Chris Jones, Chicago Tribune (TNS)
Broadway’s Big Three — the smash-hit musicals “Hamilton,” “Wicked” and “The Lion King” — are scheduled to return together on Sept. 14.
The announcement, part of a gush of returns as New York theater gets back in business, was made Tuesday morning on NBC’s “Good Morning America” news show. By returning on the same day, and all putting tickets on sale May 11, the show’s typically competitive commercial producers have come together to signal the return of the highest profile attractions on Broadway.
“Hamilton” will star Miguel Cervantes. He played the title role in the musical in the Chicago production but his Broadway bow was felled by the pandemic and the subsequent closing of Broadway theaters.
“Hamilton” has been running on Broadway for six years. “Wicked” has been playing for 17 years. And Disney’s “The Lion King” has been in production for 23 years. The three producers said that they have already played, collectively, to 176 million people. All three shows play at theaters owned by the Nederlander Organization; they quickly will ramp up to the standard eight shows a week.
Three actors made the joint TV announcement: longtime Chicago performer Alexandra Billings (now Madame Morrible in “Wicked”), Krystal Joy Brown, (the current Eliza in “Hamilton”) and L. Steven Taylor, who plays Mufasa in “The Lion King.”
Broadway shows set to resume in Upstate NY: ‘Hamilton,’ ‘Mean Girls,’ more
Nearly all NY Covid capacity limits ending, but there’s a catch