January 2019 Highlights on Broadway and Beyond

Check out our guide to the biggest theatrical events of the month.

Happy New Year to all our valued readers from the New York Theatre Guide! And if you're with me, this year will be... the Perfect Year!

As Broadway fans know, January is a month that traditionally rings out the old, before bringing in the new. Typically a number of Broadway productions - both long-running favorites as well as limited engagements from the previous fall - face their final curtains and this year is no exception, so we'd like to take this opportunity to encourage you to take a trip to the Last Chance Saloon and catch the following wonderful productions before it's too late...

Harvey Fierstein's Torch Song plays its final performance at The Hayes Theater on January 6, which also marks the final dates for Go-Go's jukebox musical Head Over Heels at the Hudson Theatre, the long-running Broadway comedy The Play That Goes Wrong at the Lyceum Theatre, and the Tony Award-winning "Best Revival of a Musical" Once on This Island at the Circle in the Square Theatre.

January 13 is your final chance to catch the acclaimed world premiere of The Lifespan of a Fact, starring Daniel Radcliffe, Cherry Jones, and Bobby Cannavale, at Studio 54.

On January 20, the Broadway production of School of Rock: The Musical will rock out one last time at the Winter Garden Theatre and Mike Birbiglia's The New One will also come to a close at the Cort Theatre.

And finally, on January 27, two thought-provoking and supremely acted plays will also face their final curtains, as The Waverly Gallery and American Son close at the Golden Theatre and Booth Theatre, respectively.

And for fans of Adam Pascal, a little reminder: the Tony Award nominee will be starring for one week only as leading man Edward Lewis in Pretty Woman: The Musical at the Nederlander Theatre. So, be sure to catch the RENT favorite from January 15 to 20 on Rodeo Drive!

Now, without any further ado, here's a quick rundown of our pick of theatrical highlights for January 2019...

January 7

If you missed him this past fall, then worry not! Academy Award winner Cuba Gooding, Jr. will be bringing his own brand of "Razzle Dazzle" back to the Ambassador Theatre on Broadway, as he reprises the iconic role of Billy Flynn in long-running favorite Chicago! Catch Cuba's return engagement from January 7 through to February 10, 2019 and discover for yourselves that all he cares about is love... and murder, greed, corruption, violence, exploitation, adultery and treachery - all those things we hold near and dear to our hearts!

Chicago Tickets are available now for performances through to September 29, 2019.

Also from January 7, hit musical Waitress will be welcoming a new guest and a (very) familiar face back to the diner, as the show's Tony and Grammy-nominated composer Sara Bareilles steps into the shoes of leading lady Jenna for a third limited engagement. This time, however, she isn't coming alone! Tony Award winner Gavin Creel will star alongside her as Dr. Pomatter and the two real-life besties will remain with the production through to February 3. It Only Takes a Taste and then you'll be hooked on this Broadway pairing, so order up a ticket and get yourselves down to the Brooks Atkinson Theatre!

Waitress Tickets are available now for performances through to September 1, 2019.

January 8

The first official Broadway opening of 2019, courtesy of Manhattan Theatre Club, is an extraordinary play brought to you by the Oscar-winning writer behind "Moonlight" - Tarell Alvin McCraney. The Broadway premiere of Choir Boy celebrates its Opening Night at the Samuel J. Friedman Theatre on January 8  and what a way to kick off the year! Led by rising star Jeremy Pope, Choir Boy combines gospel-infused, a cappella numbers (that truly raise the roof!) with an inspiring story that revolves around the leader of the choir at the prestigious Charles R. Drew Prep School for Boys. His name is Pharus, he's unapologetically gay and the trials and tribulations of his school years' experience are impactfully brought to life by this phenomenal cast of young, African American actors. There is also veteran support from Tony Award winner Chuck Cooper and Tony Award nominee Austin Pendleton to sweeten the deal!

Choir Boy Tickets are available now for performances through to February 17, 2019.

January 11

Calling all true Broadway aficionados! It's that time of the year again, folks! It's time to cosplay and celebrate all things Broadway with like-minded individuals who share your unbridled passion at BroadwayCon 2019! From January 11 to 13, the New York Hilton Midtown will host this one-of-a-kind, annual event which brings Broadway stars and fans together under one roof for three packed days of performances, workshops, autograph sessions, seminars and games. The 2019 spotlight series features panels on la crème de la crème of the Great White Way, including Dear Evan Hansen, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, Mean Girls, The Prom, The Cher Show, Pretty Woman, My Fair Lady, Come From Away and the upcoming Broadway premiere of Be More Chill!

Check out the official BroadwayCon website for more information.

January 24

The second official Broadway opening of 2019 comes to us courtesy of Roundabout Theatre Company and sees a welcomed return to the New York stage for two Hollywood heavyweights. Tony & Academy Award nominee Ethan Hawke and Golden Globe nominee Paul Dano have taken on the roles of Sam Shepard's infamous, duelling brothers Lee and Austin, respectively, in the first-ever Broadway revival of his Tony Award & Pulitzer Prize-nominated drama True West, opening at the American Airlines Theatre on January 24. Find out what happens when these polar opposite siblings collide and discover they have more in common, perhaps, than they ever imagined! Get ready for an acting master class that tears apart the American Dream, folks!

True West Tickets are available now for performances through to March 17, 2019.

 January 27

January 27 is definitely an evening to stay home and that's for one reason and one reason only... FOX presents its next live, televised musical with Rent Live!  After the huge success of Grease Live! in 2016, it was only a matter of time before FOX once again jumped on the live musical bandwagon to re-imagine a Broadway favorite for the small screen. To our delight, producers chose the 1996 Tony Award-winning "Best Musical" Rent and enlisted a star-studded cast for the TV broadcast, including Emmy Award nominee and Tony Award winner Brandon Victor Dixon (as Tom Collins), "Dancing with the Stars" winner Jordan Fisher (as Mark Cohen), "High School Musical" star Vanessa Hudgens (as Maureen Johnson), R&B and "Empire" star Mario (as Benjamin Coffin III), recording artist Tinashe (as Mimi Marquez) and "RuPaul's Drag Race" star Valentina (as Angel Dumont Schunard), among others. They are all set to bring La Vie Bohème to life, whilst Tony Award nominee and "The Greatest Showman" star Keala Settle takes on the iconic "Seasons of Love​" number, for what is sure to be a gigantic TV audience!

Finally, here's a quick rundown of our pick of theatrical highlights from Off-Broadway this January...

January 5 - Beloved stand-up comedian Colin Quinn returns to the New York stage with his latest one-man comedy: Colin Quinn: Red State Blue State. Previews begin at the Minetta Lane Theatre on January 5, ahead of an official opening on January 22.

January 7 - Atlantic Theater Company's world premiere of Blue Ridge, starring Tony Award nominee Marin Ireland, officially opens at the Linda Gross Theater.

January 10 - At Atlantic Stage 2, the world premiere of Eddie & Dave begins previews on January 10 and officially opens on January 22.

January 12 - Roundabout Theatre Company presents the Fiasco Theater production of Sondheim's Merrily We Roll Along, which begins performances at the Laura Pels Theatre.

January 15 - The August Strindberg double bill of Mies Julie and The Dance of Death begins performances at Classic Stage Company.

January 16 - The Primary Stages production of God Said This begins previews at Cherry Lane Theatre, ahead of an official opening on January 29.

January 23 - MCC Theater kicks off its unaugural season at the Robert W. Wilson MCC Theater Space - its new home in Hell's Kitchen - with the New York premiere of The Light.

January 24 - Mint Theater Company presents its first production of 2019 with the American premiere of The Price of Thomas Scott at Theatre Row.

January 29 - Signature Theatre kicks off 2019 with Lynn Nottage's By the Way, Meet Vera Stark at Pershing Square Signature Center.

January 30 - MCC Theater's eagerly anticipated Duncan Sheik/Steven Sater world premiere musical Alice by Heart begins performances at the Robert W. Wilson MCC Theater Space, whilst Lin-Manuel Miranda, Thomas Kail & Anthony Veneziale's Freestyle Love Supreme returns to the New York stage and begins performances at Greenwich House Theater.

January 31 - Second Stage Theater's first production of 2019 is the world premiere of new Tom Kitt/John Logan musical Superhero, which begins performances at the Tony Kiser Theater, whilst Irish Repertory Theatre kicks off its Sean O'Casey season with The Shadow of a Gunman.

We hope your 2019 will get off to a flying start with these theatrical delights and make sure you check out next month's guide as the first new Broadway productions of the spring begin their preview performances on the Great White Way! Until then, stay warm and stay dramatic!