by Chris Peterson, OnStage Blog Founder

There’s something magical about discovering a show after its moment has passed. Maybe it flopped. Maybe it was brilliant and just… ignored. Maybe it never made it to Broadway at all. But some musicals — the ones tucked into cast albums, late-night YouTube deep-dives, or passionate recommendations from fellow theatre kids — stick with you longer than the “hits.”

So here they are. My love letter to the shows that deserved more. The ones I bring up at parties (unprompted). The ones I still can’t believe didn’t blow up. The most underrated musicals of the past 25 years:

Fly By Night (2014)

I will never shut up about this show. It’s a quirky little gem set in NYC during the 1965 blackout, with a sandwich maker, a maybe-clairvoyant, and a narrator who seems to know a little too much. It’s a musical about fate, sandwiches, and grief — somehow, it works. The score is folky, haunting, funny, and full of heart. I remember finishing the cast album and just sitting in silence for a minute, like, what did I just experience? It's magic. Pure, overlooked magic.

Lizzie (2013)

A rock concert. A murder mystery. An all-female cast. What more do you need? Lizzie reimagines the infamous Borden case as a blood-soaked feminist screamfest, and it’s as glorious as that sounds. It’s heavy guitars, powerhouse vocals, and raw emotion — the kind of show where the audience either jumps to their feet or sits there stunned. Or both. Honestly, if this had premiered post-Six, we’d probably be on our second revival already.

The Burnt Part Boys (2010)

If you love Spring Awakening but wish it had a banjo, The Burnt Part Boys is for you. It’s a quiet, eerie little Appalachian folk musical about grief, adventure, and how kids carry things they shouldn’t have to. It’s not flashy — there are no big tap numbers or glitter cannons — but it feels big. Like, soul-big. Chris Miller and Nathan Tysen just don’t miss. Put on “The Climbing Song” and tell me you don’t feel something shift.

Hands on a Hardbody (2013)

Yes, it’s about people trying to win a truck. And yes, it’s also about America — ambition, faith, disappointment, resilience. Doug Wright, Amanda Green, and Trey Anastasio (from Phish, yep) turned a documentary into a surprisingly emotional, strangely beautiful portrait of ordinary people holding on to something — literally and metaphorically. “Joy of the Lord” is one of those goosebump songs. This show deserved a long run, a cast reunion concert, and a second shot.

Lizard Boy (2015)

If you haven’t heard of this one, don’t worry — you’re about to fall in love. Lizard Boy is a queer superhero rock musical about mutation, trauma, and first dates. Three actors. Zero orchestra. They play all their own instruments, and it absolutely shreds. It’s funny and weird and unexpectedly moving. Justin Huertas made something that feels brand new — and also like it’s been waiting for you. If you ever felt like a little too much or not quite enough, this one’s yours.

Passing Strange (2008)

Before Hamilton, before A Strange Loop, Passing Strange came along and blew up the idea of what a Broadway musical could be. Part concert, part memoir, part spiritual journey, this show is loud, messy, and real. Stew and Heidi Rodewald took big swings — and hit. I still think about the line “the real is a construct” like it’s a mantra. The Spike Lee film version captured lightning in a bottle. Watch it, then tell everyone you know it exists.

The Story of My Life (2009)

Two actors. One piano. A lifetime of friendship. This one came and went so fast on Broadway it almost felt like it never happened. But the cast recording? Oof. It’s devastating in the gentlest way. It’s about memory, grief, writing, and the people who shape us — even if they don’t stay forever. Brian Hill and Neil Bartram wrote something that sneaks up on you and leaves you quietly wrecked. Honestly, more shows should hurt this good.

13 (2008)

Don’t let the Nickelodeon casting fool you — this show is legit. Jason Robert Brown writing a rock musical for actual teenagers? Iconic. It’s full of middle school drama, awkward crushes, and growing pains. And somehow, it makes all of that feel epic. “A Little More Homework” should be required listening in every school counselor’s office. Also, this is the show that gave us Ariana Grande. So, you’re welcome, Earth.

Dogfight (2012)

This one’s tough — it starts with an ugly premise (Marines betting on who can bring the “ugliest” date to a party) — but it goes somewhere real. Somewhere soft. Somewhere hard. Pasek & Paul’s score is killer (“Pretty Funny” is still one of the best standalone ballads of the last 20 years), and the story becomes something about empathy and connection in a world that doesn’t make it easy. This is criminally slept on.

Amélie (2017)

The Broadway run was brief and sure, the adaptation didn’t fully land — but there’s so much to love here. Philippa Soo as Amélie? Dream casting. Daniel Messé’s score? Dreamy, period. It’s a show about the quiet magic of noticing things — choosing kindness, curiosity, and wonder. Broadway may have wanted something louder, but Amélie wanted to whisper a love song to you in French. Let it.

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There you have it. Ten shows that should’ve been bigger. Or longer. Or louder. Or something. But instead, they’re these perfect little theatre-shaped secrets only the lucky ones know about.

So… what’s on your list? What show do you keep recommending, like a personal mission? Let’s give these underrated musicals the applause they didn’t get the first time around.

The Most Underrated Musicals of the Past 25 Years