Characters by decade
Characters from 1950s musicals
The height of the Golden Age: Guys and Dolls, The King and I, My Fair Lady, West Side Story, and Gypsy all opened this decade, and their characters remain staples of school and community productions.
Below are the characters in our library from shows that first opened on Broadway in the 1950s, in order of premiere. Tap any name for the full character guide.
29 characters on this list.
- Miss AdelaideGuys and Dolls (1950) · SupportingMiss Adelaide is the warm, exasperated nightclub performer of Guys and Dolls, Frank Loesser's 1950 musical…
- Sky MastersonGuys and Dolls (1950) · LeadSky Masterson is the smooth, high stakes gambler at the romantic center of Guys and Dolls, the 1950 musical with music and lyrics by Frank Loesser…
- Anna LeonowensThe King and I (1951) · LeadAnna Leonowens is the widowed English schoolteacher at the center of The King and I, the 1951 Rodgers and Hammerstein classic set at the royal court…
- Babe WilliamsThe Pajama Game (1954) · LeadBabe Williams is the female lead of The Pajama Game, a 1954 musical by Richard Adler and Jerry Ross, where she heads the union grievance committee at…
- Captain HookPeter Pan (1954) · LeadCaptain Hook is the swaggering pirate villain of Peter Pan, the 1954 musical adaptation of J.M. Barrie's beloved tale.
- Gladys HotchkissThe Pajama Game (1954) · SupportingGladys Hotchkiss is a supporting character in The Pajama Game, the 1954 musical by Richard Adler and Jerry Ross…
- Peter PanPeter Pan (1954) · LeadPeter Pan is the eternally youthful boy who never grows up, at the heart of the 1954 musical based on J.M. Barrie's classic story.
- PrezThe Pajama Game (1954) · SupportingPrez is a supporting character in The Pajama Game, the 1954 musical by Richard Adler and Jerry Ross, serving as president of the pajama factory's…
- Sid SorokinThe Pajama Game (1954) · LeadSid Sorokin is the new factory superintendent and romantic lead of The Pajama Game, Richard Adler and Jerry Ross's 1954 musical set in a Midwestern…
- SmeePeter Pan (1954) · SupportingSmee is Captain Hook's bumbling, good natured first mate in the 1954 musical Peter Pan.
- Tinker BellPeter Pan (1954) · SupportingTinker Bell is the fiery, jealous fairy who serves as Peter Pan's loyal companion in the 1954 musical Peter Pan.
- Vernon HinesThe Pajama Game (1954) · SupportingVernon Hines, often called Hinesie, is a supporting character in The Pajama Game, the 1954 musical by Richard Adler and Jerry Ross…
- WendyPeter Pan (1954) · LeadWendy Darling is the eldest of the Darling children who follows Peter Pan to Neverland in the 1954 musical Peter Pan.
- Gloria ThorpeDamn Yankees (1955) · SupportingGloria Thorpe is the sharp, headline-chasing sportswriter who helps spread the legend of Joe Hardy in Damn Yankees, the 1955 Adler and Ross musical.
- Joe BoydDamn Yankees (1955) · SupportingJoe Boyd is the middle-aged baseball fan whose wish to help his team win sets the entire plot of Damn Yankees in motion in this 1955 Adler and Ross…
- Joe HardyDamn Yankees (1955) · LeadJoe Hardy is the young, magically gifted slugger at the center of Damn Yankees, the 1955 musical by Adler and Ross that turns a baseball fan's wish…
- LolaDamn Yankees (1955) · SupportingLola is the devil's seductive enforcer in Damn Yankees, sent to keep Joe Hardy tied to his fateful bargain in the classic 1955 Adler and Ross musical.
- Meg BoydDamn Yankees (1955) · SupportingMeg Boyd is the loyal, good-humored wife left behind when her husband strikes a devilish bargain in Damn Yankees, the 1955 musical by Adler and Ross.
- Mr. ApplegateDamn Yankees (1955) · LeadMr. Applegate is the devil in disguise who drives the plot of Damn Yankees, the 1955 Adler and Ross musical about a fan's bargain to save his…
- Van BurenDamn Yankees (1955) · SupportingVan Buren is the gruff manager of the Washington Senators in Damn Yankees, trying to lead his team to victory just as a mysterious new player arrives.
- Eliza DoolittleMy Fair Lady (1956) · LeadEliza Doolittle is the flower girl turned proper lady at the heart of "My Fair Lady," a character whose transformation raises pointed questions about…
- AnitaWest Side Story (1957) · SupportingAnita is Bernardo's fiery girlfriend in West Side Story, a woman whose loyalty to her Puerto Rican community is tested when her best friend Maria…
- Harold HillThe Music Man (1957) · LeadHarold Hill is the fast talking con man at the center of The Music Man, Meredith Willson's 1957 musical about a traveling salesman whose scheme to…
- MariaWest Side Story (1957) · LeadMaria is the young woman at the heart of "West Side Story," whose whirlwind romance across rival factions drives one of musical theatre's most…
- RiffWest Side Story (1957) · SupportingRiff is the leader of the Jets in West Side Story, the groundbreaking 1957 musical with music by Leonard Bernstein that reimagined Romeo and Juliet…
- TonyWest Side Story (1957) · LeadTony is the romantic lead of West Side Story, a former Jets gang member who falls instantly and fatally in love with Maria…
- Captain von TrappThe Sound of Music (1959) · LeadCaptain von Trapp is the widowed naval officer whose household is transformed by Maria in The Sound of Music…
- Mama RoseGypsy (1959) · LeadMama Rose is the relentless, larger than life stage mother at the center of Gypsy, the 1959 musical scored by Jule Styne about ambition, family…
- Maria RainerThe Sound of Music (1959) · LeadMaria Rainer is the spirited young governess at the center of The Sound of Music, the 1959 musical with music by Richard Rodgers.