Musical theatre concept albums to add to your rotation

You might not have known that some of your favourite musicals started life as concept albums.

Andrew Lloyd Webber‘s Jesus Christ Superstar and Evita were both written as albums before being fleshed out for stage, and the same applies to Anaïs Mitchell’s Hadestown. Meanwhile, The Who’s Tommy and Green Day’s American Idiot weren’t written for the stage but ended up as hit shows.

A collection of songs strung together through a theme or narrative builds a strong foundation for a stage show. So if you’re looking for the next big hit, it pays to look at concept albums and be at the very start of the new musical’s journey. Here are some we recommend:

Figaro

Sienna is a young woman longing for a life beyond her father’s farm. Then she meets Figaro, a traveling performer who changes her life. The concept album, conceived by Ashley Jana and Will Nunziata, is spell-bindingly haunting, with a cinematic edge to the big dramatic emotion. Figaro: An Original Musical will be staged at The London Palladium next February, with Aimie Atkinson, Jon Robyns, and Cayleigh Capaldi (who led the album).

Little Piece of You

Written by 14-year-old Kjersti Long, with Jeremy Long and Melissa Leilani Larson, Little Piece of You – An Atypical Musical received its European premiere a few weeks ago with two concerts at Theatre Royal Drury Lane. The piece follows Shannon and Britt, a courageous mother and daughter, as they confront their family’s hidden struggles. It has a modern rock feel, with Long’s crystalline voice like glass against fresh pop beats.

Watch a performance of “Burn It Down” with concert cast Mica Paris, Dujonna Gift and Long below:

Kin

A controversial cult leader who acquires an old ranch in a small southern American town is the focus of Kin. With Alex James-Hatton and Sophie-Rose Middleton lending their voices to the album, tension steadily builds throughout the original 1980s pop-inspired score. The show played in London last year, and we’re waiting for it to have another outing, “The time is now”!

Playing With Fire

The new offering from *NSYNC’s JC Chasez, and Golden Globe-winning songwriter, producer, and composer Jimmy Harry is Playing With Fire. Inspired by Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein and Harry’s late mother Barbara Field’s theatrical adaptation, the reimagination constructs a conversation between Frankenstein and The Creature at the grave of Frankenstein’s wife, Elizabeth, ten years after her death. The 16-track album is full of dark brooding internal conflict and classical romanticism, interjected with dancefloor-filling electro-pop (see “You Used To Touch Me”).

Starry

Matt Dahan and Kelly D’Angelo’s Starry caught the attention of musical theatre fans worldwide during the pandemic. Mapping the life of the iconic painter Vincent van Gogh, a workshop starring Jamie Muscato took place in 2022 but we’ve heard nothing since. In the meantime, we can enjoy the catchy numbers and pray for a starry night.

If you’re a fan of van Gogh, you should also check out Neil Bastian’s The Rise and Fall of Vinnie and Paul which chronicles an artist houseshare that results in a bloodbath.

The Unofficial Bridgerton Musical

Dearest reader, Abigail Barlow and Emily Bear have had their fair share of scandal when it comes to Netflix’s Bridgerton. They were the talk of the town when they began writing songs inspired by the first season on TikTok in 2021, with their full recording going on to win a Grammy. Though any live performances have yet to actually go ahead, the recording is still available to listen to – prim and polished, it’s intelligently done with the duo effortlessly switching between a series of beloved characters and giving them their chance to shine.

Warriors

Lin-Manuel Miranda and Eisa Davis are at the helm of the new concept album, Warriors. Described as an “immersive listening experience”; pulling influences from thrash metal, reggae, soul, and even K-Pop. The story is based on the hit 1979 Walter Hill film and follows a New York City gang from Coney Island to the Bronx and back when they’re framed for the murder of a respected gang leader. They’ve assembled a hit cast including original Hamilton stars Jasmine Cephas Jones and Phillipa Soo and Hadestown‘s Amber Gray, alongside Billy Porter, Colman Domingo and Lauryn Hill. In our WhatsOnStage review, it was described as “a fascinating, enthralling novelty – and naturally a resounding success.”