New Year, New Broadway Shows

Current Shows on Broadway: Closings or Cast Changes

The end of 2013 comes with show closings, such as Big Fish which had its final performance at the Neil Simon Theatre on December 29, as well as, cast changes most notably the one’s coming to Rodger’s and Hammerstein’s Cinderella.  It is typical for cast members’ contracts to be up in January or early February.  The actors may choose to renew their contracts or they may pursue (or even already be cast) in other roles.  Cinderella has recently announced changes of this kind.  Laura Osnes, Santino Fontana, Marla Mindelle, and Harriet Harris are all leaving, or presumed to be leaving Cinderella in the following weeks. It was just announced that Carly Rae Jepsen will step into the role of Cinderella starting February 4 for a 12 week run.  A lot of patrons hate to see Laura go but she will begin the workshop for Dames at Sea early in the new year so they are sure to see more of her soon.  Santino has been cast, along with Tony Shalub, as Moss Hart in the upcoming play Act One.  Roald Dahl’s Matilda also recently announced the inclusion of new cast members as the four original girls who played Matilda will leave the production and four new Matildas, Paige Brady, Gabriella Pizzolo, Ripley Sobo and Ava Ulloa, were cast in early December. 

Upcoming Broadway Season

Looking ahead at new shows coming to “The Great White Way” in early 2014, there are many shows that sound phenomenal and your average theatre lover will most likely want to see them all! 
Here are a few of the shows that will be opening early in the new year:

BEAUTIFUL:THE CAROLE KING MUSICAL began previews November 21, 2013 and opens January 12, 2014 at Stephen Sondheim Theatre.  It is the story of Carol King, or rather Carol Klein, the tenacious girl from Brooklyn who fought her way into the record business to become one of the recording industry’s most enduring icons.  Jessie Mueller plays Carol King in this acclaimed musical directed by Marc Bruni.

IF/THEN starring Idina Menzel, LaChanze, Anthony Rapp, James Snyder, Jerry Dixon, Jenn Colella and  Jason Tam begins previews at Richard Rodgers Theatre on March 4, 2014 and opens March 27.  Idina Menzel plays a woman named Elizabeth who is on the verge of turning 40 and moves to NYC to make a fresh start. “It is a new musical about how choice and chance collide and we learn to love the fallout”.

THE BRIDGES OF MADISON COUNTY is a new musical based on the novel by Robert James Waller written by Jason Robert Brown, book by Marsha Norman.  It is a new take on the love affair between a photographer and American housewife in 1965 Iowa.  Kelli O'Hara and Steven Pasquale play the leads in the new musical directed by Bartlett Sher.  It begins previews at the Gerald Schoenfeld Theatre on January 17, 2014 and opens on February 20.

OUTSIDE MULLINGAR opens at Samuel J. Friedman Theatre on January 23, 2013 with previews starting January 3.  This new play, written by John Patrick Shanley and directed by Doug Hughes, tells the story of two introverted misfits, Anthony and Rosemary, who live next door to each other.  Anthony is painfully shy and Rosemary is determined to have him.  It is an Irish story about two people finding their way toward solid ground. It stars Brían F. O’Byrne and Debra Messing. 

ALADDIN is a stage adaptation of the 1992 Disney film starring Adam Jacobs, Courtney Reed, James Monroe Iglehart, and Jonathan Freeman. This new adaptation is directed by Casey Nicholaw.  It begins previews February 26, 2014 and opens March 20 at New Amsterdam Theatre. 

BULLETS OVER BROADWAY is a musical adaptation of the Woody Allen film.  It stars Zach Braff, Brooks Ashmanskas, Betsy Wolfe, and Vincent Pastore, and is directed by Susan Stroman.  Previews begin on March 11, 2014 and the musical opens April 10, 2014 at St. James Theatre.

LES MISERABLES the 25^th anniversary production of the musical featrues new orchestrations, as well as, fresh scenic and narrative elements.  This production stars Ramin Karimloo, Will Swenson, Nikki M. James, Caissie Levy, and Andy Mientus, and will be directed by Laurence Connor and James Powell.  It is currently playing a pre-Broadway engagement in Toronto and will begin Broadway previews on March 1, 2014 and open on March 23, 2014. 

HEDWIG AND THE ANGRY INCH will bring Neil Patrick Harris back to Broadway in the landmark 1998 musical about a fictional rock 'n' roll band fronted by a transgender singer by John Cameron Mitchell and Stephen Trask's.  This production begins previews March 29, 2014 and opens April 22, 2014 at the Belasco Theatre.  It will be directed by Michael Mayer.

VIOLET brings Sutton Foster back to Broadway in the story of a young woman’s “quest for beauty amidst the image-obsessed landscape of the 1960s."  This Roundabout theatre production of the musical will be directed by Leigh Silverman and will begins previews March 28, 2014 with an opening night scheduled for April 20, 2014 at American Airlines Theatre.

Here is a complete list of upcoming Broadway shows from Playbill.com.

Here is Broadway.com's look ahead at the near year of Broadway.

Tony Awards Spotlight on 2013-2014 as it currently stands