Broadway comes to the small screen. Welcome to MsMojo, and today we’re counting down our picks for the best television series to catch your favorite stage actors!
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00:00Every day can be a happy beginning.
00:06Welcome to Ms. Mojo, and today, we're counting down our picks for the best television series to catch your favorite stage actors.
00:13I don't know who, do you?
00:16Number 10. Rapunzel's Tangled Adventure.
00:19Come make them happy.
00:24They can trust me. I'll save my home and family.
00:31When composer Alan Menken and lyricist Glenn Slater teamed up to write the music for the Disney series Rapunzel's Tangled Adventure,
00:38they knew they needed the best of the best to bring the score to life.
00:41Everything I ever thought I knew. Where I've been. Where I'm going.
00:49Reprising his role as Flynn Rider,
00:51First Dates' Zachary Levi was joined by fellow Broadway actors Eden Espinoza, James Monroe Iglehart, and Jeremy Jordan.
00:58Listen, please, you've lost your grip and lost your mind.
01:03All's not lost, don't be so blind.
01:07Cut your losses, drop the I in you.
01:12Danielle Brooks, Jane Krakowski, Sean Hayes, and, of course, Donna Murphy as Gothel also lent their voices to the show.
01:19Lasting three seasons, Rapunzel's Tangled Adventure features some epic Broadway-level tunes, and it's no wonder considering the cast.
01:27For now I've got everything, and everything's fine.
01:36Number 9. The West Wing.
01:38This isn't a Broadway show, Josh. We don't just close it down after a successful eight-year run.
01:44You have to care who's gonna sit in that chair after Jed Bartlett is gone.
01:47I do.
01:48From the bright lights of Broadway to Washington, D.C., The West Wing is packed with theatrical superpower.
01:54Bradley Whitford, Allison Janney, Elizabeth Moss, and Stalker Channing are all Broadway alumni and also played some of the biggest roles on the hit NBC series back in the day.
02:04Relax with a sense of urgency.
02:06I just want to make sure he's having a good time tonight.
02:08In season six, the series also welcomed soprano extraordinaire Kristen Chenoweth to the White House, where she remained until the show ended in 2006.
02:16Is this...
02:17Yep, right place. You're Annabeth Scott?
02:19Shot.
02:20What?
02:21Shot. Bang, bang.
02:22Guest stars also included Rents, Taye Diggs, and future Tony Award winner John Gallagher Jr., just to name a few.
02:29Number 8. Glee.
02:31You make me feel like I'm living a teenage dream, the way you turn me on.
02:39What would Glee be without Broadway?
02:41The Ryan Murphy-created series turned some of Broadway's youngest stars into television icons when the musical series premiered in 2009.
02:48Don't tell me not to live, just sit and putter. Life's candy and the sun's a ball of butter. Don't bring around a cloud to rain on my parade.
03:00Already stage actors Lea Michele, Matthew Morrison, and Jenna Ushkowitz became household names, thanks to their roles as Rachel Berry, Will Schuster, and Tina Cohen-Chang.
03:10Other Broadway folks like Jonathan Groff, Kristen Chenoweth, and Idina Menzel also appeared on the smash hit show.
03:17As they turn your dream to shame.
03:25In reverse, Glee also turned its TV actors into future Broadway stars, including Darren Criss, Melissa Benoist, and Tony winner Alex Newell.
03:34I'm interdependently old and celebrated. I'm interdependently old and agitated.
03:42Number 7. The Good Fight.
03:44Are you okay?
03:47Oh, uh, yeah, it's just, it's the news.
03:51Oh, God, I know. It's awful these days.
03:54A spinoff of the starry legal drama The Good Wife, The Good Fight boasted a roster of some of American theater's best performers.
04:01Christine Baranski, Audra McDonald, Mandy Patinkin, Bernadette Peters, Phylicia Rashad, Anthony Rapp, Andrea Martin, Corey Cott, Sarah Steele, Lauren Patton, and Rob McClure are just some of the theatrical names that appear on the series.
04:17This is the wrong venue, the wrong crowd.
04:19You've gotten tons of laughs in here.
04:21They were spontaneous. This is different.
04:23Filmed on location right in the heart of New York City, The Good Fight was the perfect production to attract some of the Great White Way's biggest and brightest players for six successful seasons.
04:33Once we gain access to his account, we'll need to insert this virus. It will allow us to trace the funds back to the group's supporters.
04:39We think there might be a congressman or two connected to him.
04:42Number 6. Crazy Ex-Girlfriend.
04:44Say love makes you crazy, therefore you can't call her crazy.
04:48Cause when you call her crazy, you're just calling her in love.
04:52Blam!
04:53The musical fantasy comedy series Crazy Ex-Girlfriend is a theater fan's dream come true.
04:58Featuring countless show tune style songs, it's a love letter to the genre that's sung by some of Broadway's shiniest stars.
05:05So, even though I'm not the one you adore, why not settle for me?
05:17Donna Lynn 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.
05:27But I'm still Greg. I'm still me.
05:30I know. I just, I stupidly thought that if we were here and we were together, that you would like it.
05:37Tova Feldsha also had a recurring role as protagonist Rebecca Bunch's mother.
05:42And of course, we cannot forget Patti LuPone's epic guest-starring role as Rebecca's rabbi.
05:47Now it's time to celebrate. Grab a drink and fix a plate. But before you feel too great, remember that we suffered.
05:54Now we're just waiting for its creator and star, Rachel Bloom, to finally make her Broadway debut.
06:00Number 5. Zoe's Extraordinary Playlist
06:11Led by Jane Levy, Zoe's Extraordinary Playlist was a zany and heartfelt primetime musical comedy series.
06:17Sadly, it only lasted two short seasons, but that did not stop it from always giving its audience show-stopping theatrical numbers.
06:25I've become so numb, I can't feel you there. Become so tired, so much more aware.
06:34The cast also included Spring Awakening alum Skylar Astin as one of the leads, alongside Once On This Island's Alex Newell.
06:41Mary Steenburgen and Tony Award winners Bernadette Peters and Renee Elise Goldsberry also had parts on the program.
06:47We guess you could say this stacked cast is nothing less than extraordinary.
06:52I figured what you're saying. You can get it wrong and still you think that it's alright.
06:58Number 4. The Gilded Age
07:00This is very melodramatic. Are we to witness your will? I'm surprised what you're going to leave will warrant three signatures.
07:08HBO's The Gilded Age is like a revolving door of Broadway celebrities.
07:12You conquered New York, now it's time to conquer Newport.
07:15But I haven't conquered New York.
07:17The period drama includes an impressive lineup of stage actors, so much so that it's become a favorite among theater fans.
07:23Cynthia Nixon, Audra McDonald, Denae Benton, Christine Baranski, Carrie Coon, Celia Keenan-Bolger, and Michael Cerveris
07:31are only a handful of Broadway players who bring the late 19th century to life.
07:35I read the papers. It's not for servants to discuss the guests of their employers.
07:40Powerhouse sopranos Laura Benanti and Kelly O'Hara and showman Nathan Lane also appear on the series.
07:46I think we should call a halt.
07:48I don't understand.
07:50For anyone craving a Broadway experience without paying Broadway prices, The Gilded Age is the next best thing.
07:56Number 3. Has Been Hotel
07:59My daughter wants to see me. Take that depression!
08:03Once you check into Has Been Hotel, you're never going to want to leave.
08:07The musical animated series isn't your typical cartoon.
08:10This R-rated show about the ambitious daughter of the devil, who runs a hotel in hopes of rehabilitating some of hell's biggest sinners,
08:17also happens to be a musical.
08:19Mean Girls actor Erica Henningsen lends her vocals to protagonist Charlie Morningstar.
08:24This could be swell. Something tells me that today will be a happy day in hell.
08:30Okay, but just don't sing to them.
08:32That bitch is halfway down the street.
08:34She is joined by fellow Broadway peers Jeremy Jordan, Christian Borle, Lily Cooper, Daphne Rubin-Vega, and Alex Brightman.
08:42The series has created a lot of buzz around the theater community and beyond, thanks to its catchy musical numbers and its starry voice cast.
08:50You think I'd come down there? No, I mean, I love the vibe. Totally. I love your tunes.
08:54Number 2. Smash
08:56Oh, smash, you were too good for this cruel world.
09:10Surviving only two seasons, this NBC musical drama took audiences behind the scenes of the creation of a fictional Broadway musical.
09:18It had everything a theater fan could want. Flashy numbers, endless drama, and of course an all-star cast.
09:40John Hilty, Christian Borle, Jeremy Jordan, Andy Nientes, Krista Rodriguez, Bernadette Peters, and Leslie Odom Jr. are a few famous faces who populated the world of Smash.
09:51You remember, we'll make you sing. Hope that's okay, she promised.
09:54I think I can handle that. You too, Ivy.
09:56Luckily, 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.
10:04And here's hoping the cast will also return.
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10:23Number 1. Law & Order franchise
10:26All I do is teach kids music. We clap, they sing, we have a great time together.
10:34Okay, so let me ask you a question.
10:37For any theater actor, appearing on Law & Order is a rite of passage.
10:41So, the FBI let you come back to New York.
10:44I wish. They liked me too much in Oklahoma, I put in for early retirement.
10:48Since 1990, the crime television franchise has produced countless seasons and spinoffs, offering a massive amount of roles for New York-based performers.
10:56For example, Broadway icons Jerry Orbach and Jesse L. Martin led the OG series for years.
11:02We know you didn't go to Atlantic City, Kevin.
11:04Oh, and that means I killed Norman?
11:05No, but it means that you lied to us.
11:07Yeah, and that kind of puts a dent in your credibility.
11:10On Special Victims Unit, Raúl Esparza and Andy Karl also enjoyed lengthy runs.
11:15The franchise also has a never-ending list of guest stars such as Elaine Stritch, Billy Porter, Patrick Page, Patty LuPone, Annaleigh Ashford, Eva Noblezada, Mike Feist, Aaron Tveit, and David Diggs.
11:28And that's just some of them.
11:30We open in one week.
11:31Start performing as if you belong here or you will no longer be here.
11:36Understood?
11:37Which Broadway performer would you like to see star in their own TV series? Let us know in the comments.
11:43Do you agree with our picks? Check out this other recent clip from Ms. Mojo. And be sure to subscribe and ring the bell to be notified about our latest videos.
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