Jimmy Fallon and Lin-Manuel Miranda celebrated the upcoming return of Broadway shows to New York City in September with a fun musical number on “The Tonight Show.”
The duo sang about all the musicals they can’t wait to see in the fall, set to the tune of the “Hamilton” song “You’ll Be Back.”
“I miss drinking wine out of sippy cups and a $20 snack,” Miranda crooned. “A night at the theater, my favorite kind of date. I even miss the people who always show up late.”
Then they sang and acted out snippets of their favorite musicals, from “The Phantom of the Opera” (or as Fallon called him, “the only masked singer with a Tony!”) to “West Side Story” (“where fighting is just dancing!”).
A host of Broadway legends also joined them on stage, including “In the Heights” star Olga Merediz, “Wicked” star Kristin Chenoweth, “Hamilton” star Christopher Jackson and "A Raisin in the Sun" star Phylicia Rashad. They all joined together at the end of the number to dance in excitement as confetti fell from the ceiling in celebration of the return of live theater to New York City's iconic district.
"The Tonight Show" studio was also buzzing with the energy of the full, live audience, which returned this week for the first time since March 2020. Fallon went back to 30 Rock in March 2021 but with a reduced-capacity crowd.
Broadway theaters have been dark since last March and are set to reopen starting in the fall. In mid-May, New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo gave theaters the green light to open at 100% capacity beginning Sept. 14.
Blockbuster shows including “The Lion King,” “Chicago”, “Hamilton” and “Wicked” are picking back up in September, while shows including “The Phantom of the Opera” and “Girl From the North Country” will return in October, according to Broadway.com.
Other shows, including “Company” and “Diana,” a musical about the late Princess of Wales, will open in December.