OFF-BROADWAY SHOWS LIKELY TO TRANSFER TO BROADWAY
Published 2011-09-15
In the Heights. A Chorus Line. Proof. Spring Awakening. What do all these Tony-winning Broadway shows have in common? If you answered, "They began as Off-Broadway shows," you are correct! We're always on the lookout for the next big Off-Broadway show. What current little show-that-could will be the next big Broadway hit? We're taking a look at the Off-Broadway Shows Most Likely to Transfer to Broadway!
RENT at New World Stages
The Associated Press called the high-profile reboot of the ever-popular Rent "full of vitality" and "imaginatively directed." Could we be looking at a brief tryout period before the production transfers right back into the currently-vacant Nederlander Theatre, where the show originally opened in 1996? Considering a talent-filled cast, including Annaleigh Ashford (Wicked) and Adam Chanler-Berat (Next to Normal), we'd like to think yes!
Rent opened on August 11, 2011, and currently plays an open-ended run at New World Stages. Click here for Off-Broadway tickets to Rent!
TRACES at the Union Square Theatre
When Ben Brantley reviews an Off-Broadway show, you know it's an important one. When he gives it a money review, citing "pure urban adrenaline," it's time to take note and grab a ticket before that show is sold out! The Broadway gossip behind this dance-meets-Cirque-meets-theater piece is something fierce, so don't be shocked if you hear it's transferring to a larger theater uptown!
Traces began performances on July 29, 2011, at the Union Square Theatre. Click here for Off-Broadway tickets to Traces!
CARRIE at the Lucille Lortel Theatre
The most famous flop musical of all time, Carrie finally returns to the stage this January for the first time since it ran for five Broadway performances in 1988. Bernard Telsey and Robert LuPone's MCC Theater is producing the revival, a company that has previously transferred reasons to be pretty and Frozen to Broadway. Add Tony nominee Marin Mazzie (Ragtime, Passion) and Molly Ranson (Jerusalem, August: Osage County) into the mix, and you've got a production just dying to be taken as seriously as possible. Built-in brand recognition and savvy stage veterans lead us to think this show is aiming to finally get a serious Broadway run.
Carrie opens January 31, 2012, for an open-ended run at the Lucille Lortel Theatre. Click here for Off-Broadway tickets to Carrie!
AVENUE Q at New World Stages
Avenue Q started the now-popular trend of Broadway shows transferring Off-Broadway: it was quickly followed by The 39 Steps, Million Dollar Quartet, and (after a few years off) Rent. Could it start up a new trend of Off-Broadway shows transferring back to Broadway? The money reviews from all critics, plus its proven track record with tourists and New York residents alike, point to a big fat possibility! Back to the Golden Theatre, perhaps?
Avenue Q transferred to New World Stages on October 9, 2009, where it currently plays an open-ended run. Click here for Off-Broadway tickets to Avenue Q!
SILENCE! THE MUSICAL at Theatre 80 St. Marks
With a book by Tony nominee Hunter Bell ([title of show]) and direction and choreography by Tony nominee Christopher Gattelli (Godspell), Silence! The Musical offers a spoof on the highly recognizable Silence of the Lambs franchise. Charles Isherwood described it as "deliriously tasty" in his New York Times review, with Variety hinting at a longer commercial run in its original review as well. Let's be honest; who doesn't love a good spoof?
Silence opened June 24, 2011 at Theatre 80 St. Marks and will end its final Off-Broadway extension on September 24, 2011. Click here for Off-Broadway tickets to Silence! The Musical!
SONS OF THE PROPHET at the Laura Pels Theatre
Pretty much anything Roundabout decides to run at its Off-Broadway Laura Pels Theatre is instantly rumored to transfer to one of its larger Broadway spaces (the American Airlines Theatre or Studio 54). Though it has yet to open, Sons of the Prophet by Stephen Karam (Speech and Debate) recently enjoyed a well-reviewed run at Boston's Huntington Theatre. Variety described it as "darkly funny and touching," and having Tony winner Joanna Gleason highlighting the cast can't hurt its chances of moving into a bigger house!
Sons of the Prophet begins performances at Roundabout's Laura Pels Theatre on September 30, 2011, and is currently scheduled to end Off-Broadway performances on December 23, 2011. Click here for Off-Broadway tickets to Sons of the Prophet!
Which Off-Broadway show would you like to see play Broadway? Let us know with a comment!
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