Buzz
Even if media doesn’t claim complete historical accuracy, viewers can still be influenced by specific depictions of characters or events. Sometimes, people develop perceptions that aren’t grounded in reality, simply because they saw it portrayed on screen.
Most of the musicals listed here don’t intentionally deceive their audiences: the inaccuracies are often included to enhance the narrative or make the production more engaging. However, each of them contains elements of exaggeration, errors, or outright fabrications.
10. Finding Neverland
The tale of Peter Pan has seen countless adaptations, so it’s no surprise that some focus on the origins of the story and the boys who inspired it. Finding Neverland explores J.M. Barrie’s connection with the Davies family, whose sons served as the inspiration for the beloved characters of Peter Pan and the magical world of Neverland.
However, the musical doesn’t present the full picture. It suggests that the Davies boys’ mother was a widow and that Barrie eventually formed a romantic relationship with her. This is inaccurate, as the Davies’ father was very much alive during that time.
Similarly, the stage production asserts that Sylvia, the Davies’ mother, passed away before the 1904 premiere of Peter Pan. While this adds a poignant touch to Finding Neverland, the truth is she died in 1910, long after the play had achieved widespread acclaim.
9. Catch Me if You Can
How can a true story be told accurately when the source material itself is filled with lies?
It shouldn’t have come as a shock when, in 2023, Frank Abagnale Jr., the infamous conman, admitted to fabricating many of the exploits detailed in his memoir, Catch Me if You Can. While some core facts, like his impersonation of a PanAm pilot and his imprisonment in France, are true, many other claims—such as teaching at Brigham Young University and advising the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee—were entirely false.
These revelations also make the movie adaptation of the same name historically inaccurate. Since the musical’s creators couldn’t have foreseen these developments, this entry makes the list on a technicality.
8. The King and I
Although it’s true that a British schoolteacher arrived at the Siamese court in the 1860s, the romantic connection between her and King Mongkut of Siam is entirely fabricated. However, this may not solely be the fault of the musical’s creators.
The musical draws from Anna Leonowens’ memoir about her experiences in what is now Thailand. Her book likely aimed to capitalize on the Victorian era’s fascination with Orientalism. It included numerous embellishments that Thai officials insist are false, such as a graphic scene of a monk being tortured—an event no historical records or residents of the time corroborate.
After reading her book, the King of Siam remarked that Anna “used her imagination to fill in the gaps of her memory.”
7. Six
I know, it feels like a crime not to place this one at number six.
Six became a global sensation after its debut in Edinburgh in 2017. This pop-infused musical is essentially a rock concert featuring Henry VIII’s six wives, each vying to “win” a singing contest decided by the audience.
While artistic liberties are taken, many are exaggerated to such an extent that no one would mistake them for reality (like Henry and Anna of Cleves meeting on a dating app).
However, some of the lyrics and characterizations of these historical figures distort their true identities. A prime example is Anne Boleyn’s line, “I wanna dance and sing / Politics, not my thing,” which suggests she was more interested in having fun with Henry than becoming queen.
This portrayal does a great injustice to the real Anne Boleyn, who was one of the most politically astute and influential female figures in history. While not every detail of her life is known, historians concur that her prominence in the royal court was earned through dedication and strategy, not mere chance.
6. The Sound of Music
The hills may be alive with music, but they’re also filled with inaccuracies.
That might be a slight exaggeration. While the core story of this beloved musical is rooted in truth, it’s only loosely accurate. Maria did marry Georg von Trapp, the father of ten children, but she was only the governess for one of them. Additionally, while she married Georg, she admitted she didn’t love him, famously stating, “I loved the children, so in a way, I really married the children.”
Perhaps the most surprising revelation comes from Maria herself, who was described as strict and domineering. One of the daughters recalled her having a fiery temper, with episodes of yelling, throwing objects, and slamming doors.
While the real Maria might have had moments of sweetness akin to her portrayal in the musical, it’s difficult to picture Julie Andrews or Mary Martin doing anything other than serenading their way through challenges with the children.
5. Funny Girl
Funny Girl prioritizes entertainment over historical accuracy, which is fitting given that its protagonist, Fanny Brice, aimed to captivate and amuse her audience above all else.
Contrary to the musical’s depiction, Fanny Brice did not grow up in poverty but in relatively comfortable Brooklyn apartments. Additionally, she was never just another face in a chorus line of beautiful dancers, as the opening scene implies—she was a solo performer from the start.
In the musical, Fanny is deeply devoted to Nick Arnstein, a charming gambler with a criminal past. While this reflects reality, the real story is less romantic. Musical-Nick gambles and works independently to avoid relying on Fanny’s earnings, but real-life Nick had no qualms about using his wife’s income when it suited him.
This is most apparent when Nick was arrested in 1920. Unlike the musical’s portrayal, where he surrenders to the police for stealing Wall Street securities, the real Nick evaded capture for four months and spent years battling the charges. His legal expenses were, unsurprisingly, covered by his wife. While the musical hints at marital strife, it paints Nick as a dashing, clever (and handsome) rogue torn between his criminal life and his wife, when in reality, there was no such internal conflict.
4. Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson
No, President Andrew Jackson wasn’t an actual rock star.
At least, not in the literal sense. However, he was a polarizing yet immensely popular figure in his era, akin to a modern-day celebrity, which inspired the premise of BBAJ. The musical traces Jackson’s ascent to political prominence and his eventual downfall, making minor alterations that don’t significantly impact the storyline or historical understanding.
However, one major alteration could deeply influence the audience: the musical portrays Jackson’s family as victims of a brutal Native American attack. This fabricated event is later used to rationalize Jackson’s animosity toward Native Americans and, in part, to justify his role in the violent Trail of Tears.
However, the majority of Jackson’s family succumbed to illness, not violence at the hands of Native Americans. In truth, Jackson’s animosity toward Native Americans stemmed solely from his own prejudice, a fact the musical unintentionally obscures by justifying his hatred through this fabricated scene.
3. Newsies
This Broadway musical is based on the 1992 film, which, upon its release, became one of Disney’s lowest-grossing live-action movies. However, in 2012, Newsies found redemption on stage, earning eight Tony Awards, including Best Musical.
The story centers on a group of New York City newsboys who strike against Joseph Pulitzer, the publisher of the New York World. It draws inspiration from the Newsboys Strike of 1899, a pivotal event that sparked further labor movements among underpaid workers in the early 20th century.
However, as a Disney production, Newsies takes liberties with historical accuracy to craft a more uplifting narrative. One notable inaccuracy is the ending: in the film, the newsboys rally a crowd of children to pressure Pulitzer into lowering paper prices. In reality, the strike concluded with a compromise, where Pulitzer agreed to buy back unsold papers from the newsboys.
The protagonist of both the musical and the film, Jack Kelly, is a fictional character with no historical basis. The actual strike was spearheaded by a boy known as Kid Blink, who appears as a minor character in the movie but is entirely absent from the Broadway version. Historically, Kid Blink accepted a bribe from newspaper executives, leading to his discredit and ridicule by his fellow strikers.
Furthermore, by 1899, the real Joseph Pulitzer had been retired for nearly a decade and was almost completely blind and deaf. However, it’s far less dramatic to see an elderly, disabled man lose than to witness the slick, conniving Pulitzer of the musical concede defeat.
2. Gypsy
Rose Hovick epitomized the overbearing stage mother. After her first daughter was born in 1911, she pushed her into dance and singing lessons, hoping she’d become a star. When that plan failed, she had a second daughter, who eventually became a vaudeville sensation.
Gypsy follows the journey of the eldest daughter, Louise, as she breaks free from her domineering mother and rises to fame as one of the most renowned striptease artists in history. While based on a memoir of the same name, the stage adaptation introduces several alterations to the story.
To begin with, Louise and her sister June were just one year apart in age, not several years as the musical implies. Additionally, the sisters’ relationship was far less amicable than portrayed in the show. In Gypsy, the girls encourage each other’s aspirations—June’s to perform and Louise’s to escape their mother’s control. In reality, Louise found June’s act childish and considered her sister foolish for pursuing it, while June viewed herself as superior to her non-performing sibling.
1. Annie Get Your Gun
Girls and guns: a combination that speaks for itself.
Annie Oakley captivated Frank Butler, a touring sharpshooter, in 1875 when she defeated him in a shooting contest at just 15 years old. Both in real life and in the musical adaptation, she eventually marries Frank and travels the world with Buffalo Bill’s Wild West Show, though the musical takes liberties with the actual events.
Before their happy ending, Annie Get Your Gun portrays Frank as envious of Annie’s superior shooting skills. The two vie for top billing in their performances until Annie deliberately loses a competition to boost Frank’s ego.
Those familiar with Annie Oakley’s character know this incident never occurred. She took immense pride in her abilities, and there’s no proof she ever intentionally lost to bolster her husband’s confidence. Additionally, no historical accounts suggest a rivalry between Annie and Frank; instead, her competition was with a younger sharpshooter named Lillian Smith.
