The New Year is here, and with it comes a string of new Broadway shows and exciting revivals. From brand-new musicals and high-brow remakes, 2020 is shaping up to be a year of theatrical delights. Musicals that premiered last year were full of surprises, and we can’t wait to sing and dance the night away with what Broadway has to offer this year.
So, if you’re planning for a culture and music-filled year, you’ve come to the right place. Read ahead for six musicals you absolutely should not miss when they come to the Great White Way.
West Side Story
Old show, fresh take. Director Ivo van Hove, best known for his works “A View from the Bridge” and “Network” is making major changes to West Side Story. The European director promises an edgier revival of the iconic musical, modifying the dance choreography, live video sequences and cuts to the score.
Set in the 1950’s, warring street gangs square-off as a star-crossed romance ignites between two of the rivaling sides. West Side Story, currently in previews at the Broadway Theatre, opens on February 20th. Grab your tickets here.
Company
Another reworking theater-loving fans should be excited for is director Marianne Elliott’s take on Company. The 1970 Broadway musical, with music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim and a book by George Furth, was groundbreaking in its day. For its 50th-year anniversary production, Elliott gender-switches the central role of Bobby to Bobbie, to be played by the amazing Katrina Lenk who’s well-known for her “The Band’s Visit” performance.
Company begins previews March 2nd at the Bernard B. Jacobs Theatre, opening March 22nd. Grab your tickets here.
MJ The Musical
Michael Jackson, one of the most popular music icons of the 20th Century is getting his own bio-jukebox musical. The story is by two-time Pulitzer Prize-winner Lynn Nottage and directed and choreographed by Tony Awardee Christopher Wheeldon. It’s still expected though, even with its exemplary cast and creatives, that the musical will generate intense reactions and plenty of controversies.
MJ The Musical centers around the rehearsals for Jackson’s 1992 Dangerous World Tour and features more than 25 Jackson songs. Previews begin on July 6th at the Neil Simon Theatre with an official opening of Aug 13th.
Mrs. Doubtfire
Fresh out of last season’s hit musical “Beetlejuice,“ Rob McClure takes a star turn as the title character in the musical adaptation of the 1993 Robin Williams film “Mrs. Doubtfire.” The musical tells the story of a dad who disguises himself as an elderly nanny named “Euphegenia Doubtfire” to win back his kids after losing custody. He then gets himself hired by his ex-wife and gets to be the father he never was.
Reviews of Mrs. Doubtfire’s pre-Broadway Seattle engagement have been mixed yet encouraging. Directed by Jerry Zaks, the musical begins previews on March 9th at the Stephen Sondheim Theatre, with an opening night set on April 5th. Grab your tickets here.
The Music Man
There is no doubt that the forthcoming revival of musical comedy classic The Music Man is the hottest ticket of the fall. First played on Broadway in 1957, the story revolves around a flim-flam traveling salesman who wins the hearts of a stubborn, unwelcoming Iowa town. With Tony winners Hugh Jackman and Sutton Foster in the leads, not to mention the time-honored Meredith Willson, The Music Man is the sure-to-be-a-smash revival of the year.
The musical arrives on Broadway on Sept 9th at the Winter Garden Theatre with official opening night on Oct 15th. Get your tickets here.
Girl from the North Country
Haunting and enigmatic are the words that best describe Girl from the North Country, a jukebox musical inspired by the music of singer-songwriter Bob Dylan. Set in 1934 in Duluth, Minnesota, the musical is a Depression-era kitchen-sink drama set in a boarding house. In this house is where we learn about its inhabitants and witness how their lives intertwine. Ultimately, the show is a poetic and beautiful story about family, love, and humanity.
Following critically-acclaimed, smash-hit runs at The Public Theater, The Old Vic London, and in the West End, the show previews begin on Feb 7th at the Belasco Theatre. It officially opens on March 5th. Get your tickets here.