Top 10 TV Shows That Are Full of Broadway Stars

When composer Alan Menken and lyricist Glenn Slater teamed up to write the music for the Disney’s series “Rapunzel’s Tangled Adventure,” they knew they needed the best of the best to bring the score to life. Reprising his role as Flynn Rider, “First Date’s” Zachary Levi was joined by fellow Broadway actors, Eden Espinosa, James Monroe Iglehart and Jeremy Jordan. Danielle Brooks, Jane Krakowski, Sean Hayes and of course, Donna Murphy as Gothel also lent their voices to the show. Lasting three seasons, “Adventure” features some epic Broadway level tunes and it’s no wonder considering the cast!

From the bright lights of Broadway to Washington, D.C., “The West Wing” is packed with theatrical starpower. Bradley Whitford, Allison Janney, Elizabeth Moss and Stockard Channing, are all Broadway alumni and also played some of the biggest roles on the hit NBC series back in the day. In season six, the series also welcomed soprano extraordinaire, Kristin Chenoweth to the White House, where she remained until the show ended in 2006. Guest stars also included “Rent’s” Taye Diggs and future Tony Award winner, John Gallagher Jr., just to name a few.

What would “Glee” be without Broadway? The Ryan Murphy created series turned some of Broadway's youngest stars into television icons when the musical series premiered in 2009. Already stage actors, Lea Michele, Matthew Morrison, and Jenna Ushkowitz became household names thanks to their roles as Rachel Berry, Will Schuester and Tina Cohen-Chang. Other Broadway folks like Jonathan Groff, Kristin Chenoweth and Idina Menzel also appeared on the smash hit show. In reverse, “Glee” also turned its TVs actors into future Broadway stars, including Darren Criss, Melissa Benoist and Tony winner, Alex Newell.

A spin off of the starry legal drama, “The Good Wife,” “The Good Fight” boasted a roster of some of American theatre’s best performers. Christine Baranski, Audra McDonald, Mandy Patinkin, Bernadette Peters, Phylicia Rashad, Anthony Rapp, Andrea Martin, Corey Cott, Sarah Steele, Lauren Patten, and Rob McClure are just some of the theatrical names that appear on the series. Filmed on location right in the heart of New York City, “Fight” was the perfect production to attract some of the Great White Way’s biggest and brightest players for six successful seasons.

The musical fantasy comedy series “Crazy Ex-Girlfriend” is a theatre fan's dream come true. Featuring countless showtunes style songs, it’s a love letter to the genre that’s sung by some of Broadway's shiniest stars. Donna Lynne Champlin and Gabriella Ruiz starred on the show for all four seasons, alongside Santino Fontana, who bowed out in season two and was later recast by Skylar Astin. Tovah Feldshuh also had a recurring role as protagonist Rebecca Bunch’s mother. And of course, we cannot forget Patti LuPone’s epic guest starring role as Rebecca’s rabbi. Now we’re just waiting for its creator and star Rachel Bloom to finally make her Broadway debut!

Led by Jane Levy, “Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist” was a zany and heartfelt primetime musical comedy series. Sadly, it only lasted two short seasons but that did not stop it from always giving its audience show stopping theatrical numbers! The cast also included “Spring Awakening” alum Skylar Astin as one of the leads, alongside “Once On This Island’s” Alex Newell. Mary Steenburgen and Tony Award winners Bernadette Peters and Renée Elise Goldsberry also had parts on the programme. We guess you could say this stacked cast is nothing less than “Extraordinary.”

HBO’s “The Gilded Age” is like a revolving door of Broadway celebrities. The period drama includes an impressive lineup of stage actors so much so that it’s become a favorite among theatre fans. Cynthia Nixon, Audra McDonald, Denée Benton, Christine Baranski, Carrie Coon, Celia Keenan-Bolger and Michael Cerveris are only a handful of Broadway players who bring the late 19th century to life. Powerhouse sopranos Laura Benanti and Kelli O’Hara and showman Nathan Lane also appear on the series. For anyone craving a Broadway experience without paying Broadway prices, “Gilded” is the next best thing!

Once you check into “Hazbin Hotel,” you’re never going to want to leave! The musical animated series isn’t your typical cartoon. This r-rated show about the ambitious daughter of the devil, who runs a hotel in hopes of rehabilitating some of Hell’s biggest sinner also happens to be a musical! “Mean Girl” actor Erika Henningsen lends her vocals to protagonist Charlie Morningstar. She is joined by fellow Broadway peers Jeremy Jordan, Christian Borle, Lilli Cooper, Daphne Rubin-Vega and Alex Brightman. The series has created a lot of buzz around the theatre community and beyond, thanks to its catchy musical numbers and its starry voice cast.

Oh, “Smash,” you were too good for this cruel world! Surviving only two seasons, this NBC musical drama took audiences behind the scenes of the creation of a fictional Broadway musical. It had everything a theatre fan could want: flashy numbers, endless drama and of course, an all star cast. Megan Hilty, Christian Borle, Jeremy Jordan, Andy Mientus, Krysta Rodriguez, Bernadette Peters, and Leslie Odom Jr. are a few famous faces who populated the world of “Smash.” Luckily fans have kept the legacy of the series alive and well. So much so that a Broadway adaptation of the show is set to debut in 2025, and here’s hoping the cast will also return!

For any theatre actor, appearing on “Law & Order” is a rite of passage. Since 1990, the crime television franchise has produced countless seasons and spinoffs, offering a massive amount of roles for New York based performers. For example, Broadway icons Jerry Orbach and Jesse L. Martin led the OG series for years. On “Special Victims Unit,” Raúl Esparza and Andy Karl also enjoyed lengthy runs. The franchise also has a never ending list of guest stars such as Elaine Strich, Billy Porter, Patrick Page, Patti LuPone, Annaleigh Ashford, Eva Noblezada, Mike Faist, Aaron Tveit and Daveed Diggs. And that’s just some of them!

Which Broadway performer would you like to see star in their own TV series? Let us know in the comments!