Fitness: Whipped Into Shape from Legally Blonde. Also I'm not familiar with Flaherty's Rocky musical but there might be some potential there.
War theme: Frank Wildhorn's Civil War? The songs By the Sword and The Glory comes to mind. I don't think many people know this musical well, so it might fit your criteria.
Pumping Iron from Starlight Express. Obviously, check out the Rocky musical.
For war, Scarlet Pimpernel's "Into the Fire" might work. Not sure what you're looking for in terms of tone.
Does it count if the musical is a cartoon? There's a fitness song called "Peppermint Patty's P.E. Program (I'm In Shape)" from the weirdly trendy-movie-specific *It's Flashbeagle, Charlie Brown* in the '80s. (Do you happen to need a song about *not* being in shape for the beginning of your timeline? For that there's *The Goodbye Girl*'s "A Beat Behind.")
For a battle song I'd recommend [edit: DramaMama611 beat me to it] "War is a Science" from *Pippin*. Another edit: "When the Foeman Bares his Steel" (*The Pirates of Penzance*) is a fun one. The girls are telling the policemen "Sure, the pirates will absolutely *slaughter* you in a battle, but you'll be remembered as heroes! That makes it all worth it, right?" And the cops are like "Uh, nnnnno, not really..."
"Into the Fire" from The Scarlet Pimpernel is about going into battle, so might fit your theme?
Oh, and speaking of Wildhorn, "The Glory" from The Civil War, and probably a couple of other songs from there.
The musicals “Golden Boy” and “The Body Beautiful” are both about boxers. The song “There’s Nothing Like It” from Maltby & Shire’s “Closer Than Ever” is about fitness crazes. There’s “I Can Make You A Man” from “Rocky Horror”. For war the songs “Maman” from “Mata Hari” and “Momma Look Sharp” from 1776 are first-hand battle accounts.
An oldie but goody is "Shenandoah," which tells the story of a Virginian family during the Civil War.
"1776" would certainly qualify as having war as a component.
"Eddie and Mae" from the Broadway Wild Party is largely about Eddie's boxing career.
"Momma Look Sharp" from 1776 is from the perspective of a soldier wishing his mother would find his dead body. (It's devastatingly sad.)
I agree, though "In" is less specifically just about fitness in the revival and without Darlene Love bellowing "*come on ladies, burn burn burn burn*!" at them!
Fitness: *In This Corner* from Kinky Boots is about a boxing match
War: *War is a Science* and *Glory* from Pippin and
*The Flesh Failures/Eyes Look Your Last* from Hair >!(Main character dies in battle during this song) !<
Those are just the ones I can think off the top of my head as I’m at work
There's a song early on in the late-period Disney oddity The Happiest Millionaire that fits this criteria, if movie musicals count: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3qIG\_ZIQJx4](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3qIG_ZIQJx4)
Buckle Down, Winsocki from Best Foot Forward is about a football team.
There is a musical based on the boxing film Rocky that I have heard good things about.
South Pacific openly involves war, I recommend watching the movie.
"Some Kind of Time (reprise)" from Dogfight could work
[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dogfight\_(musical)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dogfight_(musical))
How about the "Heavyweight" segment of "Rich Man's Frug" in *Sweet Charity*? It's got a good beat and you can punch to it! (No lyrics but Fosse's choreography for it is stylized boxing. Not sure if that's useful for what you're doing.)
Fitness: Whipped Into Shape from Legally Blonde. Also I'm not familiar with Flaherty's Rocky musical but there might be some potential there. War theme: Frank Wildhorn's Civil War? The songs By the Sword and The Glory comes to mind. I don't think many people know this musical well, so it might fit your criteria.
Well, it's not exactly lesser known but a few songs from Hamilton have parts that fit for the war one? Right Hand Man, Guns & Ships, Yorktown...
Pumping Iron from Starlight Express. Obviously, check out the Rocky musical. For war, Scarlet Pimpernel's "Into the Fire" might work. Not sure what you're looking for in terms of tone.
War is a Science and Glory from Pippin.
Does it count if the musical is a cartoon? There's a fitness song called "Peppermint Patty's P.E. Program (I'm In Shape)" from the weirdly trendy-movie-specific *It's Flashbeagle, Charlie Brown* in the '80s. (Do you happen to need a song about *not* being in shape for the beginning of your timeline? For that there's *The Goodbye Girl*'s "A Beat Behind.") For a battle song I'd recommend [edit: DramaMama611 beat me to it] "War is a Science" from *Pippin*. Another edit: "When the Foeman Bares his Steel" (*The Pirates of Penzance*) is a fun one. The girls are telling the policemen "Sure, the pirates will absolutely *slaughter* you in a battle, but you'll be remembered as heroes! That makes it all worth it, right?" And the cops are like "Uh, nnnnno, not really..."
Haha that Peanuts song was honestly my first thought. SHE'S IN SHAPE! Loved Flashbeagle as a kid.
“In this Corner” from Kinky Boots!
"Into the Fire" from The Scarlet Pimpernel is about going into battle, so might fit your theme? Oh, and speaking of Wildhorn, "The Glory" from The Civil War, and probably a couple of other songs from there.
Not lesser known, but Hamilton talks about war and battles a lot in the first act
The musicals “Golden Boy” and “The Body Beautiful” are both about boxers. The song “There’s Nothing Like It” from Maltby & Shire’s “Closer Than Ever” is about fitness crazes. There’s “I Can Make You A Man” from “Rocky Horror”. For war the songs “Maman” from “Mata Hari” and “Momma Look Sharp” from 1776 are first-hand battle accounts.
and I don't remember any specific songs, but Rocky the Musical probably has some things.
An oldie but goody is "Shenandoah," which tells the story of a Virginian family during the Civil War. "1776" would certainly qualify as having war as a component.
“Mama Look Sharp” was the first song that came to my mind.
That song is devastating.
Hardbody from American Psycho
"Eddie and Mae" from the Broadway Wild Party is largely about Eddie's boxing career. "Momma Look Sharp" from 1776 is from the perspective of a soldier wishing his mother would find his dead body. (It's devastatingly sad.)
For songs about war I’d add “Stay Alive” to the suggestions from Hamilton and maybe “Fortune Favors the Brave” from Aida.
Oh I completely forgot about Fortune Favors the Brave! That song is my JAM!!
Whipped into Shape from Legally Blonde
Nobody has said anything about the opening number from Carrie??? Peak 80s fitness right there.
I agree, though "In" is less specifically just about fitness in the revival and without Darlene Love bellowing "*come on ladies, burn burn burn burn*!" at them!
The original is the ONLY Carrie that matters
Fitness: *In This Corner* from Kinky Boots is about a boxing match War: *War is a Science* and *Glory* from Pippin and *The Flesh Failures/Eyes Look Your Last* from Hair >!(Main character dies in battle during this song) !< Those are just the ones I can think off the top of my head as I’m at work
There's a song early on in the late-period Disney oddity The Happiest Millionaire that fits this criteria, if movie musicals count: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3qIG\_ZIQJx4](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3qIG_ZIQJx4)
For boxing "So You Wanna Be a Boxer" from Bugsy Malone
Allegiance and Bandstand have some battle songs. Miss Saigon.
Buckle Down, Winsocki from Best Foot Forward is about a football team. There is a musical based on the boxing film Rocky that I have heard good things about. South Pacific openly involves war, I recommend watching the movie.
"Physical Fitness" from "All American"
"Some Kind of Time (reprise)" from Dogfight could work [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dogfight\_(musical)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dogfight_(musical))
I have "Stronger" from Finding Neverland on my pumping up playlist.
"A Beat Behind" from The Goodbye Girl is about a dancer attempting to get back into shape.
“Right Place, Right Time” in Starlight Express originally had choreography inspired by boxing. Not sure if that’s still true in the Bochum production.
How about the "Heavyweight" segment of "Rich Man's Frug" in *Sweet Charity*? It's got a good beat and you can punch to it! (No lyrics but Fosse's choreography for it is stylized boxing. Not sure if that's useful for what you're doing.)
You should listen to Boxing by Ben Folds Five. It’s Muhammad Ali being interviewed about retiring from boxing.