What is Broadway?

The Outsiders won the Tony Award for Best Musical in 2024 with a book by Adam Rapp and Justin Levine, music and lyrics by Jonathan Clay, Zach Chance, and Justin Levine, and direction from Danya Taymor (who also won the Tony for Best Direction of a Musical). Zach Chance and Jonathan Clay are also known as the music duo Jamestown Revival. The musical is based on the book of the same name by S.E. Hinton about a group of outsiders, the “Greasers,” and a group of wealthier “Socs” or “Socials” in Tulsa, Oklahoma in the 1960s. Entertainment Weekly called it a “glittering Broadway musical…its heart of gold still remains firmly intact.”

Moulin Rouge! The Musical! based on the 2001 Baz Luhrmann film, won the Tony Award for Best Musical in 2020. The New York Times called the show “spectacular,” and it includes arrangements of popular songs like “Lady Marmalade,” “Single Ladies,” “Firework,” and “Toxic.”

Hadestown won the Tony Award for Best Musical in 2019. This Broadway show takes you to the underworld and back as it tells the story of Orpheus and Eurydice, King Hades and Persephone. It’s a story of love, human nature, fate, and hope. The Hollywood Reporter called it “wildly inventive,” “exhilarating,” and “spellbinding.”

Hamilton won the Tony Award for Best Musical in 2016, as well as the Pulitzer Prize for Drama. Book, music, and lyrics by Lin-Manuel Miranda, this musical broke box office records and remains the highest-charting Broadway cast recording in history. Telling the story of America’s founding fathers and focusing on Alexander Hamilton, this musical remains one of the most popular shows on Broadway and was also filmed and released on Disney+. Entertainment Weekly says, “you’d be crazy to miss it.”

The Book of Mormon won the Tony Award for Best Musical in 2011. Written by “South Park” creators Matt Stone and Trey Parker, with music and lyrics by Robert Lopez, who is also known for co-writing the songs for the movie Frozen, this musical is just as catchy, irreverent, and hilarious as that team implies. The Book of Mormon follows Latter-Day missionaries Elder Cunningham and Elder Price who are sent to Uganda to spread their faith. Time Out New York’s 5-star review called it, “the most exuberantly entertaining Broadway musical in years.”

The Lion King won the Tony Award for Best Musical in 1998 and has the unique distinction of being the biggest box-office hit of all time. Based on the beloved film, with music by Elton John and lyrics by Tim Rice, this musical has all your favorite songs like “Hakuna Matata”, “The Circle of Life”, and “Can You Feel the Love Tonight.” It also has some of the most creative and breathtaking staging under the direction of Julie Taymor. This hit has become a global sensation, playing on the West End, Japan, Germany, Spain, France and more. 

Stereophonic, written by David Adjmi, won the Tony Award for Best Play in 2024. It transferred to the Golden Theatre on Broadway after its hit run at Playwrights Horizons off-Broadway. Will Butler from Arcade Fire composed original music for the play, and Daniel Aukin directed. It follows a rock band in the 1970s as they record an album while dealing creative and person conflicts. The New York Times said, “‘Stereophonic’ is a fiery family drama, as electrifying as any since “Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?” Its real-time dissection of making music — a collaboration between flawed, gifted artists wrangled into unison — is ingeniously entertaining and an incisive meta commentary on the nature of art. The play is a staggering achievement, and already feels like a must-see American classic.”

Harry Potter and the Cursed Child at the Lyric Theatre won the Tony Award for Best Play in 2018. Set 19 years after Harry, Ron and Hermione saved the wizarding world, now they’re back on a most extraordinary new adventure – this time, joined by a brave new generation that has only just arrived at the legendary Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Prepare for spectacular spells, a mind-blowing race through time, and an epic battle to stop mysterious forces, all while the future hangs in the balance. The New York Times calls it “diamond-sharp in its staging and dazzling in its visual imagination, as magical as any spell or potion.”

Hamilton tells the story of America’s founding fathers, from Alexander Hamilton to Thomas Jefferson, Aaron Burr, the Schuyler sisters, and King George III. Inspired by the biography Alexander Hamilton by Ron Chernow, check out the book if you want all the facts. The musical was also filmed and released on Disney+. 

Hell’s Kitchen is partly based on the childhood of Alicia Keys in the Hell’s Kitchen neighborhood of Manhattan in the 90s. With music and lyrics by Alicia keys and a book by Kristoffer Diaz, audiences will recognize familiar songs like “Girl on Fire” and “Empire State of Mind.” The show transferred to Broadway after a sold-out run off-Broadway at the Public Theatre and The New York Times said the show “is thrilling from beginning to end, and easily stands out as one of the rare must-sees in a crowded season.”

MJ: The Musical follows the making of Michael Jackson’s 1992 Dangerous World Tour and has a book written by two-time Pulitzer Prize winner Lynn Nottage. MJ includes hits like “Don’t Stop ‘Til You Get Enough,” “Beat It,” “Smooth Criminal,” and “Thriller.” 

Six: The Musical tells the story of the six wives of Henry VIII. These six ladies are true queens of the stage, embodying all the girl power superstardom of a pop concert. Exuberant, fun, and running at a clip of just 80 minutes, this musical digs into the history of Catherine of Aragon, Anne Boleyn, Jane Seymour, Anne of Cleves, Catherine Howard, and Catherine Parr. 

Suffs tells the story of the Suffragettes and their fight for the right to vote. With book, music, and lyrics by Shaina Taub and direction from Leigh Silverman, it runs at the Music Box Theatre after a hit, sold-out run at the Public Theatre. Vulture said, “the show is smart, witty, tuneful, and teming with mighty performances.”

Tammy Faye follows Tammy Faye and Jim Bakker as they create a televangelist empire in the 1970s. With music by Elton John, lyrics by Jake Shears, and book by James Graham, this musical stars Christian Borle and Katie Brayben as Jim and Tammy Faye, and they are joined by Michael Cerveris as Reverend Jerry Falwell. London Theatre called the UK production, “sheer entertaining fun…[with] a phenomenal female lead role – in which the spectacular Katie Brayben makes you ardently believe in a higher power.”