From THE FULL MONTY To DEAD OUTLAW: Inside David Yazbek's Genre-Defying Broadway Legacy

Perhaps more than any other art form, Broadway is a fertile ground for the multi-hyphenate artist. From mythical "triple threat" performers, to our dynamic director/choreographers, to multi-disciplinary artists, to understudies and swings, musical theatre has no shortage of multi-talented folks masquerading around its borders.

Few Broadway composers have demonstrated the creative versatility, however, of David Yazbek. With a career spanning over two decades, Yazbek has quietly become one of the most dynamic voices in contemporary musical theatre. With a skill set spanning several departments and a boundless musical vocabulary, Yazbek returns to Broadway this season with credits on not one, but three productions. 

In the 2024-2025 Broadway season alone, David is credited with the co-conception, composition, arrangements, and orchestrations on the bluesy new musical, Dead Outlaw, as composer of the original score for the comic play The Roommate, and as a co-producer and creative consultant of Buena Vista Social Club. 

Though David's wide range of gifts are fully on display this season, his chameleonic nature has been evident since the beginning. from the blue-collar rock of The Full Monty to the hushed, Eastern intimacy of The Band’s Visit, to the bluesy Americana of Dead Outlaw, Yazbek’s ability to inhabit vastly different musical worlds has been virtually unmatched. As he heads into the Tonys with a hat trick of shows, half a dozen credits, and a knack for reinvention, let's go back through the many musical eras of the great David Yazbek.

The Full Monty (2000)

David made his Broadway debut with The Full Monty, a musical adaptation that showcased what would come to be known as his signature blend of wit, emotional authenticity, and musical versatility. Yazbek crafted a score rooted in rock, funk, and blues that reflected the working-class world of unemployed steelworkers in Buffalo. Songs like “Let It Go” and “Big-Ass Rock” pulsed with electric guitar grit and masculine vulnerability, while ballads like “Breeze Off the River” revealed a quieter emotional depth. With clever but sincere lyrics and vocal arrangements allowed everyday voices (not Broadway belters) to shine, Yazbek helped turn The Full Monty into a refreshingly original musical.

Dirty Rotten Scoundrels (2005)

For his next Broadway outing, David matched the glittering sophistication of the French Riviera with high absurdity in his musical adaptation of the 1988 con-man comedy, Dirty Rotten Scoundrels. Crafting an infectious world powered by sly bossa nova, jazzy faux-European flourishes, brassy bravado, and razor sharp wit, David brought the show's sonic world to life to award winning effect, nabbing Tony and Drama Desk Awards for his efforts. 

Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown (2010)

In 2010, David Turned in his Tony-nominated score for Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown. A far cry from the modern American rock and jazzy winking mischief of his earlier works, the score for Women blended flamenco, bolero, tango, European art song, lounge jazz, and dissonant musical theatre influences to create an atmosphere designed to mirror the surreal emotional spirals of Pedro Almodóvar’s characters. Numbers like the comic tour-de-force, “Model Behavior” demonstrate both technical virtuosity and character specificity, while ensemble pieces pulse with syncopated rhythms and tonal shifts that mirror the emotional unraveling of the ladies at its center. 

The Band's Visit (2017)

Yazbek turned the volume down and the emotional resonance way up when he returned in 2017 with The Band’s Visit. Blending Arabic classical music, Israeli folk, jazz harmonics, and Western art song, Yazbek's use of space and stillness set this acclaimed one-act firmly outside the spectacle of traditional Broadway fare. Using traditional Middle Eastern instrumentation to create a textured, poetic soundscape, Yazbek's plain but poetic lyrics evoke memory, longing, and fleeting connection. An instant hit with critics and audiences alike, the show earned 10 Tony Awards, including Best Musical, Best Original Score, and Best Orchestrations, and won the Grammy Award for Best Musical Theater Album.

Tootsie (2019)

Yazbek’s score for Tootsie is perhaps his truest foray into the classic musical comedy form updated with modern wit, blending Broadway brass, jazz-pop influences, and blisteringly fast lyrics. Reimagining the story within the world of contemporary theatre, Yazbek’s songs poke fun at the industry’s egos and absurdities while still grounding the characters in emotional truth. From the neurotic showstopper “What’s Gonna Happen” to heartfelt ballads like “Talk to Me Dorothy,” the score combines comic sharpness with real sentiment. For Tootsie's tunes, Yazbek was nominated for a Tony and won the 2019 Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Lyrics.

Dead Outlaw (2025)

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