The subjects of musicals, plays, and other stage productions have been as wide and varied as the theater medium itself. It seems like everything under the sun has some form of stage adaptation, from former presidents to a cult of singing cats. But as most audiences know, truth is often stranger than fiction.
Although a few creative liberties are frequently taken, there are dozens of plays and musicals that pull directly from history, biographies, and other true events. In a world full of stories so shockingly true, why wouldn't more productions take inspiration from them? Art imitates life, after all.
Hamilton
Getting the most obvious example out of the way, what can be said about Hamilton that hasn't been said already? While it puts a more contemporary lens on the ten-dollar founding father, a great portion of its plot and lyrics are based on truth.
Alexander Hamilton is a prolific historical figure that truly didn't get enough recognition until after Lin-Manuel Miranda stepped into his shoes. The musical sheds a new perspective on the founding fathers, the revolutionary war, and even the inner machinations of early US politics.
1776
Where the previous take on the founding of the United States was a stylized musical representation, 1776 is an almost painfully blatant Broadway version of the year's events. Not that that's necessarily a bad thing.
The play concerns the founding fathers and the signing of the Declaration of Independence, featuring characters like John Adams, Ben Franklin, and Thomas Jefferson at the forefront. Adams must persuade the others to sign the document, lest the nation fall into disarray. Sprinkle in a few musical numbers and that's basically the show.
Jersey Boys
Jersey Boys isn't exactly the basic jukebox musical, but rather a tribute concert mixed with the rise, establishment, and struggles of the Four Seasons. The story of Frankie Valli, Bob Gaudio, Tommy DeVito, and Nick Massi has never been better presented.
The show has everything fans of the Four Seasons could ask for. A little history, a little biography, and a whole lot of doo-wop dynamite, it's just too good to be true and yet somehow it is.
Rain
Beatles tribute bands are a dime a dozen, but Rain isn't the average recreation of the Fab Four, not by a long shot. The show covers every Beatles era from their appearance on the Ed Sullivan Show to their solo careers after Abbey Road.
Just as the band changed and evolved as artists in the '60s, so too does the cast, staging, and music in this phenomenal concert experience. Similar to Jersey Boys but with a bigger focus on the music, Rain is a show every Beatles fan should see.
Evita
The life of Argentinian first lady, Eva Perón might not seem like average musical material, but what began as Tim Rice and Andrew Lloyd Webber's concept album soon became one of the most famous productions in history. But a woman with such an inspiring life definitely deserves more than a stage adaptation.
The production covers Perón's life, political career, charity work, death, and aftermath, all with an incredibly moving rock-opera score. It's no Jesus Christ: Superstar, but it's still a biographical musical worthy of all its acclaim.
The Crucible
Those who do not learn from their history are doomed to repeat it. One of the most popular plays in American history, Arthur Miller's The Crucible took the events and circumstances of the Salem Witch Trials and applied them to the effects of McCarthyism of the '50s.
The events of the play and the characters involved were both taken from chapters of American history, though the narrative might have been slightly skewed. That being said, it's still one of the theater's biggest hits.
The Unsinkable Molly Brown
The plot might be entirely fictionalized, but the lead character was 100% real. The Unsinkable Molly Brown is a musical account of Margaret "Molly" Brown, one of the most famous survivors of the sinking of the Titanic in 1912.
The play itself concerns Molly's romanticized life leading up to and during the famous disaster, ending with her in one of the ship's lifeboats. A rom-com about the Titanic might be a bit far-fetched, but this show made it work.
Nevermore
Perhaps the most underrated musical on the list, Nevermore: The Imaginary Life and Mysterious Death of Edgar Allan Poe is a Gothic masterpiece that shamefully flew under everyone's radar. In this show, a troupe of eccentric actors explores the mind and imagination of the famous writer, with Poe himself caught in the middle.
The show covers everything from his childhood to his mysterious demise, performed entirely in verse with a soundtrack that is as haunting as Poe's stories. "The Raven" alone makes the entire album worth checking out.
Julius Caesar
If there's one Shakespearian history everyone and their brother is familiar with, it's Julius Caesar. One of the most famous of the Bard's tragedies, the play focuses on Caesar's succession of power and his infamous assassination.
Shakespeare might have taken a few liberties, but there are more than a few nuggets of truth hidden among the togas and prophecies of death and doom. Half political thriller, half cautionary tale, there's something everyone can take away from this literary classic.
Godspell
When the hippies and facepaint are stripped away ffrom this psychedelic passion play, it's easy to see the account of Christ and his disciples that weighs heavy with scripture.
The play's lyricist and composer, Stephen Schwartz, essentially took nearly all the play's lyrics and dialogue directly from hymns and verses but gave it a '70s rock flair. While the play's heavier counterpart, Jesus Christ Superstar, is the arguably more famous, poetic alternative, this piece of flower power continues to be one of the most beloved productions on stage.