Theatre World Awards

Alex Brightman, Danielle Brooks, Carmen Cusack, Daniel Durant, Cynthia Erivo, Richard Goulding, Jennifer Hudson, Lupita Nyong'o, Saoirse Ronan, Mark Strong, Ana Villafane, and Ben Whishaw.

^But School of Rock is his very first outing as the original lead in a Broadway show.

There have been past recipients who had been on Broadway before such as Nick Cordero, Jonathan Groff, Cheyenne Jackson, Jeremy Jordan, Isabel Keating, Valisia LeKae, Alli Mauzey, Rob McClure, Anika Noni Rose, Keala Settle, Marissa Jaret Winokur, etc.

Updated On: 4/16/16 at 03:02 PM

Jeffrey Karasarides said: "^But School of Rock is his very first outing as the original lead in a Broadway show.

There have been past recipients who had been on Broadway before such as Nick Cordero, Jonathan Groff, Cheyenne Jackson, Jeremy Jordan, Isabel Keating, Valisia LeKae, Alli Mauzey, Rob McClure, Anika Noni Rose, Keala Settle, Marissa Jaret Winokur, etc."

Yes but those people had primarily been on Broadway as understudies, swings, or short-term replacements in small roles. Brightman played the principal role of Boq in Wicked for two years.

Updated On: 5/2/16 at 01:36 PM

Nicholas Barasch has also been on Broadway, in small featured roles in West Side Story and Edwin Drood. I gather that what counts for the Theatre World Awards is a performer's "breakout" role, regardless of previous Broadway experience.