Musicals from the 1990s have enjoyed something of a reappraisal in recent years. Major revivals have returned shows like Ragtime to the Broadway stage, while the 2017 revival of Once on This Island reminded audiences just how emotionally potent some of the decade’s work could be. Even the more uneven but much-lauded Parade staged a triumphant comeback, earning a fresh wave of admiration a generation after its debut. That said, the 1990s were a complicated time on Broadway. It was the tail end of the British invasion, and there was a growing sense that the creative well was beginning to run dry. Musical comedy, in particular, hit a low point, increasingly relying on stage adaptations of popular films – State Fair (which could really be an honourable mention in today’s list) and High Society among them – a trend that had already taken hold in the 1980s. Crazy for You, based on an older musical comedy rather than a film, proved a rare exception. Then, of course, Rent arrived and jolted the genre back to life. But in between the mega-hits, adaptations and popular revivals like The King and I, some genuinely adventurous, entertaining and artistically rich shows slipped through the cracks. Today’s Saturday List celebrates five underrated musicals from the 1990s that deserve to be talked about far more than they are.

5. Assassins (1990)

Politically daring and still deeply uncomfortable to experience, Assassins is often respected more than it is enjoyed, which makes it perfect for this “people don’t talk about it enough” list. With music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim and a book by John Weidman, the show explores the lives of people who attempted to assassinate some of the Presidents of the United States. History tells us that some of them succeeded, and the show explores the inherent flaws of the American Dream through their stories. The score draws on popular music styles from different eras, giving us unforgettable numbers like “Everybody’s Got the Right,” “Unworthy of Your Love,” “The Ballad of Czolgosz” and “How I Saved Roosevelt.” When it opened Off-Broadway in 1990, the response was mixed and often hostile. A 2004 Broadway revival was far more warmly received, winning five Tony Awards, including Best Revival of a Musical, a rare redemption arc for a musical like this. Still, Assassins remains a show that fuels discontent rather than comfort. In a fractured world, it feels more relevant than ever. Wouldn’t it be instructive than ever to revisit moments in time when “Something Just Broke”?

4. Marie Christine (1999)

Sneaking in at the very end of the decade, Marie Christine ran for a limited run of just 42 performances, but its ambition far exceeded its lifespan. With music, lyrics and book by Michael John LaChiusa, the show transplants the Greek myth of Medea to the nineteenth century, creating a work that sits boldly on the edge of opera and musical theatre. Written for Audra McDonald and her glorious soprano, Marie Christine boasts an exquisitely sophisticated score that makes it a tough sell today. There are no obvious “boppy” numbers here, but it is beautifully composed and narratively compelling. Songs like Marie’s manifesto, “Way Back to Paradise,” and the lush, aching “I Don’t Hear the Ocean” reward repeated listening. Any hope that a longer Broadway run for the original production might follow was quashed when the Lincoln Center Theatre producers opted to run with the more commercially appealing Contact, effectively leaving Marie Christine stranded at the end of the 1990s. Sure, it was the smarter business move, but even so, Marie Christine remains one of the decade’s most fascinating near-misses, one that richly deserves another outing.

3. Hello Again (1993)

Based on Arthur Schnitzler’s 1897 play La Ronde, Hello Again (with music, lyrics and book by Michael John LaChiusa) premiered Off-Broadway in 1993 and has since accrued cult status. It even has a film version. And yet, it remains strangely under-recognised. Structured as a chain of romantic and sexual encounters between ten characters across ten scenes, moving fluidly through time and space, the show feels increasingly modern in its frankness. Its explorations of sexuality, gender, intimacy and power resonate more strongly now than they did three decades ago. “Tom” became the show’s breakout number, enjoying a life on several musical theatre performers’ solo albums, but other delights, including the wickedly sharp “Mistress of the Senator,” deserve equal attention. More accessible than Marie Christine, Hello Again has travelled widely, but it still awaits a revival that firmly places it where it belongs at the forefront of late twentieth-century musical theatre.

2. City of Angels (1990)

Probably Cy Coleman’s last great score, with some of the finest lyrics David Zippel ever wrote and a razor-sharp book by Larry Gelbart, City of Angels is an affectionate and incisive homage to classic film noir. It ran for an impressive 879 performances on Broadway and then pretty much vanished from everything but the musical theatre history books. City of Angels unfolds along two parallel storylines: one following Stine, a novelist struggling to adapt his latest book for Hollywood, and the other set within the hard-boiled world of that novel, where private eye Stone navigates a shadowy Los Angeles of betrayal and desire. Coleman’s score is a fabulous mix of jazz, pop and traditional Broadway sounds, delivering gems like “Lost and Found” and “With Every Breath I Take.” When conversations turn to shows that should be revived, City of Angels is frequently cited near the top of the list. The only question is: when will Broadway finally listen?

1. Bring in ’da Noise, Bring in ’da Funk (1996)

Debuting Off-Broadway at the Public Theater in 1995 before transferring to Broadway in 1996, Bring in ’da Noise, Bring in ’da Funk remains one of the most singular works of musical theatre the decade produced. Conceived and directed by George C. Wolfe, with choreography by Savion Glover, the show tells the story of Black American history, from slavery through to the present, through tap, rap, music, movement and commentary. With music by Daryl Waters, Zane Mark and Ann Duquesnay, lyrics by Reg E. Gaines, George C. Wolfe and Ann Duquesnay, and a book by Gaines, the piece ran for just 85 performances on Broadway, but its impact far outstripped its run. Presented with projected images and relentless theatrical momentum, it was overstimulating in the best possible way, all the while taking a satirical, cutting and unapologetically confrontational approach. Essentially one of a kind, Bring in ’da Noise, Bring in ’da Funk deserves a prominent place in our musical theatre consciousness. It has never been more necessary.

Underrated Then and Underrated Now

Honourable mentions on this list could easily include The Secret Garden, When Pigs Fly and even Sondheim’s most divisive work, Passion, a Tony winner that remains, paradoxically, underrated. The decade closed with a creative upswing that carried Broadway into the 2000s with shows like The Lion King and Titanic as well as those mentioned at the beginning of this article . Perhaps we’re in a similar lull now, this season’s original musicals burning low and slow. Even so, one of today’s overlooked works may yet become tomorrow’s rediscovery. Which 1990s musicals do you think were egregiously overlooked? (Yes, Victor/Victoria, that’s a nod to you!) What do you think deserves a comeback? Head to the comments and join the conversation.