Who doesn’t love a good duet? There have been many, many fabulous musical theatre duets written for female characters over the past century and beyond. For this post, I decided to zero in on songs from the last 30-35ish years (I assume folks already know classic shows like Gypsy and Chicago by now). All the songs below would make great selections for concerts, cabarets, recitals, galas, etc. Characters and relationships vary by song, so you may need to do some research. And although these pieces are [mostly] sung by female-identifying characters, I wouldn’t discourage anyone across the gender spectrum from performing them. Happy singing!
P.S. Need help finding more musical theatre songs to sing? Check out my professional repertoire guides here.
1. “It Comes As No Surprise” from Doctor Zhivago (2015)
Music by Lucy Simon; Lyrics by Michael Korie & Amy Powers | Song Type: Dramatic | Sheet Music: SheetMusicDirect
2. “In His Eyes” from Jekyll & Hyde (1997)
Music by Frank Wildhorn; Lyrics by Leslie Bricusse | Song Type: Dramatic | Sheet Music: MusicNotes
3. “Flight” [duet version] from Cast of Thousands (1998)
Music & Lyrics by Craig Carnelia | Song Type: Dramatic | Sheet Music: MusicNotes
4. “Secondary Characters” from [title of show] (2008)
Music & Lyrics by Jeff Bowen | Song Type: Comedic | Sheet Music: MusicNotes
5. “I Could Always Got to You” from Personals (1985)
Music by Alan Menken; Lyrics by David Crane, Seth Friedman & Marta Kauffman | Song Type: Comedic | Sheet Music: see full score
6. “I Still Believe” from Miss Saigon (1991)
Music by Claude-Michel Schönberg; Lyrics by Alain Boublil & Richard Maltby Jr. | Song Type: Dramatic | Sheet Music: MusicNotes
7. “Three Bedroom House” from Bat Boy (2001)
Music & Lyrics by Laurence O’Keefe | Song Type: Comedic | Sheet Music: DailySheetMusic
8. “What You Don’t Know About Women” from City of Angels (1989)
Music by Cy Coleman; Lyrics by David Zippel | Song Type: Comedic | Sheet Music: MusicNotes
9. “Anybody Have a Map?” from Dear Evan Hansen (2016)
Music & Lyrics by Benj Pasek & Justin Paul | Song Type: Dramatic | Sheet Music: MusicNotes
10. “Single Man Drought” from I Love You, You’re Perfect, Now Change (1996)
Music by Jimmy Roberts; Lyrics by Joe DiPietro | Song Type: Comedic | Sheet Music: see full score
11. “My Heart is Split” from The Freshman Experiment (2008)
Music by Bree Lowdermilk; Lyrics by Kait Kerrigan | Song Type: Dramatic | Sheet Music: NewMusicalTheatre
12. “Love Who You Love” from Bonnie & Clyde (2011)
Music by Tom Kitt; Lyrics by Brian Yorkey | Song Type: Dramatic | Sheet Music: MusicNotes
13. “Apex Predator” from Mean Girls (2018)
Music by Jeff Richmond; Lyrics by Nell Benjamin | Song Type: Comedic | Sheet Music: MusicNotes
14. “Peas in a Pod” from Grey Gardens (2006)
Music by Scott Frankel; Lyrics by Michael Korie | Song Type: Comedic | Sheet Music: MusicNotes
15. “Some Things Are Meant to Be” from Little Women (2005)
Music by Jason Howland; Lyrics by Mindi Dickstein| Song Type: Dramatic | Sheet Music: MusicNotes
16. “Let Me Be Your Star” from SMASH/Bombshell (2012)
Music by Marc Shaiman; Lyrics by Scott Wittman & Marc Shaiman | Song Type: Dramatic | Sheet Music: MusicNotes
17. “In the Light of the Virgin Morning” from Jane Eyre (2000)
Music & Lyrics by Paul Gordon | Song Type: Dramatic | Sheet Music: MusicNotes
18. “Take Me or Leave Me” from Rent (1996)
Music & Lyrics by Jonathan Larson | Song Type: Comedic | Sheet Music: MusicNotes
19. “Who Will Love Me As I Am?” from Side Show (1997)
Music by Henry Krieger; Lyrics by Bill Russell | Song Type: Dramatic | Sheet Music: MusicNotes
20. “Dance with You” from The Prom (2018)
Music by Matthew Sklar; Lyrics by Chad Beguelin| Song Type: Dramatic | Sheet Music: MusicNotes
21. “The More You Ruv Someone” from Avenue Q (2003)
Music & Lyrics by Robert Lopez & Jeff Marx | Song Type: Dramatic | Sheet Music: MusicNotes
22. “Break from the Line” (2019)
Music & Lyrics by Joey Contreras | Song Type: Dramatic | Sheet Music: Songwriter Website
23. “What About Love?” from The Color Purple (2005)
Music & Lyrics by Brenda Russell, Allee Willis & Stephen Bray | Song Type: Dramatic | Sheet Music: MusicNotes
[See Also: “The Color Purple”]
24. “The Actuary Song” from I Love You Because (2006)
Music by Joshua Salzman; Lyrics by Ryan Cunningham | Song Type: Comedic | Sheet Music: MusicNotes
25. “The Joy of Motherhood” from Honk! (1999)
Music by George Stiles; Lyrics by Anthony Drewe| Song Type: Comedic | Sheet Music: MusicNotes
26. “Maybe (Next to Normal)” from Next to Normal (2009)
Music by Tom Kitt; Lyrics by Brian Yorkey | Song Type: Dramatic | Sheet Music: MusicNotes
27. “Unsuspecting Hearts” from Carrie (1988/2012)
Music by Michael Gore; Lyrics by Dean Pitchford | Song Type: Dramatic | Sheet Music: MusicNotes
28. “It’s Never That Easy / I’ve Been Here Before” from Closer Than Ever (1989)
Music by David Shire; Lyrics by Richard Maltby Jr. | Song Type: Dramatic | Sheet Music: see full score
29. “If I’d Been a Man” from War Paint (2016)
Music by Scott Frankel; Lyrics by Michael Korie | Song Type: Dramatic | Sheet Music: MusicNotes
30. “For Good” from Wicked (2003)
Music & Lyrics by Stephen Schwartz | Song Type: Dramatic | Sheet Music: MusicNotes
31. “The End of the Line” from The Theory of Everything (2014)
Music & Lyrics by Neil Bartram| Song Type: Comedic | Sheet Music: MusicNotes
32. “Calm, Cool, and Collected” from Calvin Berger (2006)
Music & Lyrics by Barry Wymer| Song Type: Comedic | Sheet Music: Payhip
33. “I Know Him So Well” from Chess (1986)
Music & Lyrics by Benny Andersson, Björn Ulvaeus & Tim Rice | Song Type: Dramatic | Sheet Music: MusicNotes
34. “Lucky” from Floyd Collins (1996)
Music & Lyrics by Adam Guettel | Song Type: Dramatic | Sheet Music: Vocal Score
35. “Dogfight” from Dogfight (2012)
Music & Lyrics by Benj Pasek & Justin Paul | Song Type: Dramatic | Sheet Music: MusicNotes
36. “My Friend” from The Life (1997)
Music by Cy Coleman; Lyrics by Ira Gasman | Song Type: Dramatic | Sheet Music: MusicNotes
37. “Sonya & Natasha” from Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812 (2012)
Music & Lyrics by Dave Malloy | Song Type: Dramatic | Sheet Music: MusicNotes
38. “Next Thing You Know” from Next Thing You Know (2011)
Music by Joshua Salzman; Lyrics by Ryan Cunningham | Song Type: Dramatic | Sheet Music: MusicNotes
39. “More is More is More” from Asphalt Beach (2006)
Music & Lyrics by Andrew Lippa | Song Type: Comedic | Sheet Music: Andrew Lippa Songbook
40. “When You Believe” from The Prince of Egypt (2017)
Music & Lyrics by Stephen Schwartz | Song Type: Dramatic | Sheet Music: MusicNotes
[A reworked arrangement of the 1998 animated film version]
41. “If the Tables Were Turned” from A Little Princess (2005)
Music & Lyrics by Andrew Lippa | Song Type: Dramatic | Sheet Music: Vocal Selections
42. “Willow” from Venice (2013)
Music & Lyrics by Matt Sax; Eric Rosen & Curtis Moore | Song Type: Dramatic | Sheet Music: Songwriter Website
43. “Whatever I Want to Be” from Whatever I Want to Be (2017)
Music & Lyrics by Jonathan Reid Gealt | Song Type: Dramatic | Sheet Music: MusicNotes
44. “The Dark I Know Well” from Spring Awakening (2006)
Music by Duncan Sheik; Lyrics by Steven Sater | Song Type: Dramatic| Sheet Music: MusicNotes
45. “God’s Own Country” from A Beautiful Game (2000)
Music by Andrew Lloyd Webber; Lyrics by Ben Elton | Song Type: Dramatic | Sheet Music: Vocal Selections
46. “That Horrible Woman” from A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder (2013)
Music by Steven Lutvak; Lyrics by Robert L. Freedman & Steven Lutvak | Song Type: Comedic | Sheet Music: MusicNotes
47. “Perfect Strangers” from The Mystery of Edwin Drood (1985)
Music & Lyrics by Rupert Holmes| Song Type: Comedic | Sheet Music: SheetMusicDirect
48. “You Rule My World” [Reprise] from The Full Monty (2001)
Music & Lyrics by David Yazbek | Song Type: Dramatic | Sheet Music: MusicNotes
49. “I Cant Lose” from Frozen (2018)
Music & Lyrics by Kristen Anderson-Lopez & Robert Lopez | Song Type: Dramatic | Sheet Music: MusicNotes
50. “Casting Call for a Best Friend” from Girl’s Night Out (2012)
Music & Lyrics by Rob Rokicki| Song Type: Comedic | Sheet Music: NewMusicalTheatre
51. “You Go First” from Crazy Ex-Girlfriend (2015)
Music & Lyrics by Rachel Bloom, Adam Schlesinger & Jack Dolgen| Song Type: Comedic | Sheet Music: Songwriter Website
52. “I Will Never Leave You” from Side Show (1997)
Music by Henry Krieger; Lyrics by Bill Russell | Song Type: Dramatic | Sheet Music: MusicNotes
53. “In the Bedroom Down the Hall” [cut song] from Dear Evan Hansen (2016)
Music & Lyrics by Benj Pasek & Justin Paul | Song Type: Dramatic | Sheet Music: SheetMusicDirect
54. “Statues and Stories” from The Light in the Piazza (2005)
Music & Lyrics by Adam Guettel | Song Type: Dramatic | Sheet Music: SheetMusicDirect
55. “He’s a Tramp” from Disney’s On the Record (2004)
Music & Lyrics by Peggy Lee & Sonny Burke | Song Type: Comedic | Sheet Music: see full score
[Original solo arrangement from Lady and the Tramp. See also: “I’m Wishing/One Song”]
56. “The Colors of Paradise” from The Spitfire Grill (2001)
Music by James Valcq; Lyrics by Fred Alley | Song Type: Dramatic | Sheet Music: SheetMusic365
57. “The Grass is Always Greener” from Woman of the Year (1981) & And the World Goes Round (1991)
Music by John Kander; Lyrics by Fred Ebb | Song Type: Comedic | Sheet Music: MusicNotes
58. “Celebrate” from Elegies for Angels, Punks and Raging Queens (1990)
Music by Janet Hood; Lyrics by Bill Russell | Song Type: Dramatic | Sheet Music: see full score
59. “Just One Day” from Freaky Friday (2016)
Music by Tom Kitt; Lyrics by Brian Yorkey | Song Type: Comedic | Sheet Music: MusicNotes
60. “Freedom” from The Mad Ones (2017)
Music & Lyrics by Kait Kerrigan & Bree Lowdermilk | Song Type: Dramatic | Sheet Music: MusicNotes
61. “Don’t You Be Shakin’ Your Faith in Me” from Our Heart Songs (2001)
Music by Zina Goldrich; Lyrics by Marcy Heisler | Song Type: Dramatic | Sheet Music: MusicNotes
62. “Angel of Music” from The Phantom of the Opera (1986)
Music by Andrew Lloyd Webber; Lyrics by Charles Hart & Richard Stilgoe | Song Type: Dramatic | Sheet Music: MusicNotes
63. “The Apple Doesn’t Fall Very Far from the Tree” from The Rink (1984)
Music by John Kander; Lyrics by Fred Ebb | Song Type: Comedic | Sheet Music: SheetMusicDirect
64. “How the Other Half Lives” from Thoroughly Modern Millie (2002)
Music by Jeanine Tesori; Lyrics by Dick Scanlan | Song Type: Comedic | Sheet Music: MusicNotes
65. “Learning to Be Silent” from Footloose (1998)
Music by Tom Snow; Lyrics by Dean Pitchford | Song Type: Comedic | Sheet Music: MusicNotes
66. “Parents and Children” from Ruthless (1992)
Music by Marvin Laird; Lyrics by Joel Paley| Song Type: Comedic | Sheet Music: see full score
67. “And Eve Was Weak” from Carrie (1988/2012)
Music by Michael Gore; Lyrics by Dean Pitchford | Song Type: Dramatic | Sheet Music: MusicNotes
68. “Another Winter in a Summer Town” from Grey Gardens (2006)
Music by Scott Frankel; Lyrics by Michael Korie | Song Type: Dramatic | Sheet Music: MusicNotes
69. “I Do Miracles” from Kiss of the Spider Woman (1993)
Music by John Kander; Lyrics by Fred Ebb | Song Type: Dramatic | Sheet Music: MusicNotes
70. “Best Friend” from The Wild Party (2000)
Music & Lyrics by Michael John LaChiusa | Song Type: Comedic | Sheet Music: see full score
71. “Nothing Changes” & “Word to the Wise” from Hadestown (2019)
Music & Lyrics by Anaïs Mitchell | Song Type: Dramatic | Sheet Music: MuseScore & MuseScore
[Trios but could work as duets with some logical part distributions]
72. “No Reason” from Beetlejuice (2019)
Music & Lyrics by Eddie Perfect| Song Type: Comedic| Sheet Music: MusicNotes
73. “The Girls of the Night” from Jekyll & Hyde (1997)
Music by Frank Wildhorn; Lyrics by Leslie Bricusse| Song Type: Dramatic | Sheet Music: MusicNotes
[Only appears in some version of the show– including the 2013 Broadway revival]
74. “Our Little World” from Into the Woods (1987)
Music & Lyrics by Stephen Sondheim | Song Type: Comedic | Sheet Music: see full score
[Added song that appears in some versions of the show]
75. “We’re Not Done” from Bring It On (2012)
Music by Tom Kitt & Lin-Manuel Miranda; Lyrics by Lin-Manuel Miranda & Amanda Green | Song Type: Dramatic | Sheet Music: MusicNotes
76. “What Is This Feeling?” from Wicked (2002)
Music & Lyrics by Stephen Schwartz | Song Type: Comedic | Sheet Music: MusicNotes
77. “A Soft Place to Land” from Waitress (2016)
Music & Lyrics by Sara Bareilles | Song Type: Dramatic | Sheet Music: MusicNotes
[A trio but could work as a duet with some logical part distributions]
78. “Caitlyn and Haley” from Edges (2005)
Music & Lyrics by Benj Pasek & Justin Paul | Song Type: Dramatic | Sheet Music: MusicNotes
79. “For the First Time in Forever” [Reprise] from Frozen (2018)
Music & Lyrics by Kristen Anderson-Lopez & Robert Lopez | Song Type: Dramatic | Sheet Music: MusicNotes
[A reworked arrangement of the 2013 animated film version]
80. “Any Day” from The Three Musketeers (2001)
Music by George Stiles; Lyrics by Paul Leigh | Song Type: Dramatic | Sheet Music: see full score
81. “Woman to Woman” from The Pirate Queen (2006)
Music by Claude-Michel Schönberg; Lyrics by Alain Boublil, Richard Maltby Jr & John Dempsey | Song Type: Dramatic | Sheet Music: see full score
82. “Everything I Do, You Do” from Over the Moon: The Broadway Lullaby Project (2012)
Music by Timothy Huang; Lyrics by Timothy Huang & Sara Wordsworth| Song Type: Dramatic | Sheet Music: NewMusicalTheatre
83. “Sorority Girls” (2010)
Music & Lyrics by Nick Blaemire| Song Type: Comedic | Sheet Music: MusicNotes
84. “Together” from Firebringer (2016)
Music & Lyrics by Meredith Stepien & Mark Swiderski| Song Type: Dramatic | Sheet Music: MuseScore
85. “Poor Little Patty” from Fugitive Songs (2008)
Music by Chris Miller; Lyrics by Nathan Tysen | Song Type: Dramatic | Sheet Music: MusicNotes
86. “Evening Prayers” from Carrie (1988/2012)
Music by Michael Gore; Lyrics by Dean Pitchford | Song Type: Dramatic | Sheet Music: MusicNotes
87. “At Seventeen” from Dreaming Wide Awake (2007)
Music & Lyrics by Scott Alan | Song Type: Comedic | Sheet Music: MusicNotes
88. “Perfect” from It Shoulda Been You (2015)
Music by Barbara Anselmi; Lyrics by Brian Hargrove & Carla Rose Fisher | Song Type: Dramatic | Sheet Music: MusicNotes
89. “Hang the Moon” from SMASH/Bombshell (2012)
Music by Marc Shaiman; Lyrics by Scott Wittman & Marc Shaiman | Song Type: Dramatic | Sheet Music: MusicNotes
90. “Evil Like Me” from Descendants (2015)
Music & Lyrics by Andrew Lippa | Song Type: Comedic | Sheet Music: MusicNotes
91. “Don’t ‘Ah Ma’ Me” from The Rink (1984)
Music by John Kander; Lyrics by Fred Ebb | Song Type: Comedic | Sheet Music: see full score
92. “Will You Stay?” from Lizzie (2009)
Music by Steven Cheslik-DeMeyer & Alan Stevens Hewitt; Lyrics by Steven Cheslik-DeMeyer & Tim Maner| Song Type: Dramatic | Sheet Music: see full score
93. “Ready to Be Loved” [duet version] from Edges (2005)
Music & Lyrics by Benj Pasek & Justin Paul | Song Type: Dramatic | Sheet Music: NewMusicalTheatre
94. “We Are” from Uncool: The Party (2013)
Music & Lyrics by Sam Salmond | Song Type: Comedic | Sheet Music: NewMusicalTheatre
95. “The Song About Ordering Furniture” (2012)
Music & Lyrics by Drew Gasparini| Song Type: Comedic | Sheet Music: NewMusicalTheatre
96. “Feelings You’ve Got to Hide” from Side Show (1997)
Music by Henry Krieger; Lyrics by Bill Russell | Song Type: Dramatic | Sheet Music: see full score
97. “Come to My Garden / Lift Me Up” from The Secret Garden (1991)
Music by Lucy Simon; Lyrics by Marsha Norman | Song Type: Dramatic | Sheet Music: MusicNotes
[One character is a young boy, but his part could be sung by any treble voice singer out of show context]
98. “Shattercane & Velvet Grass” rom Lizzie (2009)
Music by Steven Cheslik-DeMeyer & Alan Stevens Hewitt; Lyrics by Steven Cheslik-DeMeyer & Tim Maner| Song Type: Dramatic | Sheet Music: see full score
99. “Ready to Settle” from High Fidelity (2006)
Music by Tom Kitt; Lyrics by Amanda Green | Song Type: Comedic | Sheet Music: Vocal Selections
100. “Don’t Call Me Trailer Trash” from Cowgirls (1996)
Music & Lyrics by Mary Murfitt | Song Type: Comedic | Sheet Music: MusicNotes
Need more musical theatre song suggestions? Check out my professional repertoire guides here.