Broadway is undoubtedly the gold standard for seeing the hottest live theater productions. With its glamor, excitement and easy access from most airports in the world, coupled with the live wire of energy that just is New York, it may be easy to miss those productions taking a tour around the USA or in iconic theaters in other countries. Here are five shows venturing out of the Big Apple:
HEDWIG AND THE ANGRY INCH
Brilliantly innovative, heartbreaking, and wickedly funny, HEDWIG AND THE ANGRY INCH is the landmark musical by John Cameron Mitchell and Stephen Trask that is “groundbreaking and undoubtedly ahead of its time” (Entertainment Weekly). Hedwig and the Angry Inch is a genre-bending, fourth-wall-smashing musical sensation, with a pulsing score and electrifying performances.
Noteworthy Cities: Los Angeles, San Diego, Denver, Seattle, Salt Lake City, St. Louis, Dallas and Chicago
Tickets:
http://hedwigbroadway.com
FINDING NEVERLAND
This bio-musical, adapted from the nonmusical 2004 film with Johnny Depp, is about J. M. Barrie, the Scottish playwright who wrote ‘Peter Pan.”Despite having the Hollywood mogul Harvey Weinstein as its lead producer, the show had a rocky road to Broadway, where it got mixed reviews. However, it played a strong yearlong run. In addition to the tour, Mr. Weinstein said he is planning a second production in London next year and the third production in Asia in 2017. He also said he intends to turn the musical into a film.
Noteworthy Cities: Buffalo, Pittsburgh, Rochester, Chicago, St. Louis, Seattle, Las Vegas, and Los Angeles
Tickets:
AN AMERICAN IN PARIS
This old-fashioned musical, with songs by George and Ira Gershwin and book by Craig Lucas, is a stage adaptation of the beloved 1951 Vincente Minnelli film, and features the numbers “S’Wonderful” and “I Got Rhythm.” Directed and choreographed by Christopher Wheeldon, the show won four Tony Awards, including best choreography and orchestrations.
Noteworthy Cities: Buffalo, Hartford, Philadelphia, Orlando, Dallas, Houston, Denver
Tickets:
THE KING AND I
This Tony-winning revival of Rodgers and Hammerstein’s 1951 musical, set in 1860s Bangkok, was nominated for nine Tonys, with wins for Kelli O’Hara as Anna and Ruthie Ann Miles, who played Lady Thiang. The tour comes on the heels of special 60th-anniversary screenings of the film adaptation, which starred Yul Brynner and Deborah Kerr.
Noteworthy Cities: San Francisco, Seattle, Cleveland, Minneapolis, Philadelphia, Boston and Charlotte
Tickets: http://thekinganditour.com
INTO THE WOODS
Fiasco Theater’s stripped-down mounting of Stephen Sondheim and James Lapine’s musical is getting a national tour after the show opened in New York to positive reviews last year. This show features just 10 actors and one piano.
Noteworthy Cities: Orange Park, Tampa, and Washington, DC
Tickets: http://www.intothewoodsontour.com
RENT
In 1996, an original rock musical by a little-known composer opened on Broadway and forever changed the landscape of American theater. Two decades later, Jonathan Larson’s RENT continues to speak loudly and defiantly to audiences across generations and all over the world. Moreover, now, this Pulitzer Prize and Tony Award®-winning masterpiece returns to the stage in a vibrant 20th anniversary touring production. A re-imagining of Puccini’s La Bohème, RENT follows an unforgettable year in the lives of seven artists struggling to follow their dreams without selling out. With its inspiring message of joy and hope in the face of fear, this timeless celebration of friendship and creativity reminds us to measure our lives with the only thing that matters—love.
Noteworthy Cities: Durham, NC, Wilmington, DE, Easton, PA, Orono, ME, Kalamazoo, MI
Tickets: