Broadway will soon be celebrating the 78th Annual Tony Awards, the 25th ceremony held this century. Before finding out what will be the 25th winner of the Tony Award for Best Musical, take a look back at the 24 that came before it this century.
Contact, 2000
This musical, which was developed by Susan Stroman and John Weidman, played at the Vivian Beaumont Theatre at Lincoln Center. This is a three-act dance musical that told a different story for each act. It ran from March 30, 2000, to September 1, 2001.
The Producers, 2001
The Producers, written by Mel Brooks and Thomas Meehan, graced the St. James Theatre. Featuring actors Nathan Lane and Matthew Broderick, this musical broke a record for its time and won 12 Tony Awards. It ran for 2,501 performances on Broadway until it was made into a hit film in 2005.
Thoroughly Modern Millie, 2002
Thoroughly Modern Millie, by Richard Morris, Dick Scanlan, and Jeanine Tesori, performed at the Marquis Theatre. This musical, based on the film of the same name, about a girl finding love in 1922 in NYC, was what brought Sutton Foster to stardom. It ran from April 18, 2002, to June 20, 2004.
Hairspray, 2003
This musical, by Thomas Meehan, Mark O’Donnell, Marc Shaiman, and Scott Wittman, ran at the Neil Simon Theatre. Featuring young stars Marissa Jaret Winokur, Laura Bell Bundy, Kerry Butler, Matthew Morrison, and Broadway legend Harvey Fierstein in a Tony-winning turn, Hairspray was an adaptation of the 1988 film. It ran for 2,642 performances on Broadway.
Avenue Q, 2004
Avenue Q, by Jeff Whitty, with music and lyrics by Robert Lopez and Jeff Marx, ran at the Golden Theatre. This raunchy musical featuring puppets was the dark horse in the Best Musical category against Wicked, and won Robert Lopez his T in his EGOT. It ran for six years and six months on Broadway.
Spamalot, 2005
The musical by Eric Idle and John Du Prez ran at the Shubert Theatre. Based on the 1975 film Monty Python and the Holy Grail, it follows King Arthur on a hilarious journey full of bits turning the story of Camelot on its head. It ran from March 17, 2005, to January 11, 2009, and was recently revived in 2023.
Jersey Boys, 2006
Following the story of ’60s rock ’n’ roll band The Four Seasons, Jersey Boys helped John Lloyd Young be the only person to win a Tony, Drama Desk, Outer Critics Circle, and Theatre World Award for a Broadway debut, as Frankie Valli. The hit by Marshall Brickman and Rick Elice, with music by Bob Gaudio and lyrics by Bob Crewe, ran at the August Wilson Theatre from 2005 to 2017.
Spring Awakening, 2007
Spring Awakening, by Steven Sater and Duncan Sheik, ran at the Eugene O’Neill Theatre. Based on the 1891 German play, this musical started the careers of Lilli Cooper, Skylar Astin, Jonathan Groff, and John Gallager Jr. It ran for two years and five days on Broadway, and an HBO special documentary covering the reunion aired in 2022.
In the Heights, 2008
This hit musical by Lin-Manuel Miranda and Quiara Alegría Hudes ran at the Richard Rodgers Theatre. Originally a college project from Miranda’s sophomore year, In the Heights became a hit, winning four Tony Awards and a Grammy. It ran for 1,184 performances on Broadway.
Billy Elliot: The Musical, 2009
Billy Elliot: The Musical by Lee Hall, with music by Elton John, ran on Broadway at the Imperial Theatre. This coming-of-age musical, an adaption of the 2000 film of the same name, won 10 Tony Awards. It ran from November 13, 2008, to January 8, 2012.
Memphis, 2010
This musical, by Joe DiPietro and David Bryan, ran on Broadway at the Shubert Theatre. It was loosely based on the story of Dewey Phillips, one of the first white DJs to play Black music in the 1950s. It ran for two years and eight months on Broadway.
The Book of Mormon, 2011
This musical comedy by Robert Lopez, Trey Parker, and Matt Stone, is still running on Broadway at the Eugene O’Neill Theatre. In 2003, Parker and Stone, the creators of South Park were inspired to write a musical unpacking Mormonism, and were advised to see Avenue Q. Teaming up with Lopez, the three created a hit musical that has been running for 14 years. In 2021, the creators updated the lyrics in the show to deepen specific characters and to clarify satire in certain moments of the show.
Once, 2012
This musical, by musicians Glen Hansard, Markéta Irglová, and Enda Walsh, ran on Broadway at the Bernard Jacobs Theatre. It was based on the 2007 film of the same name, and won eight Tony Awards. Set in a bar that actually operated for patrons before the show and during intermission, this unique musical ran with 1,168 performances.
Kinky Boots, 2013
Written by Harvey Fierstein, with music and lyrics by Cyndi Lauper, Kinky Boots ran on Broadway at the Al Hirschfeld Theatre. Based on the 2005 British film of the same name, it won Billy Porter his first Tony Award. This iconic musical was a hit at the box office, and recouped its $13.5 million capitalization within 30 weeks of performances. Kinky Boots ran from April 4, 2013, to April 7, 2019.
A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder, 2014
Based on the 1907 novel Israel Rank: The Autobiography of a Criminal by Roy Horniman, this comedy musical by Robert L. Freedman and Steven Lutvak ran on Broadway at the Walter Kerr Theatre. Featuring character acting legend Jefferson Mays playing nine members of the esteemed D’Ysquith family, it ran 935 performances.
Fun Home, 2015
Lisa Kron and Jeanine Tesori’s musical ran on Broadway at the Circle in the Square Theatre. It was an adaption of the 2006 autobiographical graphic novel of the same name by Alison Bechdel. The coming-of-age story featured the most groundbreaking lesbian characters in theater history, and it ran from April 19, 2015, to September 10, 2016.
Hamilton, 2016
Lin-Manuel Miranda’s blockbuster is still running strong at the Richard Rodgers Theatre. This musical about the founding father on the $10 bill, Alexander Hamilton, features various styles of music, such as rap, R&B, and hip-hop, with Miranda calling it “America then told by America now.” Currently the world record holder for the musical with the most Tony nominations, with 16 of them, Hamilton is currently celebrating its 10th anniversary.
Dear Evan Hansen, 2017
Dear Evan Hansen, by Steven Levenson, Benj Pasek, and Justin Paul, ran on Broadway at the Music Box Theatre. It won Ben Platt his Tony Award and also won a Grammy and a Daytime Emmy. The hit ran for nearly six years, from November 2016 to September 2022.
The Band’s Visit, 2018
The Band’s Visit, based on the 2007 film of the same name, follows an Egyptian band visiting Israel. The musical by Itamar Moses and David Yazbek ran on Broadway at the Ethel Barrymore Theatre from October 7, 2017, to April 7, 2019, and won 10 Tony Awards.
Hadestown, 2019
This musical by Anaïs Mitchell is still running on Broadway at the Walter Kerr Theatre. The musical adaption of the ancient Greek myth of Orpheus and Eurydice was the most nominated musical in 2019, with 14. Running since April 17, 2019, five of the original cast members filmed the production in London on the West End on February 28 and March 1 of this year.
Moulin Rouge! The Musical, 2020 – 2021
The musical adaption of the Baz Luhrmann film of the same name follows Christian, an American bohemian in Paris during the Belle Epoque, as he falls in love with Satine, the diamond of the Moulin Rouge cabaret. By John Logan with music by various famous artists, it is still running on Broadway at the Al Hirschfeld Theatre. It has been running since July 25, 2019.
A Strange Loop, 2022
A Strange Loop, by Michael R. Jackson, ran on Broadway at the Lyceum Theatre. In 2020, it became the 10th musical to win a Pulitzer Prize, was the first Pulitzer Prize–winning musical written by a Black playwright, and the first to win without a Broadway run. When it made its way to the Lyceum, it ran from April 6, 2022, to January 15, 2023.
Kimberly Akimbo, 2023
This musical, by David Lindsay-Abaire, with music by Jeanine Tesori, ran on Broadway at the Booth Theatre. Kimberly Akimbo follows Kim, a girl with a disease that makes her age four and a half times faster than others, as she navigates high school and a dysfunctional home life. It ran for 612 performances on Broadway.
The Outsiders, 2024
This musical adaptation of the 1967 novel by S.E. Hinton and the 1983 film version unpacks the tension between two rival groups divided by socioeconomic status in 1960s Oklahoma. The production by Adam Rapp, Justin Levine, Jonathan Clay, and Zach Chance can be seen today on Broadway at the Bernard B. Jacobs Theatre. The Outsiders opened on April 11, 2024.
Find out the 2025 Tony Award winner for Best Musical on June 8, 2025! Here’s everything you need to know about this year’s ceremony.