Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Featured Actor in a Musical

Drama Desk Award
for Outstanding Featured Actor
Awarded forOutstanding Featured Actor in a Musical
LocationNew York City
CountryUnited States
Presented byDrama Desk
First awarded1975
Last awarded2022
Websitedramadesk.org (defunct)

The Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Featured Actor in a Musical was an annual award presented by Drama Desk in recognition of achievements in theatre across collective Broadway, off-Broadway and off-off-Broadway productions in New York City. The award was one of eight new acting awards first presented in 1975, when Drama Desk retired an earlier award that had made no distinction between work in plays and musicals, nor between actors and actresses, nor between lead performers and featured performers.

After the 2022 ceremony, all eight acting categories introduced in 1975 were retired. The award for Outstanding Featured Actor in a Musical, along with Outstanding Featured Actress in a Musical, were replaced in 2023 with the gender neutral category of Outstanding Featured Performance in a Musical.

Winners and nominees

1970s

Year Actor Musical Character
1975
Ted Ross The Wiz The Lion
Hinton Battle The Wiz The Scarecrow
Pinta DeCola In Gay Company Unknown
Jerry Lanning Where's Charley? Jack Chesney
Gilbert Price The Night That Made America Famous Performer
Richard Schull Goodtime Charley Minguet
1976
George Rose My Fair Lady Alfred P. Doolittle
Haruki Fujimoto Pacific Overtures Commodore Matthew Calbraith Perry
James Harder Very Good Eddie Steward / Al Cleveland
Barry Preston Bubbling Brown Sugar Charlie / Count
1977
Ken Bichel I Love My Wife Norman
Michael Mark Stanley
John Miller Harvey
Joseph Saulter Quenton
Daniel Benzali Music Is Feste
Jack Cassidy She Loves Me Stephen Kodaly
Christopher Hewett Music Is Malvolio
Larry Marshall Porgy and Bess Sportin' Life
1978
Kevin Kline On the Twentieth Century Bruce Granit
Joel Higgins Angel Ben Gant
Matt Landers Working Various Characters
Brad Sullivan Mike LeFevre
Charles Ward Dancin' Performer
Lee Wilkof The Present Tense Performer
1979
Ken Jennings Sweeney Todd Tobias Ragg
Richard Cox Platinum Dan Danger
Bob Gunton King of Hearts Raoul

1980s

Year Actor Musical Character
1980
Bob Gunton Evita Juan Perón
Joe Grifasi The 1940's Radio Hour Neal Tilden
Harry Groener Oklahoma! Will Parker
Jeff Keller The 1940's Radio Hour Johnny Cantone
Don Novello Gilda Radner – Live from New York Himself
Martin Vidnovic Oklahoma! Jud Fry
1981
Tony Azito The Pirates of Penzance The Sergeant of Police
Gregg Burge Sophisticated Ladies Performer
Michael Davis Broadway Follies Performer
Lee Roy Reams 42nd Street Billy Lawlor
Paxton Whitehead Camelot Pellinore
1982
Cleavant Derricks Dreamgirls James "Thunder" Early
Mark Hardwick Pump Boys and Dinettes L. M.
Ben Harney Dreamgirls Curtis Taylor, Jr.
1983
Charles "Honi" Coles My One and Only Mr. Magix
Bruce Hubbard Show Boat Joe
Franc Luz Little Shop of Horrors Orin Scrivello, D.D.S.
Randle Mell The Cradle Will Rock Larry Foreman
1984
Martin Vidnovic Baby Nick Sakarian
Mace Barrett Taking My Turn Eric
Hinton Battle The Tap Dance Kid Dipsey
Charles Kimbrough Sunday in the Park with George Jules
1985
René Auberjonois Big River The Duke
John Goodman Big River Pap Finn
Bob Gunton The King
Howard McGillin La bohème Marcel
Timothy Nolen Grind Doyle
John Short Big River Tom Sawyer
1986
Michael Rupert Sweet Charity Oscar Lindquist
Jason Alexander Personals Various Characters
Gregg Burge Song and Dance Man
Joe Grifasi The Mystery of Edwin Drood Bazzard / Mr. Philip Bax
1987
Michael Maguire Les Misérables Enjolras
Timothy Jerome Me and My Girl Herbert Parchester
Michael O'Gorman Smile Tommy French
Joaquin Romaguera Gay Divorce Teddy
1988
Robert Westenberg Into the Woods Cinderella's Prince / The Wolf
Harry Goz Chess Molokov
Anthony Heald Anything Goes Evelyn Oakleigh
Bill McCutcheon Moonface Martin
Herbert L. Rawlings, Jr. Dreamgirls James "Thunder" Early
1989
— — —

1990s

Year Actor Musical Character
1990
Michael Jeter Grand Hotel Otto Kringelein
René Auberjonois City of Angels Irving S. Irving / Buddy Fidler
Laurence Guittard The Sound of Music Various Characters
Jonathan Hadary Gypsy Herbie
1991
Bruce Adler Those Were the Days Various Characters
John Cameron Mitchell The Secret Garden Dickon
John Remme A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum Senex
Lee Wilkof Assassins Samuel Byck
1992
Scott Waara The Most Happy Fella Herman
Bruce Adler Crazy for You Bela Zangler
Walter Bobbie Guys and Dolls Nicely-Nicely Johnson
Savion Glover Jelly's Last Jam Young Jelly
1993
Mark Michael Hutchinson Blood Brothers Eddie
Jerry Lanning Anna Karenina Prince Stephen Oblonsky
Josh Mostel My Favorite Year Sy Benson
1994
Jarrod Emick Damn Yankees Joe Hardy
George de la Peña The Red Shoes Grisha Ljubov
Sam Harris Grease Doody
John Cameron Mitchell Hello Again The Young Thing
Burke Moses Beauty and the Beast Gaston
1995
— — —
1996
Wilson Jermaine Heredia Rent Angel Dumott Schunard
Lewis Cleale Swinging on a Star Various Characters
Michael McGrath Various Characters
Brett Tabisel Big: the musical Billy Kopecki
Scott Wise State Fair Pat Gilbert
Ben Wright Wayne Frake
1997
Joel Grey Chicago Amos Hart
Stanley Bojarski When Pigs Fly Various Characters
André De Shields Play On! Jester
Sam Harris The Life Jojo
Michael McElroy Violet Flick
Jay Rogers When Pigs Fly Various Characters
1998
Gregg Edelman 1776 Edward Rutledge
Max Cassella The Lion King Timon
Geoffrey Hoyle Zazu
John McMartin High Society Uncle Willie
Renoly Santiago The Capeman Tony Hernandez
Steven Sutcliffe Ragtime Mother's younger Brother
1999
Roger Bart You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown Snoopy
Bryan Batt Forbidden Broadway Cleans Up Its Act Various Characters
Michel Bell The Civil War Clayton Toler
Rufus Bonds Jr. Parade Jim Conley
Ron Taylor It Ain't Nothin' But the Blues Various Characters
Chip Zien A New Brain Mr. Bungee

2000s

Year Actor Musical Character
2000
Stephen Spinella James Joyce's The Dead Freddy Malins
Jason Antoon Contact Husband
Christopher Fitzgerald Saturday Night Bobby
Alistair Izobell Kat and the Kings Magoo
Michael Mulheren Kiss Me, Kate Second Man
Lee Wilkof First Man
2001
Gary Beach The Producers Roger de Bris
Roger Bart The Producers Carmen Ghia
John Ellison Conlee The Full Monty Dave Bukatinsky
André De Shields Noah "Horse" T. Simmons
Mark Jacoby Enter the Guardsman The Playwright
Jeff McCarthy Urinetown Officer Lockstock
2002[1]
Shuler Hensley Oklahoma! Jud Fry
Justin Bohon Oklahoma! Will Parker
Norbert Leo Butz Thou Shalt Not Camille Raquin
Jerry Dixon Tick, Tick... Boom! Michael
Gregg Edelman Into the Woods Cinderella's Prince / The Wolf
Marc Kudisch Thoroughly Modern Millie Trevor Graydon III
2003
Dick Latessa Hairspray Wilbur Turnblad
John Dossett Gypsy Herbie
Christopher Fitzgerald Amour Bertrand
Charles Keating A Man of No Importance Carney / Oscar Wilde
Steven Pasquale Robbie Fay
Corey Reynolds Hairspray Seaweed J. Stubbs
2004
Raúl Esparza Taboo Phillip Sallon
Joel Blum Golf: The Musical Bob Hope
Jeffrey Carlson Taboo Marilyn
Mitchel David Federan The Boy from Oz Boy
Marc Kudisch Assassins Proprietor
Raymond Jaramillo McLeod Wonderful Town Wreck
2005
Denis O'Hare Sweet Charity Oscar Lindquist
Christian Borle Spamalot Various Characters
Gregory Jbara Dirty Rotten Scoundrels Andre
Norm Lewis Dessa Rose Nathan
Tyler Maynard Altar Boyz Mark
Michael McGrath Spamalot Mayor / Patsy
2006
Jim Dale The Threepenny Opera Mr. Peachum
Alexander Gemignani Sweeney Todd The Beadle
Christian Hoff Jersey Boys Tommy DeVito
Eddie Korbich The Drowsy Chaperone George
John McMartin Grey Gardens J.V. "Major" Bouvier
Daniel Reichard Jersey Boys Bob Gaudio
2007
Gavin Lee Mary Poppins Bert
Brooks Ashmanskas Martin Short: Fame Becomes Me Comedy All Star
Christian Borle Legally Blonde Emmett Forrest
Aaron Lazar Les Misérables Enjolras
Orville Mendoza Adrift in Macao Tempura
David Pittu LoveMusik Bertolt Brecht
2008
Boyd Gaines Gypsy Herbie
Danny Burstein South Pacific Luther Billis
Christopher Fitzgerald Young Frankenstein Igor
Shuler Hensley The Monster
Bobby Steggert The Slug Bearers of Kayrol Island Immanuel Lebang
Tom Wopat A Catered Affair Tom Hurley
2009
Gregory Jbara Billy Elliot the Musical Mr. Elliot
Hunter Foster Happiness Stanley
Demond Green The Toxic Avenger Black Dude
Marc Kudisch 9 to 5 Franklin Hart Jr.
Bryce Ryness Hair Woof
Christopher Sieber Shrek the Musical Lord Farquaad

2010s

Year Actor Musical Character
2010
Christopher Fitzgerald Finian's Rainbow Og
Kevin Chamberlin The Addams Family Uncle Fester
Robin de Jesús La Cage aux Folles Jacob
Jeffry Denman Yank! Artie
Jeremy Morse Bloodsong of Love Lo Cocodrilo
Bobby Steggert Ragtime Mother's Younger Brother
2011
John Larroquette How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying J.B. Biggley
Adam Godley Anything Goes Lord Evelyn Oakleigh
Brian Stokes Mitchell Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown Ivan
Rory O'Malley The Book of Mormon Elder McKinley
Bob Stillman Hello Again The Husband
Tom Wopat Catch Me If You Can Frank Abagnale Sr.
2012
Michael McGrath Nice Work If You Can Get It Cookie McGee
Phillip Boykin Porgy and Bess Crown
Matt Cavenaugh Death Takes a Holiday Eric Fenton
Michael Cerveris Evita Juan Perón
Patrick Page Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark Green Goblin
Andrew Samonsky Queen of the Mist Frank Russell
2013
Bertie Carvel Matilda the Musical Miss Trunchbull
Stephen Bogardus Passion Colonel Ricci
John Bolton A Christmas Story: The Musical The Old Man
Keith Carradine Hands on a Hardbody JD Drew
John Dossett Giant Bawley
Andy Karl The Mystery of Edwin Drood Neville Landless
2014
James Monroe Iglehart Aladdin Genie
Danny Burstein Cabaret Herr Schultz
Nick Cordero Bullets Over Broadway: The Musical Cheech
Joshua Henry Violet Flick
Rory O'Malley Nobody Loves You Evan
Bobby Steggert Big Fish William Bloom
2015
Christian Borle Something Rotten! The Bard
Peter Friedman Fly By Night Mr. McClam
Josh Grisetti It Shoulda Been You Marty Kaufman
Andy Karl On the Twentieth Century Bruce Granit
Leslie Odom, Jr. Hamilton Aaron Burr
Brad Oscar Something Rotten! Nostradamus
Max von Essen An American in Paris Henri Baurel
2016
Christopher Fitzgerald Waitress Ogie
Nicholas Barasch She Loves Me Arpad Laszlo
Baylee Littrell Disaster! Ben / Lisa
Paul Alexander Nolan Bright Star Jimmy Ray Dobbs
A.J. Shively Billy Cane
2017
Gavin Creel Hello, Dolly! Cornelius Hackl
Jeffry Denman Kid Victory Michael
George Salazar The Lightning Thief: The Percy Jackson Musical Grover
Ari'el Stachel The Band's Visit Haled
Brandon Uranowitz Falsettos Mendel
2018
Gavin Lee SpongeBob SquarePants Squidward Tentacles
Damon Daunno The Lucky Ones Various
Alexander Gemignani Carousel Enoch Snow
Grey Henson Mean Girls Damian Hubbard
Tony Yazbeck Prince of Broadway Various
2019
André De Shields Hadestown Hermes
Corbin Bleu Kiss Me, Kate Bill Calhoun/Lucentio
Sydney James Harcourt Girl from the North Country Joe Scott
George Salazar Be More Chill Michael Mell
Patrick Vaill Rodgers & Hammerstein's Oklahoma! Jud Fry

2020s

Year Actor Musical Character
2020
Christian Borle Little Shop of Horrors Orin Scrivello
George Abud Emojiland Nerd Face
Jay Armstrong Johnson Scotland, PA Banko
Conrad Ricamora Soft Power Xue Xing
Ryan Vasquez The Wrong Man The Man in Black
2021 No awards: New York theatres shuttered, March 2020 to September 2021, due to the COVID-19 pandemic in New York City[2]
2022
Matt Doyle Company Jamie
Justin Austin Intimate Apparel George Armstrong
Justin Cooley Kimberly Akimbo Seth
Jared Grimes Funny Girl Eddie Ryan
Tavon Olds-Sample MJ Michael

Multiple Wins

2 wins

See also

References

  1. ^ Baranauckas, Carla (2002-04-30). "12 Drama Desk Nominations for 'Thoroughly Modern Millie'". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 2023-10-18. Retrieved 2023-12-03. [note: citation provides nominations, does not confirm who winner was]
  2. ^ Evans, Greg (2021-05-05). "Broadway To Reopen Sept. 14, Says Gov. Andrew Cuomo; Broadway League "Cautiously Optimistic"". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on 2023-06-02. Retrieved 2023-12-03.