Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Actress in a Musical

The Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Actress in a Musical is an annual award presented by Drama Desk in recognition of achievements in the theatre among Broadway, Off Broadway and Off-Off Broadway productions. The awards were established in 1955, with acting awards being given without making distinctions between roles in plays and musicals, or actors and actresses. The new award categories were later created in the 1975 ceremony.

Drama Desk Award
for Outstanding Actress
Awarded forOutstanding Actress in a Musical
LocationUnited States
Presented byDrama Desk
Currently held byAdrienne Warren for Tina: The Tina Turner Musical (2020)
WebsiteDramaDesk.org

† – indicates the performance won the Tony Award
‡ – indicates the performance was also nominated for the Tony Award

Winners and nominees

1960s
Year Actress Musical Character
1964
Imelda de Martin The Amorous Flea Agnes
1965–68
N/A N/A N/A
1969
Dorothy Loudon The Fig Leaves Are Falling Lillian Stone ‡
Bernadette Peters Dames at Sea Ruby

1970s
Year Actress Musical Character
1970
Lauren Bacall Applause Margo Channing †
Sandy Duncan The Boyfriend Maisie ‡
Ethel Merman Hello Dolly Dolly Gallagher Levi
1971
Helen Gallagher No, No, Nanette Lucille Early †
Alexis Smith Follies Phyllis Rogers Stone †
1972
Jonelle Allen The Two Gentlemen of Verona Silvia ‡
1973
Glynis Johns A Little Night Music Desiree Armfeldt †
Michele Lee Seesaw Gittel Mosca ‡
1974
Ruby Lynn Reyner La Bohemia Trilby
1975
Angela Lansbury Gypsy Mama Rose †
Marcia McClain Where's Charley? Amy Spettigue
Stephanie Mills The Wiz Dorothy Gale
Bernadette Peters Mack and Mabel Mabel Normand ‡
Ann Reinking Goodtime Charley Joan of Arc ‡
1976
Kelly Bishop A Chorus Line Sheila Bryant †
Donna McKechnie A Chorus Line Cassie Ferguson †
Penny Fuller Rex Anne Boleyn / Elizabeth I
Patti LuPone The Robber Bridegroom Rosamund Musgrove ‡
Virginia Seidel Very Good Eddie Elsie Darling ‡
Elizabeth Wilson The Threepenny Opera Celia Peachum
1977
Clamma Dale Porgy and Bess Bess ‡
Joan Copeland Pal Joey Vera Simpson
Catherine Cox Music Is Viola
Esther Hinds Porgy and Bess Bess
Julia McKenzie Side by Side by Sondheim Various Characters ‡
Meryl Streep Happy End Lillian Holiday
1978
Nell Carter Ain't Misbehavin Nell †
Carlin Glynn The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas Mona Stangley †
Judy Kaye On the Twentieth Century Agnes
Angela Lansbury The King and I Anna Leonowens
Phyllis Newman My Mother was a Fortune Teller Phyllis
Charlayne Woodard Ain't Misbehavin Charlayne ‡
1979
Angela Lansbury Sweeney Todd Mrs. Lovett †
Lucie Arnaz They're Playing Our Song Sonia Walsk
Dorothy Loudon Ballroom Bea Asher ‡

1980s
Year Actress Musical Character
1980
Patti LuPone Evita Eva Perón †
Sandy Duncan Peter Pan Peter Pan ‡
Ann Miller Sugar Babies Ann ‡
Sigourney Weaver Das Lusitania Songspiel Unknown
1981
Lena Horne Lena Horne: The Lady and Her Music Herself †
Chita Rivera Bring Back Birdie Rosie Alvarez ‡
1982
Jennifer Holliday Dreamgirls Effie White †
Sheryl Lee Ralph Dreamgirls Deena Jones ‡
1983
Natalia Makarova On Your Toes Vera Barnova †
Mara Beckerman Charlotte Sweet Charlotte Sweet
Betty Buckley Cats Grizabella †
Ellen Greene Little Shop of Horrors Audrey
Twiggy My One and Only Edith Herbert ‡
1984
Chita Rivera The Rink Anna †
Shirley MacLaine Shirley MacLaine on Broadway Herself
Liza Minnelli The Rink Angel ‡
Bernadette Peters Sunday in the Park with George Dot / Marie ‡
Alyson Reed Marilyn Marilyn Monroe
1985
N/A N/A N/A
1986
Bernadette Peters Song and Dance Emma †
Debbie Allen Sweet Charity Charity Hope Valentine ‡
Patti Cohenour The Mystery of Edwin Drood Miss Deirdre Peregrine / Rosa Bud ‡
Terri Klausner Goblin Market Laura
Cleo Laine The Mystery of Edwin Drood Angela Prysock / The Princess Puffer ‡
Ann Morrison Goblin Market Lizzie
1987
Teresa Stratas Rags Rebecca Hershkowitz ‡
Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio The Knife Jenny
Lonette McKee Lady Day at Emerson's Bar & Grill Billie Holiday
Maryann Plunkett Me and My Girl Sally Smith †
1988
Patti LuPone Anything Goes Reno Sweeney ‡
Sarah Brightman The Phantom of the Opera Christine Daaé
Judy Kuhn Chess Florence Vassy ‡
Bernadette Peters Into the Woods The Witch
1989
Toni diBuono Forbidden Broadway Various Characters
Beth Fowler Sweeney Todd Mrs. Lovett ‡
Debbie Shapiro Gravitte Jerome Robbins' Broadway Various Characters †
Roxie Lucas Forbidden Broadway Various Characters
Faith Prince Jerome Robbins' Broadway Ma / Tessie / Company ‡

1990s
Year Actress Musical Character
1990
Tyne Daly Gypsy Mama Rose †
Debby Boone The Sound of Music Maria von Trapp
Lynne Wintersteller Closer Than Ever Various Characters
1991
Lea Salonga Miss Saigon Kim †
June Angela Shogun Lady Mariko ‡
Daisy Eagan The Secret Garden Mary Lennox †
LaChanze Once on This Island Ti Moune ‡
1992
Faith Prince Guys and Dolls Miss Adelaide †
Sophie Hayden The Most Happy Fella Rosabella ‡
Donna Murphy Song of Singapore Rose
1993
Chita Rivera Kiss of the Spider Woman Aurora / Spider Woman †
Laura Bell Bundy Ruthless! Tina Denmark
Donna English Ruthless! Judy Denmark / Ginger Del Marco
Helen Schneider Frida Frida Kahlo
Linda Stephens Wings Emily Stilson
1994
Donna Murphy Passion Fosca †
Susan Egan Beauty and the Beast Belle ‡
Melissa Errico My Fair Lady Eliza Doolittle
Margaret Illman The Red Shoes Victoria Page
1995
Glenn Close Sunset Boulevard Norma Desmond †
Candy Buckley The Petrified Prince Queen Katarina
Julie Johnson Das Barbecü Various Characters
Lonette McKee Show Boat Julie LaVerne ‡
Elaine Stritch Show Boat Parthy Ann Hawks
1996
Julie Andrews Victor/Victoria Victoria Grant ‡
Terri Klausner Bed and Sofa Ludmilla
Crista Moore Big Susan Lawrence ‡
Donna Murphy The King and I Anna Leonowens †
Daphne Rubin-Vega Rent Mimi Marquez ‡
Karen Ziemba I Do! I Do! She (Agnes)
1997
Bebe Neuwirth Chicago Velma Kelly †
Linda Eder Jekyll & Hyde Lucy Harris
Pamela Isaacs The Life Queen ‡
Lauren Ward Violet Violet Karl
Karen Ziemba Steel Pier Rita Racine ‡
1998
Natasha Richardson Cabaret Sally Bowles †
Melissa Errico High Society Tracy Samantha Lord
Marin Mazzie Ragtime Mother ‡
Alice Ripley and Emily Skinner Side Show Violet and Daisy Hilton ‡
1999
Carolee Carmello Parade Lucille Frank ‡
Bernadette Peters Annie Get Your Gun Annie Oakley †
Siân Phillips Marlene Marlene Dietrich ‡

2000s
Year Actress Musical Character
2000
Heather Headley Aida Aida †
Toni Collette The Wild Party Queenie ‡
Rebecca Luker The Music Man Marian Paroo ‡
Marin Mazzie Kiss Me Kate Lilli Vanessi / Katherine ‡
Audra McDonald Marie Christine Marie Christine L'Adrese ‡
Julia Murney The Wild Party Queenie
2001
Marla Schaffel Jane Eyre Jane Eyre ‡
Christine Ebersole 42nd Street Dorothy Brock †
Kaitlin Hopkins Bat Boy: The Musical Meredith Parker
LaChanze The Bubbly Black Girl Sheds Her Chameleon Skin Viveca
Sally Mayes Pete 'n' Keely Keely
Faith Prince Bells Are Ringing Ella Peterson ‡
2002
Sutton Foster Thoroughly Modern Millie Millie Dillmount †
Laura Benanti Into the Woods Cinderella ‡
Garrett Long The Spitfire Grill Percy Talbott
Louise Pitre Mamma Mia Donna Sheridan ‡
Sherie Rene Scott The Last Five Years Cathy Hyatt
Vanessa Williams Into the Woods The Witch ‡
2003
Marissa Jaret Winokur Hairspray Tracy Turnblad †
Stephanie D'Abruzzo Avenue Q Kate Monster / Lucy the Slut ‡
Ann Duquesnay Cookin' at the Cookery Alberta Hunter / Various Characters
Wei Huang La bohème Mimi ‡
Elizabeth Parkinson Movin' Out Brenda ‡
Bernadette Peters Gypsy Mama Rose ‡
2004
Donna Murphy Wonderful Town Ruth Sherwood ‡
Kristin Chenoweth Wicked Glinda ‡
Judy McLane Johnny Guitar Vienna
Idina Menzel Wicked Elphaba †
Elaine Paige Sweeney Todd Mrs. Lovett
Tonya Pinkins Caroline, or Change Caroline Thibodeaux ‡
2005
Victoria Clark The Light in the Piazza Margaret Johnson †
Christina Applegate Sweet Charity Charity Hope Valentine ‡
Sutton Foster Little Women Josephine 'Jo' March ‡
LaChanze Dessa Rose Dessa Rose
Sherie Rene Scott Dirty Rotten Scoundrels Christine Colgate ‡
Rachel York Dessa Rose Ruth
2006
Christine Ebersole Grey Gardens 'Little Edie' Beale †
Nancy Anderson Fanny Hill Fanny Hill
Sutton Foster The Drowsy Chaperone Janet Van De Graaff ‡
Patti LuPone Sweeney Todd Mrs. Lovett ‡
Idina Menzel See What I Wanna See Kesa / Wife / Actress
Kelli O'Hara The Pajama Game Catherine 'Babe' Williams ‡
2007
Audra McDonald 110 in the Shade Lizzie Curry ‡
Donna Murphy Lovemusik Lotte Lenya ‡
Laura Bell Bundy Legally Blonde Elle Woods ‡
Ashley Brown Mary Poppins Mary Poppins
Kristin Chenoweth The Apple Tree Eve / Princess Barbara / Ella and Passionella
Lea Michele Spring Awakening Wendla Bergmann
2008
Patti LuPone Gypsy Mama Rose †
Sierra Boggess The Little Mermaid Princess Ariel
Kelli O'Hara South Pacific Ensign Nellie Forbush ‡
Faith Prince A Catered Affair Agnes 'Aggie' Hurley ‡
Alice Ripley Next to Normal Diana Goodman †
Jenna Russell Sunday in the Park with George Dot / Marie ‡
2009
Allison Janney 9 to 5 Violet Newstead ‡
Stephanie J. Block 9 to 5 Judy Bernly
Stockard Channing Pal Joey Vera Simpson ‡
Sutton Foster Shrek Princess Fiona ‡
Megan Hilty 9 to 5 Doralee Rhodes
Karen Murphy My Vaudeville Man! Mud Donahue

2010s
Year Actress Musical Character
2010
Montego Glover Memphis Felicia Farrell ‡
Catherine Zeta-Jones A Little Night Music Desiree Armfeldt †
Kate Baldwin Finian's Rainbow Sharon McLonergan ‡
Jayne Houdyshell Coraline Coraline
Christiane Noll Ragtime Mother ‡
Sherie Rene Scott Everyday Rapture Sherie Rene Scott ‡
2011
Sutton Foster Anything Goes Reno Sweeney †
Beth Leavel Baby It's You! Florence Greenberg ‡
Patina Miller Sister Act Deloris Van Cartier ‡
Donna Murphy The People in the Picture Bubbie / Raisel ‡
Sherie Rene Scott Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown Pepa
2012
Audra McDonald Porgy and Bess Bess †
Miche Braden The Devil's Music Bessie Smith
Jan Maxwell Follies Phyllis Rogers Stone ‡
Kelli O'Hara Nice Work If You Can Get It Billie Bendix ‡
Bernadette Peters Follies Sally Durant Plummer
Molly Ranson Carrie Carrie White
2013
Laura Osnes Rodgers & Hammerstein's Cinderella Ella ‡
Kate Baldwin Giant Leslie Lynnton Benedict
Stephanie J. Block The Mystery of Edwin Drood Edwin Drood / Miss Alice Nutting ‡
Carolee Carmello Scandalous Aimee Semple McPherson ‡
Lindsay Mendez Dogfight Rose Fenny
Donna Murphy Into the Woods The Witch
Jenny Powers Donnybrook! Mary Kate Danaher
2014
Jessie Mueller Beautiful: The Carole King Musical Carole King †
Sutton Foster Violet Violet Karl ‡
Idina Menzel If/Then Elizabeth Vaughn ‡
Kelli O'Hara The Bridges of Madison County Francesca Johnson ‡
Margo Seibert Tamar of the River Tamar
Barrett Wilbert Weed Heathers Veronica Sawyer
2015
Kristin Chenoweth On the Twentieth Century Lily Garland / Mildred Plotka ‡
Kate Baldwin John & Jen Jen
Leanne Cope An American in Paris Lise Dassin ‡
Erin Davie Side Show Violet Hilton
Lisa Howard It Shoulda Been You Jenny Steinberg
Chita Rivera The Visit Claire Zachanassian ‡
2016
Cynthia Erivo The Color Purple Celie Harris Johnson †
Laura Benanti She Loves Me Amalia Balash ‡
Carmen Cusack Bright Star Alice Murphy ‡
Jessie Mueller Waitress Jenna Hunterson ‡
Annette O'Toole Southern Comfort Robert Eads
2017
Bette Midler Hello, Dolly! Dolly Gallagher Levi †
Christy Altomare Anastasia Anya
Christine Ebersole War Paint Elizabeth Arden ‡
Sutton Foster Sweet Charity Charity Hope Valentine
Patti LuPone War Paint Helena Rubinstein ‡
Laura Osnes Bandstand Julia Trojan
2018
Jessie Mueller Carousel Julie Jordan ‡
Gizel Jiménez Miss You Like Hell Olivia
LaChanze Summer Diva Donna ‡
Ashley Park KPOP MwE
Daphne Rubin-Vega Miss You Like Hell Beatriz
2019
Stephanie J. Block The Cher Show Star †
Beth Leavel The Prom Dee Dee Allen ‡
Rebecca Naomi Jones Rodgers & Hammerstein's Oklahoma! Laurey Williams
Anika Noni Rose Carmen Jones Carmen Jones
Stacey Sargeant Rags Parkland Sings the Songs of the Future Beaux Weathers

2020s
Year Actress Musical Character
2020
Adrienne Warren Tina: The Tina Turner Musical Tina Turner
Tammy Blanchard Little Shop of Horrors Audrey
Beth Malone The Unsinkable Molly Brown Molly Brown
Saycon Sengbloh The Secret Life of Bees Rosaleen
Elizabeth Stanley Jagged Little Pill Mary Jane "M.J." Healy

Multiple Winners

Multiple nominees

See also

References
  • "Drama Desk Award for Actress in a Musical". Internet Broadway Database. 2008. Retrieved 2008-08-21.
  • 2002 New York Times article
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