The 2018-2019 Broadway season is shaping up to be heavy as hell on the plays and shockingly light on musical revivals. This year, 14 plays will have opened on Broadway—with six of them being play revivals—and, as of now, only one musical revival has been announced, Roundabout Theater Company’s Kiss Me, Kate.
Below, BroadwayBox daydreams of revivals that are close to ready (meaning they have been produced elsewhere) and could easily come in this season. Hello, The Cort needs a spring tenant!
Dreamgirls
Where’s Casey Nicholaw’s Olivier-winning revival of Dreamgirls? While it would be great to have Olivier winner and Glee star Amber Riley reprise her role as Effie, it could also be a star-making performance for a number of other actresses. The brand can sell itself.
Crazy For You
What happened to Susan Stroman’s big Crazy For You starring Tony nominees Laura Osnes & Tony Yazbeck? The production had a 2017 concert version at Lincoln Center then it had private labs in the beginning of 2018, and then silence. Broadway could use a big, old-fashioned tap extravaganza, and this is it.
The Secret Garden
Warren Carlyle's first-ever revival The Secret Garden announced that it was coming but no date when or who will star. Then they did a starry lab this summer, but no word since. It’s probably not happening this year, but could it?
Chess
The star-studded Kennedy Center production of Chess had an incredible cast and a reworked book, and it felt like it could find momentum to finally return to NYC. Also, Raúl Esparza back in a Broadway musical, what more reason do you need?
Singin’ in the Rain
There have been whispers of a Singin’ in the Rain revival for years now. At one point, the successful black-and-white Paris production was coming in as a vehicle for Dancin’ with the Stars Emmy winner Derek Hough, but then it was indefinitely delayed. Make it rain on Broadway! (And cast Ethan Slater as Cosmo so he could do “Make ‘Em Laugh”!)
The Wiz
The Wiz was rumored to return after the success of the Emmy-winning The Wiz Live! and it never materialized. Personally, I’d move The Muny production from this summer, with a fresh, re-worked book by Late Night with Seth Meyers writer and comedian Amber Ruffin and the incredible costume design by Leon Dobkowski.
Grand Hotel
I wouldn’t mind a second go around with Encores! production of Grand Hotel. Though honestly, it felt like it would be best suited for Roundabout’s American Airlines, and RTC is producing the only revival of the season, so…
The Who’s Tommy
Tommy’s original director Des McAnuff did a production for the Stratford Festival in 2013 starring Jeremy Kushnier and Paul Alexander Nolan that looked promising. It’s been 25 years since Broadway’s seen Tommy, it’s time. Revive it.
Gypsy
On the flip side, do we really need another revival of Gypsy? That’s up for debate. All that being said, Imelda Staunton was supposed to reprise her Olivier-winning Rose for Broadway audiences, and it has been a full decade since Patti’s iconic Rose.
Titanic
This acclaimed Korean production was originally thought to set sail this season, but all signs point to next year for Titanic. Sigh.
