Big News on Broadway! And What You Can Watch Now
Broadway Is Reopening! The big news is that Broadway is planning its reopening. New York Governor Andrew Cuomo announced that Broadway shows can open at full capacity on Sept. 14 and that tickets could go on sale immediately. It is not clear what will be the requirements in terms of health and safety protocols, but almost immediately, shows announced dates for tickets sales to begin and reopening plans. The list expands daily. Tickets are on sale for all with scheduled opening dates. In some cases, preference will be given to those who held tickets during the shut-down.
Hamilton, Wicked, and The Lion King, all long-running hits, return on Sept. 14; Chicago and another big hit, Come from Away, reopens Sept. 21.
New shows beginning performances in September include Six, which was supposed to open just days after the shutdown. It will resume performances on Sept. 13 with an official opening on Oct. 3.
Shows planning to reopen in October include: Phantom of the Opera, Oct. 22; Ain’t Too Proud–the Life and Times of the Temptations, Oct. 16; Tina: The Tina Turner Musical, Oct. 8; and Little Jagged Pill, Oct. 21.
Roundabout’s revival of Caroline, or Change will begin previews Oct. 8 and officially open Oct. 27. Mrs. Doubtfire, the musical based on the film, will begin previews Oct. 21 with an official opening on Dec. 5.
The revival of The Music Man aims to begin Dec. 20 with an opening night on Feb. 10. The show has had its lead producer, Scott Rudin, leave the production. The new musical Diana, will begin performances Dec. 1 with an official opening on Dec. 16. Diana was in previews before the shut-down. Also opening in December is the revival of Company (Dec. 20) with an officially opening on Jan. 9.
Also rescheduled to open is The Minutes, a play by Tracy Letts that is now scheduled to open March 15 (two years after its original opening date).
More shows will be announcing their plans in the coming days and week. You can expect off-Broadway shows to also announce opening and reopening plans.
At least two shows won’t reopen. The musicals Frozen and Mean Girls had announced during the pandemic that they were not planning to reopen.
What You Can See/Watch Now: Visit BroadwayBestShows.com and you will find the Spotlight on Plays series, which features all-star casts and well known plays. They live stream with video available for several days following the stream. Just recently it was Lillian Hellman’s Watch on the Rhine. Wendy Wasserstein’s comedy, The Sisters Rosensweig is available for playback through Monday, May 24. Next up is The Ohio State Murders, which streams Thursday, June 3 and Dear Elizabeth on Thursday, June 17.
If you have HBO, beginning Saturday, May 29 you can see the stage-to-screen adaptation of the Tony-award winning play, Oslo. I found it fascinating.
The Mint Theater is offering A Picture of Autumn through Sunday, June 13 and The Fatal Weakness through Sunday, June 27. Visit MintTheater.org for access. It’s free but donations are requested.
Barrington Stage Company: Indoors and out, the Barrington Stage Company is presenting multiple shows during the summer. Indoors at its theater in Pittsfield, the season opens with Chester Bailey (Friday, June 18 to Saturday, July 3) starring the father-and-son acting duo of Reed and Ephraim Birney. Then is a full staging of Eleanor (July 13 to Aug. 11) about Eleanor Roosevelt starring Harriet Harris. The world premiere of Sister Sorry (Aug. 13 to 29) is a new play about a stunning true crime confession follows and the season concludes with A Crossing (Sept. 23 to Oct. 17), a dance musical. Outside in the tent, the season opens with Who Could Ask for Anything More? The Songs of George Gershwin (Thursday, June 10 to Saturday, July 3) and Boca, a world premiere play (July 30 to Aug. 22). It is a series of short comedies about seniors living in Florida. The tent will also be the location for a number of concerts. For information or tickets, visit BarringrtonStage.org.
Karen Isaacs is an East Haven resident. To check out her reviews for New York and Connecticut shows, visit 2ontheaisle.wordpress.com. She’s a member of the Connecticut Critics Circle, New York’s Outer Critics Circle, the League of Professional Theater Women and the American Theatre Critics Association.