London Calling... Broadway answers!
The West End and Broadway scenes have a long history of theatrically scratching each other's backs and commercially capitalising on a wider audience reach across the other side of the pond. This 2016-2017 Broadway season will welcome a handful of hit London productions, including Cameron Mackintosh's revival of Miss Saigon, the Donmar Wahrehouse's Les Liaisons Dangereuses, the Old Vic's Groundhog Day and a re-vamped version of Roald Dahl's Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. Other successful West End productions such as Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, the National Theatre's People, Places & Things and the Imelda Staunton-led revival of Gypsy are also rumoured to be heading stateside with respective Broadway transfers in the years to come.
At this time, we thought we'd take a look on the other side of the coin and celebrate some of the Broadway and off-Broadway productions that have managed to secure a spot in London's Theatreland this season...
Disney Theatrical's Aladdin already opened to mostly positive reviews at London's Prince Edward Theatre on 15th June 2016, with Broadway's understudy Genie Trevor Dion Nicholas now stepping front and centre to wow the London crowds. British musical theatre stars Dean John-Wilson and Jade Ewen are flying the utterly magical carpet each night as Aladdin and Princess Jasmine, respectively. Mirroring Broadway, Disney Theatrical has Aladdin running successfully, with impressive ticket sales over the summer, alongside its flagship show The Lion King in London now. You don't have to have a crystal ball to see a West End transfer on the cards for the mouse's upcoming musical Frozen after its Broadway premiere at the St. James Theatre in spring 2018 either. By the way, Disney Theatrical will also invade London's Royal Albert Hall on Sunday, 23rd October with Disney's Broadway Hits featuring the BBC Orchestra and a special appearance by EGOT-winning composer Alan Menken himself to celebrate over two decades of the company's Broadway and West End productions.
The other big Broadway show to have directly transferred and opened in the Big Smoke already this year is Motown The Musical. Berry Gordy's autobiographical jukebox musical officially opened at the Shaftesbury Theatre on 8th March, missing the eligibility cut-off date for this year's Olivier Awards by just three weeks. Much like the invasion of Motown artists to the British Isles in the 1960s, the musical has proven to be an absolute hit in the UK and has close to capacity houses "dancing in the streets" eight times a week... well, dancing on Shaftesbury Avenue at least! This may well be a contender for the Best Musical gong at the 71st Olivier Awards at the Royal Albert Hall on 9th April 2017.
Now, let's look ahead to those upcoming productions still waiting to raise the curtain in London.
It became one of the hottest tickets in town during its off-Broadway limited engagement at the New York Theatre Workshop and now Lazarus is heading to David Bowie's home country for a West End premiere at the Kings Cross Theatre, beginning previews on 25th October, before an official opening on 8th November. Even better news for the Brits is that Golden Globe winner Michael C. Hall will be reprising his role as Thomas Newton for the London production. The off-Broadway incarnation was still playing when Bowie sadly passed away on 10th January of this year and Lazarus will go down in the history books as one of the last projects the singer completed working on. The musical acts as a sequel to Walter Tevis' novel "The Man Who Fell to Earth." The 1976 film adaptation famously starred Bowie himself.
Next up is the Tony-nominated musical adaptation of the 2003 Jack Black film School of Rock. It is a rare occurrence that Lord Andrew Lloyd Webber opens new work directly on Broadway rather than in the West End. In fact, the last time was way back in 1971 with 'Jesus Christ Superstar.' The American subject matter and more relaxed child labour laws in the States meant that Broadway was the perfect fit for this latest project. However, it seems that despite the stricter laws, the Lord's team have now found their cast for a West End transfer as School of Rock - The Musical is set to officially open at the New London Theatre on 14th November, following previews from 24th October. The creative team also boasts a book from British favourite and "Downtown Abbey" creator Julian Fellowes. Lloyd Webber hasn't had a hit in the West End since 1993 with 'Sunset Boulevard.' Fingers crossed that this movie-to-stage adaptation will mirror its Broadway success. "Where Did the Rock Go?" asks Rosalie in the musical... to the New London Theatre, of course!
The New Group's hit off-Broadway production of Sam Shepard's Buried Child, which played from February to April of this year at The Pershing Square Signature Center, will begin performances at London's Trafalgar Studios on 14th November. The transfer will mark the West End debut for Ed Harris, who plays Dodge in this 1978 Pulitzer Prize-winning play. He is once again joined by co-star Amy Madigan, along with the new addition of Jeremy Irvine for the West End cast.
Finally, Broadway is sending a bit of class over the pond with the transfer of An American in Paris... in London. After picking up the Tony Award for Best Choreography (as well as a Tony nomination for Best Direction) British native Christopher Wheeldon will bring his work back home, as the Gershwin musical begins previews on 4th March 2017, before an official opening on 1st April at the West End's Dominion Theatre. Furthermore, fellow Brit Leanne Cope will reprise her Tony-nominated performance as Lise Dassin alongside her original Broadway cast partner Robert Fairchild. Celebrated for its stunning, balletic choreography in particular, An American in Paris is sure to be a welcomed addition for those dance enthusiasts who are all too often constricted to visits to London's Sadler's Wells or Peacock Theatre to experience the larger dance productions on offer.
So there's a nice helping of Broadway and off-Broadway work being showcased in London over the next few months and that trend looks set to continue with rumoured transfers of Waitress, Finding Neverland, Fun Home and The King and I on the cards as well.
Keep an eye on our sister site LondonTheatre.co.uk for all the latest West End news!
Originally published on