If you love Hamilton, start with In the Heights, SIX and 1776, then follow whichever thread hooked you: history retold by unexpected voices, a hip-hop or pop score, a tight ensemble telling the story, or big questions about ambition and legacy. Below are ten musicals that share Hamilton’s DNA, and why each one clicks.
We have grouped the picks by the quality they share with Lin-Manuel Miranda’s show, with US productions first, and kept availability claims to what we could confirm this month. New to the show itself? Our Hamilton complete fan guide covers the essentials.
What makes a musical feel like Hamilton?
Hamilton is many things at once, which is why “shows like Hamilton” can mean very different nights out. Most fans are responding to one of four ingredients.
- History retold. Real people from the past, presented with a modern sensibility and a point of view.
- A contemporary score. Hip-hop, R&B and pop in a form where the songs carry the whole plot.
- Ensemble storytelling. A company that shifts roles and narrates, so the audience sees the machinery of the story.
- Legacy. Characters asking who tells their story, and what they will leave behind.
Here are our ten picks at a glance.
| Musical | Writers | Broadway opening | Why Hamilton fans click |
|---|---|---|---|
| In the Heights | Lin-Manuel Miranda, Quiara Alegría Hudes | 2008 | Miranda’s first hip-hop and Latin score |
| 1776 | Sherman Edwards, Peter Stone | 1969 | The Founders, a generation earlier |
| Suffs | Shaina Taub | 2024 | American history, sung by women |
| Assassins | Stephen Sondheim, John Weidman | 2004 | History as a dark carnival |
| Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson | Michael Friedman, Alex Timbers | 2010 | A president as a rock star |
| SIX | Toby Marlow, Lucy Moss | 2021 | History as a pop concert |
| Hadestown | Anaïs Mitchell | 2019 | A sung-through, narrator-led score |
| Come From Away | Irene Sankoff, David Hein | 2017 | A true story told by an ensemble |
| Evita | Andrew Lloyd Webber, Tim Rice | 1979 | A political rise with a skeptical narrator |
| Les Misérables | Claude-Michel Schönberg, Alain Boublil | 1987 | Revolution and sacrifice, sung through |
Which musicals retell history the way Hamilton does?
1776. Before Hamilton, this was the Founding Fathers musical. Sherman Edwards wrote the music and lyrics and Peter Stone the book, following John Adams as he pushes Congress toward independence. It won the Tony for Best Musical after opening on Broadway in March 1969 (IBDB). Hamilton fans will enjoy seeing Jefferson, Franklin and Adams argue a full generation of musicals earlier, and the 2022 revival cast women, trans and non-binary performers as the Founders, a pointed echo of Hamilton’s casting.
Suffs. Shaina Taub wrote the music, lyrics and book of this story of the American women’s suffrage movement, which opened on Broadway in April 2024 and won Tonys for Best Book and Best Score (IBDB). Like Hamilton, it is crowded with real activists who disagree about tactics, and it is honest about who got left out of the victory. Its first North American tour ended in August 2026, and a second is planned for 2027.
Assassins. Stephen Sondheim and John Weidman gather the people who tried to kill US presidents in a sinister fairground shooting gallery. Its 2004 Broadway production won five Tonys, including Best Revival of a Musical. It is Hamilton’s dark mirror: the same fascination with American ideals, seen through people who felt shut out of them.
Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson. Michael Friedman and Alex Timbers recast the seventh president as an emo rock star in a short Broadway run that opened in October 2010. It shares Hamilton’s irreverence, but it is also blunt about the Indian Removal Act, so expect satire with real teeth.
Which shows have a hip-hop or pop score like Hamilton?
In the Heights. The obvious first stop. Miranda wrote the concept, music and lyrics, with a book by Quiara Alegría Hudes, and the score blends hip-hop, salsa, merengue and soul. It opened on Broadway in March 2008 and won four Tonys, including Best Musical. You can hear Miranda working out the rhythms he would use in Hamilton, and there is a 2021 film. We compare the two in Hamilton vs In the Heights.
SIX. Toby Marlow and Lucy Moss turned the six wives of Henry VIII into a girl-group concert, with each queen competing to prove she suffered most. Born at the Edinburgh Fringe in 2017, it officially opened on Broadway in October 2021 after a pandemic delay. It is history retold through pop, with a running time short enough for a lunchtime break.
Hadestown. Anaïs Mitchell’s folk and jazz retelling of Orpheus and Eurydice is not hip-hop, but it is sung through, with a narrator, Hermes, guiding the story much as Burr does. It won eight Tonys, including Best Musical, and is still running at Broadway’s Walter Kerr Theatre, with productions in London and on tour in the UK and Ireland (Hadestown).
If you came to Hamilton through cast-album playlists, also try Freestyle Love Supreme, the improvised hip-hop group Miranda co-founded with Anthony Veneziale, which played Broadway’s Booth Theatre. Shows vary night to night, so it is less a story than a jam session.
Which musicals share Hamilton’s themes of ambition and legacy?
Evita. Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice’s sung-through musical charts Eva Perón’s climb to power in Argentina, narrated by the skeptical Che. Any fan who loves Burr watching Hamilton rise will recognize the setup. It was the first British musical to win the Tony for Best Musical, and a Broadway revival is scheduled for 2027.
Les Misérables. Hamilton’s big ensemble numbers owe a debt to this sung-through epic of revolution, sacrifice and what we leave behind for others. It opened on Broadway in March 1987 and won Best Musical. For more in this vein, see our musicals like Les Misérables list.
Come From Away. Irene Sankoff and David Hein tell the true story of Gander, Newfoundland, which took in thousands of stranded passengers after September 11. A company of twelve plays residents and travelers, switching roles in a blink, the same ensemble trick Hamilton uses. It opened on Broadway in March 2017 and closed in October 2022, and a filmed version was released in 2021.
Where should a Hamilton fan start?
Start with In the Heights for the music, SIX for the attitude, and 1776 for the history. If you want something running on Broadway now, Hadestown is the safest bet, and Hamilton itself is still on tour across the US. If you liked the fantasy side of the musical-theater world too, our musicals like Wicked list is a fun detour. Check each show’s official site before you buy, because schedules change.
Frequently asked questions
What musical is most like Hamilton?
In the Heights is the closest match. Lin-Manuel Miranda wrote its concept, music and lyrics before Hamilton, and its score mixes hip-hop with salsa, merengue and soul. It won the Tony for Best Musical in 2008. For history told with a modern sound, SIX and Suffs are also strong choices.
Did Lin-Manuel Miranda write other musicals?
Yes. Before Hamilton, Miranda wrote the concept, music and lyrics for In the Heights, which opened on Broadway in 2008, with a book by Quiara Alegría Hudes. He also co-founded Freestyle Love Supreme, an improvised hip-hop show directed by Thomas Kail that later played on Broadway at the Booth Theatre.
Is SIX like Hamilton?
In spirit, yes. SIX retells history, the lives of Henry VIII’s six wives, through a modern pop score, and it gives voices to people history often sidelined. It is shorter, played as a concert, and has no hip-hop focus. If Hamilton’s swagger and sense of humor won you over, SIX is a natural next step.
What should I watch after Hamilton?
Try the 2021 film of In the Heights or the filmed version of Come From Away. If you prefer live theater, look for Hadestown, which is running on Broadway, or check touring schedules for SIX and Suffs. Our list above explains which thread of Hamilton each show picks up.
Are there other history musicals on Broadway?
Yes, history musicals have a long Broadway tradition. Shows such as 1776, Evita, Assassins, Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson, SIX and Suffs have all played Broadway, each with a different approach to the past. Evita has a Broadway revival scheduled for 2027, so check its official site for dates.
