Hello everyone! It’s been a while since I’ve posted a song list here, and I’ve had multiple requests asking for musical theatre song suggestions from the 2020s. It’s hard to believe we’re already about 1/3 through this decade. It’s also important to note that Broadway was completely shuttered from March 2020 through September 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Many shows that have opened since have been revivals. However, there have been some strong original score and jukebox score musicals this decade so far, and I’d like to highlight songs from those here. For a list of great female character songs, check out this blog post.
Below is a list of [mostly] solo musical theatre songs from the 2020s performed by male-identifying characters. Note: Since I started this blog nearly a decade ago, discussions about gender in theatre and society in general have evolved so much (thankfully!). I don’t think anyone across the gender spectrum should be discouraged from singing these songs– though the majority of them will fit tenor and baritone/’baritenor’ voices best in their current keys.
P.S. If you need more musical theatre song suggestions, check out my professional repertoire guides here.
1. “Good Kid” from The Lightning Thief (Broadway; 2019-20)
Music & Lyrics by Rob Rokicki | Sheet Music: MusicNotes
2. “No Friends” from Almost Famous (Broadway; 2022-23)
Music by Tom Kitt; Lyrics by Cameron Crowe & Tom Kitt | Sheet Music: TBA
3. “Perfect” [Broadway Version] from Jagged Little Pill (Broadway; 2019-20, 2021)
Music by Alanis Morissette & Glenn Ballard; Lyrics by Alanis Morissette | Sheet Music: Music Notes
4. “Only You, Lonely You” from Bad Cinderella (Broadway; 2023)
Music by Andrew Lloyd Webber; Lyrics by David Zippel | Sheet Music: MusicNotes
5. “Good Kid” from Kimberly Akimbo (Broadway; 2022-present)
Music by Jeanine Tesori; Lyrics by David Lindsay-Abaire | Sheet Music: TBA
6. “Epic III” from Hadestown (Broadway; 2019-2020, 2021-present)
Music & Lyrics by Anaïs Mitchell | Sheet Music: SheetMusicDirect
7. “I Want to Be There” from Mrs. Doubtfire (Broadway; 2021-22)
Music & Lyrics by Karey Kirkpatrick & Wayne Kirkpatrick | Sheet Music: TBA
8. “Your Song” [Broadway Version] from Moulin Rouge (Broadway; 2019-2020; 2021-present)
Music & Lyrics by Elton John & Bernie Taupin | Sheet Music: MusicNotes
9. “Any Man But Me” from Mr. Saturday Night (Broadway; 2022)
Music by Jason Robert Brown; Lyrics by Amanda Green | Sheet Music: TBA
10. “Michael in the Bathroom” from Be More Chill (Broadway; 2019, West End; 2021)
Music & Lyrics by Joe Iconis | Sheet Music: MusicNotes
11. “I Have It All” from Flying Over Sunset (Broadway; 2021)
Music by Tom Kitt; Lyrics by Michael Korie | Sheet Music: TBA
12. “I Won’t Let You Down” from Tootsie (Broadway; 2019-20)
Music & Lyrics by David Yazbek | Sheet Music: MusicNotes
13. “A Strange Loop” from A Strange Loop (Broadway; 2022-23)
Music & Lyrics by Michael R. Jackson | Sheet Music: MusicNotes
14. “Why Should I Die in Springtime?” from Paradise Square (Broadway; 2022)
Music by Jason Howland; Lyrics by Masi Asare & Nathan Tysen | Sheet Music: Tunescribers
15. “Love Me Like You Do” [Broadway Version] from & Juliet (Broadway; 2022)
Music & Lyrics by Max Martin, et al | Sheet Music: MusicNotes (Ellie Goulding version)
16. “Diana (The Rage)” from Diana: The Musical (Broadway; 2021)
Music by David Bryan; Lyrics by David Bryan & Joe DiPietro | Sheet Music: MusicNotes
17. “OK” from Shucked (Broadway; 2023-present)
Music & Lyrics by Brandy Clark & Shane McAnally | Sheet Music: TBD
18. “For the Dreamers” from Back to the Future (2023-present)
Music by Alan Silvestri; Lyrics by Glen Ballard | Sheet Music: MusicNotes
19. “The Tree on the Hill” from The Lightning Thief (Broadway; 2019-20)
Music & Lyrics by Rob Rokicki | Sheet Music: MusicNotes
20. “Talk to Me Dorothy” from Tootsie (Broadway; 2019-20)
Music & Lyrics by David Yazbek | Sheet Music: MusicNotes
21. “She’s Out of My Life” [Broadway Version] from MJ the Musical (Broadway; 2023)
Music & Lyrics by Tom Bahler | Sheet Music: MusicNotes (Michael Jackson version)
22. “Somebody Will” from Shucked (Broadway; 2023-present)
Music & Lyrics by Brandy Clark & Shane McAnally | Sheet Music: MusicNotes
23. “He Lied When He Said Hello” from Some Like It Hot (Broadway; 2022-present)
Music by Marc Shaiman; Lyrics by Marc Shaiman & Scott Wittman | Sheet Music: MusicNotes
24. “Whaddya Do” from Tootsie (Broadway; 2019-20)
Music & Lyrics by David Yazbek | Sheet Music: MusicNotes
25. “It’s Only a Matter of Time” from Back to the Future (Broadway; 2023-present)
Music by Alan Silvestri; Lyrics by Glen Ballard | Sheet Music: MusicNotes
26. “The Whole Being Dead Thing” from Beetlejuice (Broadway; 2019-20, 2022-23)
Music & Lyrics by Eddie Perfect | Sheet Music: MusicNotes
27. “A Little Joy” from Mr. Saturday Night (Broadway; 2022)
Music by Jason Robert Brown; Lyrics by Amanda Green | Sheet Music: TBA
28. “Loser Geek Whatever” from Be More Chill (Broadway; 2019, West End; 2021)
Music & Lyrics by Joe Iconis | Sheet Music: MusicNotes
29. “The Mess I’ve Made” from Mrs. Doubtfire (Broadway; 2021-22)
Music & Lyrics by Karey Kirkpatrick & Wayne Kirkpatrick | Sheet Music: TBA
30. “Jeff Sums It Up” from Tootsie (Broadway; 2019-20)
Music & Lyrics by David Yazbek | Sheet Music: MusicNotes
31. “Happy for Her” from Kimberly Akimbo (Broadway; 2022-present)
Music by Jeanine Tesori; Lyrics by David Lindsay-Abaire | Sheet Music: TBA
32. “My Myopia” from Back to the Future (2023-present)
Music by Alan Silvestri; Lyrics by Glen Ballard | Sheet Music: MusicNotes
33. “The Vanquishing of the Three-Headed Sea Witch” from Bad Cinderella (Broadway; 2023)
Music by Andrew Lloyd Webber; Lyrics by David Zippel | Sheet Music: MusicNotes
34. “Whatever Love Means Anyway” [Excrept] from Diana: The Musical (Broadway; 2021)
Music by David Bryan; Lyrics by David Bryan & Joe DiPietro | Sheet Music: MusicNotes
35. “Wondrous” from Flying Over Sunset (Broadway; 2021)
Music by Tom Kitt; Lyrics by Michael Korie | Sheet Music: TBA
36. “Mary Jane” [Broadway Version] from Jagged Little Pill (Broadway; 2019-20, 2021)
Music by Alanis Morissette & Glenn Ballard; Lyrics by Alanis Morissette | Sheet Music: MusicNotes
37. “As Long As You Love Me” [Broadway Version] from & Juliet (Broadway; 2022)
Music & Lyrics by Max Martin, et al | Sheet Music: MusicNotes (Backstreet Boys version)
38. “Lost in New York City” [Excerpt] from Almost Famous (Broadway; 2022-23)
Music by Tom Kitt; Lyrics by Cameron Crowe & Tom Kitt | Sheet Music: TBA
39. “Hello, Baby” from Kimberly Akimbo (Broadway; 2022-present)
Music by Jeanine Tesori; Lyrics by David Lindsay-Abaire | Sheet Music: TBA
40. “Broken” from Mr. Saturday Night (Broadway; 2022)
Music by Jason Robert Brown; Lyrics by Amanda Green | Sheet Music: TBA
41. “His Kiss, the Riot” from Hadestown (Broadway; 2019-2020, 2021-present)
Music & Lyrics by Anaïs Mitchell | Sheet Music: TBA
42. “El Tango De Roxanne” [Broadway Version] from Moulin Rouge (Broadway; 2019-2020; 2021-present)
Music & Lyrics by Gordon Sumner et al | Sheet Music: MusicNotes
43. “Rocket Ship” from Flying Over Sunset (Broadway; 2021)
Music by Tom Kitt; Lyrics by Michael Korie | Sheet Music: TBA
44. “Gotta Start Somewhere” from Back to the Future (2023-present)
Music by Alan Silvestri; Lyrics by Glen Ballard | Sheet Music: TBA
45. “This Thing” from Tootsie (Broadway; 2019-20)
Music & Lyrics by David Yazbek | Sheet Music: MusicNotes
46. “Another Terrible Day” from The Lightning Thief (Broadway; 2019-20)
Music & Lyrics by Rob Rokicki | Sheet Music: TBA
47. “Buddy’s First Act” from Mr. Saturday Night (Broadway; 2022)
Music by Jason Robert Brown; Lyrics by Amanda Green | Sheet Music: TBA
48. “Boundaries” from A Strange Loop (Broadway; 2022-23)
Music & Lyrics by Michael R. Jackson | Sheet Music: MusicNotes
49. “Bad” from Shucked (Broadway; 2023-present)
Music & Lyrics by Brandy Clark & Shane McAnally | Sheet Music: TBD
50. “I’m Coming” from Paradise Square (Broadway; 2022)
Music by Jason Howland; Lyrics by Masi Asare & Nathan Tysen | Sheet Music: TBA
For a list of great 2020s female character songs, check out this blog post.
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