Three of Broadway’s most beloved shows ever, Hamilton, The Lion King, and Wicked, will resume performances on Broadway Tuesday, September 14, 2021, it was announced today on ABC’s “Good Morning America.” This rare alliance between three of Broadway’s fan favorites sends a message that Broadway is united in its commitment to ending a devastating period of hardship for the tens of thousands who make their living directly on Broadway shows and the tens of thousands in dependent industries.
Among the most popular shows ever, Hamilton, The Lion King, and Wicked have consistently been Broadway’s best-attended shows since they opened; Hamilton six years ago, Wicked 17 years ago, and The Lion King 23 years ago. Combined, the three musicals have played to 176 million audience members in dozens of countries around the globe. On Broadway alone, the three productions combined have employed nearly 1,000 performers during their runs, in addition to the thousands more who have performed the shows on stages around the world.
Hamilton plays at the Richard Rodgers Theatre, The Lion King at the Minskoff Theatre, and Wicked at the Gershwin Theatre, all owned by the Nederlander Organization.
The joint announcement was made live from the Times Square Studios on “Good Morning America”‘ by cast members from each production: Alexandra Billings, Madame Morrible from Wicked; Krystal Joy Brown, Eliza from Hamilton; and L. Steven Taylor, Mufasa from The Lion King.
All Nederlander Theatres will follow New York State and CDC guidelines to ensure the safety of all actors, production staff, theatre employees, and audience members. As public health conditions and the State’s guidance for performing arts and live entertainment changes, the theatres will remain flexible and adapt to applicable health protocols, such as face coverings, health screening, enhanced air filtration and ventilation, and rigorous cleaning and disinfection. For information on safety protocols in Nederlander Theatres, visit broadwaybrighter.com.
Hamilton is the story of America then, told by America now. Featuring a score that blends hip-hop, jazz, R&B and Broadway, Hamilton has taken the story of American founding father Alexander Hamilton and created a revolutionary moment in theatre — a musical that has had a profound impact on culture, politics, and education.
With book, music, and lyrics by Lin-Manuel Miranda, direction by Thomas Kail, choreography by Andy Blankenbuehler, and musical supervision and orchestrations by Alex Lacamoire, Hamilton is based on Ron Chernow’s acclaimed biography. It has won Tony®, Grammy®, and Olivier Awards, the Pulitzer Prize for Drama, and an unprecedented special citation from the Kennedy Center Honors.
Hamilton features scenic design by David Korins, costume design by Paul Tazewell, lighting design by Howell Binkley, sound design by Nevin Steinberg, hair and wig design by Charles G. LaPointe, casting by Telsey + Company, Bethany Knox, CSA, and General Management by Baseline Theatrical.
The musical is produced by Jeffrey Seller, Sander Jacobs, Jill Furman, and The Public Theater.
After 23 landmark years on Broadway, The Lion King continues ascendant as one of the most popular stage musicals in the world. Since its premiere on Nov. 13, 1997, 25 productions have been seen by more than 100 million people around the world. Produced by Disney Theatrical Productions (under the direction of Thomas Schumacher), The Lion King has made theatrical history with three productions worldwide running 15 years or more and three others running 20 years or more. So far, the show has been performed in nine different languages (English, Japanese, German, Korean, French, Dutch, Spanish, Mandarin and Portuguese).
By the end of 2021, all nine global productions of The Lion King running at the time of the March 2020 shutdown will return: on Broadway; London’s West End; Hamburg; Tokyo; Madrid; on tour across North America, Japan and The U.K. & Ireland, with a separate production touring internationally. Having played over 100 cities in 21 countries on every continent except Antarctica, The Lion King’s worldwide gross exceeds that of any film, Broadway show or other entertainment titles in box office history.
The Lion King won six 1998 Tony Awards®: Best Musical, Best Scenic Design (Richard Hudson), Best Costume Design (Julie Taymor), Best Lighting Design (Donald Holder), Best Choreography (Garth Fagan) and Best Direction of a Musical. The Lion King has also earned more than 70 major arts awards including the 1998 NY Drama Critics Circle Award for Best Musical, the 1999 Grammy® for Best Musical Show Album, the 1999 Evening Standard Award for Theatrical Event of the Year and the 1999 Laurence Olivier Awards for Best Choreography and Best Costume Design.
The show’s director, costume designer and mask co-designer Julie Taymor continues to play an integral part in the show’s ongoing success. The first woman to win a Tony Award for Direction of a Musical, Taymor continues to supervise new productions of the show around the world.
The Broadway score features Elton John and Tim Rice’s songs from the Lion King animated film along with three new songs by John and Rice; additional musical material by South African Lebo M, Mark Mancina, Jay Rifkin, Julie Taymor and Hans Zimmer; and music from “Rhythm of the Pride Lands,” an album inspired by the original music in the film, written by Lebo M, Mark Mancina and Hans Zimmer. The resulting sound of The Lion King is a fusion of Western popular music and the distinctive sounds and rhythms of Africa, ranging from the Academy Award®-winning song “Can You Feel the Love Tonight” to Lebo M’s rich choral numbers.
The book has been adapted by Roger Allers, who co-directed the animated The Lion King feature, and Irene Mecchi, who co-wrote the film’s screenplay. Other members of the creative team include: Michael Curry, who designed the masks and puppets with Taymor, Steve Canyon Kennedy (sound design), Michael Ward (hair and makeup design), John Stefaniuk (associate director), Marey Griffith (associate choreographer), Clement Ishmael (music supervisor) and Doc Zorthian (production supervisor). Anne Quart serves as co-producer.
Elton John, Lebo M, and Hans Zimmer all collaborated on the 2019 version of the film, executive produced by Julie Taymor and Thomas Schumacher, which has gone onto extraordinary worldwide success.
The Broadway sensation Wicked looks at what happened in the Land of Oz … but from a different angle. Long before Dorothy arrives, there is another young woman, born with emerald-green skin, who is smart, fiery, misunderstood, and possessing an extraordinary talent. When she meets a bubbly blonde who is exceptionally popular, their initial rivalry turns into the unlikeliest of friendships … until the world decides to call one “good,” and the other one “wicked.”
Now the fifth-longest-running show in Broadway history, Wicked is the winner of over 100 international awards including the Grammy Award and three Tony Awards. Since opening in 2003, Wicked has been performed in over 100 cities in 16 countries around the world (U.S., Canada, United Kingdom, Ireland, Japan, Germany, Holland, Australia, New Zealand, Singapore, South Korea, The Philippines, Mexico, Brazil, Switzerland and China) and has thus far been translated into six languages: Japanese, German, Dutch, Spanish, Korean and Portuguese. Wicked has been seen by over 60 million people worldwide and has amassed over $5 billion in global sales.
Based on the novel by Gregory Maguire, Wicked has music and lyrics by Stephen Schwartz, and a book by Winnie Holzman. The production is directed by Tony Award winner Joe Mantello with musical staging by Tony Award winner Wayne Cilento.
Wicked is produced by Marc Platt, Universal Stage Productions, The Araca Group, Jon B. Platt and David Stone.
Tickets are on sale for all three shows today. Visit: ticketmaster.com.
