The lights! The drama! And, of course, the music! There’s nothing quite like a Broadway show—and all of the grandeur and talent that comes with it. As a bona fide theater kid, I grew up watching the Tony Awards and the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade each year on TV with unwavering attention; pre-YouTube, these were the moments when people around the country could get a glimpse of what was happening in New York City.
All this to say, it is with great pleasure that I unveil this week’s playlist: the best Broadway show tunes to keep you moving throughout your entire workout. And OK, I already hear you shouting from your balcony seat: You’re not so sure about working out to Broadway show tunes. But before you dip out at intermission, know that (a) Broadway-themed workout classes are a thing, and they are very popular, and (b) these songs are just as upbeat as any of our other bang-up workout playlists.
Here, you’ll find a hefty dose of modern musicals, several of which have very pop-friendly soundtracks. Things kick off with “Larger Than Life” from & Juliet, and, yes, it’s that Backstreet Boys song. You’ll also find sing-along hits from SIX, Hadestown, The Book of Mormon, Hamilton, and a song from the revival of Oklahoma!, featuring Tony Award–winner Ali Stroker.
For those who love the rock era of Broadway, there are tracks from Green Day’s American Idiot, Duncan Sheik’s Spring Awakening, and Jonathan Larson’s Rent. And if all of this is sounding a bit too modern for you, there are also songs from Anything Goes, The Music Man, West Side Story, and Chicago.
So if you’ve got jazz hands, bring ’em. And press play on this tracklist.
Full playlist:
- “Larger Than Life” from & Juliet
- “Don’t Rain on My Parade” from Funny Girl
- “My Shot” from Hamilton
- “I Believe” from The Book of Mormon
- “You Can’t Stop the Beat” from Hairspray
- “Anything Goes” from Anything Goes
- “Nine to Five” from 9 to 5, The Musical
- “Defying Gravity” from Wicked
- “No Way” from SIX
- “Way Down Hadestown” from Hadestown
- “Ya Got Trouble” from The Music Man
- “Land of Lola” from Kinky Boots
- “The Schuyler Sisters” from Hamilton
- “The Bitch of Living” from Spring Awakening
- “All That Jazz” from Chicago
- “Hero Is My Middle Name” from SpongeBob Square Pants, The New Musical
- “Ease on Down the Road #2” from The Wiz
- “Sugar Daddy” from Hedwig and the Angry Inch
- “American Idiot” from American Idiot
- “Domino” from & Juliet
- “I’d Rather Be Me” from Mean Girls
- “Take Me or Leave Me” from Rent
- “I Cain’t Say No” from Oklahoma!
- “In the Heights – Radio Edit” from In the Heights
- “The Time Warp” from The Rocky Horror Picture Show
- “The Dance at the Gym: Mambo” from West Side Story
- “Forget About the Boy” from Thoroughly Modern Millie
- “Mamma Mia” from Mamma Mia!
- “I Just Can’t Wait to Be King” from The Lion King
- “Bad Idea” from Waitress
- “Omigod You Guys” from Legally Blonde
- “Requiem” from Dear Evan Hansen
- “Stars and Moon” from Songs for a New World
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