Few Broadway musicals inspire the same level of devotion as Hamilton and Hadestown, but winning the Tony Award for Best Musical does not guarantee lasting admiration. This energetic retrospective ranks all ten winners from the 2010s, examining their storytelling, musical compositions, character development, and artistic achievements. The reviewer approaches the decade with considerable theatrical knowledge and strong personal preferences, producing an entertaining mixture of thoughtful criticism, enthusiastic celebration, and occasionally excessive frustration. What initially appears to be a straightforward ranking becomes a broader examination of what makes musical theater emotionally satisfying and why prestigious awards sometimes recognize productions that do not hold up equally well for every audience.
The ranking establishes a useful critical framework by concentrating primarily on each musical's book and score rather than individual Broadway performances or subsequent film adaptations. This distinction helps maintain consistency across productions that have been staged with different casts and creative interpretations. The reviewer also explains theatrical terminology for less experienced viewers, making the discussion accessible without abandoning its more specialized observations. However, that methodological discipline occasionally slips when particular performances influence judgments, and the analysis of Tony voting sometimes relies on speculation about industry preferences rather than demonstrated evidence.
The lower-ranked musicals receive some of the most detailed criticism, particularly Memphis and Dear Evan Hansen. The reviewer argues that Memphis undermines its exploration of Black musical culture by centering an irritating white protagonist whose success depends heavily on the creativity of others. The discussion raises legitimate questions about narrative perspective, representation, and whose experiences deserve attention, although its repeated attacks on Huey occasionally overwhelm the more substantive arguments. Dear Evan Hansen receives similarly intense scrutiny for presenting manipulative behavior within an inspirational framework. The criticism of Evan's relationship with Zoe, the treatment of Connor's death, and the disconnect between the show's uplifting music and morally troubling narrative is specific and persuasive, even when the language becomes unnecessarily aggressive. Importantly, the reviewer acknowledges worthwhile songs and emotionally effective supporting characters rather than dismissing either production entirely.
The middle portion offers a more varied assessment of Once, The Band's Visit, Kinky Boots, and A Gentleman's Guide to Love and Murder. Recurring concerns include underdeveloped protagonists, forgettable musical numbers, uneven pacing, and stories that prioritize less interesting characters over more compelling supporting figures. The reviewer particularly appreciates Lola's personality in Kinky Boots and the inventive murder scenarios and clever lyrics of A Gentleman's Guide to Love and Murder. The treatment of The Band's Visit is less convincing, however, because its deliberately restrained storytelling is largely dismissed as boring without sufficiently exploring why audiences might appreciate its quieter emotional approach. These sections remain useful as expressions of individual taste, but they occasionally mistake personal disengagement for broader artistic failure.
The discussion becomes considerably more rewarding with The Book of Mormon and Fun Home. The reviewer identifies how The Book of Mormon combines provocative comedy, memorable songwriting, and an unexpectedly sincere emotional foundation. Its potentially offensive portrayal of African characters is acknowledged, although the defense of its satirical intentions could benefit from more sustained scrutiny. Fun Home receives an especially sensitive examination of family relationships, sexuality, grief, and the difficulty of understanding one's parents. The observations about its nonlinear storytelling, contrasting musical styles, and emotionally devastating final sequence demonstrate the reviewer's ability to move beyond personal enthusiasm into meaningful artistic interpretation.
Hamilton provides one of the ranking's strongest examples of balanced criticism. Despite admitting considerable fatigue from years of listening to the musical, the reviewer recognizes Lin-Manuel Miranda's intricate songwriting, ambitious narrative construction, and effective characterization of Alexander Hamilton and Aaron Burr. The discussion of their contrasting philosophies and eventual reversal is particularly insightful. The reviewer also acknowledges objections to the show's treatment of slavery and historical figures without pretending that its dramatization constitutes an authoritative historical account. Placing Hamilton second despite diminished personal enthusiasm gives the ranking additional credibility, showing a willingness to distinguish lasting craftsmanship from current listening preferences.
The final examination of Hadestown is the presentation's emotional centerpiece. The reviewer connects Anaïs Mitchell's interpretation of Greek mythology to themes of exploitation, capitalism, love, and perseverance while explaining how the contrasting relationships and recurring musical ideas reinforce its tragic conclusion. Particularly effective is the discussion of how the ending transforms repeated theatrical performance into an expression of hope, giving audiences a reason to revisit a story whose outcome they already know. The admiration is supported by specific observations about musical progression, character interpretation, and the communal experience of live theater. Even here, the reviewer identifies a structural weakness in the placement of the first-act finale. Nevertheless, the extended celebration illustrates both the ranking's greatest strength and its main limitation: deeply informed enthusiasm that can become repetitive when personal attachment takes precedence over concise evaluation.
Pros
- Establishes a clear emphasis on books and scores, providing a reasonably consistent framework for comparing musicals across different productions.
- Examines all ten winners with specific references to songs, character arcs, narrative decisions, and dramatic structure.
- Offers substantive criticism of Memphis and Dear Evan Hansen, particularly concerning representation, character agency, and the relationship between storytelling and musical tone.
- Provides insightful examinations of Fun Home, Hamilton, and Hadestown, connecting their musical compositions to emotional development and thematic meaning.
- Acknowledges artistic strengths even in disliked productions and identifies shortcomings in several highly praised favorites.
- Incorporates Tony Award results, competing nominees, and alternative winners to place individual judgments within a broader theatrical context.
- Communicates genuine enthusiasm for musical theater through lively humor, memorable comparisons, and detailed appreciation of songwriting.
Cons
- Devotes disproportionate attention to the two lowest-ranked musicals, creating an uneven structure that leaves several middle entries comparatively underexplored.
- Frequently relies on profanity, exaggerated insults, and repeated expressions of frustration that sometimes weaken otherwise thoughtful criticism.
- Occasionally treats subjective boredom or personal irritation as sufficient evidence of artistic shortcomings, particularly when discussing quieter productions.
- Speculates about Tony voters' motivations and the cultural reputations of certain musicals without consistently providing supporting evidence.
- The stated focus on writing rather than performances is not always maintained, resulting in occasional inconsistencies in the evaluation criteria.
- The Squarespace sponsorship interrupts the ranking's momentum, while several tangents about unrelated productions and personalities unnecessarily extend an already lengthy presentation.
An ambitious and highly entertaining retrospective combines substantial musical theater knowledge with sharply expressed opinions and genuine emotional investment in the art form. Its strongest passages demonstrate how storytelling, characterization, and songwriting work together, while excessive negativity, uneven pacing, and occasional speculative judgments prevent the analysis from achieving complete critical balance. Despite those shortcomings, the ranking offers an engaging exploration of a remarkable Broadway decade and provides plenty of compelling reasons to reconsider both its celebrated winners and its controversial choices.
