What is the greatest number of Best Musical winners that have been running on Broadway at one time?

[ErmengardeStopSniveling]

Posted: 3/8/22 at 10:52pm

For anyone who'd like a rainy day project:

...What is the greatest number of Best Musical winners that have been running on Broadway at one time?

This is inspired by the fact that there are currently 7 past Best Musical winners running on Broadway.

[lachri5]

Posted: 3/9/22 at 12:01am

From Spring Awakening started preview on 11/16/06, until The Producers closed on 4/22/07, there were 7 Best Musical winners running on Broadway, plus 1 future winner:

•   Spring Awakening
•   Jersey Boys
•   Spamalot
•   Avenue Q
•   Hairspray
•   The Producers
•   Rent
•   The Phantom of the Opera
   

[fashionguru_23]

Posted: 3/9/22 at 8:33am

lachri5 said: "From Spring Awakening started preview on 11/16/06, until The Producers closed on 4/22/07, there were 7 Best Musical winners running on Broadway, plus 1 future winner:

• Spring Awakening
• Jersey Boys
• Spamalot
• Avenue Q
• Hairspray
• The Producers
• Rent
• The Phantom of the Opera

I believe it would be 9 shows, because The Lion King was also running. 

[Broadway61004]

Posted: 3/9/22 at 9:53am

fashionguru_23 said: "lachri5 said: "From Spring Awakening started preview on 11/16/06, until The Producers closed on 4/22/07, there were 7 Best Musical winners running on Broadway, plus 1 future winner:

• Spring Awakening
• Jersey Boys
• Spamalot
• Avenue Q
• Hairspray
• The Producers
• Rent
• The Phantom of the Opera

I believe it would be 9 shows, because The Lion King was also running."

Yes, I believe 9 is the most that have ever run at the same time, although I'm not 100% certain on that.  But this would also have been true in Spring and Summer of 2008 (same shows you listed but swap Producers for In the Heights) and Fall of 2008 (swap Rent for Billy Elliot--Rent closed about 3 weeks before Billy Elliot started performances, otherwise there would have been 10 running at the same time then).

If we're talking about shows, though (as in shows that have won Best Musical but not necessarily the original production), there were actually 12 Best Musical winners running at once in Spring 2007 (the ones you listed including Lion King plus revivals of Les Miserables, A Chorus Line and Company).  So not quite the same thing, but still pretty cool that you could have seen any one of 12 Best Musical winners at once.

Updated On: 3/9/22 at 09:53 AM

[MyLife]

Posted: 3/9/22 at 10:37am

+Chicago and a few others any given year if you want to count Best Musical Revival winners.

[ErmengardeStopSniveling]

Posted: 3/9/22 at 10:50am

I wasn't thinking about Best Revival winners. BUT revivals of shows that previously won Best Musical is also an interesting asterisk.

I don't know the answer, FYI. But figured someone here might :) Thanks!