Must see Broadway stars

A young (and new to theatre ) late teen asked me what was my list of top ten Broadway stars that I would say they’d have to see in Broadway shows while they are still performing. I’m curious what people are suggesting.


She was talking about “icons of theatre”. Like how she wished she could have seen carol channing or Ethel merman. it took me by surprise but the ten I gave were:



Bernadette Peters

Patti Lupone

Nathan Lane

Kristin Chenoweth

Idina Menzel

Heather Headley

Lea Salonga

Jonathan Groff

Patrick Page

Norm Lewis



and then I added if Chita Rivera or Julie Andrews were ever to perform those would also be ones I would add

Thoughts? Suggestions?

Sutton Foster

Kelli O'Hara

Laura Benanti

I'm always going to see Laurie Metcalf and Raúl Esparza whenever they appear in a show.

I agree with all those mentioned.

An alternate list (of more than 10):

Nathan Lane

Andrew Rannells

Glenda Jackson

Michael Cerveris

Judy Kuhn

Bryan Cranston

Mary Louise Parker

Cherry Jones

Megan Hilty

Rachel Bay Jones

Rebecca Naomi Jones

Nikki M. James

James Monroe Iglehart

7 posts and nobody’s mentioned Stokes?!

quizking101 said: "I’m also shocked at the inclusion of Groff. He’s had barely half the career of most of the legends on this list and is mostly recognizable to many because of his extended recurring stint on “Glee” (and also “Looking&rdquo"

Speaking for myself and only myself, he’s from the same area of PA that I’m in so it’s more of a supporting a local guy reason. Loved Glee but that’s not the reason why I want to see him.

I understand Hugh Jackman has only been in one Broadway show before he appears soon in "The Music Man" but can anybody disagree he is not a "must see" Broadway performer?



** Update to my original post - I only remembered Jackman from "The Boy From Oz" on Broadway and others have corrected me later in this thread, thanks to those for the information.

Updated On: 12/12/21 at 09:52 AM

Hugh Jackman now has more Broadway credits than Julie Andrews does.

I don't disagree with a lot of these, but is everyone just forgetting about non-musical actors? Frank Langella, Laurie Metcalf, John Lithgow, James Earl Jones, Glenn Close, Jefferson Mays, Viola Davis just to name a few (obviously some of those have done musicals as well).

Betty Buckley

What about Neil Patrick Harris or Jeff Daniels?

Top ten, this feels impossible (no particular order, not necessarily considered icons):

Patti LuPone, Audra McDonald, Chita Rivera, Kelli O’Hara, Lea Salonga, Alan Cumming, Mandy Patinkin, Cynthia Erivo, Judith Light, Sutton Foster.



Beyond the parameters of ten (always honored to see them on stage, not all icons, but I would highly recommend):

Patti LuPone, Chita Rivera, Audra McDonald, Kelli O’Hara, Mandy Patinkin, Lea Salonga, Alan Cumming, Judith Light, Laurie Metcalf, Sutton Foster, Laura Benanti, Glenn Close, Judy Kuhn, Mary-Louise Parker, Raul Esparza, Tyne Daly, Bernadette Peters, Bebe Neuwirth, Megan Hilty Neil Patrick Harris, Joel Grey, Brian Stokes Mitchell, Andre deSheilds, Joshua Henry, Jonathan Groff, Jane Houdyshell, Mark Rylance, Kevin Klein, Cynthia Erivo, Stephanie J. Block, Lindsay Mendez, Shoshana Bean, Jessie Mueller, Annaleigh Ashford, Lauren Patten, Stephen Pasquale, Phillipa Soo, Renee Elise Goldsberry, Patina Miller, Leslie Odom Jr., Christopher Jackson, Adrienne Warren, Jennifer Simard, Sherie Renee Scott, Heather Headley, Ruthie Ann Miles, Celia Keenan Bolger, Gavin Creel, Priscilla Lopez, Liza Minnelli, Beth Malone, Liz Callaway, Danny Burstein, Rob McClure, Mykal Kilgore, Bonnie Milligan, Ashley Parks, Josh Gad, Andrew Rannels, Ben Platt, Patti Murin, Cassie Levy, Jessica Vosk, Alex Newell, Jenn Colella, Grace McLean, Ruben Santiago Hudson, Brooks Ashmanskas, Beth Leavel, Brandon Victor Dixon, Rachel Bay Jones, Christian Borle, The Bengsons, Carmen Cusack, Tony Yazbeck, Mary Testa, and and and…

Liza’s list is the best HERE