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Actors , (now of Golden Globe nomination fame), and (whose last Broadway appearance earned her a Tony Award) fall under the guidance of Belgian director , who stirred up notice this season on Broadway with and Off-Broadway with his staging of the musical Lazarus. No word on how the director will tackle , Miller鈥檚 tale of intolerance and hysteria in 1690s Salem. But, then, predicting van Hove鈥檚 directorial approaches to classics has never been an odds-on bet. Previews begin Feb. 29 at the Walter Kerr Theatre.
The buckets of stage blood spilled in van Hove鈥檚 A View From the Bridge would not be out of place in one of the oddest entries in the spring season: , the musical version of Bret Easton Ellis鈥� 1991 novel, by composer and . (previously took a "bloody turn as Andrew Jackson on Broadway) plays the well-dressed, 1980s Manhattan serial killer Patrick Bateman in the show, which had a London debut in 2014. Previews begin March 24 at the Gerald Schoenfeld Theatre.
Considerably sunnier in temperament will be the new musical , which, owing to its duo of composer and headliner, Beautiful Tony-winner , is one of the more anticipated attractions of the season. Mueller plays the title wage-slave in the show, which librettist have drawn from the 2007 movie of the same name by the late Adrienne Shelly. The story follows an unhappily married, pregnant waitress in the Deep South who hopes that her panache for baking pies might be the secret ingredient to happiness. Previews commence March 25 at the Brooks Atkinson Theatre.
Also from the south is the heroine of , a new musical which represents the Broadway debut for the unlikely writing duo of film comedian (book and lyrics) and pop singer (music and lyrics). Set in the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina between 1923 and 1945, it tells the true story of a young soldier and the editor of a southern literary journal falling in love. Feb. 25 marks the first preview at the Cort Theatre.
A further musical love story is available via the 鈥檚 new revival of , and 鈥檚 classic . Interestingly, the new production is staged by , who had a success with the title when it last visited Broadway back in 1993. This time around, the leads included , and . Studio 54 has it beginning Feb. 19.
In a season rich with new musicals, yet another one arrives in the form of , from (lyrics), (music) and (book), director . The show features long-loved players such as , and (who currently appear together in Broadway's Finding Neverland). The show is based on the beloved novel by Natalie Babbitt. Previews start March 31 at the Broadhurst Theatre.
Rounding out the musical line-up this season is Shuffle Along, or, The Making of the Musical Sensation of 1921 and All That Followed. The title says it all. Shuffle Along was indeed a musical smash nearly a century ago, with music by the legendary . Director , who is also writing the libretto, aims to tell the backstage story behind the making of the original. He鈥檚 got some decent help on the project. The cast includes , and . Choreography is by tap master , who teams up with Wolfe for the first time since 1996鈥檚 hit Bring in 鈥楧a Funk, Bring in 鈥楧a Noise. Previews begin at the Music Box Theatre on March 15.
Perhaps the spring鈥檚 tensest drama swoops in with , the play which had an acclaimed Off-Broadway run in 2007. The discomfiting story tells of a young woman who tracks down and confronts the much-older man with whom she had a relationship when she was 12 鈥� with unexpected results. starred in the original, and he鈥檚 back for the Broadway bow, as is his director, . steps into the female lead. Feb. 5 is the first preview at the Belasco Theatre.
Mantello is also at the helm of another drama, by . , , , Lauren Klein, and star as members of a family gathering for Thanksgiving. The play was a critical success Off-Broadway earlier this season before being snatched up by producer for a Broadway bid. (The busy Rudin is also behind Blackbird, The Crucible and Shuffle Along.) Previews begin Jan. 23 at the Theatre.
Another critically praised Off-Broadway play, , is also making a swift journey to Broadway. The drama tells of a group of women held captive in Liberia. The cast includes , the Mexican-Kenyan actress who won an Oscar for 鈥�12 Years a Slave.鈥� Previews commence Feb. 23 at the John Golden Theatre. Playwright returns to Broadway with his first new play in three seasons: Our Mother鈥檚 Brief Affair starring in the sort of family-rocking, force-of-nature character the actress is known for. directs the story of a dying woman whose last confession casts her clan into turmoil. The show opens at the Samuel J. Friedman Theatre Jan. 20.
It鈥檚 a good spring for showboating solo performances. makes his Broadway debut as talkative, small-time hustler Erie Smith in O鈥橬eill鈥檚 one-act, , directed by Michael Grandage. (Frank Wood plays his largely silent audience.) Previews start Feb. 5 at the Booth Theatre. And, Jesse Tyler Ferguson is the harried would-be actor holding down the reservations phone line at a hot restaurant 鈥檚 1999 hit comedy , directed by Jason Moore beginning April 2 at the Lyceum Theatre.
If, after Hughie, you want more O鈥橬eill, you鈥檒l get a heapin鈥� helping in the new revival of Long Day鈥檚 Journey Into Night, starting March 31 at the American Airlines Theatre. , , , and are the members of the toweringly unhappy Tyrone family this time around. directs.
Also coming this spring will be a new version of 鈥檚 classic farce , at the American Airlines, opening Jan. 14; , a mysterious look into the mind of a retired dancer, played by , starts March 22 at the Friedman; and , the first Cirque du Soleil show assembled expressly for Broadway begins April 16 at the Lyric.
Last, and silliest, is Disaster!, a musical spoof of 1970s disaster movies co-written by and the theatre world鈥檚 own Zelig figure, musician-writer-personality . The remarkable cast of stage vets includes , , , , , , , , and, of course, Rudetsky.
