“Hamilton,” “The Lion King” and “Wicked” will return to Broadway on Sept. 14.
The three major Broadway shows announced the news in a joint appearance on “Good Morning America” Tuesday. Tickets for the productions go on sale Tuesday.
The three shows will reopen on the first day Gov. Andrew Cuomo has cleared for Broadway productions to reopen at 100% capacity. “Chicago,” another Broadway stalwart, announced last Friday that it will also reopen on Sept. 14.
“Hamilton,” “The Lion King” and “Wicked” are all high-grossing and well-attended productions that were long-rumored to reopen the industry due to their popularity and ability to withstand any COVID-19-related obstacles.
However, since Cuomo’s announcement Thursday, several other Broadway productions have announced early fall reopening dates, including “Six” on Sept. 17 and “Come From Away” on Sept. 21.
Safety protocols for all Broadway productions remain to be seen and are expected to be coordinated between theater owners and New York State. “Hamilton,” “Wicked” and “The Lion King” are all playing theaters owned by the Nederlander Organization, which has announced preliminary protocols including updated air filtration systems and digital tickets.
The “Good Morning America” announcement Tuesday was made by cast members from each production: Alexandra Billings, who was playing Madame Morrible in “Wicked” before the shutdown; Krystal Joy Brown, the most recent Eliza in “Hamilton;” and L. Steven Taylor, the longtime Mufasa from “The Lion King.”
The cast members all emphasized a need for greater equity on Broadway and their steps toward that goal. At “Hamilton,” Brown said the cast and crew went through anti-racism training and had been working on social justice initiatives under the banner of Ham4Progress.
Billings said her presence on Broadway provided powerful representation for members of the transgender community.
“As a mixed race, trans woman on Broadway, I only hope that what we can do is open a portal for dialogue, for change, not only for Broadway but for the people who come to see us,” Billings said.
“Hamilton” opened six years ago at the Richard Rodgers Theatre; “The Lion King” opened 23 years ago at the Minskoff Theatre and “Wicked” opened 17 years ago at the Gershwin Theatre. Casting for the return of each production has not yet been announced.
