music by Charles Strouse, Lyrics by Lee Adams (US)
(Full-Length Musical, Drama / 4w, 17m)
Adapted from Clifford Odets’ classic drama, Golden Boy is the tale of Joe Wellington, a young black man from Harlem trying to rise up out of the ghetto to fame in the brutal world of boxing.

It’s A Bird… It’s A Plane… It’s Superman! Music by Charles Strouse, Lyrics by Lee Adams, Book by David Newman and Robert Benton, Based Upon the Comic Strip Superman (US/UK)
(Full-Length Musical, Comedy / 2w, 5m)
Campy, dynamic, and larger than life, It’s A Bird… It’s A Plane… It’s Superman® captures the sights and sounds of 1960s New York City as Superman battles a vengeful scientist determined to destroy the world’s symbol of good. Meanwhile, Daily Planet writer Lois Lane struggles to make sense of her rocky romance with the superhero.

Tectonic Theater Project & Moisés Kaufman

Founded in 1991 by Moisés Kaufman and Jeffrey LaHoste, Tectonic Theater Project is a nonprofit theatre dedicated to exploring theatrical language and form. Working with fellow writers including Stephen Belber, Leigh Fondakowski and Andy Paris, the project specializes in plays drawn from real-life events and tragedies, including:

33 Variations by Moisés Kaufman (US)
(Full-Length Play, Drama / 4w, 3m)
A mother coming to terms with her daughter. A composer coming to terms with his genius. Though they’re separated by 200 years and more than 4200 miles, these two people share an obsession that might, even just for a moment, make time stand still. Drama, memory and music combine to travel from present-day New York all the way to 19th-century Austria.

The Laramie Project by Moisés Kaufman and The Tectonic Theater Project (US/UK)
(Full-Length Play, Drama / 4w, 4m + ensemble)
Based on the tragic story of Matthew Shepard, who had been brutally killed in an anti-gay hate crime, the writer/performers conducted more than 200 interviews with the people of Laramie, crafting a deeply moving theatrical experience from these interviews and their own experiences in Laramie.

Billy Van Zandt & Jane Milmore

This prolific duo co-created an astonishing 23 plays during their 40-year partnership. Beginning with their first hit, Love, Sex and the I.R.S., Van Zandt and Milmore collaborated numerous off-Broadway hits and several hit TV series, including The Wayans Bros. and Suddenly Susan. Their crowd-pleasing comedies continue to wow audiences worldwide.

Drop Dead! by Billy Van Zandt and Jane Milmore (US/UK)
(Full-Length Play, Comedy / 3w, 7m)
A cast of has-been actors plan to revive their careers in Drop Dead!, a potboiler murder mystery directed by “Wonder Child of the Broadway Stage” Victor Le Pewe (a psychotic eye twitching megalomaniac). But when the murders and mysteries exceed those in the script, these thespians must save the show and their careers as well as their lives!

Silent Laughter by Billy Van Zandt and Jane Milmore (US)
(Full-Length Play, Comedy / 2w, 8m)
New York audiences went wild for this gag-filled, water-sloshing, bed-crashing, pie-throwing craziness. Performed in black and white with title cards projected over the actors’ heads, and a live theatre organ accompanying every double take, this comic tour de force is a reverential recreation of a bygone era.

Kit Yan & Melissa Li

When Kit Yan and Melissa Li first met in 2006 at a queer Asian cabaret in Boston, they hit it off immediately. They soon formed a band, Good Asian Drivers, and toured the country, seeking out trans Asian audiences. That experience inspired their musical Interstate, the latest creation from these authors of Miss Step, May Day and the Keen Teens musical Cancelled.

Cancelled by Kit Yan & Melissa Li (US/UK)
Short Musical, Dramatic Comedy / 4w, 3m, 3 any gender)
In this one-act musical from Keen Teens: Volume 8 (US/UK), a scandal breaks in a progressive high school when Joey, the popular lesbian President of the GSA, accidentally sends an offensive tweet directed at Evan, a trans classmate.

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For more great plays and musicals, visit Concord Theatricals in the US or UK.