THEATERLE

Musicals by decade

Broadway musicals of the 2000s

Wicked, Hairspray, The Producers, and Avenue Q led a decade of comedies and screen adaptations, while jukebox musicals like Mamma Mia! and Jersey Boys became box office giants.

Below are the shows in our library that first opened on Broadway in the 2000s, in order of premiere. Tap any title for the full show guide.

31 musicals on this list.

  • Aida2000 · Elton John · Rock/PopAida is a sweeping, pop-inflected retelling of a timeless love triangle, set against the ancient rivalry between Egypt and Nubia.
  • Seussical2000 · Stephen Flaherty · ComedySeussical is a colorful, family friendly musical that blends together characters and stories from the world of Dr. Seuss into one big adventure.
  • The Full Monty2000 · David Yazbek · ComedyThe Full Monty is a comic, big hearted musical about a group of unemployed men who decide to reclaim their confidence and pride by putting on a daring stage show of…
  • The Wild Party2000 · Andrew Lippa · DramaThe Wild Party is a jazz age drama fueled by Andrew Lippa's blistering score, following a night of vaudeville performers, booze…
  • Bat Boy: The Musical2001 · Laurence O'Keefe · ComedyBat Boy: The Musical is a cult favorite that turns a tabloid headline into a strange, tender rock musical about a half boy…
  • Mamma Mia!2001 · Andersson & Ulvaeus · JukeboxMamma Mia! is the joyful jukebox musical built entirely around the songs of ABBA, telling a warm hearted story of family and romance on a sunny Greek island.
  • The Producers2001 · Mel Brooks · ComedyThe Producers is a raucous Broadway comedy about two mismatched showmen who hatch a hilariously flawed scheme to get rich by staging a guaranteed flop.
  • Hairspray2002 · Marc Shaiman · ComedyHairspray is a bright, big-hearted comedy about a plus-size teenager chasing her dream of dancing on television in early 1960s Baltimore.
  • Thoroughly Modern Millie2002 · Jeanine Tesori · ComedyThoroughly Modern Millie is a bubbly, tap-happy comedy about a small-town girl chasing big-city reinvention amid the flapper glamour of the 1920s.
  • Avenue Q2003 · Robert Lopez & Jeff Marx · ComedyAvenue Q is an irreverent, puppet-filled comedy about the messy realities of life after college, using Muppet-style humor to tackle very grown-up problems.
  • Little Shop of Horrors2003 · Alan Menken · ComedyLittle Shop of Horrors is the darkly funny cult favorite about a mild mannered florist shop assistant and the bloodthirsty plant that changes his life.
  • Wicked2003 · Stephen Schwartz · Rock/PopWicked reimagines the world of Oz from the perspective of its most misunderstood witch, pairing Stephen Schwartz's pop-inflected score with a story about friendship…
  • Assassins2004 · Stephen Sondheim · DramaAssassins gathers history's presidential assassins and would be assassins into a carnival dark musical revue, with a score by Stephen Sondheim that turns a shooting…
  • Altar Boyz2005 · Adler & Walker · ComedyAltar Boyz is a cheeky, high-energy send-up of the boy-band phenomenon, imagining a Christian pop group performing what they insist is the last stop on their farewell…
  • Jersey Boys2005 · Gaudio & Crewe · Jukebox"Jersey Boys" tells the true story of Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons, from their scrappy New Jersey beginnings to pop stardom.
  • Monty Python's Spamalot2005 · Idle & Du Prez · ComedyMonty Python's Spamalot is the gleefully absurd comedy musical that reworks the classic Holy Grail film into a Broadway spoof of musical theatre itself.
  • The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee2005 · William Finn · ComedyThe 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee is a warm, comic musical that turns a middle school spelling competition into a sharp and touching look at adolescence.
  • The Color Purple2005 · Russell, Willis & Bray · DramaThe Color Purple is a 2005 Broadway musical based on Alice Walker's Pulitzer Prize winning novel, tracing Celie's journey from abuse and silence toward self worth and…
  • Mary Poppins2006 · Sherman Brothers · ComedyMary Poppins brings the beloved magical nanny to the stage in a lavish family musical full of wonder, whimsy, and unforgettable songs.
  • Spring Awakening2006 · Duncan Sheik · Rock/PopSpring Awakening is a rock musical about teenagers awakening to sexuality and identity in a repressive nineteenth century German town…
  • Tarzan2006 · Phil Collins · Rock/PopTarzan brings Disney's tale of a man raised by gorillas to the Broadway stage, set to a rock and pop score by Phil Collins.
  • The Drowsy Chaperone2006 · Lambert & Morrison · ComedyThe Drowsy Chaperone is a loving, comic homage to 1920s Broadway musicals, framed as a beloved old record played for the audience by an enthusiastic superfan.
  • Legally Blonde2007 · O'Keefe & Benjamin · Comedy"Legally Blonde" follows Elle Woods, a sorority sweetheart who enrolls at Harvard Law School to win back her ex and ends up discovering she belongs there for reasons…
  • Xanadu2007 · Lynne & Farrar · JukeboxXanadu is a giddy, roller-skate-fueled jukebox musical that turns a cult 1980s movie into a self-aware celebration of Greek myth, disco glitter, and pure theatrical camp.
  • Billy Elliot2008 · Elton John · DramaBilly Elliot is a stirring coming of age musical about a working class boy who discovers a passion for ballet during one of Britain's most bitter labor struggles.
  • In the Heights2008 · Lin-Manuel Miranda · Rock/Pop"In the Heights" is a vibrant portrait of a Latino neighborhood in Washington Heights, following its residents through one hot summer of dreams, roots, and change.
  • Shrek The Musical2008 · Jeanine Tesori · ComedyShrek The Musical brings the beloved animated ogre and his fairy tale friends to the stage in a comic, heartwarming adventure about accepting yourself.
  • The Little Mermaid2008 · Alan Menken · ComedyDisney's The Little Mermaid brings Ariel's underwater kingdom to the stage with Alan Menken's beloved film score expanded for Broadway.
  • 9 to 5: The Musical2009 · Dolly Parton · Comedy9 to 5: The Musical brings the beloved workplace comedy to the stage with a score full of Southern charm and sly wit.
  • Memphis2009 · David Bryan · Rock/PopMemphis is a 2009 Broadway musical about a white radio DJ and a Black singer navigating segregated 1950s Memphis and the birth of rock and roll.
  • Next to Normal2009 · Tom Kitt · DramaNext to Normal is a raw, emotionally searching rock musical about a suburban family reckoning with mental illness.

More lists of musicals

All Broadway musicals A to ZMusicals by composer