10 Tony Award Best Musical Winners You Can Now Stream Online

10 Tony Award Best Musical Winners You Can Now Stream Online

Tony season is upon us! We thought it was exactly the time to celebrate Broadway's big winners over the years.

Here is our list of 10 musicals that won the lucrative Tony Award for 'Best Musical' and are now streaming online:

 

 

The Tony Awards are a big part of the Broadway season, with producers scrambling to get their shows open in time for the May nominations. This year, six musicals were nominated for the Tony Award for Best Musical: MJ the Musical, Mr. Saturday Night, Paradise Square, SIX: The Musical, A Strange Loop, and Girl From The North Country (which was recently filmed for a future release).

While the number of Tony wins used to help box office numbers in the past, these days it is mostly the 'Best Musical' award that is known to really have an effect on ticket sales. Thankfully, we have a handful of winners that were professionally filmed for release and are part of our collection of filmed Broadway musicals.

Here is our list of the top 10 'Best Musical' winners that are now available to stream (with a little bonus at the end):

 

Hamilton (2016)

The most recent 'Best Musical' winner to be released is, of course, Hamilton. We were actually thinking about not including this mega-pro-shot in our list, just because we think everything (and we mean, everyone) has watched the incredible filmed performance on Disney+ already. See this as a reminder that you can still watch the original Broadway cast of Hamilton (minus a few ensemble absences) from the comfort of your home. 

Hamilton is now streaming through Disney+ worldwide!

 

Kinky Boots (2013)

Another musical on our list that you can both stream from home or watch live on Broadway (starting this July) is Kinky Boots. Following some very successful productions around the world (including Broadway and the West End of course), Kinky Boots is re-opening off-Broadway next month in an intimate setting. Thankfully, BroadwayHD captured the full West End production just before it closed at the Adelphi Theatre, in a production that was an exact replica of the original Broadway staging. Olivier winner Matt Henry stars.

The West End production of Kinky Boots is streaming online now!

 

Memphis (2010)

The Tony Award winner for 2010, Memphis, was actually one of the first Broadway musicals to be screened in cinemas while still playing to packed crowds (well, almost) on Broadway. The first one was Legally Blonde of course, but nowadays we see this happening a lot more with recent examples like Hamilton, Come From Away, and Kinky Boots. While some say the reason the show won the Tony Award that year was a very weak year for musicals, we still think Memphis is a must-watch.

Stream the birth of Rock and Roll with Memphis - Direct from Broadway.

 


Billy Elliot the Musical (2009)

When it opened on Broadway, Billy Elliot the Musical managed to grab 15 Tony Award nominations, eventually winning 10 including Best Musical. Not only was the musical a hit with critics, but it was also a box office smash for several years. The musical was then broadcast live to cinemas in the UK two years after closing on Broadway.

You can stream Billy Elliot the Musical online, or buy the show on physical media.

 

Rent (1996)

Rent: Filmed Live on Broadway is probably one of our favorite pro-shots out there. When the Chris Columbus 2005 film came out, fans were disappointed by how disconnected that movie was from the true experience of witnessing Rent on stage. Well, thankfully, four years later and just before closing on Broadway, the show was filmed live, capturing the original in all its glory. Production company RadicalMedia (Shrek the Musical, Hamilton, Come From Away) made some fantastic camera choices that really made this capture stand out.

Rent: Filmed Live on Broadway is now available to stream.

 

The Phantom of the Opera (1988)

While not the original 1988 Broadway production, the filmed 25th-anniversary performance of The Phantom of the Opera is just as good as experiencing the show on stage, we feel. The staged concert, which was actually staged this time (Les Miserables, we're looking at you), features the ultimate Phantom duo - Ramin Karmiloo and Sierra Boggess. It's been more than 10 years since we've had this pro-shot available, and the show is just gaining more and more popularity with each day that passes.

The Phantom of the Opera, on stage, is available now to stream.

 


Cats (1983)

Andrew Lloyd Webber's original stage musical of Cats is probably the only version of the show you'll ever want to watch. Yes, we're aware of the recent... 'film' that was put out there by Tom Hooper. Definitely skip that one and tune in to Elaine Paige smashing it in this live capture. 

The original stage production of Cats is streaming online and available on physical media.

42nd Street (1981)

The ultimate Broadway musical, this version of 42nd Street was actually captured live in London. While it is an exact replica of the 2001 Broadway revival that won Best Revival of a Musical that year, we are thankful it took them almost 20 years to capture the show. The beautiful 4K capture is really a masterclass in bringing stage to screen.

You can now stream 42nd Street online, and also buy it on Blu-Ray.

 

Sweeney Todd (1979)

Our 'Best Musical' list wouldn't be complete without Sweeney Todd's shrill factory whistle. The filmed touring production, which has become a complete classic, stars Angela Lansbury and George Hearn. While Angela Lansbury has many TV appearances on record, it is the only pro-shot she ever took part in.

Sweeney Todd starring Angela Lansbury is now streaming online and available on DVD.

 


The King and I (1952)

Shall We Dance? The Bartlett Sher Lincoln Center revival starring Kelli O'Hara and Ken Watanabe was filmed years after closing on Broadway. It was really a great surprise to get this pro-shot. We originally expected the revival to be filmed for 'Live From Lincoln Center', just like South Pacific and The Light in the Piazza did. When the show went unfilmed, our hopes were dashed. But thankfully Trafalgar Releasing financed this pro-shot years later, during the show's premiere at the London Palladium.

"The King and I" starring Kelli O'Hara is now streaming online.

 

Honorable Mention...

Kiss Me, Kate (1949)

Yes, we meant to only mention 10 winners, but we can't leave out this magnificent production of Kiss Me, Kate, which won the 1949 Best Musical award. This is not the 1949 Broadway production - it is in fact the second Broadway revival that was captured in London. Rachel York stars.

You can stream Rachel York in Kiss Me, Kate now online.

 

The Tony Awards will be taking place on Sunday, June 12. The first hour, at 7 p.m. ET will feature exclusive content streaming only on Paramount+ with the awards show continuing at 8 p.m. ET on both CBS and Paramount+.