The Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Featured Actor in a Musical was an annual award presented by Drama Desk in recognition of achievements in theatre across collective Broadway, off-Broadway and off-off-Broadway productions in New York City. The award was one of eight new acting awards first presented in 1975, when Drama Desk retired an earlier award that had made no distinction between work in plays and musicals, nor between actors and actresses, nor between lead performers and featured performers.
After the 2022 ceremony, all eight acting categories introduced in 1975 were retired. The award for Outstanding Featured Actor in a Musical, along with Outstanding Featured Actress in a Musical, were replaced in 2023 with the gender neutral category of Outstanding Featured Performance in a Musical.
Winners and nominees Key
1970s Year Actor Musical Character 1975 Ted Ross The Wiz The Lion Hinton Battle The Wiz The Scarecrow Pinta DeCola In Gay Company Unknown Jerry Lanning Where's Charley? Jack Chesney Gilbert Price The Night That Made America Famous Performer Richard Schull Goodtime Charley Minguet 1976 George Rose My Fair Lady Alfred P. Doolittle Haruki Fujimoto Pacific Overtures Commodore Matthew Calbraith Perry James Harder Very Good Eddie Steward / Al Cleveland Barry Preston Bubbling Brown Sugar Charlie / Count 1977 Ken Bichel I Love My Wife Norman Michael Mark Stanley John Miller Harvey Joseph Saulter Quenton Daniel Benzali Music Is Feste Jack Cassidy She Loves Me Stephen Kodaly Christopher Hewett Music Is Malvolio Larry Marshall Porgy and Bess Sportin' Life 1978 Kevin Kline On the Twentieth Century Bruce Granit Joel Higgins Angel Ben Gant Matt Landers Working Various Characters Brad Sullivan Mike LeFevre Charles Ward Dancin' Performer Lee Wilkof The Present Tense Performer 1979 Ken Jennings Sweeney Todd Tobias Ragg Richard Cox Platinum Dan Danger Bob Gunton King of Hearts Raoul
1980s Year Actor Musical Character 1980 Bob Gunton Evita Juan Perón Joe Grifasi The 1940's Radio Hour Neal Tilden Harry Groener Oklahoma! Will Parker Jeff Keller The 1940's Radio Hour Johnny Cantone Don Novello Gilda Radner – Live from New York Himself Martin Vidnovic Oklahoma! Jud Fry 1981 Tony Azito The Pirates of Penzance The Sergeant of Police Gregg Burge Sophisticated Ladies Performer Michael Davis Broadway Follies Performer Lee Roy Reams 42nd Street Billy Lawlor Paxton Whitehead Camelot Pellinore 1982 Cleavant Derricks Dreamgirls James "Thunder" Early Mark Hardwick Pump Boys and Dinettes L. M. Ben Harney Dreamgirls Curtis Taylor, Jr. 1983 Charles "Honi" Coles My One and Only Mr. Magix Bruce Hubbard Show Boat Joe Franc Luz Little Shop of Horrors Orin Scrivello, D.D.S. Randle Mell The Cradle Will Rock Larry Foreman 1984 Martin Vidnovic Baby Nick Sakarian Mace Barrett Taking My Turn Eric Hinton Battle The Tap Dance Kid Dipsey Charles Kimbrough Sunday in the Park with George Jules 1985 René Auberjonois Big River The Duke John GoodmanBig River Pap Finn Bob Gunton The King Howard McGillin La bohème Marcel Timothy Nolen Grind Doyle John Short Big River Tom Sawyer 1986 Michael Rupert Sweet Charity Oscar Lindquist Jason Alexander Personals Various Characters Gregg Burge Song and Dance Man Joe Grifasi The Mystery of Edwin Drood Bazzard / Mr. Philip Bax 1987 Michael Maguire Les Misérables Enjolras Timothy Jerome Me and My Girl Herbert Parchester Michael O'Gorman Smile Tommy French Joaquin Romaguera Gay Divorce Teddy 1988 Robert Westenberg Into the Woods Cinderella's Prince / The Wolf Harry Goz Chess Molokov Anthony HealdAnything Goes Evelyn Oakleigh Bill McCutcheon Moonface Martin Herbert L. Rawlings, Jr. Dreamgirls James "Thunder" Early 1989
1990s Year Actor Musical Character 1990 Michael Jeter Grand Hotel Otto Kringelein René Auberjonois City of Angels Irving S. Irving / Buddy Fidler Laurence Guittard The Sound of Music Various Characters Jonathan Hadary Gypsy Herbie 1991 Bruce Adler Those Were the Days Various Characters John Cameron Mitchell The Secret Garden Dickon John Remme A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum Senex Lee Wilkof Assassins Samuel Byck 1992 Scott Waara The Most Happy Fella Herman Bruce Adler Crazy for You Bela Zangler Walter Bobbie Guys and Dolls Nicely-Nicely Johnson Savion Glover Jelly's Last Jam Young Jelly 1993 Mark Michael Hutchinson Blood Brothers Eddie Jerry Lanning Anna Karenina Prince Stephen Oblonsky Josh Mostel My Favorite Year Sy Benson 1994 Jarrod Emick Damn Yankees Joe Hardy George de la Peña The Red Shoes Grisha Ljubov Sam Harris Grease Doody John Cameron Mitchell Hello Again The Young Thing Burke Moses Beauty and the Beast Gaston 1995 1996 Wilson Jermaine Heredia Rent Angel Dumott Schunard Lewis ClealeSwinging on a Star Various Characters Michael McGrath Various Characters Brett Tabisel Big: the musical Billy Kopecki Scott WiseState Fair Pat Gilbert Ben Wright Wayne Frake 1997 Joel Grey Chicago Amos Hart Stanley Bojarski When Pigs Fly Various Characters André De Shields Play On! Jester Sam Harris The Life Jojo Michael McElroy Violet Flick Jay Rogers When Pigs Fly Various Characters 1998 Gregg Edelman 1776 Edward Rutledge Max CassellaThe Lion King Timon Geoffrey Hoyle Zazu John McMartin High Society Uncle Willie Renoly Santiago The Capeman Tony Hernandez Steven Sutcliffe Ragtime Mother's younger Brother 1999 Roger Bart You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown Snoopy Bryan Batt Forbidden Broadway Cleans Up Its Act Various Characters Michel Bell The Civil War Clayton Toler Rufus Bonds Jr. Parade Jim Conley Ron Taylor It Ain't Nothin' But the Blues Various Characters Chip Zien A New Brain Mr. Bungee
2000s Year Actor Musical Character 2000 Stephen Spinella James Joyce's The Dead Freddy Malins Jason Antoon Contact Husband Christopher Fitzgerald Saturday Night Bobby Alistair Izobell Kat and the Kings Magoo Michael MulherenKiss Me, Kate Second Man Lee Wilkof First Man 2001 Gary Beach The Producers Roger de Bris Roger Bart The Producers Carmen Ghia John Ellison ConleeThe Full Monty Dave Bukatinsky André De Shields Noah "Horse" T. Simmons Mark Jacoby Enter the Guardsman The Playwright Jeff McCarthy Urinetown Officer Lockstock 2002 Shuler Hensley Oklahoma! Jud Fry Justin Bohon Oklahoma! Will Parker Norbert Leo Butz Thou Shalt Not Camille Raquin Jerry Dixon Tick, Tick... Boom! Michael Gregg Edelman Into the Woods Cinderella's Prince / The Wolf Marc Kudisch Thoroughly Modern Millie Trevor Graydon III 2003 Dick Latessa Hairspray Wilbur Turnblad John Dossett Gypsy Herbie Christopher Fitzgerald Amour Bertrand Charles KeatingA Man of No Importance Carney / Oscar Wilde Steven Pasquale Robbie Fay Corey Reynolds Hairspray Seaweed J. Stubbs 2004 Raúl Esparza Taboo Phillip Sallon Joel Blum Golf: The Musical Bob Hope Jeffrey Carlson Taboo Marilyn Mitchel David Federan The Boy from Oz Boy Marc Kudisch Assassins Proprietor Raymond Jaramillo McLeod Wonderful Town Wreck 2005 Denis O'Hare Sweet Charity Oscar Lindquist Christian Borle Spamalot Various Characters Gregory Jbara Dirty Rotten Scoundrels Andre Norm Lewis Dessa Rose Nathan Tyler Maynard Altar Boyz Mark Michael McGrath Spamalot Mayor / Patsy 2006 Jim Dale The Threepenny Opera Mr. Peachum Alexander Gemignani Sweeney Todd The Beadle Christian Hoff Jersey Boys Tommy DeVito Eddie Korbich The Drowsy Chaperone George John McMartin Grey Gardens J.V. "Major" Bouvier Daniel Reichard Jersey BoysBob Gaudio 2007 Gavin Lee Mary Poppins Bert Brooks Ashmanskas Martin Short: Fame Becomes Me Comedy All Star Christian Borle Legally Blonde Emmett Forrest Aaron Lazar Les Misérables Enjolras Orville Mendoza Adrift in Macao Tempura David Pittu LoveMusik Bertolt Brecht 2008 Boyd Gaines Gypsy Herbie Danny Burstein South Pacific Luther Billis Christopher FitzgeraldYoung FrankensteinIgor Shuler HensleyThe Monster Bobby Steggert The Slug Bearers of Kayrol Island Immanuel Lebang Tom Wopat A Catered Affair Tom Hurley 2009 Gregory Jbara Billy Elliot the Musical Mr. Elliot Hunter Foster Happiness Stanley Demond Green The Toxic Avenger Black Dude Marc Kudisch 9 to 5 Franklin Hart Jr. Bryce Ryness Hair Woof Christopher Sieber Shrek the MusicalLord Farquaad
2010s Year Actor Musical Character 2010 Christopher Fitzgerald Finian's Rainbow Og Kevin Chamberlin The Addams FamilyUncle Fester Robin de Jesús La Cage aux Folles Jacob Jeffry Denman Yank! Artie Jeremy Morse Bloodsong of Love Lo Cocodrilo Bobby Steggert Ragtime Mother's Younger Brother 2011 John Larroquette How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying J.B. Biggley Adam Godley Anything Goes Lord Evelyn Oakleigh Brian Stokes Mitchell Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown Ivan Rory O'Malley The Book of Mormon Elder McKinley Bob Stillman Hello Again The Husband Tom Wopat Catch Me If You Can Frank Abagnale Sr. 2012 Michael McGrath Nice Work If You Can Get It Cookie McGee Phillip Boykin Porgy and Bess Crown Matt Cavenaugh Death Takes a Holiday Eric Fenton Michael Cerveris EvitaJuan Perón Patrick Page Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark Green Goblin Andrew Samonsky Queen of the Mist Frank Russell 2013 Bertie Carvel Matilda the Musical Miss Trunchbull Stephen Bogardus Passion Colonel Ricci John Bolton A Christmas Story: The Musical The Old Man Keith Carradine Hands on a Hardbody JD Drew John Dossett Giant Bawley Andy Karl The Mystery of Edwin Drood Neville Landless 2014 James Monroe Iglehart Aladdin Genie Danny Burstein Cabaret Herr Schultz Nick Cordero Bullets Over Broadway: The Musical Cheech Joshua Henry Violet Flick Rory O'Malley Nobody Loves You Evan Bobby Steggert Big Fish William Bloom 2015 Christian Borle Something Rotten! The Bard Peter Friedman Fly By Night Mr. McClam Josh Grisetti It Shoulda Been You Marty Kaufman Andy Karl On the Twentieth Century Bruce Granit Leslie Odom, Jr. Hamilton Aaron Burr Brad Oscar Something Rotten!Nostradamus Max von Essen An American in Paris Henri Baurel 2016 Christopher Fitzgerald Waitress Ogie Nicholas Barasch She Loves Me Arpad Laszlo Baylee Littrell Disaster! Ben / Lisa Paul Alexander Nolan Bright Star Jimmy Ray Dobbs A.J. Shively Billy Cane2017 Gavin Creel Hello, Dolly! Cornelius Hackl Jeffry Denman Kid Victory Michael George Salazar The Lightning Thief: The Percy Jackson Musical Grover Ari'el Stachel The Band's Visit Haled Brandon Uranowitz Falsettos Mendel 2018Gavin LeeSpongeBob SquarePantsSquidward Tentacles Damon DaunnoThe Lucky OnesVariousAlexander GemignaniCarouselEnoch Snow Grey HensonMean GirlsDamian Hubbard Tony YazbeckPrince of BroadwayVarious2019André De ShieldsHadestownHermes Corbin BleuKiss Me, KateBill Calhoun/LucentioSydney James HarcourtGirl from the North CountryJoe ScottGeorge SalazarBe More ChillMichael MellPatrick VaillRodgers & Hammerstein's Oklahoma!Jud Fry
2020s Year Actor Musical Character 2020 Christian Borle Little Shop of Horrors Orin Scrivello George Abud Emojiland Nerd Face Jay Armstrong Johnson Scotland, PA Banko Conrad Ricamora Soft Power Xue Xing Ryan Vasquez The Wrong Man The Man in Black 2021 colspan="3" 2022 Matt Doyle Company Jamie Justin Austin Intimate Apparel George Armstrong Justin Cooley Kimberly Akimbo Seth Jared Grimes Funny Girl Eddie Ryan Tavon Olds-Sample MJ Michael
Multiple Wins 2 wins Christian Borle Gavin Lee Christopher Fitzgerald
Multiple Nominations 5 nominations Christopher Fitzgerald
4 nominations Christian Borle
3 nominations Marc Kudisch André De Shields Michael McGrath Lee Wilkof Bobby Steggert
2 nominations Hinton Battle Danny Burstein Gavin Lee Roger Bart John Dossett John McMartin Shuler Hensley Alexander Gemignani George Salazar Andy Karl Gregory Jbara
See also Laurence Olivier Award for Best Performance in a Supporting Role in a Musical Laurence Olivier Award for Best Actor in a Supporting Role in a Musical Tony Award for Best Featured Actor in a Musical
References
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