Hugh Jackman Headed To Broadway In ‘The Music Man’ Revival
Hugh Jackman will return to Broadway in a 2020 revival of Meredith Willson’s 1957 classic musical The Music Man, producer Scott Rudin confirmed today.
Directed by Jerry Zaks, with choreography by Tony Award winner Warren Carlyle, the revival will begin performances on Wednesday, September 9, 2020, and open on Thursday, October 22, 2020, at a Shubert theatre to be announced.
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Jackman tweeted an image this morning of a suitcase, a trombone (one of 76, no doubt) and an ID tag with the name “Harold Hill.” The suitcase has a sticker reading “Opening Night October 22, 2020.”
See the tweet below.
Additional casting, including the lead female role of Marian, will be announced shortly.
In a statement, Jackman said, “The first musical I was ever part of was the phenomenal The Music Man. The year was 1983, and I was at Knox Grammar School in Sydney, Australia. I was one of the traveling salesmen, and I think I can actually (almost) remember that unforgettable opening number! That was probably the moment when the magic of theater was born in me.
“The idea of bringing The Music Man back to Broadway has been lurking in the back of my brain for a long time, maybe even for 35 years. When Scott Rudin called me with that very idea, I was floored. To finally be doing this is a huge thrill.”
Said Rudin, “There is just no way to accurately describe the level of excitement I feel about the opportunity to present Hugh in what I think is the best role ever written for an actor in all of Broadway musical theater. Although I have spent a lot of time and energy wishing there was a way to stop the passage of time, this is the one moment when I wish it would just move faster. I can’t wait for us to begin working on this together in earnest.”
Jackson’s Broadway credits include the 2003 Peter Allen biographical musical The Boy From Oz, A Steady Rain in 2009, The River in 2014 and his 2011 concert show Hugh Jackman, Back on Broadway.
The creative team for the revival will include director Jerry Zaks, choreographer Warren Carlyle, set and costume designer Santo Loquasto, lighting by Natasha Katz, Scott Lehrer on sound and dance arrangements by David Chase.
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