10 Best Musicals of the 21st Century

[Rentaholic2]

Posted: 9/26/25 at 12:33pm

My list (in chronological order) would be:

The Producers
Hairspray
Caroline, or Change
The Light in the Piazza
Spring Awakening
Next to Normal
The Book of Mormon
Fun Home 
Hamilton
Come From Away

If I had to pick one "best," it would be Caroline, or Change.

 

Curious to hear what others think! 

[binau]

Posted: 9/26/25 at 12:40pm

I agree those are truly the best musicals that define peak artistic ability and creativity across performances, book, score, subject matter. And the mix is very varied in terms of style of show. 

[Jay Lerner-Z]

Posted: 9/26/25 at 12:46pm

The Scottsboro Boys

Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown

Billy Elliot

... would be three more of  my personal favorites.

[TotallyEffed]

Posted: 9/26/25 at 12:51pm

Matilda and The Scottsboro Boys has to be on the list.

[The Bandstand]

Posted: 9/26/25 at 12:52pm

I think Suffs deserves to be on that list

[TotallyEffed]

Posted: 9/26/25 at 12:55pm

Jay Lerner-Z said: "Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown"

 

I love this album more than I can say, but, my god, this show was a hot flaming mess on stage.

[Jay Lerner-Z]

Posted: 9/26/25 at 1:04pm

Didn't it redeem itself in London?

I guess if we are judging solely on the original production, then, maybe not.

Updated On: 9/26/25 at 01:04 PM

[Rentaholic2]

Posted: 9/26/25 at 1:39pm

I like the score, but I don't think Women on the Verge belongs on this list.  

I agree with Matilda, Scottsboro Boys, and Suffs (and Hadestown, in my opinion), but then what do you drop?  That's where it gets challenging. 

[The Bandstand]

Posted: 9/26/25 at 1:41pm

I would drop Come From Away and The Producers

[singer234]

Posted: 9/26/25 at 1:49pm

Almost entirely agree with this list. I might swap out Fun Home for Hadestown.

I don't know if I would argue it deserves a "best" slot, but I would also say Legally Blonde is probably one of the most well known musicals of the 21st century and deserves an honorary mention simply for its impact regionally and in schools and colleges across the world.

[SeanD2]

Posted: 9/26/25 at 2:05pm

Lot of overlap for me, but this would be mine:

• The Full Monty (yes it opened in the last couple months of the 20th Century, but it was eligible for the Tony in the 21st)
• The Producers
• Hairspray
• Caroline, or Change
• The Light in the Piazza
• Next to Normal
• Fun Home 
• Hamilton
• Come From Away
• The Band's Visit

Agreed that Caroline, Or Change would be the pinnacle 

[Jarethan]

Posted: 9/26/25 at 2:16pm

Ten Best: (Only The Producers and (probably) Hamilton would make my list to Top 25 musicals):

The Producers

Hamilton

A Gentleman's Guide to Love and Murder

The Scottsdale Boys

Dear Evan Hansen

Next to Normal

Urinetown

Maybe Happy Ending

Come From Away

The Great Comet

Honorable Mention: Hairspray, Kinky Boots, The Outsiders (Score not as good as everything else), Wicked (terrible direction IMO)

 

Overrated IMO:

Hadestown

Fun Home

Billy Elliott

 

 

 

 

[gibsons2]

Posted: 9/26/25 at 3:06pm

My favorite musicals of this century in no particular order:

Matilda

Hadestown

The Band's Visit (hope we'll get to see a revival relatively soon)

Hamilton

The Book of Mormon (not my personal favorite but objectively as close to a perfect book and score as it comes, despite the fact that it's divisive)

The Outsiders

Something Rotten!

Operation Mincemeat (I have a soft spot for it)

Waitress

 

Updated On: 9/26/25 at 03:06 PM

[TheGingerBreadMan]

Posted: 9/26/25 at 3:18pm

I agree with many listed here, but A Strange Loop would certainly be on my list.

[Markie27]

Posted: 9/26/25 at 3:28pm

My favorites for this century so far are:

1. Fun Home

2. Illinoise

3. Kinky Boots

4. Hamilton

5. Spring Awakening

6. Waitress

7. Avenue Q

8. Operation Mincemeat

9. Once

10. next to normal

 

Best Revivals:

1. Into the Woods (2023)

2. Sunday in the Park With George (2017)

3. Once On This Island (2018)

4. Company (2022)

5. Merrily We Roll Along (2024)

6. Falsettos (2017)

7. Pippin (2013)

8. Gypsy (2025)

9. Hedwig and the Angry Inch (2014)

10.. Oklahoma! (2019)

[TotallyEffed]

Posted: 9/26/25 at 3:58pm

No love for the Hello, Dolly! revival, Markie? For me it was 10/10 perfection.

[Someone in a Tree2]

Posted: 9/26/25 at 4:59pm

Not sure if I'll find 10 bests, but among the ones not yet mentioned enough, I wanted to flag:

1. Hadestown

2. The Wild Party (LaChiusa)

3. Maybe Happy Ending

4. The Bridges of Madison County

5. Aida

6. An American in Paris

7. The Color Purple (chiefly based on the Doyle revival)

8. Grey Gardens

9. Groundhog Day

10. Hairspray (since there should be at least ONE pure musical comedy on here).

 

 

[kurtal]

Posted: 9/26/25 at 4:59pm

Started with a shortlist of about 35 shows.  Ultimately (and painfully) got it down to the following.  It's some combination of shows I love, shows I respect, shows I think are important, and shows I think are measurably excellent, though the precise ratio of each of these varies by show.

In alphabetical order

Caroline, or Change
Fun Home
Hamilton
Here Lies Love
Natasha, Pierre, and the Great Comet of 1812
Next to Normal
Passing Strange
The Scottsboro Boys
A Strange Loop
Urinetown

[Jordan Catalano]

Posted: 9/26/25 at 5:17pm

Well I’ve been waiting 22 years for a musical to top “Caroline” as the best musical this century and while a couple have come close, nothing has overtaken it (for me).

[Scarywarhol]

Posted: 9/26/25 at 5:20pm

Passing Strange

Matilda

Fun Home

Grey Gardens

Spring Awakening

Hairspray 

A Strange Loop

Dead Outlaw

Hamilton (a bit reluctantly but there's no denying the craft & impact)

Caroline, or Change

Updated On: 9/26/25 at 05:20 PM

[Angel of Harlem]

Posted: 9/26/25 at 5:39pm

Hamilton

something rotten

Strange Loop

Cabaret (revival)

Girl from the north country

Standing at the skys edge

Hello Dolly (revival)

[Jordan Catalano]

Posted: 9/26/25 at 6:27pm

Love seeing someone else list “Sky’s Edge”. It’s found its way into my personal top 5 favorite musicals ever. 

[The Bittersweets]

Posted: 9/26/25 at 6:33pm

Most of my indispensable shows have been mentioned already, and I agree Caroline is #1. If Ragtime had only come along a couple of years later, I think it would also be at the top! Here are mine, in no particular order:

1. Caroline Or Change

2. Oratorio For Living Things

3. Band’s Visit

4. Natasha, Pierre and the Great Comet of 1812

5. Drowsy Chaperone

6. Bridges Of Madison County (for the score!)

7. Urinetown

8. Grey Gardens

9. Light In The Piazza

10. Adding Machine

[darquegk]

Posted: 9/26/25 at 8:39pm

I'm going to throw in two animated musicals as well, one a movie and one a TV series.

Over the Garden Wall- score by The Blasting Company

Steven Universe (Trilogy)- score by Rebecca Sugar

[Robbie2]

Posted: 9/26/25 at 9:27pm

The Light in the Piazza

Grey Gardens

Once

Fun Home

Hamilton

Hello, Dolly - Bette 

Hadestown

Suffs

Death Becomes Her

MHE