Musicals with Great Roles for Black Women

A daring pioneer in the Old West. A genteel lady of privilege in New Orleans Creole society. A naive farmgirl in rural Kansas. An internationally famous pop superstar.

Below, explore musicals featuring some of the powerful and compelling roles created specifically for Black female actors.

Bella: An American Tall Tale by Kirsten Childs (US/UK)
(Full-Length Musical, Comedy / 5w, 7m)
When Bella boards a train west to reunite with her Buffalo soldier sweetheart, she encounters the most colorful and lively characters ever to roam the Western plains. Bullets and fists will fly, heads and hearts will break, but – blessed with a big heart and a voluptuous figure – Bella will breeze on through it all.

Carmen Jones by Oscar Hammerstein II and Georges Bizet, based on Meilhac and Halevy’s adapation of Prosper Mérimée’s Carmen (US/UK)
(Full-Length Musical, Drama / 6w, 10m)
Set in a Southern town during World War II, Oscar Hammerstein’s adaptation of Carmen captures the romance and tragedy of Bizet’s melodic opera with a distinctly American flavor. In addition to the fiery and mercurial title character, the show features several strong roles for Black women, including Franki, Myrt and Cindy Lou.

Don’t Bother Me, I Can’t Cope by Micki Grant and Vinnette Caroll (US/UK)
(Full-Length Musical / 6w, 6m)
A Tony nominee for Best Musical, this dynamic mixture of rock, calypso and ballads utilizes a dozen singer/dancers in twenty numbers. In revue format, Don’t Bother Me… celebrates the African American experience with vibrant song and dance.

 
2009 US National Tour production of Dreamgirls (Joan Marcus)

Dreamgirls by Tom Eyen and Henry Krieger (US/UK)
(Full-Length Musical, Drama / 4w, 4m plus ensemble)
From passionate, combustible Effie to cool-headed, ambitious Deena to impertinent, sharp-tongued Lorrell, Dreamgirls offers a banquet of delicious roles for Black actresses. Chronicling one group’s rise to the top, the groundbreaking musical is a sweeping and inspirational journey through 20th-century American pop music.

Hallelujah, Baby! by Arthur Laurents, Jule Styne, Betty Comden and Adolph Green (US/UK)
(Full-Length Musical, Dramatic Comedy / 3w, 2m plus ensemble)
Through the struggles and triumphs of a determined, talented and resilient leading lady, Hallelujah, Baby! celebrates the African American experience in the first half of the 20th century. Leslie Uggams won the 1968 Tony Award for Best Actress in a Musical for her tour-de-force portrayal of Georgia Franklin, a young woman who rises from domestic work in the 1920s to stardom in the late 1960s – all without aging a day.

It Ain’t Nothin’ But The Blues by Dan Wheetman, Charles Bevel, Lita Gaithers, Randal Myler and Ron Taylor (US/UK)
(Full-Length Musical, Drama / 3w, 4m)
This sizzling revue of the blues and blues-infused songs that changed the way the world felt the human heart beat took New York by storm. Ravishing songs trace the evolution of the blues from Africa to Mississippi to Memphis to Chicago.

Jamaica by Harold Arlen, E.Y. Harburg and Fred Saidy (US/UK)
(Full-Length Musical, Dramatic Comedy / 3w, 3m)
Set on a small fictional island off the Jamaican coast, Jamaica weaves romance, comedy and social commentary as an unspoiled island community fights the encroaching forces of commercialism. The calypso-inflected score from Harold Arlen and E.Y. Harburg features the songs “Savannah,” “Push the Button” and “Ain’t It The Truth?”

Jelly’s Last Jam by George C. Wolfe, Susan Birkenhead, Jelly Roll Morton and Luther Henderson (US/UK)
(Full-Length Musical, Dramatic Comedy/ 8w, 10m)
Take your seat at the legendary Jungle Inn nightclub for an electrifying musical telling the story of jazz through one of its most notorious entertainers: Jelly Roll Morton. Jelly’s Last Jam is a vital piece of Black history set to a splashy, vibrant score from one of America’s greatest composers.

Klook and Vinette by Che Walker, Anoushka Lucas and Omar Lyefook (US/UK)
(Full-Length Musical, Drama / 1w, 1m)
Klook is a drifter who’s gotten too old to drift. Vinette is on the run but she doesn’t know what’s chasing her. Together they make a tentative stab at happiness, before the past they are evading begins to catch up with them. Tough, tender, funny and poignant, Klook and Vinette will grab you from the inside out. Soulful music and a lyrical text make this a mesmerizing theatre experience.

Lady Day at Emerson’s Bar and Grill by Lanie Robertson (US)
(Full-Length Musical, Drama / 1w, 1m)
The time is 1959. The place is a seedy bar in Philadelphia. The audience is about to witness one of Billie Holiday’s last performances, given four months before her death. More than a dozen musical numbers are interlaced with salty, often humorous remembrances to project a riveting portrait of the fascinating lady and her music.

Mahalia by Tom Stolz (US)
(Full-Length Musical, Drama / 2w, 1m)
Featuring gospel songs, hymns and spirituals made famous by Mahalia Jackson, Mahalia is a joyous celebration of the life and music of the world’s greatest gospel singer: a humble, deeply religious woman whose expressive, full-throated voice carried her from a three room shanty in New Orleans to appearances before presidents and royalty.

Marie Christine by Michael John LaChiusa (US/UK)
(Full-Length Musical, Drama / 10w, 6m, 2 boys)
Set in the twilight years of the 19th century, Marie Christine chronicles its doomed heroine’s journey from her genteel life of privilege in New Orleans Creole society through her betrayal and incomprehensible vengeance in boisterous Chicago. This gripping tale of one headstrong and passionate young woman’s all-consuming love for an ambitious sea captain provides a tour-de-force for its leading lady.

A Night with Janis Joplin by Randy Johnson (US/UK)
(Full-Length Musical, Drama/ 5w)
While the title role in this might be Janis, Black actors can shine on stage playing many of her inspirations, including Etta James, Bessie Smith and Aretha Franklin. With classic tunes being belted out at every turn, A Night with Janis Joplin is a must for casts with real star power.

Play to Win by Carles Cleveland, James de Jongh and Jimi Foster (US)
(Short Musical, Dramatic Comedy / 1w, 4m)
Play to Win is a bright, snappy one-hour musical about the man who broke the color barrier in professional baseball. Although the show is aimed at young audiences, all ages will enjoy this portrayal of Jackie Robinson’s determination to be the best, despite seemingly insurmountable racism. Major characters include Rachel, the girl Jackie met in college and later married and Branch Rickey, the owner of the Dodgers who dared to sign Robinson.

Polkadots: The Cool Kids Musical by Melvin Tunstall III, Douglas Lyons and Greg Borowsky (US)
(Full-Length Musical, Comedy/ 3w, 1m)
Lily Polkadot has just moved to the “Squares Only” small town of Rockaway. As the first Polkadot in an all Square school, Lily faces an almost impossible task of gaining acceptance from her peers. From daily bullying to segregated drinking fountains, Lily’s quest seems hopeless until she meets Sky, a shy Square boy whose curiosity for her unique polkadot skin blooms into an unexpected pal-ship. Inspired by the events of The Little Rock 9, Polkadots serves as a colorful musical history lesson for children. The show can also be performed in a jukebox version.

Porgy and Bess® by George Gershwin, Ira Gershwin, DuBose Heyward and Dorothy Heyward (US/UK)
(Full-Length Musical, Drama / 4w, 4m)
Recognized worldwide as a masterpiece and an American Folk Opera, Porgy and Bess features one of theatre’s great leading roles in the character of Bess. Jaded, beaten and addicted to heroin, Bess appears beyond hope until she finds unconditional love with Porgy. Wrestling with her demons, Bess struggles to overcome her past and find true happiness.

Purlie by Ossie Davis, Phillip Rose, Peter Udell and Gary Geld (US/UK)
(Full-Length Musical, Comedy / 4w, 4m plus ensemble)
Melba Moore won a Tony Award for her portrayal of Lutiebelle in this ebullient musical adaptation of Ossie Davis’ play Purlie Victorious. When a strutting, newfangled preacher man returns to his small hometown in Georgia, he wants a church and he wants freedom for the men and women working the plantation. With the help of Lutiebelle Gussie Mae Jenkins, Purlie sets out to meet his goals.

Raisin by Robert Nemiroff, Charlotte Zaltzberg, Judd Woldin and Robert Brittan, based on Lorraine Hansberry’s A Raisin in the Sun (US/UK)
(Full-Length Musical, Drama / 6w, 9m)
This pulsating, inspirational musical adaptation of Lorraine Hansberry’s A Raisin in the Sun wowed audiences and won the 1974 Tony Award for Best Musical. The roles of Mama, Ruth and Beneatha offer actresses great material to sink their teeth into; Virginia Capers won a Tony for her portrayal of Mama Lena Younger, whose powerful anthem “Measure the Valleys” anchors the show.

Storyville by Mildred Kayden and Ed Bullins (US)
(Full-Length Musical, Drama / 6w, 6m plus ensemble)
A rousing musical set in 1917 New Orleans, Storyville is a tale of love and jazz music. When a notorious prize fight sends New Orleans’ musicians, bands and entertainers “rollin’ up the river” to the North, jazz becomes America’s musical gift to the world.

Summer: The Donna Summer Musical by Colman Domingo, Robert Cary, Des McAnuff, Donna Summer, Giorgio Moroder and Paul Jabara (US/UK)
(Full-Length Musical, Dramatic Comedy/ 6w, 3m plus ensemble)
All hail the Queen of Disco – Summer sheds light on the life of one of the great voices in music history. From gospel choir to disco diva, Donna Summer was an icon, but this thrilling musical also shows how she risked it all to break through barriers and become an inspiration for generations to come. Told through a selection of her finest, flyest hits, Summer is a story that brings everyone to the dancefloor.

The Bubbly Black Girl Sheds Her Chameleon Skin by Kirsten Childs (US)
(Full-Length Musical, Drama / 6w, 5m plus ensemble)
What’s a black girl from sunny Southern California to do? Viveca Stanton’s answer: Slap on a bubbly smile and be as white as you can be! In a pointed coming-of-age story, Viveca blithely sails through the worlds of racism, sexism and Broadway showbiz until she’s forced to face the devastating effect self-denial has had on her life.

The Life by Cy Coleman, Ira Gasman and David Newman (US/UK)
(Full-Length Musical, Drama / 5w, 5m)
Lillias White won a Tony Award for her portrayal of Sonya in this gritty, powerful, funny and explosive musical about street workers plying “The Oldest Profession” in 1980s Times Square. With a broad range of roles for women and the bond of female friendship at its core, The Life offers several strong opportunities for Black actresses to shine.

The Wiz by William F. Brown, Charlie Smalls (US/UK)
(Full-Length Musical, Comedy / 6w, 6m, 4 any gender)
This lively, irrepressible reimagining of The Wizard of Oz provides a wealth of great roles for Black women, including: stern but loving Aunt Em; goofy, well-intentioned Addaperle; regal, wise Glinda; and brash, loud, deliciously malevolent Evillene. Of course, guiding audiences through the whole journey is naive, headstrong Dorothy, who sings beloved songs like “Be A Lion” and “Home.”

Well-Behaved Women by Carmel Dean (US/UK)
(Musical Revue, Drama / 9w)
This contemporary song cycle for 4 to 20+ women is a celebration of many historic women who fought to have their voices heard and bravely made their mark on the world. Woman such as Billie Jean King, Frida Kahlo, Harriet Tubman, Cleopatra and Malala Yousafzai bring their incredible stories to life through powerful, emotional and often hilarious songs, leaving audiences entertained, moved and inspired.

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