Broadway Post-COVID: What Shows Are Opening – and When (Updating)

Classics like “The Phantom of the Opera” and newcomers like “The Music Man” are aiming for fall starts

Broadway theaters, shut down in March 2020 at the onset of the coronavirus pandemic, are aiming to light up again beginning this September under still-to-be-determined safety protocols.

New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo on May 3 announced that the state would be lifting all of its capacity restrictions beginning May 19, including for Broadway theaters. But continued questions about capacity limits, as well as the logistics of rehiring and rehearsing casts, have led producers and theater owners to plan for a September return of both new and old productions.

The industry is also hoping to reschedule the Tony Awards celebrating the best new shows from the pandemic-shortened 2019-2020 season, including musical hits like “Jagged Little Pill” and “Moulin Rouge!”

“We look forward to reopening at full capacity and are working to safely welcome audiences and employees back to Broadway theatres this fall,” The Broadway League said in a statement. “As always, we continue to work closely with our elected officials and will share more information as soon as plans become finalized.”

Here are the shows that are currently expected to raise (or re-raise) the curtain later this year:

*“Ain’t Too Proud” (Imperial Theatre) *The 2019 Tony winner follows the life of the classic Motown group The Temptations. Reopening: Oct. 16

*“Aladdin” (New Amsterdam) *Disney’s stage adaptation of the animated 1992 hit has been playing to family audiences since 2014. Reopening: TBA

*“Chicago” (Ambassador Theatre)* The long-running musical revival that spawned an Oscar-winning film. Reopening: Sept. 14

*“Clyde’s” (Hayes Theater) *Lynn Nottage’s new play set in a truck stop sandwich shop that offers its formerly incarcerated kitchen staff a shot at redemption. Previews Begin: Fall 2021

*“Diana: The Musical” (Longacre) *A new musical about Princess Diana that was set to open in spring 2020 is now looking for a December debut — two months after Netflix starts streaming a filmed version of the production. Previews Begin: Dec. 1

*“Hadestown” (Walter Kerr Theatre)* The 2019 Tony winner for Best Musical retells the myth of Orpheus and Eurydice. Reopening: TBA

*“Hamilton” (Richard Rodgers)* Lin-Manuel Miranda’s musical megahit should continue to draw crowds even after the filmed version played on Disney+ during the pandemic. Reopening: TBA

*“Jagged Little Pill” (Broadhurst) *A musical based on Alanis Morissette’s classic ’90s album opened in fall 2019 — and snagged 15 Tony nominations. Reopening: Oct. 21

*“The Lion King” (Minskoff) *Disney’s stage musical has been enchanting audiences with its puppetry, dancing and Elton John’s tunes since 1997. Reopening: TBA

*“The Music Man” (Winter Garden)* Hugh Jackman and Sutton Foster are set to star in this high-profile revival of the classic musical. Previews Begin: Dec. 20

*“The Phantom of the Opera” (Majestic)* This Andrew Lloyd Webber rock-opera is Broadway’s longest running musical hit. Reopening: Oct. 22

*“Six” (Brooks Atkinson) *This British pop musical about the six wives of Henry VIII was set to officially open on the very night that Broadway theaters shut down. Previews Resume: Sept. 17

*“Wicked” (Gershwin) *The musical re-telling of “The Wizard of Oz” has been defying gravity since 2003. Reopening: Sept. 14