The Music Man, starring Hugh Jackman and Sutton Foster, sets new Broadway dates

The production, which was originally set to begin performances in September, has been rescheduled.

Oh the Wells Fargo Wagon will be coming down the street...in 2021. Producers Scott Rudin, Barry Diller, and David Geffen announced on Wednesday that the revival of Meredith Wilson's The Music Man, starring Hugh Jackman and Sutton Foster, will begin preview performances on April 7, 2021 with opening night scheduled for May 20, 2021 at the Winter Garden Theatre. 

The production was initially scheduled to start in September, but due to COVID-19 social distancing regulations, the producing team has decided to reschedule. Rehearsals will begin Feb. 8, 2021. Broadway is currently offering exchanges and refunds for all shows through Sept. 6, but an extension is expected. A reopening date has not been set. 

"Performing on Broadway is a great honor for an actor; in fact, one of the greatest," Jackman said in a statement. "No two shows are exactly alike, in large part due to the audience. Show One is filled with anticipation, fear and excitement.  It's like an opening night eight times a week; the energy in the theater is palpable. It is those same feelings that happen every show thereafter - and you and I are going through it together. The change of dates will not take any of that away. What it will do, however, is help to ensure that The Music Man audiences, and our company, are in a completely safe environment. Can't wait for that day!"

The production will be directed by Tony Award winner Jerry Zaks, with choreography by Tony winner Warren Carlyle. The cast will also include Jayne Houdyshell as Mrs Shinn, Jefferson Mays as Mayor Shinn, Marie Mullen as Mrs. Paroo, and Shuler Hensley as Marcellus Washburn. 

"We're obviously profoundly disappointed to be unable to start rehearsals for The Music Man as scheduled," Rudin said in a statement. "But safety is safety, and it has to take precedence over every other consideration - for both our audience and for our company. Despite the postponement, we are sticking together as a company, and we are grateful to be able to do so. And so we look forward arriving at The Winter Garden - with a beautiful, heartening Music Man in tow - at the beginning of April, and to being just one part of what we expect will once again be a vibrant and exciting Broadway."

Ticketholders should contact their point of purchase for instructions on exchanges.