Taylor Swift’s highly anticipated twelfth studio album is here! If you’ve fallen in love with this new era’s glitzy, glamorous and extravagant aesthetic, you might have an inner theater kid waiting to break (or belt) free.
Of course, there are great vibe matches in the theatrical canon like screen-to-stage adaptation Moulin Rouge! or Max Martin’s catalog feature & Juliet, but this album isn’t just Ziegfeld follies and Sweet Charity. Ready to dig more into similar narratives and characters? Let’s help you discover your new favorite cast album.
“The Fate of Ophelia:” Phantom of the Opera
Power-seeking men controlling the fate of a young, impressionable woman with great potential: Ophelia or Christine Daaé? Christine’s journey takes place on the Paris Opera House stage (the land), the catacombs around the underwater lake (the sea), and the theatre’s rooftop (the sky). While she plays the role of a tragic heroine, she does survive the end of her story.
“Elizabeth Taylor:” Cabaret
“Elizabeth Taylor” perfectly embodies Cabaret’s Sally Bowles, the nightclub singer who remained unaware of World War II rising around her. After meeting American writer Cliff Bradshaw and getting abruptly fired from the Kit Kat Club, Bowles is forced to wrestle between her party girl lifestyle and the quickly changing German society. This struggle ultimately drives a wedge in her relationship with Cliff, leaving her to question if this love can remain forever.
“Opalite:” Natasha, Pierre, and the Great Comet of 1812
A glittery, party song about moving through heartbreak deserves a dark, party musical. Natasha, Pierre, and the Great Comet of 1812 is a complicated Russian novel of a musical, balancing over-the-top party energy with dramatic, intense relationships. The characters seemingly dance through lightning strikes as they mess up, navigate friends and foes and keep moving until the last song ends.
“Father Figure:” Hamilton
Alexander Hamilton is the ultimate father figure by this song’s standards. He is a confident, larger-than-life, ambitious figurehead seeking support as he pushes his policies through the newly formed United States government. In Hamilton, multi-generational patterns and the perception of potential are two core themes (with some great songs).
“Eldest Daughter:” Dear Evan Hansen
Evan Hansen would certainly describe himself as the first lamb to the slaughter. As a socially awkward high schooler who lied about his relationship with a deceased classmate to find belonging, he tried to be punk on the internet but discovered he was, in fact, not that savage. However, he affirms his loyalty to his newly found and reciprocated crush.
“Ruin the Friendship:” Maybe Happy Ending
Taylor Swift loves to make songs for the yearners. If you want that energy in a musical, the 2025 Tony Award-winning best musical is absolutely for you. Maybe Happy Ending tells the story of Claire and Oliver, two obsolete helper-bots living in a future Seoul. They become friends after living across the hall, eventually venturing beyond their home to Jeju Island, and evolving their relationship. As they reach the end of their shelf lives, they learn what it means to be human and weigh moving forward with regret.
“Actually Romantic:” Death Becomes Her
When I first listened to “Actually Romantic,” my initial reaction was imagining this track as the original credits song for a movie adaptation of the new Death Becomes Her musical. Cue the shovels! This track has the same energy as “Hit Me” from the cast album, one of my all-time favorite musical numbers. Can we arrange this song as a duet for Madeline Ashton and Helen Sharp?
“Wi$h Li$t:” Funny Girl
If The Life of a Showgirl were a musical, “Wi$h Li$t” would be the dream sequence number, and I can’t think of a more iconic dream sequence than “Sadie, Sadie” from Funny Girl. Of course, Fanny Brice is one of the original complex female characters on stage who wanted it all, notably success as a comic and as Nicky Arnstein’s wife. Doesn’t she deserve not to have anyone rain on her parade?
“Wood:” Little Shop of Horrors
“Wood” is equal parts superstitious and thirsty. It just so happens that a cult-classic 1982 musical-turned-movie shares a supernatural and lustful tone that features larger-than-life flora. Audrey’s hesitations about dating evil men are broken once Seymour Krelborn confesses his love for her. However, her luck might not have fully turned around with Audrey II, the bloodthirsty venus flytrap, still in the picture.
“CANCELLED!:” Heathers
No friend group in history has more matching scars than the main characters of Heathers. When Veronica Sawyer joins the beautiful yet cruel Heathers and aligns herself with mysterious Westerberg High newcomer J.D., she quickly discovers that she might be unable to save the mess she’s made through her newfound popularity. Spoiler alert: Veronica’s glow-up actually does end with murder.
“Honey:” Hadestown
Euridyce is a poor, innocent and jaded young girl who’s lived most of her life on the run. That is, until she meets Orpheus, a poetic songwriter who claims to bring the Earth’s balance back with his song. “Honey” mirrors “Wedding Song” in its reexamination of how the world is perceived with genuine love.
“The Life of a Showgirl” (featuring Sabrina Carpenter): Smash
A performance about the making of a performance by a world-famous blonde could be “The Life of a Showgirl.” It could also be the cast album of the Broadway musical comedy adapted from the TV series of the same name. Smash shares a fictionalized behind-the-scenes look at the making of a musical about Marilyn Monroe, complete with all the drama you could imagine between understudies, directors, and an eccentric acting coach.
Bonus Content
“The Fate of Ophelia” music video might be the most theatre-kid-coded video yet. The short film is a work of art filled with practical set pieces, backstage scenes, detailed costumes and multiple generations of showgirl choreography. This album may not be Taylor Swift’s most popular release, but it is undoubtedly the perfect introduction to showbiz.