Broadway is the largest and most prominent theater district in the world. With roots dating back to the early 1900s, New York City’s “entertainment epicenter” features 41 theaters in Manhattan between 41st and 53rd Streets. Combined, these theaters have grossed more than $1 billion every year (except for two years during the pandemic) since the 2009-10 Broadway season.
While each Broadway season begins during the summer, September marks the unofficial opening of the new year. The 2022-23 Broadway season features iconic shows like Chicago and The Phantom of the Opera, the latter of which will close in April after more than 13,800 performances, making it the longest-running Broadway show of all time. There are, however, several other long-running plays and musicals as well as premieres worth seeing in 2022-23.
1. Wicked
Wicked, a retelling of The Wizard of Oz, is the fifth-longest-running Broadway show. It opened in October 2003 at the Gershwin Theatre and still occupies the iconic venue. The musical, which takes place before Dorothy arrives in the Land of Oz, explores the complicated friendship between Glinda (“The Good Witch”) and Elphaba (“The Wicked Witch of the West”). It won three Tony Awards and seven Drama Desk Awards in 2004.
Called “Broadway’s biggest blockbuster” by The New York Times, Wicked is based on the book by Gregory Maguire and directed by Joe Mantello. Stephen Schwartz provided the music and lyrics. Today, Talia Suskauer and Brittney Johnson play the lead roles of Elphaba and Glinda, respectively.
Wicked has done so well at the box office that Hollywood is hoping to capitalize on its success. Universal is developing a two-part film adaptation with Ariana Grande playing Glinda and Cynthia Erivo playing Elphaba.
2. Bad Cinderella
Bad Cinderella is another musical that offers an alternative take on a timeless classic. Written by Oscar winner Emerald Fennell (Promising Young Woman) and billed as “An Unconventional Fairy Tale,” the musical reimagines Cinderella as a somewhat unattractive peasant in the kingdom of Belleville, where every other resident is ravishing and even the fields are idyllic. Cinderella gets a makeover in an attempt to impress her friend and conform to Belleville’s impossible beauty standards, but she ultimately realizes physical appearance may not be as important as the townspeople would have her believe.
Andrew Lloyd Webber, best known for The Phantom of the Opera and Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, composed the music for Bad Cinderella, while Tony Award winner David Zippel provided the lyrics. Laurence Connor, whose past credits include Les Misérables, is directing the musical. Previews begin at the Imperial Theatre in February.
3. Shucked
Shucked is one of the many premieres on Broadway in the 2022-23 season. The musical comedy, which opens in March at the Nederlander Theatre, is as corny as can be—in the literal sense. It takes place in a fictitious town (Cobb County) surrounded by a giant wall of corn. The corn represents the townspeople’s livelihoods, that is until the crop begins to die, at which point a farm girl named Maizy travels to Tampa in search of a “corn doctor” to fix the crop. However, the doctor may not be exactly who he says he is.
The cast includes Caroline Innerbichler, Alex Newell, and Andrew Durand, while the team of Jack O’Brien, Robert Horn, Brandy Clark, and Shane McAnally created the musical. O’Brien, the director, is a five-time Tony Award winner, while Horn, its book writer, won a Tony Award in 2019 for Tootsie. Clark and McAnally are country music writers who have written for Reba McEntire, Kacey Musgraves, and Sheryl Crow, among others.
4. Hamilton
Hamilton, which debuted on Broadway in 2015, is already the 28th longest-running production of all time and should continue to rise up on the list considering its popularity. The 11-time Tony Award-winning musical led all Broadway productions with a total gross of $35.3 million in 2021. Wicked finished second at $27.9 million.
The musical, shown at the Richard Rodgers Theatre, tells the story of the unlikely Founding Father Alexander Hamilton and his role in early American history with hip-hop music and lyrics. Terry Teachout of The Wall Street Journal wrote that Hamilton is “sensationally potent and theatrically vital, it is plugged straight into the wall socket of contemporary music.”
5. Back to the Future: The Musical
A stage retelling of the 1985 film starring Michael J. Fox and Christopher Lloyd, Back to the Future: The Musical debuts on June 30 at the Winter Garden Theatre. Bob Gale, the writer of the original film and its two sequels, developed the musical’s book, while Alan Silvestri and Glen Ballard provide music and lyrics. John Rando is directing the musical.
Back to the Future: The Musical debuted in London’s West End in 2020 and won the 2022 Olivier Award for Best New Musical. Three cast members from that production, including Tony Award-winner Roger Bart (Emmett “Doc” Brown), will reprise their roles on Broadway.