Can You Name the 35 Actors Who Originated These Title Roles on Broadway? | Playbill

Featured Shows

Related Articles

Quiz Can You Name the 35 Actors Who Originated These Title Roles on Broadway? Test your Broadway knowledge.

By Playbill Staff

December 09, 2021

Dolly, Millie, Evita—sometimes a character is so singular they can define a show. Can you name the 35 actors who originated these title roles on Broadway?

Can You Name the 35 Actors Who Originated These Title Roles on Broadway?

Playbill_Title_Character_Quiz_HR — Can You Name the 35 Actors Who Originated These Title Roles on Broadway?

70 PHOTOS

Evita Playbill - Opening Night, Sept 1979

Evita_Production_Photo_Patti Lupone_ Mandy Patinkin_HR — Patti Lupone

Aida Playbill - Opening Night

Aida_Broadway_Production_Photo_2000_Heather Headley_HR — Heather Headley in Aida

Joan Marcus

Kiss Me, Kate Playbill - Jan 1949

Kiss_Me_Kate_Patricia_Morison_HR — Patricia Morison

Carrie Playbill - May 1988 — Carrie

HR - Carrie (Broadway 1988) - Linzi Hateley — Linzi Hateley

Peter Cunningham

Tina: The Tina Turner Musical Playbill - Opening Night — Tina: The Tina Turner Musical

Tina: The Tina Turner Musical_Broadway_Production Photos_2019_Adrienne Warren and cast_HR — Adrienne Warren and cast of Tina: The Tina Turner Musical

Manuel Harlan

Purlie Playbill - Aug 1970

Purlie_Broadway_Production_Photo_1970_Melba Moore_Cleavon Little_HR — Cleavon Little

Annie Playbill - May 1982

Andrea McArdle in <i>Annie</i> — Andrea McArdle

Photo by Martha Swope

The Unsinkable Molly Brown Playbill - April 1961

Tammy Grimes in The Unsinkable Molly Brown — Tammy Grimes

Mary Poppins Playbill - Opening Night

Ashley Brown, Katherine Leigh Doherty, Alexander Scheitinger and Gavin Lee lead the ensemble in_Mary Poppins_HR — Ashley Brown, Katherine Leigh Doherty, Alexander Scheitinger and Gavin Lee lead the ensemble in Mary Poppins.

Joan Marcus

Carmen Jones Playbill - Dec 1943 — Carmen Jones

Carmen_Jones_Broadway_1943_Muriel_Rahn_HR — Muriel Rahn

Thoroughly Modern Millie Playbill - Opening Night

Sutton Foster in <i> Thoroughly Modern Millie</i> HR — Sutton Foster in Thoroughly Modern Millie

Joan Marcus

Aladdin Playbill - April 2018 — Aladdin Playbill - April 2018

Aladdin_Broadway_Production_Photos_2014_Adam_Jacobs_HR — Adam Jacobs

Caroline or Change Playbill - Opening Night, April 2004

Caroline or Change HR — Tonya Pinkins

Michal Daniel

Hello, Dolly! Playbill - Nov 1964

HR - Carol Channing in Hello, Dolly! (1982) — Carol Channing in Hello, Dolly!

Martha Swope / The New York Public Library

Yentl Playbill - Oct 1975 — Yentl

Yentl_Tovah Feldshuh_Production_Photo — Tovah Feldshuh

Gypsy Playbill - Opening Night — Gypsy Playbill - Feb 1960

Gypsy_Broadway_Production_Photos_1959_Sandra_Church_Jack_Klugman_Ethel_Merman_HR — Sandra Church, Ethel Merman, and Jack Klugman in Gypsy

Friedman-Abeles/©NYPL for the Performing Arts

Natasha, Pierre and the Great Comet of 1812 Playbill - Opening Night — Natasha, Pierre and the Great Comet of 1812

Natasha_Pierre_&_the_Great_Comet_of_1812_Broadway_Production_Photo_2016_Josh_Groban_Denée_Benton_HR — Josh Groban and Denée Benton

Chad Batka

Porgy and Bess Playbill - Jan 1942 — Porgy and Bess

Next Slide

Todd Duncan and Anne Brown

Gigi Playbill - Dec 1951

Gigi_Production_Photo_Audrey Hepburn_HR — Audrey Hepburn

Man of La Mancha Playbill - Nov 1966 — Man of La Mancha

Richard Kiley as the mad, chivalrous Don Quixote in <i>Man of La Mancha.</i> — Richard Kiley

The Wiz Playbill - July 1977

The_Wiz_Broadway_Production_Photo_Andre De Shields_HR — Andre De Shields

©NYPL for the Performing Arts

Doctor Zhivago Playbill - Opening Night

Doctor_Zhivago_Promo_Photo_Tam Mutu_HR — Tam Mutu

Pal Joey Playbill - Mar 1941 — Pal Joey

Pal Joey (Broadway 1940) - Vivienne Segal, Gene Kelly — Vivienne Segal and Gene Kelly in Pal Joey.

Vandamm Studio / The New York Public Library

Phantom of the Opera Playbill - Sept 1997 — Phantom of the Opera

HR - Michael Crawford in The Phantom of the Opera — Michael Crawford in The Phantom of the Opera.

Joan Marcus

Ma Rainey's Black Bottom Playbill - Opening Night, Oct 1984

Ma_Rainey's_Black_Bottom_Broadway_Production_Photo_Theresa Merritt_HR — Theresa Merritt

Pirate Queen Playbill - Opening Night

The_Pirate_Queen_Broadway_Production_Photo_2006_Stephanie J. Block_Marcus Chait_HR — Stephanie J. Block and Marcus Chait

Hamilton Playbill - January 2018 — Hamilton Playbill - January 2018

Hamilton_Broadway_Production_Photos_2015_Phillipa_Soo_Lin-Manuel_Miranda_HR — Phillipa Soo and Lin-Manuel Miranda

Joan Marcus

Annie Get Your Gun Playbill - Aug 1946

HR - Ethel Merman - Annie Get Your Gun (Broadway 1946) — Ethel Merman in Annie Get Your Gun

Vandamm Studio / The New York Public Library

Dear Evan Hansen Playbill - Opening Night

Dear_Evan_Hansen_HR — Ben Platt

Matthew Murphy

Pippin Playbill - Nov 1972

John Rubinstein in <i>Pippin</i>. — John Rubinstein

Photo by Martha Swope

Sweet Charity Playbill - May 1967

HR - Gwen Verdon in Sweet Charity — Gwen Verdon

Friedman-Abeles / The New York Public Library

Young Frankenstein Playbill - Opening Night

Megan Mullally and Roger Bart in Young Frankenstein hr — Roger Bart

Tarzan Playbill - Opening Night — Tarzan

Tarzan_Oberhausen_Production_Photo_2017_Josh Strickland_HR — Josh Strickland

Stage Entertainment/Morris Mac Matzen

Anastasia Playbill - Opening Night

Anastasia_Broadway_Production_Photos_2017_Christy Altomare_HR — Christy Altomare

Matthew Murphy

Mame Playbill - October 1966

HR - Angela Lansbury in Mame — Angela Lansbury

You may also like