Outer Critics Circle Award for Outstanding Director of a Musical

Last updated
Outer Critics Circle Award for
Outstanding Director of a Musical
Awarded forOutstanding Director of a Musical
Location New York City
Presented by Outer Critics Circle
Currently held by Michael Arden, Maybe Happy Ending (2025)
Website OuterCritics.org

The Outer Critics Circle Award for Director of a Musical is an annual award given to the best director of a new musical on Broadway or Off-Broadway, as determined by Outer Critics Circle. The award has been given out since the 1992-1993 season, when the Best Direction award split into musical and play categories.

Contents

Michael Arden has won the most awards with three, for his productions of Spring Awakening , Parade and Maybe Happy Ending , followed by Susan Stroman, Bartlett Sher and Jessica Stone with two award each; Stroman won both awards consecutively in 2000 and 2001. Scott Ellis has the record for most nominations, with seven, followed closely by Susan Stroman and Kathleen Marshall with six and five nominations respectively.

Award winners

1980s

  indicates the winner.
YearProductionDirectorRef.
1980 [1]
A Day in Hollywood / A Night in the Ukraine Tommy Tune [2]

1990s

YearProductionDirectorRef.
1993
The Who's Tommy Des McAnuff [3]
1994
She Loves Me Scott Ellis [4]
1995
Show Boat Harold Prince [5]
1996
A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum Jerry Zaks [6]
1997
Chicago Walter Bobbie [7]
The Life Michael Blakemore
Jekyll and Hyde Robin Phillips
Steel Pier Scott Ellis
Titanic Richard Jones
1998
The Lion King Julie Taymor [8]
1776 Scott Ellis
Cabaret Sam Mendes and Rob Marshall
Ragtime Frank Galati
1999
Swan Lake Matthew Bourne [9]
You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown Michael Mayer
Fosse Richard Maltby, Jr. and Ann Reinking
The Civil War Jerry Zaks

2000s

YearProductionDirectorRef.
2000
Contact and The Music Man Susan Stroman [10]
The Wild Party Mark Dendy
Swing! Lynne Taylor-Corbett
Kiss Me, Kate Kathleen Marshall
2001
The Producers Susan Stroman [11]
The Rocky Horror Show Christopher Ashley
42nd Street Mark Bramble
The Full Monty Jack O'Brien
2002
Urinetown John Rando [12]
Thoroughly Modern Millie Michael Mayer
Oklahoma! Trevor Nunn
Into the Woods James Lapine
2003
Movin' Out Twyla Tharp [13]
Hairspray Jerry Mitchell
Flower Drum Song Robert Longbottom
Nine Jonathan Butterell
2004
Wonderful Town Kathleen Marshall [14]
The Boy from Oz Joey McKneely
Wicked Wayne Cilento
Never Gonna Dance Jerry Mitchell
Bombay Dreams Anthony van Laast and Farah Khan
2005
Spamalot Mike Nichols [15]
The Light in the Piazza Bartlett Sher
Sweet Charity Walter Bobbie
Chitty Chitty Bang Bang Adrian Noble
Dirty Rotten Scoundrels Jack O'Brien
2006
Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street John Doyle [16]
The Pajama Game Kathleen Marshall
Jersey Boys Des McAnuff
Grey Gardens Michael Greif
2007
Spring Awakening Michael Mayer [17]
Mary Poppins Richard Eyre and Matthew Bourne
In the Heights Thomas Kail
Company John Doyle
2008
South Pacific Bartlett Sher [18]
Gypsy Arthur Laurents
Adding Machine David Cromer
Young Frankenstein Susan Stroman
2009
Billy Elliot: The Musical Stephen Daldry [19]
Hair Diane Paulus
Shrek the Musical Jason Moore
Happiness Susan Stroman
West Side Story Arthur Laurents

2010s

YearProductionDirectorRef.
2010
La Cage aux Folles Terry Johnson [20]
Memphis Christopher Ashley
The Scottsboro Boys Susan Stroman
Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson Alex Timbers
2011
The Book of Mormon Casey Nicholaw and Trey Parker [21]
Sister Act The Musical Jerry Zaks
Anything Goes Kathleen Marshall
How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying Rob Ashford
2012
Once John Tiffany [22]
Newsies Jeff Calhoun
Evita Michael Grandage
Nice Work If You Can Get It Kathleen Marshall
2013
Pippin Diane Paulus [23]
Chaplin: The Musical Warren Carlyle
The Mystery of Edwin Drood Scott Ellis
Kinky Boots Jerry Mitchell
Here Lies Love Alex Timbers
2014
A Gentleman's Guide to Love and Murder Darko Tresnjak [24]
After Midnight Warren Carlyle
Fun Home Sam Gold
Les Misérables Laurence Connor and James Powell
Rocky Alex Timbers
2015
An American in Paris Christopher Wheeldon [25]
Hamilton Thomas Kail
Something Rotten! Casey Nicholaw
It Shoulda Been You David Hyde Pierce
On the Twentieth Century Scott Ellis
2016
Spring Awakening Michael Arden [26]
Bright Star Walter Bobbie
She Loves Me Scott Ellis
American Psycho Rupert Goold
Dear Evan Hansen Michael Greif
2018
SpongeBob SquarePants Tina Landau [27]
My Fair Lady Bartlett Sher
Desperate Measures Bill Castellino
Once on This Island Michael Arden
Mean Girls Casey Nicholaw
2019
Hadestown Rachel Chavkin [28]
Tootsie Scott Ellis
Oklahoma! Daniel Fish
Fiddler on the Roof in Yiddish Joel Grey
The Hello GirlsCara Reichel

2020s

YearProductionDirectorRef.
2020 (Hon.) A Strange Loop Stephen Brackett [29]
Jagged Little Pill Diane Paulus
Little Shop of Horrors Michael Mayer
Moulin Rouge! Alex Timbers
West Side Story Ivo van Hove
2021No award given due to COVID-19 pandemic.
2022
Kimberly Akimbo Jessica Stone [30]
Paradise Square Moisés Kaufman
MJ Christopher Wheeldon
Harmony Warren Carlyle
Mrs. Doubtfire Jerry Zaks
2023
Parade Michael Arden [31]
Merrily We Roll Along Maria Friedman
Some Like It Hot Casey Nicholaw
Shucked Jack O'Brien
New York, New York Susan Stroman
2024
Water for Elephants Jessica Stone [32]
Suffs Leigh Silverman
The Connector Daisy Prince
Days of Wine and Roses Michael Greif
Dead Outlaw David Cromer
2025
Maybe Happy Ending Michael Arden [33]
Boop! The Musical Jerry Mitchell
Cats: The Jellicle Ball Zhailon Levingston and Bill Rauch
Operation Mincemeat Robert Hastie
Death Becomes Her Christopher Gattelli

Multiple wins

3 wins
2 wins

Multiple nominations

7 nominations
6 nominations
5 nominations
4 nominations
3 nominations
2 nominations

References

  1. ↑ One-time award given before the split of director categories in 1993.
  2. ↑ "Outer Critics Circle Awards 1980". BroadwayWorld.
  3. ↑ "Outer Critics Circle Awards 1993". BroadwayWorld.
  4. ↑ "Outer Critics Circle Awards 1994". BroadwayWorld.
  5. ↑ "Outer Critics Circle Awards 1995". BroadwayWorld.
  6. ↑ "Outer Critics Circle Awards 1996". BroadwayWorld.
  7. ↑ "Outer Critics Circle Awards 1997". BroadwayWorld.
  8. ↑ "Outer Critics Circle Awards 1998". BroadwayWorld.
  9. ↑ "Outer Critics Circle Awards 1999". BroadwayWorld.
  10. ↑ "Outer Critics Circle Awards 2000". BroadwayWorld.
  11. ↑ "Outer Critics Circle Awards 2001". BroadwayWorld.
  12. ↑ "Outer Critics Circle Awards 2002". BroadwayWorld.
  13. ↑ "Outer Critics Circle Awards 2003". BroadwayWorld.
  14. ↑ "Outer Critics Circle Awards 2004". BroadwayWorld.
  15. ↑ "Outer Critics Circle Awards 2005". BroadwayWorld.
  16. ↑ "Outer Critics Circle Awards 2006". BroadwayWorld.
  17. ↑ "Outer Critics Circle Awards 2007". BroadwayWorld.
  18. ↑ "Outer Critics Circle Awards 2008". BroadwayWorld.
  19. ↑ "Outer Critics Circle Awards 2009". BroadwayWorld.
  20. ↑ "Outer Critics Circle Awards 2010". BroadwayWorld.
  21. ↑ "Outer Critics Circle Awards 2011". BroadwayWorld.
  22. ↑ "Outer Critics Circle Awards 2012". BroadwayWorld.
  23. ↑ "Outer Critics Circle Awards 2013". BroadwayWorld.
  24. ↑ "Outer Critics Circle Awards 2014". BroadwayWorld.
  25. ↑ "Outer Critics Circle Awards 2015". BroadwayWorld.
  26. ↑ "Outer Critics Circle Awards 2016". BroadwayWorld.
  27. ↑ "Outer Critics Circle Awards 2018". BroadwayWorld.
  28. ↑ "Outer Critics Circle Awards 2019". BroadwayWorld.
  29. ↑ "Outer Critics Circle Awards 2020". BroadwayWorld.
  30. ↑ "Outer Critics Circle Awards 2022". BroadwayWorld.
  31. ↑ "Outer Critics Circle Awards 2023". BroadwayWorld.
  32. ↑ "Outer Critics Circle Awards 2024". BroadwayWorld.
  33. ↑ "Outer Critics Circle Awards 2025". BroadwayWorld.
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