The bright lights of Broadway have been dark since the coronavirus pandemic shut down shows on March 12, 2020, but some shows have begun to announce a return to the stage.
New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo said on May 5 that theaters could reopen to 100% capacity on Sept. 14, 2021, 18 months after theaters last closed their doors.
While virtual productions and TikTok musicals have stepped in to fill the void, there's nothing like live theater. We're keeping track of every production that has announced a return, where it will be, and when it will start performances again.
September
'Hadestown'
This soaring musical, with music and a book by Anaïs Mitchell, will be the first show to return to Broadway in 2021, with an opening night set for Sept. 2.
In 2019, the musical, which uses jazz and folk-style music to tell the Greek myth of Orpheus and Eurydice, earned eight Tony Awards, including for Best Musical. The show has also been critically acclaimed in prior productions, including an off-Broadway run in 2016 and a London production in 2018.
'Hamilton'
This smash-hit historical musical, chronicling the life and political career of Alexander Hamilton, will return to the Richard Rodgers Theatre on Sept. 14.
The musical swept the Tony Awards in 2016, walking away with 11 trophies, and became a pop culture phenomenon. During the pandemic, a filmed version of the show, which has music and lyrics by Lin-Manuel Miranda, was released on Disney+, allowing fans to bring the theatrical experience into their homes.
'Wicked'
One of Broadway's longest-running musicals, Wicked will fly back into the Gershwin Theatre on Sept. 14.
The musical, with music and lyrics by Stephen Schwartz and a book by Winnie Holzman, is a prequel to the famous "Wizard of Oz" and tells the story of the Wicked Witch of the West and Glinda the Good Witch.
'The Lion King'
This Disney staple will also reopen at the Minskoff Theatre on Sept. 14. The famous show, which began performances in 1997, features the same Elton John and Tim Rice songs as the animated movie, as well as additional music and lyrics by Lebo M., Mark Mancina, Jay Rifkin, Julie Taymor and Hans Zimmer.
'Chicago'
This dance-heavy Fosse revival will tap its way back into the Ambassador Theatre on Sept. 14. Previous headlining stars have included Lisa Rinna, Erika Jayne and Rita Wilson.
The classic musical, created by acclaimed partners John Kander and Fred Ebb, is the longest-running American musical in Broadway history: Before the shutdown, it had played over 9,000 performances since opening in 1975.
'Six'
This concert-style musical, which tells the stories of the six wives of Henry VIII, was just hours away from officially opening on Broadway when the coronavirus pandemic shut down the industry. Now, the British musical, with book, music and lyrics by Toby Marlow and Lucy Moss, will begin previews at the Brooks Atkinson Theatre on Sept. 17, with an opening night set for Oct. 3.
'American Utopia'
This musical, created by musician David Byrne and based on his album of the same name, closed on Broadway in 2020, but is now planning an encore run at an unannounced theater starting on Sept. 17. A filmed version of the show was released on HBO Max.
'Come From Away'
This 2017 musical, with book, music and lyrics by Irene Sankoff and David Hein, tells the story of the stranded airline passengers stuck in Canada in the aftermath of 9/11. It will reopen at the Gerald Schoenfeld Theatre on Sept. 21.
A filmed version of the musical is also heading to Apple TV+ soon: The cast reunited at the theater for the first time in over a year and were greeted by cheering fans last weekend.
Related
'Moulin Rouge!'
This spectacular musical, based on the 2001 movie of the same name, will return to the Al Hirschfeld Theatre on Sept. 24. The show, written by written by Baz Luhrmann and Craig Pearce, features dozens of popular songs, remixed into a sweeping love story.
'Aladdin'
This magical Disney musical will return to the New Amsterdam Theatre on Sept. 28, making it the last Broadway reopening of the month as of now. The musical, which is based on the classic 1992 Disney movie, has a book by Chad Beguelin, music by Alan Menken and lyrics by Howard Ashman, Tim Rice and Beguelin.
October
'Tina: The Tina Turner Musical'
This bio-musical, chronicling the life of queen of rock 'n' roll Tina Turner using her own music, will return to the Lunt-Fontanne Theatre on Oct. 8.
While the 2020 Tony Award winners still haven't been announced, the musical, which was a hit in its initial London production, racked up 12 nominations, including for best musical and best actress in a musical. The musical was written by Katori Hall, Kees Prins and Frank Ketelaar.
'Girl From the North Country'
The songs of Bob Dylan collide with an original, Depression-era story by Conor McPherson for this new musical, which had just begun performances on Broadway when theaters were shut down. Now, the show will return to the Belasco Theatre on October 13.
The show has garnered five-star reviews in earlier productions, including in London in 2017 and off-Broadway in 2018.
'Ain't Too Proud: The Life and Times of the Temptations'
This 2018 jukebox musical, featuring music and lyrics by the Temptations and a book by Dominique Morisseau, will return to the Imperial Theatre on Oct. 16. The hit show mixes songs by the famous band and other Motown classics to tell the group's story.
The show, which was nominated for 12 Tony Awards in 2019 and won one, will start with a special gala performance before returning to regular performances.
'Jagged Little Pill'
Based on the music of Alanis Morissette and featuring some of her biggest hits, with a book by Oscar nominee Diablo Cody, this musical will return to the Broadhurst Theatre on Oct. 21.
Like "Tina," "Jagged Little Pill" is waiting on the results from the still-postponed 2020 Tony Awards, but was nominated in 15 categories, including best musical, best actress and best featured actor.
'The Phantom of the Opera'
This might be the most well-known show on Broadway, and it's certainly the longest-running: The spooky British musical has been running since 1988, marking more than 30 years at the Majestic Theatre. The show will reopen on Oct. 22.
November
'Diana the Musical'
There's been no shortage of royal news in 2021, and now, a fictionalized version of the life of Princess Diana will be back onstage at the Longacre Theatre, beginning previews on Nov. 2 before an official Nov. 17 opening night.
A filmed version of the musical, which has a book and lyrics by Joe DiPietro and music and lyrics by David Bryan will also be available on Netflix by then: The show was filmed during the pandemic and is scheduled to be released on Oct. 1.
'Flying Over Sunset'
Original musical "Flying Over Sunset" had just begun performances on Broadway in the spring of 2020. Now, the new musical, which has a book by James Lapine, music by Tom Kitt and lyrics by Michael Korie and tells the story of three real-life celebrities experimenting with LSD, will begin previews at the Vivian Beaumont Theatre on Nov. 4 before an official opening night on Dec. 6.
December
'MJ'
This bio-musical, which tells the story of Michael Jackson's life through his own hit songs, was met with acclaim in its first production in England but has not yet opened in the United States. After multiple delays caused by the pandemic, the show will begin preview performances on Dec. 6 before a Feb. 1, 2022 opening night.
The show features Jackson's music and is written by two-time Pulitzer Prize winner Lynn Nottage.
'Mrs. Doubtfire'
This comedic musical had run just three preview performances at the Stephen Sondheim Theatre when the coronavirus pandemic closed Broadway theaters, but will begin previews again on Oct. 21. The show's opening night has been rescheduled for Dec. 5.
The show is a musical version of the 1993 Robin Williams classic, and features original music and lyrics by Wayne and Karey Kirkpatrick and a book by Karey Kirkpatrick and John O'Farrell.
'Dear Evan Hansen'
This smash-hit musical will return to the Music Box Theatre on Dec. 11. The show, which won six Tony Awards in 2016, including best musical and best actor, tells a story of community and connection after a tragedy.
The musical has music and lyrics by Benj Pasek and Justin Paul, and a book by Steven Levenson, and has expanded off-stage: A novelization of the show was released in 2018, and a movie adaptation is in the works, with a release date of Sept. 2021.
'The Music Man'
This eagerly-anticipated production, set to star Hugh Jackman and Sutton Foster, had yet to perform on Broadway when the coronavirus pandemic closed theaters, but now, the show will premiere at the Winter Garden Theatre on Dec. 20 with an official opening night set for Feb. 10, 2022.
The classic musical, with a book, music and lyrics by Meredith Willson, is based on a story by Willson and Franklin Lacey and tells the tale of a conman who stops by a small town in Iowa. The show was last seen on Broadway in 2000, in a revival that starred the late Rebecca Luker, who died in December.
'Company'
The gender-swapped version of this Stephen Sondheim musical comedy, with a book by George Furth, had just begun previews when the pandemic closed theaters. Now, the show will return to the stage with previews beginning on Dec. 20 and an official opening night set for Jan. 9, 2022.
The musical, usually performed with a male lead, tells the story of Bobby — or, in this case, Bobbi — a restless 35-year-old grappling with commitment.
2022
'The Minutes'
This new play, by playwright Tracy Letts, was in previews when Broadway shut down last March. The show hasn't announced where it will play — its venue at the time, the Cort Theatre, is currently undergoing renovations — but is now slated for an opening night on March 15, 2022, exactly two years after it was originally supposed to open.
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