Looking Ahead: The Broadway Shows You Might Just See at Next Year's Tony Awards | Playbill

Tony Awards Looking Ahead: The Broadway Shows You Might Just See at Next Year's Tony Awards What's already lighting up Times Square, what's waiting in the wings, and what's on the horizon.

We'd say the 2019–2020 season came and went, but why lie? It was, literally, the longest season ever. But as the 74th annual Tony Awards come to an end, Broadway is ready to welcome back audiences after a period of darkness.

While the majority of current offerings had already been running and put on hold in March 2020, a handful of today's titles are brand new to Broadway. Even more are waiting to fill out the remainder of this season. Take a look below to see what shows to keep an eye on—for next year's Tony Awards and beyond.

SEE IT NOW

Here are the new shows that are currently lighting up the Great White Way.

PASS OVER
For its Broadway premiere, Antoinette Chinonye Nwandu updated her play about two young Black men to center their joy rather than trauma. It opened August 22 at the August Wilson Theatre and runs through October 10.

LACKAWANNA BLUES
Written, performed, and directed by Ruben Santiago-Hudson, the play is set in a 1950s boarding house with the artist bringing over 20 characters to life in the solo performance, celebrating the housemother who raised him, Miss Rachel. The Manhattan Theatre Club production runs at the Samuel L. Friedman Theatre through October 31.

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Abby Mueller, Samantha Pauly, Adrianna Hicks, Andrea Macasaet, Brittney Mack, and Anna Uzele in Six Joan Marcus

SIX
The historemix has restarted. The high-energy, pop-infused take on Henry VIII’s half-dozen wives is back in previews and officially opens October 3 at the Brooks Atkinson Theatre.

CHICKEN AND BISCUITS
Douglas Lyons’ family comedy began previews September 23 at the Circle in the Square Theatre and is scheduled for a limited engagement through January 2, 2022. Opening night is set for October 10.

IS THIS A ROOM
Emily Davis stars as former Air Force intelligence specialist Reality Winner charged with leaking information about Russian interference in the U.S. election. The play is conceived and directed by Tina Satter with text constructed from the FBI interrogation. Previews began September 24, ahead of an October 11 opening. Eventually, Is This A Room will run in rep with Dana H. at the Lyceum Theatre.

THE LEHMAN TRILOGY
Stefano Massini’s epic saga about the namesake family of financial giants recently resumed previews at the Nederlander Theatre ahead of an October 14 opening.

MARK YOUR CALENDAR

The following shows already have dates and/or a theatre booked.

CAROLINE, OR CHANGE
Sharon D. Clarke finally makes her Broadway debut at Studio 54 by reprising her Olivier-winning turn as the title maid in the Jeanine Tesori and Tony Kushner musical. Previews begin October 8 prior to an official opening October 27 for the Michael Longhurst-directed production, presented by Roundabout Theatre Company.

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Sharon D. Clarke Alastair Muir

GIRL FROM THE NORTH COUNTRY
The Bob Dylan jukebox musical was among the last shows to officially open prior to the coronavirus shutdown, though not in time to make the Tony Awards’ retroactive deadline for 2019–2020 season eligibility. A majority of the original cast will return when performances resume October 13 at the Belasco Theatre.

DANA H.
Playwright Lucas Hnath reconstructs the true story of his own mother’s kidnapping and 5-month confinement in a series of Florida motel rooms. Deirdre O’Connell reprises her role as Dana from the Vineyard Theatre production, under the helm of Les Waters. The play runs in rep with Is This A Room at the Lyceum Theatre. Previews begin October 1 with opening night slated for October 17.

THOUGHTS OF A COLORED MAN
Keenan Scott II and director Steve H. Broadnax III make their Broadway debuts with the play, which explores a single day in the pulsing heart of Brooklyn as seven Black men discover the extraordinary together. The cast includes Dyllón Burnside, Tony nominee Forrest McClendon, Luke James, Bryan Terrell Clark, Da’Vinchi, Tristan “Mack” Wilds, and Esau Pritchett. Performances will begin October 1 at the John Golden Theatre; opening night is set for October 31.

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Keenan Scott II, Brian Moreland, and Steve H. Broadnax III Emilio Madrid-Kuser

DIANA
Following its film capture premiere on Netflix October 1, the Joe DiPietro and David Bryan bio-musical about the late Princess of Wales resumes previews November 2 at the Longacre Theatre. Opening night is set for November 17, with Jeanna de Waal as Diana, Roe Hartrampf as Prince Charles, Erin Davie as Camilla Parker Bowles, and Judy Kaye as Queen Elizabeth. Christopher Ashley directs.

TROUBLE IN MIND
LaChanze stars as an experienced Black stage actress going through rehearsals of a major Broadway production in the Main Stem debut of Alice Childress’ look at racism, identity, and ego in the world of New York theatre. Charles Randolph-Wright directs the play, with an opening planned for November 18 at Roundabout's American Airlines Theatre following previews that begin October 29.

CLYDE'S
The latest play from Lynn Nottage follows a truck stop sandwich shop that offers its formerly incarcerated kitchen staff a shot at redemption. Previews begin November 3 ahead of a November 22 opening at Second Stage's Broadway home, the Hayes Theater. Kate Whoriskey directs a cast that includes Uzo Aduba, Ron Cephas Jones, and Kara Young.

MRS. DOUBTFIRE
Having played only three performances pre-shutdown, the musical comedy resumes October 21 at the Stephen Sondheim Theatre with Rob McClure starring as a divorced father disguising himself at the titular nanny to spend more time with his children. Jerry Zaks directs the musical, featuring a score by the Kirkpatrick brothers. Opening night is set for December 5.

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Patti LuPone Brinkhoff/Moegenburg

COMPANY
The gender-swapped take on the Stephen Sondheim-George Furth favorite played a few performances before the shutdown. When it comes back, Tony winners Katrina Lenk and Patti LuPone will reprise their star turns as Bobbie and Joanne, respectively. Performances resume November 15 at the Bernard B. Jacobs Theatre, where opening night is set for December 9.

FLYING OVER SUNSET
Carmen Cusack, Harry Hadden-Paton, and Tony Yazbeck star as Clare Boothe Luce, Aldous Huxley, and Cary Grant in the new musical about the trio’s experimentations with LSD. The first preview for the musical was originally scheduled for March 12, 2020—the day the shutdown went in to effect—but it will now fly into the Vivian Beaumont Theater on November 11 (and open December 13). Flying Over Sunset has a book by director James Lapine, music by Tom Kitt, and lyrics by Michael Korie.

SKELETON CREW
The Broadway premiere of Dominique Morisseau’s play about the tight-knit family of workers at a small auto factory facing foreclosure arrives at Manhattan Theatre Club’s Samuel L. Friedman Theatre on December 21. Tony winner Phylicia Rashad leads the cast under the direction of Ruben Santiago-Hudson. The staging opens January 12, 2022.

MJ
Myles Frost stars as Michael Jackson when the bio-musical begins previews December 6 at the Neil Simon Theatre. Using a score made of pop hits, a book from Lynn Nottage, and direction by Christopher Wheeldon, the production opens February 1, 2022. Quentin Earl Darrington, Whitney Bashor, Gabriel Ruiz, and Antoine L. Smith co-star.

THE MUSIC MAN
Hugh Jackman and Sutton Foster headline the long-in-development revival, which was originally scheduled for a fall 2020 opening. Once the curtain finally rises, it will be with aa new producer at the helm; Kate Horton, who replaced Scott Rudin in the wake of workplace abuse allegations. Previews begin December 20 at the Winter Garden Theatre; the Jerry Zaks staging will open February 10, 2022.

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The Music Man at the Winter Garden Theatre Marc J. Franklin

PARADISE SQUARE
Set in Manhattan’s Five Points neighborhood amid the Civil War and the New York Draft Riots, the new musical follows the denizens of a local saloon, including the Black woman who owns it, a conflicted newly arrived Irish immigrant, a runaway slave, a political boss, and a once-great songwriter. Conceived by Larry Kirwan, Paradise Square features a score by Jason Howland, Nathan Tysen, and Masi Asare, with additional material provided by Kirwan. It arrives on Broadway February 22, 2022 (opening March 20), following a Chicago tryout this winter.

PLAZA SUITE
Married couple Sarah Jessica Parker and Matthew Broderick take on roles as three different couples in the Neil Simon comedy set in the famed New York City hotel. Originally planned for a spring 2020 run, the show will now begin previews February 22, 2022, at the Hudson Theatre before opening March 28.

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Patrick J. Adams, Jesse Williams, and Jesse Tyler Ferguson Catherine Wessel

TAKE ME OUT
Jesse Williams, Jesse Tyler Ferguson, Patrick J. Adams, and more are confirmed for the rescheduled Broadway revival of Richard Greenberg’s baseball drama. The Second Stage production, directed by Scott Ellis, will begin previews March 9, 2022, at the Helen Hayes Theater with an opening night set for April 4.

THE MINUTES
The Tracy Letts play will return to Broadway at Studio 54 when it resumes previews in March 2022 ahead of an April 7 opening night. Casting will be announced later with at least one star already not returning (Armie Hammer). Anna D. Shapiro directs the play that follows a city council meeting and the hypocrisy, greed, and ambition that bubble to the surface when a newcomer arrives.

BIRTHDAY CANDLES
Noah Haidle’s play, starring Debra Messing and directed by Vivienne Benesch, follows Ernestine Ashworth as she bakes a cake across five generations. The Roundabout production will run at the American Airlines Theatre with previews beginning March 18, 2022, with an April 10 opening.

HOW I LEARNED TO DRIVE
Mary-Louise Parker and David Morse, who originated the roles of Li'l Bit and her Uncle Peck Off-Broadway in 1997, will return to the roles for the Broadway premiere of Paula Vogel’s Pulitzer Prize-winning memory play about a woman coming to terms with an abusive relationship. Produced by Manhattan Theatre Club in association with Vineyard Theatre, the play begins March 29, 2022, and opens April 19 at the Samuel L. Friedman Theatre.

STAY TUNED

These shows have announced plans to open in the 2021–2022 season or shortly after, though no word yet on exact details.

SING STREET
After postponing its Broadway transfer, the musical (which premiered at New York Theatre Workshop in early 2020) is eyeing a 2021–2022 bow at a Shubert house to be determined. In the meantime, the show did release an Original Cast Recording.

ONCE UPON A ONE MORE TIME
The Broadway-aimed Britney Spears jukebox musical will premiere at Shakespeare Theatre Company’s Sidney Harman Hall in Washington, D.C., in November. Directed and choreographed by Keone and Mari Madrid, the show features an original story by Jon Hartmere that flips the script on well-known fairy tales.

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Ensemble of KPOP Ben Arons

KPOP
Although the pre-Broadway engagement—scheduled to begin in December at the Signature Theatre in Washington, D.C.— was recently canceled, producing partners Tim Forbes and Joey Parnes say the musical is still on track to open on Broadway in the coming year. The musical by Jason Kim, Helen Park, and Max Vernon played an acclaimed Off-Broadway run through Ars Nova, Ma-Yi Theater, and the Woodshed Collective in 2017, going on to win the 2018 Lucille Lortel Award for Outstanding Musical.

FUNNY GIRL
Beanie Feldstein will take on the role of Fanny Brice in the production, marking the first Broadway revival of the musical since it catapulted Barbra Streisand to stardom. Director Michael Mayer and book adapter Harvey Fierstein, who previously collaborated on the U.K. revival, will reunite for the 2022 Broadway bow.

FOR COLORED GIRLS…
Tony nominee Camille A. Brown will serve as both director and choreographer when the revival of Ntozake Shange’s form-changing for colored girls who have considered suicide/when the rainbow is enuf makes its Broadway bow in 2022. Brown choreographed the 2019 production at Off-Broadway's Public Theater that was under the helm of Leah C. Gardiner.

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Cast of for colored girls who have considered suicide/when the rainbow is enuf Joan Marcus

SOME LIKE IT HOT
After writing songs for Smash’s fictional Bombshell musical, Marc Shaiman and Scott Wittman will musicalize the 1959 Marilyn Monroe comedy. Amber Ruffin and Matthew Lopez are collaborating on the book, which will re-examine the material in a variety of ways—including making the role of Sugar a Black woman. The direct-to-Broadway production is eyeing a 2022 bow.

A STRANGE LOOP
Washington, D.C.'s Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company will present Michael R. Jackson's Pulitzer Prize-winning musical later this year. The Off-Broadway production was helmed by Stephen Brackett and featured choreography by Raja Feather Kelly and music direction by Rona Siddiqui; all three return to stage the D.C. production. Producer Barbara Whitman has been open about her Broadway plans for the work following the Woolly Mammoth run.

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Miriam-Teak Lee and cast of & Juliet Johan Persson

& JULIET
Following a coronavirus delay, the musical—which uses pop hits by Max Martin to offer more agency to Shakespeare’s star-crossed lover—will make its North American debut in Toronto in July 2022. The run is currently being billed as a “pre-Broadway” engagement.

A BEAUTIFUL NOISE
The Broadway-aimed musical about the life of singer-songwriter Neil Diamond will open June 21, 2022, at Boston's Emerson Colonial Theatre for a limited engagement through July 17. Tony winner Michael Mayer will direct the production, set to incorporate Diamond's hit tunes.

THE DEVIL WEARS PRADA
The Broadway-aimed stage adaptation of The Devil Wears Prada—based on Lauren Weisberger's 2003 novel and the 2006 film—is scheduled to hold its world premiere engagement July 19–August 21, 2022, in Chicago with Tony winner Beth Leavel as Miranda Priestly and Taylor Iman Jones as Andy Saks. The show features music by Elton John, lyrics by singer-songwriter Shaina Taub, and a book by Paul Rudnick and Kate Wetherhead. Anna D. Shapiro will direct.

AMERICAN BUFFALO
The revival of David Mamet's American Buffalo, starring Laurence Fishburne, Sam Rockwell, and Darren Criss, was in rehearsal when the pandemic closed theatres. The Neil Pepe-directed production announced its intention to return to the Circle in the Square Theatre in 2022, but new dates have yet to be announced.

BETWEEN RIVERSIDE AND CRAZY
Second Stage will host the Broadway premiere of Stephen Adly Guirgis’ Pulitzer Prize-winning play. The production, directed by Austin Pendleton, is currently slated to play the Hayes Theater in fall 2022. Guirgis and Pendleton previously collaborated on the piece, about an ex-cop and his recently paroled son, Off-Broadway.

DANCIN’
Tony winner Wayne Cilento, an original cast member of Bob Fosse's Dancin', will direct a revival of the 1978 musical revue, which is aiming for a Broadway bow in the 2022–2023 season following a yet-to-be-announced out-of-town engagement. Joey Parnes and Nicole Fosse (daughter of Fosse and Gwen Verdon and artistic director of the Verdon Fosse Legacy) are attached as producers.

 
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