The Lightning Thief, Alanis Morissette & Tina

Broadway Fall 2019 Preview - Musicals & Entertainment

We take a closer look at nine new productions opening on Broadway this fall...

Tom Millward
Tom Millward

Following on from last week's Broadway preview of all the new plays and revivals heading to the Great White Way this fall, it's now time for the musicals and entertainment shows to take centre stage. Traditionally, the majority of high profile Broadway musicals tend to open in the spring, as close to the cut-off date for Tony Awards eligibility as possible, but there are still a handful of exciting new productions gearing up to astound New York audiences this fall.

In case you've been living under a rock, you might not have noticed that the 2019-2020 Broadway season has already welcomed its first new musical and hey sista, go sista, soul sista, flow sista, it's an absolute firecracker! With a multi-million dollar budget behind it, the Broadway premiere of Moulin Rouge! The Musical, based on Baz Luhrmann's revolutionary film, officially opened at the Al Hirschfeld Theatre on July 25, following previews from June 28. Starring Aaron Tveit, Tony Award winner Karen Olivo and six-time Tony Award nominee Danny Burstein, this sparkling diamond of jukebox musicals may well prove to be the hit of the entire season!

Karen Olivo & Aaron Tveit in Moulin Rouge! The Musical
(Photo by Matthew Murphy)

Moulin Rouge! The Musical Tickets are available now for performances through July 5, 2020.

So, let's take a look at what's heading our way for the remainder of 2019...


The Lightning Thief: The Percy Jackson Musical

Kristin Stokes, Chris McCarrell & Jorrell Javier in The Lightning Thief
(Photo by Jeremy Daniel)

If you haven't had your fill of Gods and Greek mythology after Public Works' celebrated world premiere of Disney's Hercules (which plays its final performances at the Delacorte Theater this Sunday, September 8), then may we introduce to Percy Jackson... Based on the best-selling young adult novel by Rick Riordan and featuring an original rock score by Rob Rokicki and a book by Joe TraczThe Lightning Thief: The Percy Jackson Musical heads to Broadway's Longacre Theatre for a limited 16-week engagement from September 20, 2019, through January 5, 2020, with an official opening set for October 16. Find out what happens when Percy, a son of Poseidon, embarks on a quest to find Zeus' lightning bolt and prevent all-out war between the Greek gods in this imaginitive musical production, suitable for the entire family...

The Lightning Thief: The Percy Jackson Musical Tickets are available now for performances from September 20, 2019 through January 5, 2020.


Tina: The Tina Turner Musical

Adrienne Warren in Tina: The Tina Turner Musical
(Photo by Manuel Harlan)

Simply "The Best"? You're sure to find out this fall if you head down to the Lunt-Fontanne Theatre from October 12 and witness the spectacle that is Tina: The Tina Turner Musical! Having blown the roof off London's Aldwych Theatre since March 2018, it's finally time for New York audiences to experience the rock 'n' roll rollercoaster lifestory of one Tina Turner, vibrantly brought to the stage in a career-defining performance by Tony & Olivier Award nominee Adrienne Warren. Featuring a back catelogue of hits to die for, including the likes of "What's Love Got to Do With It?," "Private Dancer," "River Deep Mountain High," and "Proud Mary," among many others, and a biography so packed with twists and turns, this truly is the perfect recipe for the perfect bio-musical! An official opening is set for November 7.

Tina: The Tina Turner Musical Tickets are available now for performances from October 12, 2019, through June 7, 2020.


A Christmas Carol

Campbell Scott

OK, so although technically not a musical, this Old Vic production of A Christmas Carol does include twelve of the most beloved Christmas carols of all time, including "Joy to the World," "Silent Night," and "It Came Upon the Midnight Clear." So, here it is. Charles Dickens' classic tale has been adapted for the stage by Jack Thorne (the Tony Award-winning playwright behind Harry Potter) and this production, which has already brought the festive spirit to audiences on the other side of the pond, is directed by Tony Award winner Matthew Warchus, whose recent Broadway credits include Groundhog Day and Matilda The Musical. And if you need anymore persuasion, then how about "House of Cards" star Campbell Scott taking on the iconic role of Ebenezer Scrooge? The limited 8-week engagement begin previews at the Lyceum Theatre on November 7, ahead of an official opening on November 20.

A Christmas Carol Tickets are available now for performances from November 7, 2019, through January 5, 2020.


Jagged Little Pill

Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui, Diane Paulus, Alanis Morissette, Diablo Cody & Tom Kitt
(Photo by Matthew Murphy)

Another hugely anticipated new musical this fall begins performances at the Broadhurst Theatre on November 3. Inspired by Alanis Morissette's iconic 1995 album, Jagged Little Pill tells an original story (by Oscar winner Diablo Cody) about the Healy family, who on the surface seem to lead completely ordinary suburban lives until they face their own home truths. Bursting with hot-topic issues such as racial identity, queer identity, sexual assault, and addiction, and directed by Tony Award winner Diane Paulus, the production caused quite the stir during its world premiere run at the American Repertory Theatre in Cambridge, Massachusetts, in the summer of 2018. We have a feeling Broadway audiences are going to be "Head Over Feet" for this one... An official opening is scheduled for December 5.

Jagged Little Pill Tickets are available now for performances from November 3, 2019 through July 5, 2020.


And now time for some good old-fashioned - and even better new-fashioned - entertainment...

Derren Brown: Secret

Derren Brown
(Photo by Seamus Ryan)

First up in our broad and loosely-defined genre of "entertainment" is Derren Brown: Secret, which begins performances at the Cort Theatre tonight, ahead of an official opening on September 15. Get ready for a Broadway show by the UK's premier mindreader that will... well... blow your mind! This unfathomably gifted mentalist and illusionist has been delighting (and sometimes terrifying) British audiences across the pond for many years and his American invasion is finally in full swing. If his Off-Broadway debut at Atlantic Theater Company back in the spring of 2017 is anything to go by, then Secret will certainly take the Great White Way by storm!

Derren Brown: Secret Tickets are available now for performances from September 6, 2019 through January 4, 2020.


freestyle love supreme

freestyle love supreme at the Greenwich House Theater
(Photo by Matthew Murphy)

Beginning performances at the Booth Theatre on September 13, freestyle love supreme is set to bring its own unique brand of improvisational theatre and hip-hop to Broadway. Conceived by Lin-Manuel MirandaThomas Kail and Anthony Veneziale, the core line-up of talent for the Broadway premiere includes Andrew Bancroft (aka Jelly Donut), Arthur Lewis (aka Arthur The Geniuses), Bill Sherman (aka King Sherman), Chris Sullivan (aka Shockwave), Anthony Veneziale (aka Two-Touch), and Utkarsh Ambudkar (aka UTK), all accompanied by a live band. And if you're lucky, you might even get to see a suprise guest appearance from the likes of Tony Award winners James Monroe Inglehart and Daveed Diggs, Tony Award nominee Christopher Jackson, multiple Emmy Award winner Wayne Brady, or even Lin-Manuel Miranda himself!

freestyle love supreme Tickets are available now for performances from September 13, 2019 through January 5, 2020.


David Byrne's American Utopia

David Byrne and the Cast of American Utopia
(Photo by Catalina Kulczar)

Following more than 150 dates in 27 countries over nine months in 2018, David Byrne's American Utopia lands at the Hudson Theatre on October 4 for its Broadway premiere. Billed as a "a theatrical concert," this promises to be a genre-defying event that combines music and theatre in surprising and funky ways. Headlined by celebrated singer-songwriter David Byrne, of course, American Utopia not only innovatively showcases the pop/rock icon's seventh solo studio, but also his greatest hits from his solo career and from his days with Talking Heads. A must-see for all new wave fans across the country! An official opening is set for October 20.

David Byrne's American Utopia Tickets are available now for performances from October 4, 2019 through January 19, 2020.


Slava's Snowshow

Slava's Snowshow
(Photo by Vladimir Mishukov​)

For the first time in over a decade, the family festive spectacular known as Slava's Snowshow returns to the Great White Way and brings with it its dreamily absurd and captivating style of clowning. Slava Polunin has created his own lane in theater and his snowstorm finale has become world-renowned. The limited holiday engagement plays the Stephen Sondheim Theatre from November 11, 2019 through January 5, 2020, with an official opening on November 13.

Slava's Snowshow Tickets are available for now for performances from November 11, 2019 through January 5, 2020.


The Illusionists: Magic Of The Holidays

And finally, could it be magic... again? The globe-trotting, rotating cast of magicians known as The Illusionists return to Broadway for a fifth limited engagement and the second under the title of Magic Of The Holidays (following last year's successful run at the Marquis Theatre). The 2019 cast includes "The Mentalist" Chris Cox, "The Trickster" Paul Dabek, "The Inventor" Kevin James, "The Manipulator" Hyun Joon Kim, "The Transformationalists" Sos & Victoria Petrosyan, and "The Unforgettable" Enzo Weyne, alongside special guests VERBA Shadow Theatre (as seen on "America's Got Talent"). Performances for the limited run begin at the Neil Simon Theatre on November 29.

The Illusionists: Magic Of The Holidays Tickets are available now for performances from November 29, 2019 through January 5, 2020.


We hope you've enjoyed both parts of our 2019 Broadway Fall Preview and we hope there's plenty that you're personally looking forward to in the coming months. It's going to be quite the fun and fancy-free fall!

 

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