Month: November 2025

The 54th Annual Tony Awards marked a vibrant moment in Broadway history, celebrating a slate of performers and creatives whose work helped define a new era of theatrical storytelling. As these winners celebrate two and a half decades since their big night, we look back at what earned them Broadway’s top honor and where their careers have taken them since.

Brian Stokes Mitchell – Best Actor in a Musical (Kiss Me, Kate)

One of Broadway’s most iconic leading men, Brian Stokes Mitchell earned his Tony for his performance as Fred Graham / Petruchio in the 1999 revival of Kiss Me, Kate.Today, he remains a cornerstone of the Broadway community. In the years since his win, he has starred in King Hedley II (earning another Tony nomination), Man of La Mancha, Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown, and Shuffle Along. During the pandemic, Mitchell became a symbol of hope with his nightly balcony serenades on West 98th Street, which raised awareness for the Entertainment Community Fund (then called The Actors Fund), where he also served as Chairman of the Board. He continues performing in concerts nationwide and remains one of Broadway’s most beloved ambassadors, even acting as the voice of God during the 2025 Tony Awards.

Heather Headley – Best Actress in a Musical (Aida)

Heather Headley’s electrifying performance in Disney’s Aida made her a Broadway legend overnight. After her Tony win, she shifted into a successful recording career and earned a Grammy Award.Headley later returned to the stage with acclaimed performances as Shug Avery in The Color Purple, the Witch in Into the Woods and Rachel Marron in The Bodyguard. She has also built a robust television résumé with roles in Chicago Med, Sweet Magnolias, and She’s Gotta Have It. Today, Headley remains a multi-hyphenate force who moves between stage, screen, and studio.

Boyd Gaines – Best Featured Actor in a Musical (Contact)

Boyd Gaines won his third Tony Award in 2000 for Susan Stroman’s groundbreaking dance musical Contact. Already a respected stage veteran, Gaines has continued to show his versatility across genres.

He went on to appear in Gypsy (earning another Tony), Journey’s End, Twelve Angry Men, Pygmalion, Driving Miss Daisy, and An Enemy of the People. His screen credits include The Good Wife, Law and Order, and The Goldfinch. Though he has taken a step back from stage acting, with his last role being in 2012, Gaines remains one of the most decorated performers in Tony history.

Karen Ziemba – Best Featured Actress in a Musical (Contact)

Karen Ziemba’s luminous performance in Contact earned her a well-deserved Tony, solidifying her status as one of Broadway’s most dynamic triple threats.In the years since, she has appeared in Curtains, Bullets Over Broadway, Prince of Broadway, The Visit, and Hot Mikado. Ziemba continues to work steadily in regional theatre, Off Broadway, and concert settings, bringing her blend of warmth, dance expertise, and comic timing to every project. She remains a beloved figure in the musical theatre landscape.

Stephen Dillane – Best Leading Actor in a Play (The Real Thing)

Stephen Dillane’s quietly smoldering performance as Henry in The Real Thing earned him a Tony Award cemented his status as one of the most compelling actors of his generation. A British actor known for his intellectual intensity and emotional precision, Dillane has moved fluidly between stage and screen throughout his career. Interestingly, though, this was his only foray to Broadway, with all of his other stage roles coming on the West End

After The Real Thing, he continued to deliver acclaimed theatrical work, most notably in Macbeth and The Tempest, while also branching into film and television with roles in The Hours, John Adams, and Game of Thrones. With a degree in history and politics from Exeter, Dillane remains a master of thoughtful, layered character work, celebrated for bringing a scholar’s mind and a poet’s sensitivity to every role.

Jennifer Ehle – Best Leading Actress in a Play (The Real Thing)

Jennifer Ehle’s luminous performance as Annie in The Real Thing showcased her natural warmth, keen intelligence, and effortless charisma, earning her a Tony Award and introducing Broadway to one of its most versatile talents.
She went on to build a distinguished career across mediums, appearing in productions such as The Coast of Utopia (winning another Tony), Oslo, and Design for Living. On screen, Ehle is known for her work in The King’s Speech, Zero Dark Thirty, Contagion, and Fifty Shades of Grey. Whether on Broadway or in film, Ehle continues to impress with performances marked by grace, emotional depth, and impeccable craft.

Blair Brown – Best Featured Actress in a Play (Copenhagen)

Blair Brown won her Tony for her nuanced work in Michael Frayn’s Copenhagen, a play that dominated the 2000 season, with wins for Best Play and Best Direction of a Play.After her win, she continued a prolific career on stage and screen, appearing in The Minutes, The Parisian Woman and Mary Page Marlowe. On television, she is widely known for memorable roles in Orange is the New Black, Fringe, and Limitless. Brown remains a respected actor whose work spans drama, science fiction, comedy, and high profile streaming hits.

Roy Dotrice – Best Featured Actor in a Play (A Moon for the Misbegotten)

Roy Dotrice’s commanding turn as the rough-edged yet fiercely devoted Phil Hogan in A Moon for the Misbegotten earned him a Tony Award and reaffirmed his reputation as one of the great character actors of his era. A master storyteller with a booming presence and meticulous craft, Dotrice brought Eugene O’Neill’s world to life with humor, heart, and unmistakable grit.
Following his Tony win, he continued a wide-ranging career on stage and screen. Dotrice holds the Guinness World Record for most character voices by an individual for an audiobook for A Song of Ice and Fire. Though he passed in 2017, Dotrice’s wide breadth of work cemented him as a singular talent whose voice and versatility left an indelible mark on audiences worldwide.

Susan Stroman – Best Choreography (Contact)

Susan Stroman’s elegant, movement-driven storytelling transformed the Broadway musical when she won her third Tony Award for Best Choreography for Contact.Since then, Susan Stroman has become one of the most influential directors and choreographers working today. Her credits include the blockbuster The Producers (which earned her two more Tonys in 2001), Bullets Over Broadway, The Scottsboro Boys, Young Frankenstein, New York, New York, and Crazy for You. She remains an essential artistic voice in contemporary musical theatre, championing new works and nurturing rising creators.

As Broadway looks ahead to its next big season of revivals and fresh voices, it’s worth pausing for a look back to the year 2000, when a bold new generation of shows helped shape what modern Broadway would become. Now, a quarter-century later, those musicals and plays are celebrating their silver anniversaries, and many remain as relevant, resonant, and revolutionary as ever. From Aida and Contact to Proof and The Full Monty, the class of 2000 marked a turning point in how Broadway told its stories with pop scores, dance-driven storytelling, and emotionally intimate plays that expanded the definition of what a hit could be.

Aida

When Aida opened at the Palace Theatre in March 2000, it redefined the “pop Broadway musical.” With music by Elton John and lyrics by Tim Rice, the show fused pop, rock, and classical influences into a sweeping retelling of the classic story of forbidden love between an enslaved Nubian princess and an Egyptian soldier. Starring Heather Headley in the titular role in a breakout, Tony-winning performance, Aida ran for more than 1,800 performances and left a cultural imprint far beyond its Broadway run, inspiring international productions and even a rumored revival. Its influence still shows up today in the era of pop-driven musicals like & Juliet and Six.

Contact

Few shows captured Broadway’s imagination quite like Contact. Conceived by Susan Stroman and John Weidman, this dance musical blurred the line between theatre and ballet, using existing music instead of an original score. The production, which moved to Broadway after a successful Off-Broadway debut at Lincoln Center, went on to win the 2000 Tony Award for Best Musical. It was a groundbreaking moment for a show told almost entirely through movement. Stroman’s kinetic storytelling paved the way for other dance-forward works like Movin’ Out and The Times They Are A-Changin’, and her influence continues today in revivals like Crazy for You and new choreography-driven projects across Broadway like 2024 Tony Award nominee Illinoise.

Proof

David Auburn’s Proof, which premiered at the Manhattan Theatre Club before transferring to Broadway later that year, became one of the defining plays of the early 2000s. Its mix of intellectual intrigue, family tension, and emotional vulnerability won both the Tony Award for Best Play and the Pulitzer Prize for Drama. Twenty-five years later, Proof is returning to Broadway this season starring Ayo Edebiri, Don Cheadle, Jin Ha, and Samira Wiley — a timely revival for a play that still feels urgent in its exploration of genius, grief, and trust. Its original run also made stars of Mary-Louise Parker and Ben Shenkman, solidifying MTC’s reputation as a launching pad for smart, emotionally rich new writing.

The Full Monty

Before Kinky Boots and Billy Elliot, there was The Full Monty — the blue-collar musical that brought heart, humor, and a little striptease to Broadway. With a score by David Yazbek and a book by Terrence McNally, the show told the story of out-of-work steelworkers in Buffalo who decide to form an unlikely strip act. Opening at the Eugene O’Neill Theatre in October 2000, The Full Monty was an instant crowd-pleaser and earned ten Tony nominations. Its blend of laughter, working-class realism, and sincerity set a tone for the decades of “feel-good” musicals that followed.

Seussical

A fantastical mash-up of Dr. Seuss stories, Seussical was a bright, family-friendly entry into the 2000 season. Written by Lynn Ahrens and Stephen Flaherty (Ragtime), it brought together Horton the Elephant, the Cat in the Hat, and a colorful ensemble of Whoville characters in a whirlwind of rhymes and rhythm. While its initial Broadway run was short-lived, Seussical found massive success in schools and community theaters, becoming one of the most-performed shows in the U.S. Its enduring popularity speaks to the show’s charm — and to the timelessness of Seuss’s message about imagination and inclusion.

Dirty Blonde

Claudia Shear’s Dirty Blonde, directed by James Lapine, explored the life and legend of Mae West and the way her image continued to resonate decades later. With Shear herself in the leading role, the 3-hander offered a fresh, feminist take on celebrity and identity. Dirty Blonde earned five Tony nominations (and is one of the few plays in Broadway history to have its entire cast receive a Tony nom) and remains a benchmark for actor-driven, biographical storytelling on Broadway. Its influence can be felt in later pieces like I Am My Own Wife and Tina: The Tina Turner Musical — shows that blur biography and performance to reveal something deeper about fame and self-invention.

Copenhagen

Michael Frayn’s Copenhagen brought physics, philosophy, and moral ambiguity to Broadway — and made it thrilling. The play dramatized a 1941 meeting between physicists Niels Bohr and Werner Heisenberg, turning a scientific mystery into a riveting human drama. The Broadway production won the 2000 Tony Award for Best Play and showcased the power of intellectual theater at a time when musicals often dominated the conversation. Its success paved the way for other smart, idea-driven plays — from The History Boys to Oslo — that prove audiences will lean in when the writing sparks curiosity.

Broadway’s Best Shows sat down with Justin Adams and Emely Rachela of Broadway Crew, a company that provides event staffing and street team services for Broadway shows and beyond. 

Founded in 2018 by Sam Clark, Broadway Crew began as a simple idea: give theatre artists a flexible and connected parallel career. Today, that idea has blossomed into a nationwide promotional staffing agency whose crews don’t just hand out flyers, they represent shows, engage audiences, and collect real-time feedback for producers and marketing teams.

From Street Team to Ad Agency

“We started with that classic image of the Times Square street team,” Justin explains. “Now we’re a full-fledged staffing agency. We help assemble opening night gifts, survey audiences, and even do mascot work.”

That mascot work has ranged from Romeo the Raccoon for The Public Theater to Elf activations at the Marriott Marquis, complete with Santa appearances and holiday brunches. “It’s a little bit camp, a little bit chaos,” Justin laughs, “but always fun.”

The Crew at Work

Emely, one of Broadway Crew’s Team Leads, spends her days at the TKTS booth, leading and mentoring the team that greets thousands of tourists. “We’re the people chatting with folks in line, helping them pick a show, finding out what they love, and sending them to see something that fits,” she says.

Some visitors arrive with no plan. “They just stand in line because it’s there,” Emely jokes. “We help them find their match so they’ll come back for more.”

Her favorite part? Watching shows grow from word-of-mouth to sell-outs. “Maybe Happy Ending was one we started promoting when the show was relatively unknown,” she recalls. “Now people literally grab flyers from our hands.”

Actors, Artists, and True Fans

Roughly 90 percent of Broadway Crew’s staff are working actors. The rest are dancers, playwrights, or devoted fans who want to stay close to the energy of the stage. “Some even have nine-to-five jobs but work weekends with us because they love the community,” Justin says.

Recruitment happens mostly through word of mouth and social media, though listings on Playbill, Backstage, and college networks also help. “It’s a word-of-mouth company powered by good vibes,” he adds.

Why Every Show Needs a Street Team

So why should a producer hire one? Justin doesn’t hesitate. “Every show — hit or not — needs people on the ground. We’ve worked with Hamilton to help fill its last few seats and with new shows trying to get noticed. We’re not just handing out flyers; we’re giving producers real-time insights into what audiences are saying.”

He also urges producers to start earlier. “A month before previews is perfect,” he says. “Don’t wait until you’re panicking about sales. We can be out at fall festivals, Halloween events, even commuters’ spots — meeting audiences where they are.”

Emely agrees. “When a show first appears on the TKTS board, people hesitate because it’s often the first time they’ve heard of it. If they’d seen our team talking about it weeks earlier, that recognition would already be there.”

The People Behind the Paper

Street teams aren’t anonymous promo machines, they’re theatre lovers. “Talk to our crew,” Emely says. “They’re not pressuring anyone. They’re just passionate about the art form.”

Justin nods. “We’re all part of the same club — the theatre nerds keeping the spark alive.”

Broadway Crew proves that the heart of Broadway beats not only onstage but also on the sidewalks, one conversation, one flyer, and one fan at a time.

When The Phantom of the Opera arrived at the Majestic Theatre in 1988, no one knew it would become Broadway’s longest-running show. The chandelier, the romance, the mystery — unforgettable. But it was the original cast who brought this gothic love story to life and set the tone for decades of performers to come.

Here is where those iconic stars are now.

Michael Crawford (The Phantom)

There is only one first Phantom, and Michael Crawford set the bar at a level that performers still chase. His intensity, vulnerability, and soaring vocals created a Phantom who was both terrifying and heartbreakingly human.

After more than 1,300 performances, Crawford has returned to Broadway only once more, in Dance of the Vampires in 2002. He also performed on the West End in The Woman in White, The Wizard of Oz, and other major productions. Health challenges led to quieter periods, but his occasional public appearances remain moments of celebration in the theatre world.

A true Broadway legend whose shadow looms as majestically as the Phantom’s cape.

Sarah Brightman (Christine Daaé)

Sarah Brightman’s shimmering soprano and dreamlike presence defined Christine for a generation. She was ethereal, curious, and the perfect muse for Phantom’s dark devotion.

After departing the show, she launched a global classical-crossover career, recording chart-topping albums and touring the world. Brightman has the honor of performing the theme song for the Olympic Games twice, in Barcelona with “Amigos Para Siempre” and in Beijing with “You and Me.” Her duet “Time to Say Goodbye” with Andrea Bocelli is one of the best-selling singles of all time.

From opera houses to arenas, she turned Christine’s innocence into full-scale international stardom and is still performing today.

Steve Barton (Raoul)

Steve Barton brought a warmth and sincerity to Raoul that balanced Phantom’s gothic drama. His voice, charm, and grounded presence made Christine’s love story feel real and heartfelt.

He continued to perform widely across Europe and the United States, often working in Germany and Austria in shows such as Cats, West Side Story, Evita, Guys and Dolls, Dance of the Vampires, Beauty and the Beast, Jekyll & Hyde, and more. He was a respected leading man in musical theatre until his passing in 2001. His legacy remains deeply cherished by fans and colleagues alike.

Judy Kaye (Carlotta)

Judy Kaye entered Phantom with comedic firepower and vocal brilliance, turning Carlotta into far more than a prima donna punchline. Regal, ridiculous, commanding — she played it all with style.

She went on to become one of Broadway’s most versatile stars, winning two Tony Awards and dazzling audiences in everything from opera to musical comedy. Her career continues to shine bright.

Her Broadway résumé is packed, including On the Twentieth Century (Tony Award), Mamma Mia! (Tony Award nomination), Wicked, Ragtime, Sweeney Todd, Nice Work If You Can Get It (Tony Award), Anastasia, and Diana: The Musical.

Nicholas Wyman (Monsieur Firmin)

Nicholas Wyman played Firmin, one half of the overwhelmed opera managers caught between diva tantrums and paranormal chaos. His dry humor and authority made him a beloved part of Phantom’s world.

Wyman continued his career in theatre (Sly Fox, Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, A Tale of Two Cities, Catch Me If You Can, Network) film, and television, and also took on leadership roles in the arts. His varied work reflects the same poise and polish he brought to the stage.

Cris Groenendaal (Monsieur André)

As André, Cris Groenendaal delivered impeccable timing, warmth, and just the right amount of controlled panic. He helped shape Phantom’s blend of grandeur and humor — and did it with charm to spare. After Phantom, he continued performing in opera and musical theatre, including Passion, A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum, Ragtime, and Sunday in the Park with George, and became a respected vocal coach and educator. His artistry and work in many Sondheim musicals influenced a new generation of performers.