With help from some of Broadway’s biggest stars.
The news that Broadway could resume full-capacity shows in September is huge news for theater fans — so huge, it kind of needs to be conveyed in the form of a big musical number. Jimmy Fallon and Lin-Manuel Miranda delivered exactly that on The Tonight Show on Tuesday, offering up a musical tribute to the entire theatergoing experience.
The number kicks off with an acknowledgment of some of Broadway’s more annoying features, from overpriced concessions to awkwardly scrunching up in seats to let late-arriving audience members reach their seats. But it quickly flies into a celebration of favorite shows, ranging from old classics like Phantom of the Opera and Lion King to more recent hits like Book of Mormon, Hadestown, and of course Miranda’s own Hamilton. Finally, they celebrate the audiences themselves, joking about the quarantine hobbies we’ve all occupied ourselves with, all to the tune of Hamilton’s “You’ll Be Back.”
They’re joined by an impressive supporting cast, including broadway legends Kristin Chenoweth, Phylicia Rashad, and Laura Benanti, as well as several cast-members of Miranda’s upcoming In The Heights, including Jimmy Smits, Olga Merediz, and Hamilton star Christopher Jackson. “Won’t you please come with us,” they ask. “There is life beyond your friends at Netflix, Hulu, Peacock, Disney+.”
It’s a big, exuberant tribute, but feels well-earned after more than a year without Broadway. New York Governor Andrew Cuomo ordered the shutdown in March of 2020, with initial plans to reopen a month later. Those plans were scuttled as the COVID pandemic dragged on, with the reopening pushed back indefinitely. Finally, Cuomo announced in May that Broadway could start selling tickets for full-capacity shows for performances as early as September 14. The reopening is welcome news not only to theater fans, but to the casts and crews of shows that will have been on hold for a year and a half by the time they reopen.
In the meantime, anyone looking for their musical fix can turn to Miranda’s In The Heights, which arrives in theaters and on HBO Max on June 10. Or they can just keep watching that Tonight Show clip. No judgement here — it’s been a long year for everyone.
Check out the clip below.
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