Standing O! Broadway.com Editors Pick the Top Five Broadway Performances of 2016

Broadway favorites dominated our best performances list this year, making us laugh, cry and want to learn to tap dance. Here are our top five performances of 2016.

5. Audra McDonald in Shuffle Along, Or The Making of the Musical Sensation of 1921 and All That Followed
Number five is Audra McDonald as actress Lottie Gee in Shuffle Along. The six-time Tony winner was a knockout as the early 20th Century diva who became Broadway’s first black ingenue while falling in love with her show’s married composer. Whether she was dazzling us with her comedic timing,  powerhouse voice or fantastic tap dancing, McDonald once again proved why she’s a walking, talking Broadway master class.

4. Carmen Cusack in Bright Star
After making a name for herself on the road, Carmen Cusack finally landed on Broadway this year, earning our number four slot for her raw and real starring role in the musical Bright Star. Cusack nailed the time-jumping part of a snappy Southern literary editor with a deep-buried secret, playing both the young, carefree youth and the emotionally-distant adult with equal conviction. And that voice! We can’t wait to see what’s next for this vibrant star.

3. Nathan Lane in The Front Page
When Tony winner Nathan Lane roars onto the stage as caustic tabloid editor Walter Burns in the shining revival of The Front Page, you know you are in the presence of a master. Spewing threats and insults, Lane lands every line and bit of shtick. Watching this Broadway pro at the height of his powers is pure joy.

2. Christian Borle in Falsettos
Number two is two-time Tony winner Christian Borle, who this fall took a break from making us laugh to turn in yet another superb performance in Falsettos. His portrayal of his character Marvin’s struggle to create a tight knit family with his ex-wife, new boyfriend and son, is perfectly nuanced, delightfully neurotic and ultimately devastating. He is unlikely to be forgotten come Tony time.

1. Ben Platt in Dear Evan Hansen
The number one performance of the year is the phenomenal Dear Evan Hansen star Ben Platt. His performance as the lonely, anxiety-ridden teenager Evan in this stunning new musical is one for the Broadway history books. Platt’s brilliant transformation into an awkward high-schooler who becomes a viral sensation is a towering performance that left us blown away and wanting to witness the whole thing all over again.