Women Raising Their Voices: The Most Empowering Songs in Theatre
Posted on
Musical theatre has always been a space where women get to take up room — emotionally, politically, and vocally. From quiet moments of shared understanding to full-throttle declarations of independence, some of the most powerful songs in musicals are driven by women lifting each other up, challenging expectations, and rewriting their own stories. These aren’t always traditional duets, but they are moments where female voices come together — in harmony, solidarity, or defiance — and that’s where the magic really happens!
### Wicked – “For Good”
Few musical theatre songs capture female friendship quite like *For Good*. Sung by Elphaba and Glinda in *[Wicked](https://www.londontheatredirect.com/musical/wicked-tickets),* it’s a moment of reflection rather than spectacle — two women acknowledging how deeply they’ve shaped one another. There’s no rivalry here, no need to win. Instead, the song celebrates growth, empathy, and the idea that being changed by another woman is something to treasure, not fear. It’s quietly revolutionary, and a huge part of why *Wicked* continues to resonate so strongly.
### Marie and Rosetta – “Up Above My Head”
Long before rock and roll had a name — and long before Elvis — Sister Rosetta Tharpe was already changing music forever. A gospel singer who plugged in an electric guitar, sped everything up, and blurred the lines between sacred and secular, Rosetta helped invent a sound that the world would later credit to men. [*Marie and Rosetta*](https://www.londontheatredirect.com/musical/marie-and-rosetta-tickets) places her alongside Marie Knight, a more traditional gospel singer, and *Up Above My Head* becomes a joyful celebration of partnership and possibility. Together, they embody female empowerment through risk, collaboration, and unapologetic musical ambition.
### The Color Purple – “Sister” / “I’m Here”
At the heart of *The Color Purple* is the idea that survival is easier — and stronger — when women stand together. Whether through the communal energy of *Sister* or the emotional release of *I’m Here*, the show centres female resilience, self-worth, and solidarity. These moments may not always be structured as duets, but they are powered by connection: women recognising themselves in one another and refusing to stay silent any longer.
### Six - “No Way”
Catherine of Aragon’s defiant anthem kicks off [*SIX*](https://www.londontheatredirect.com/musical/six-london-vaudeville-theatre-tickets) with a refusal to be quietly rewritten. Cast aside for a younger wife, she refuses to accept the narrative she’s been given, asserting her intelligence, resilience and right to be remembered. Set against the stories of Anne Boleyn, Jane Seymour, Anna of Cleves, Katherine Howard and Catherine Parr, the song establishes the show’s central idea: these women were more than footnotes in Henry VIII’s life — they had voices, agency and stories worth reclaiming.
### Cabaret - “Maybe This Time” & “Cabaret”
Sally Bowles’ arc in [*Cabaret*](https://www.londontheatredirect.com/musical/cabaret-london-tickets) moves between hope and defiance: in “Maybe This Time” she’s quietly, desperately clinging to the chance for love and a better future, belting out a wish that her mistakes won’t define her, while in “Cabaret” she flips the script entirely, grabbing life by the reins with a dazzling, refusal to let fear, judgment, or a crumbling world hold her back — together, the songs show a woman both tenderly vulnerable and fiercely uncontainable.
### Hadestown - “Livin’ It Up on Top”
Persephone bursts onto the [*Hadestown*](https://www.londontheatredirect.com/musical/hadestown-tickets) stage with a reminder of who she is when she’s free, celebrating warmth, colour and pleasure after months trapped underground. Sung with swagger and joy, the song becomes an act of resistance — a woman reclaiming her body, her voice and her right to live loudly, even within a world that keeps trying to shrink her. Persephone’s power isn’t about perfection; it’s about refusing to let joy be taken from her.
### Waitress – “I Didn't Plan It”
In *Waitress The Musical*, “I Didn’t Plan It” sees Becky taking centre stage with real grit: she’s confronting her mistakes and the judgments thrown her way head-on, admitting she didn’t mean for her life to twist where it did, but refusing to hang her head in shame or let others define her, and in belting this with reckless joy she stakes her claim on her story, her choices, and her right to feel alive even when life didn’t go as planned.
### Beautiful: The Carole King Musical – “One Fine Day”
After discovering Gerry Goffin’s affair, Carole King doesn’t retreat — she steps forward. In one of the show’s most surprising moments, she unleashes a full-throated, defiant performance that transforms heartbreak into resolve. This isn’t quiet reflection or soft acceptance; it’s Carole claiming her power, her voice and her future, imagining a day when she’s no longer the one left behind, but the one standing strong.
### TINA: The Tina Turner Musical – “Open Arms”
In *TINA*, empowerment isn’t framed as a solo journey. *Open Arms* highlights the crucial role of Rhonda Graam — Tina Turner’s lifelong friend, confidant, and protector. As a duet, the song reflects trust, endurance, and unconditional support, reminding audiences that Tina’s survival and success were also shaped by a woman who stood beside her through abuse, reinvention, and global fame.
### Matilda The Musical – “When I Grow Up”
On the surface, *When I Grow Up* is playful and whimsical, but beneath it lies something deeper. The relationship between [Matilda](https://www.londontheatredirect.com/musical/matilda-the-musical-tickets) and Miss Honey gives the song its emotional weight — two girls, in different stages of life, imagining freedom, safety, and self-determination. It’s a shared dream of a better future, powered by kindness and belief.
### MAMMA MIA! – “Slipping Through My Fingers”
This tender mother-daughter moment between Donna and Sophie in [*MAMMA MIA!*](https://www.londontheatredirect.com/musical/mamma-mia-tickets) captures a different kind of empowerment: letting go. *Slipping Through My Fingers* acknowledges the pain, pride, and love that come with watching a young woman step into her own life.
### Hamilton – “Burn”
Eliza [*Hamilton*](https://www.londontheatredirect.com/musical/hamilton-west-end-tickets) transforms heartbreak into fierce agency: after discovering Alexander’s affair in the Reynolds Pamphlet, she processes her devastation and anger, then takes control of her narrative by burning his love letters, refusing to let his betrayal define her. It’s a moment of raw emotion and quiet defiance, where destruction becomes empowerment — by erasing herself from his story, she asserts her own voice, ensures her perspective is heard, and stakes her claim as more than just the wronged wife, but a woman shaping her own legacy.
### Dreamgirls – “And I Am Telling You I'm Not Going"
Effie White’s Act One showstopper isn’t just a breakup song, it’s a refusal to be pushed aside. After being replaced as the group’s lead and cast out both professionally and personally, Effie pours heartbreak, anger and fierce self-belief into a performance that demands to be heard. The power of the song lies in its honesty: she won’t be quietly dismissed, and she won’t accept being told she’s no longer needed. Ooh, getting goosebumps just writing about it!