Whether you’re obsessed with show tunes and just can’t wait for the Tony Awards to come around or are wondering what productions you may be able to catch a glimpse if you end up in New York this summer,, there are a bunch of new shows coming to Broadway this spring for you to look forward to. Your next Hamilton level obsession may be right around the corner!
1. Escape to Margaritaville
Courtesy: Broadway Buzz
Yes, this is exactly what you’re thinking. Jimmy Buffet, in the footsteps of ABBA before him, has turned all of his most popular songs into a full-on musical with a few brand new ones thrown into the mix! The plot of the show centers around a part-time bartender, the part-time singer who thinks he’s got his life entirely figured out when out of nowhere a beautiful tourist with eyes only on her career comes into the picture and makes him question his entire life. The show has had many loved performances in La Jolla, Chicago, Houston and New Orleans before moving into the Marquis Theatre on Broadway. Previews began this past February and Escape to Margaritaville’s official opening is on March 15, 2018. However, the soundtrack is already available to buy on Amazon!
2. Frozen
Courtesy: Entertainment
The opinions on Frozen usually run in one of two ways; either you absolutely loved the Disney movie and have eagerly been waiting for this Broadway debut or you can’t stand that the obsession and hype haven’t died out yet. No matter what though, you have to admit that the music is pretty impressive. All eight songs from the movie are featured in the show in addition to 15 brand new songs. The show had its original production in Denver with the same cast that has now moved to the St. James Theatre on Broadway. Previews began this past February and the show officially opens on March 22, 2018. The soundtrack isn’t available yet, but 2 of the new songs, “Monster” and “What Do You Know About Love” are both available to stream on Spotify.
3. Mean Girls
Courtesy: Variety
This movie-turned-musical is opening for previews on March 12 to already killer reviews from the show’s previous production last fall in Washington D.C. and to mass amounts of fan anticipation. The book for the show is written by Tina Fey, who also wrote the script for the original 2003 comedy which shows some promise for Broadway’s Mean Girls to hold up to its predecessor. So far, no music for the show has been released, but it’s only a matter of time for talk of the soundtrack to begin after the previews have started. Mean Girls officially opens at the St. James Theatre on April 8, 2018.
4. Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, Parts 1 and 2
Courtesy: Playbill
Unlike the other three productions on this list, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child is a play, not a musical and, unless you’ve been living under a rock, you’ve most likely already heard about it. The script for this play was released as a book in July of 2016 to the anticipation of Harry Potter fans everywhere who were looking forward to it as an eighth book in the series. The play premiered on the West End in London, the same month the book was released and immediately gained mass amounts of positive reviews. The show was nominated in 2017 for 11 Laurence Olivier Awards and went on to win a record-breaking nine. Of the original London production cast, seven, playing core characters to the show, are making the move to Broadway. Previews for Harry Potter and the Cursed Child begin on March 16 and the official opening of the show is on April 22, 2018.
Broadway is looking good this year and if you have the opportunity, over spring break or summer, you should definitely make it a point to go see a show. But remember, the theater is everywhere, not just New York, so if you can’t travel make it a point to be on the lookout for productions that may just take your breath away.