As the Tony Awards near, take a look at Vermonters with starring roles on Broadway

It’s easy to think the bright lights of Manhattan and the moonlit mountains of Vermont are worlds apart, even if Burlington and New York City are only about 300 miles from each other.

The most densely packed American city and the state known for farm fields and forests do have things in common – most surprisingly, perhaps, their mutual associations with Broadway stars.

New York is the home of Broadway, of course, and the classic American invention known as the Broadway musical. Vermont lays claim to an inordinate number of Broadway performers and creators, especially since the dawning of the 21st century.

As the 2024 Tony Award ceremony honoring Broadway’s biggest stars approaches on June 16 – with a couple of artists with Vermont ties in the running for top prizes – this seems like a good time to look back at some of the Vermonters who’ve left their creative marks in midtown Manhattan in the past 20 years.

‘Monty Python’s Spamalot’

Burlington High School alum Thomas Cannizzaro joined the original cast of this wild-and-wacky “Camelot” send-up when it opened in February 2005, portraying a French guard and taking part in the ensemble. “Spamalot” would win that year’s Tony Award for Best Musical.

‘The Light in the Piazza’

This show lost out to “Spamalot” for the 2005 Best Musical prize. Adam Guettel, who lives part-time in Tinmouth, wrote the music and lyrics for “The Light in the Piazza,” earning Tony Awards for Best Score and Best Orchestrations.

‘Legally Blonde: The Musical’

Two years after appearing as an understudy in the Broadway production of “The 2 Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee,” another BHS graduate, Kate Wetherhead, assumed her first Broadway original cast roles as Chutney, Kate and a member of the ensemble in this musical based on the popular Reese Witherspoon film.

‘Mamma Mia!’

Morrisville native Liana Hunt joined this musical based on the songs of ABBA in October 2010, nine years after it opened. Hunt portrayed Sophie Sheridan as she made her Broadway debut.

‘Newsies’

It didn’t take long for Liana Hunt to make her second appearance on Broadway. In 2014, the Peoples Academy graduate joined “Newsies” two years after it opened, performing in a variety of roles and taking part in the ensemble.

‘Fun Home’

This 2015 musical really began Vermont’s golden age on Broadway, with celebrated productions featuring multiple and significant Vermont connections. “Fun Home” was based on the autobiographical graphic novel by Bolton resident Alison Bechdel. The original cast included 11-year-old Oscar Williams of Charlotte, who portrayed Bechdel’s younger brother, Christian. “Fun Home” would win five Tony Awards, including Best Musical.

‘School of Rock’

Colchester native Merritt David Janes began his Broadway career with multiple roles in this musical based on the movie starring Jack Black. Janes would stay in the show from its opening in late 2015 until mid-2017.

‘My Fair Lady’

A native of South Burlington, Kerstin Anderson was cast in various roles in the 2018 Broadway revival of this classic Lerner and Loewe musical. She also served as the understudy for the role of Eliza Doolittle and did perform on occasion as the title character.

‘To Kill a Mockingbird’

After a 13-year absence from Broadway, part-time Vermont resident Adam Guettel returned in late 2018 to create the original music for Aaron Sorkin’s play based on the renowned novel by Harper Lee. Guettel was nominated for but did not win the Tony Award for Best Original Score.

‘Hadestown’

This production doesn’t just have Vermont ties – it was born in Vermont. Singer-songwriter and Addison County native Anais Mitchell created “Hadestown” in 2006, joining fellow Vermont musicians and actors in the cast that traveled to Barre and Vergennes to perform her esoteric take on the Orpheus myth. Much of the same crew toured Vermont with a revamped version the next year. Mitchell followed with an album version of “Hadestown” in 2010 featuring Ani DiFranco and Justin Vernon of Bon Iver, and a more fleshed-out off-Broadway production in 2016 that for the first time did not have Mitchell in the cast.

The 2019 Broadway production was an instant hit and included on stage two Vermont musicians who had been with “Hadestown” since its early days, Michael Chorney and Robinson Morse. “Hadestown” would win eight Tony Awards, including Best Musical, Best Original Score for Mitchell and Best Orchestrations for Chorney and Todd Sickafoose. “Hadestown” comes home to Vermont when a touring production will be staged Oct. 15-16 at the Flynn in Burlington.

‘Back to the Future’

Two Vermont veterans of Broadway, Liana Hunt (see “Mamma Mia!” and “Newsies” above) and Merritt David Janes (“School of Rock”) came together in June 2023 for this musical based on the beloved Michael J. Fox/Christopher Lloyd film. Hunt portrays lead character Marty McFly’s mother, Lorraine Baines McFly, while Janes was cast in various roles including Principal Strickland. “Back to the Future” is up for two Tony Awards this year.

‘Days of Wine and Roses’

Once again, Adam Guettel (“The Light in the Piazza,” “To Kill a Mockingbird”) is connected to a Tony Award-nominated production. The part-time resident of Rutland County wrote the music and lyrics for the musical based on the 1962 film starring Jack Lemmon and Lee Remick. Guettel is contending this year for a Tony Award for Best Original Score for the production, which opened in January and ran for nearly three months before closing March 31.

‘Suffs’

This musical is the rare Broadway bird starring its creator in the lead role. Shaina Taub, a native of Waitsfield who performed in the off-Broadway production of “Hadestown,” created “Suffs,” which tells the story of American suffragist Alice Paul as she fights in the early 20th century for women’s right to vote. Though Taub is not nominated for her performance, “Suffs” is a contender for Best Musical. Taub is a Tony nominee for Best Book of a Musical and Best Original Score – competing in the latter category against Adam Guettel.

Contact Brent Hallenbeck at bhallenbeck@freepressmedia.com.

This article originally appeared on Burlington Free Press: From 'Hadestown' to 'Suffs,' Vermont continues starring Broadway role