WASHINGTON — A trio of blockbuster musicals will help usher in Broadway's return from the coronavirus pandemic.
Cast members from "Hamilton," "Wicked" and "The Lion King" joined together on Tuesday morning to announce their shows will be resuming performances on Tuesday, Sept. 14. That's the day New York Governor Andrew Cuomo announced that Broadway theaters can fully reopen after closing down more than a year ago amid the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.
So far, "Chicago," the longest-running American musical in Broadway history, is the only other Broadway show set to open on Sept. 14. Several other returning productions including "Come From Away," "Ain't Too Proud," "Phantom of the Opera" and "Jagged Little Pill" have announced reopening dates for later September or October.
Broadway performances were initially suspended on March 12, 2020, in an attempt to slow the spread of the coronavirus pandemic. At the time, there were 31 shows running, including eight new productions in previews. There were also eight more shows in rehearsals preparing to open before the shutdown hit.
The Broadway that reopens will look different. In May, the big budget Disney musical “Frozen” decided not to reopen when Broadway theaters restart, marking the first time an established show had been felled by the coronavirus pandemic. Producers of “Mean Girls” also decided not to restart.
But there will be new shows, including Antoinette Chinonye Nwandu’s “Pass Over” that is slated to reopen the August Wilson Theatre, the same venue “Mean Girls” has vacated. And a Shubert theater has been promised for playwright Keenan Scott II’s play “Thoughts of a Colored Man.”
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
