Today is Sunday, and this week’s Report features “Inside Stories” concerning Little Dancer, Chimney Town, and Lucky Us; and a brutal take on the summer season, with “Nine Shows Outside New York City” and “Five Shows Inside New York City.” Plus, a quote of the week; select press announcements from the past week; and the upcoming week’s previews and openings.

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QUOTE OF THE WEEK

“It’s just a notion of mine, I guess, opening my shows in mid-summer. Of course, there are advantages. When you are first in the field nobody can accuse you of stealing their stuff – and they can’t appropriate yours before it is old enough so the public recognizes it. You don’t have the competition at this time of the year that you do when the season is on. The best players are available, and you can make your own selection. If your show is a success you are set for the winter when otherwise you would just be getting under way. If you have a flop you still have time to get up on your feet and start all over again so as to be in step with the parade.” -Lew Leslie, producer of Blackbirds of 1928, Dixie to Broadway (1924), and The International Revue (1930)

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INSIDE STORIES

• Little Dancer appears to be gearing up for a London run at the Theatre Royal Haymarket, commencing next winter. The new musical has a book and lyrics by Lynn Ahrens, music by Stephen Flaherty, and direction by Susan Stroman, and its producers, Anita Waxman, Jana Shea, Patricia R. Klausner, and Sharon A. Carr, are holding a private viewing of last year’s concert presentation at the end of this month.

• A private reading of Chimney Town will be held on May 21. The new musical has a book by Susan Soon He Stanton, lyrics by Nathan Tysen, and music by Frank Wildhorn. Stafford Arima directs.

• Lucky Us received a private reading on April 17 with a cast that included Michaela Diamond, Bryonha Marie, Javier Muñoz, Lauren Patten, and Douglas Sills. Andy Einhorn served as music director. The new musical has a book by James Magruder, lyrics and music by AnnMarie Milazzo and David Foster, and direction by Michael Greif.

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NINE SHOWS OUTSIDE NEW YORK CITY

The 2026-2027 season has officially begun, and the summer will be busy, especially in the regions. Here is a look at nine of the new musicals and revivals being presented outside of New York City between May and August of this year.

Basura
This new musical tells the true story of Paraguay’s Recycled Orchestra. It has a book by Karen Zacarías, lyrics and music by Emily Estefan and Gloria Estefan, and direction by Michael Greif, and I will be especially curious to see if the Estefans, who reside principally in the popular-music sphere, have written a score that is theatrical, in lyric and melody, preferably with vitality and distinction. Alex Lacamoire serves as music supervisor, arranger, and orchestrator, and he will almost certainly ensure that the songs nonetheless contain an internal musical development and emphatic buttons. I will be especially curious to see, as well, if the creators have developed a distinct narrative language, a distinct world for the piece, particularly given its focus on musicians. Basura begins performances at Alliance Theatre on May 30, and I will be attending in the middle of June.

Black Swan
This new musical, based on the 2010 film, has a book by Jen Silverman, lyrics and music by Dave Malloy, and direction and choreography by Sonya Tayeh, and its underlying story is ripe with theatrical possibilities. (“Pressure builds,” the marketing materials explain, “boundaries blur, and reality begins to slip as Nina strives to rise from the ballet corps to the lead role in Swan Lake.”) Will the dancing and the evident blending of classical melodies and electronic music be executed in an inventive, detailed, and distinctive manner, in the service of the story, crafted expressly for the theatrical stage? And will a strikingly individual, clearly defined world with a strikingly individual, clearly defined narrative language result? One hopes. And one hopes for a corresponding richness in character and drama. Black Swan begins performances at American Repertory Theater on May 26, and I will be attending in the middle of June.

CrazySexyCool
This new musical biography of the 1990s female R&B group TLC looks highly suspect on paper, but one hopes for a happy surprise, marked by, among other things, the intelligent use of preexisting songs, in a dramatic context, on the theatrical stage. The piece has a book and direction by Kwame Kwei-Armah, and it begins performances at Arena Stage on June 12. I anticipate attending later that month.

Elephant Shoes
Elephant Shoes is a contemporary take on Cyrano De Bergerac, centering around a deaf tech developer named Cy, and involving a combination of deaf and hearing characters. It has a book by Ivan Menchell, lyrics and music by Caroline Kay, and direction by Jeff Calhoun, and it is, to me, one of the most intriguing shows of the summer, despite the three creative leads generating little interest. Or, at least in terms of Menchell and Calhoun, creative confidence. I am curious to see if and how the threesome incorporates ASL into the score, and I am hopeful that the piece will turn out to be an exciting, distinctive affair – a romantic comedy with freshness and character and ingenuity and skill. But I am bracing for a major missed opportunity. Regardless, the orchestrations should be at least moderately savory, for they are being written by Tom Kitt. Elephant Shoes begins performances at Two River Theater on June 6, in a co-production with Deaf West Theatre, and I will be attending in the middle of June.

Freak The Mighty
This new musical, based on the young adult novel, has a book and lyrics by Anthony Drewe, music by Ryan Fielding Garrett, and direction by Michael Barakiva. It concerns an unlikely friendship forged between two young men, both of whom are outsiders, and it gives the impression of being a feel-good, family-friendly affair – which is not, in and of itself, cause for concern. The concern I have comes from the way in which the musical is being described in the marketing materials, for the description contains sappy, if buzzy, notions and tenuous terms, like “heartfelt” and “soaring,” and it unhappily calls to mind a musical with soft edges, overt messaging, and blah blah meaningfulness. But that is merely the marketing description. One hopes that the “epic musical adventure” will contain, among other things, bite and attack and dramatic substance and rich, idiosyncratic characters, and one hopes that any resulting good feeling will be earned. Freak The Mighty begins performances at Cleveland Play House on May 22, and I will be attending during the first week of June. The musical will play a subsequent engagement at Seattle Rep beginning July 30.

Iceboy!, or The Completely Untrue Story of How Eugene O’Neill Came to Write The Iceman Cometh
Megan Mullally and Nick Offerman headline this new musical comedy, set in the late 1930s, and centered around a Broadway star who adopts a Neanderthal discovered frozen in the Arctic. The premise does not strike me as being particularly fresh or funny, but perhaps it will wind up providing the foundation for an invigorating musical scream. Of great interest to me will be the style, the tone, the musical approach (given the period setting), and the manner in which the comedy is executed. And one hopes that the value of crispness, specificity, dynamics, character, propulsion, punch, etc., especially in the field of musical comedy, will not be lost on the creative team. Iceboy! is written by Erin Quinn Purcell, Jay Reiss, and Mark Hollmann and directed by Marc Bruni, and it begins performances at the Goodman Theatre on June 20. I anticipate attending at some point during the run.

The Lunchbox
The Lunchbox, based on the 2013 film, is perhaps the piece to which I am most looking forward this summer. It has a book and lyrics by Ritesh Batra, lyrics and music by Daniel and Patrick Lazour, and direction by Rachel Chavkin, and it takes place in Mumbai, where, according to the marketing materials, “a lunchbox delivery meant for one man lands in the hands of another, sparking an unlikely bond between a young wife longing to be seen and a widower nearing retirement.” The Lazours recently leaped onto my watchlist as a result of their seismic, story-driven revisions to Night Side Songs, even though many more revisions were necessary, especially in terms of song. I hope that the pair’s songs for The Lunchbox will dazzle – specifically excavating situation and character, propelling story, and distinguishing environment, revealing the pair to have enriched their craft and deepened their feeling for and their understanding of musical storytelling. I hope, furthermore, that the entire team has had the good sense to fashion the piece emphatically for the stage. The Lunchbox begins performances today at Berkeley Rep, and I will be experiencing it toward the beginning of June.

My Ántonia
This new musical, based on the 1918 novel, centers around the immigrant experience on the Great Plains at the turn of the 20th century. It has a book by Noah Brody, lyrics and music by Kate Kilbane and Dan Moses, and direction by Jessie Austrian. My Ántonia begins performances at Theater Latté Da on June 3, and I am very interested to see the piece, but I have no current plans to do so.

Whistle Down the Wind
A revival of this 1996 musical, by Gale Edwards, Patricia Knop, Andrew Lloyd Webber, and Jim Steinman, is being developed by Deaf West Theatre and director Bill Rauch – who are presumably attracted to the story, set in Louisiana in the late 1950s. But does the material actually tell the story? And does it tell the story effectively, skillfully, distinctively? And if not, will the new sign-language conceit alleviate or render moot the material deficiencies while simultaneously serving the story? And if not, what is the artistic point of reviving the piece in the first place? Whistle Down the Wind will receive three public readings, beginning July 31, at the Bardavon under the auspices of New York Stage & Film. I will be attending the third.

Other new musicals and revivals being presented out of town between May and August of this year include Brigadoon at Pasadena Playhouse, Cagney at Bay Street Theatre, Ever After at the Phoenix Theatre Company, Millennials Are Killing Musicals at the Colony Theatre, and Paper Menagerie at the Bardavon under the auspices of New York Stage & Film.

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FIVE SHOWS INSIDE NEW YORK CITY

Here is a look at five of the new musicals and revivals being presented in New York City between May and August of this year.

La Cage aux Folles
This revival of the 1983 musical, by Harvey Fierstein and Jerry Herman, features a Black cast led by Wayne Brady and Billy Porter, and I am curious to see if director Robert O’Hara gives the oft-performed property a notably individual staging – especially employing new music arrangements. But I fear we are out of luck, because the current list of creatives does not include a new music arranger, and though Joe Gianono and Harold Wheeler, an ace music man, are credited with additional orchestrations, Gianono and Wheeler provided those orchestrations for the original production. At least Dormeshia creating the tap choreography is something fresh to which we might look forward, in principle. And hopefully Adam Honoré will finally break out of his serviceable mode and dare to create a dynamic, distinctive, meticulously sculpted lighting design, enhancing the storytelling and the attendant theatricality. (Watch out for the obvious use of down specials, and take note of their surrounding cues.) La Cage aux Folles begins a two-week engagement at New York City Center on June 17, and I will be attending the second week, due to my travel schedule.

Girl, Interrupted
This new stage adaptation of the 1993 memoir is written by Martyna Majok and directed by Jo Bonney, and it is intriguing, evidently accented with original songs by Aimee Mann and choreography by Sonya Tayeh. I will be especially interested to see how the various elements are integrated, and if their integration has been handled skillfully in an exciting, inventive, and distinctive fashion. Girl, Interrupted began performances at the Public Theater on May 13, and I will be attending at the end of this month.

Giulia
This new musical looks a bit ridiculous on paper, and neither the publicity photos nor the subtitle, “The Poison Queen of Palermo,” help. But looks can be deceiving, and once again one hopes for a happy surprise. The piece is inspired by the true story of Giulia Tofana, a 17th century Italian woman believed to have sold poison to wives intent on killing their husbands. Giulia is written by singer-songwriter Jennifer Nettles, who also plays the title character, and it is directed by Mary Zimmerman, and we shall soon see to what extent Nettles has a feeling for and an understanding of the musical stage. For the record, plenty of songwriters have successfully migrated to the musical stage from different mediums. Perhaps Nettles will be the next. Giulia begins performances at the Perelman Performing Arts Center on June 28, and I plan to attend in July.

Music City
Music City, as previously noted, centers around five country music artists at different stages of their careers, and it has a smart, if not unfamiliar, narrative conceit, whereby the (mostly) preexisting songs are (mostly) employed as actual songs, often performed, within the context of the story, at an ever-present Nashville bar known as the Wicked Tickle. The musical showed tremendous promise when seen at Bedlam’s West End Theatre during the 2024-2025 season, and most of the songs, despite being radio edits, carried real dramatic weight (for a couple of specific reasons). Indeed, “For This Town,” “Rewind,” “Smile,” and “Somewhere with You” were already near to being knockouts. But the musical had numerous debilitating defects, in material and production, including the unproductive and nondeliberate deviation from its own narrative conceit. One hopes that the team has made the necessary refinements in the interim, otherwise the piece will almost certainly fall short of becoming the incredibly fine artistic product it might. Music City has a book by Peter Zinn, lyrics and music by JT Harding, and direction by Eric Tucker, and it begins performances at St. Luke’s Theatre on June 15. I plan to attend toward the end of the month.

A Walk on the Moon
This new musical has a book and lyrics by Pamela Gray, lyrics and music by AnnMarie Milazzo, and direction by Sheryl Kaller. It is based on the 1999 film, and it gives the impression of being remarkably bland and thematically stale. (A Brooklyn housewife “awakens to a life beyond the one she’s always known” while vacationing in the Catskills in the summer of 1969.) But one hopes that the team has crafted a piece that explodes with personality and dramatic interest. A Walk on the Moon begins performances at the Laura Pels Theatre on June 15, and I plan to attend toward the end of the month.

Other new musicals and revivals being presented in New York City between May and August of this year include Animal Wisdom at Signature Theatre, Broad Strokes at the Lucille Lortel Theatre, and Les Misérables at Radio City Music Hall.

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PRESS ANNOUNCEMENTS

Here is a list of select press announcements from the past week. Each headline is clickable for more information.

• Come Back to the 5 and Dime Jimmy Dean, Jimmy Dean Musical Sets New York Premiere
• Whitney White Replaces Liesl Tommy as Imitation of Life Director; Production Dates Pushed Back
• See Who’s Joining Megan Mullally and Nick Offerman in Iceboy! Musical in Chicago
• Meet the Company of New Gloria and Emily Estefan Musical Basura at Alliance Theatre
• Chicago Shakespeare’s 40th season includes Romeo and Juliet with Pat Benatar music
• Operation Mincemeat on Broadway Extends Again Through 2027
• Rent Dates 30th Anniversary Broadway Concert
• Ledisi Joins the Broadway Cast of New Musical Wanted
• Spring Awakening and More Set for Theater Latté Da 2026-27 Season
• Lea & Drew Lachey Reveal Full Cast for label•less Off-Broadway
• Robin de Jesús Replaces Harvey Guillén in Man of La Mancha LCT Staged Concert
• Kit Buchan-Jim Barne Musical Mona Loser Will Get Public London Workshop Presentation
• Heated Rivalry: The Unauthorized Musical Parody Extends Off-Broadway to Labor Day
• A ‘Weird Al’ Yankovic Jukebox Musical is in the Works
• The Lost Boys Will Embark on North American Tour in 2028
• The Book of Mormon Expected to Resume Performances Next Week; Box Office Reopens Tomorrow
• Masquerade to Offer Extended Edition Performance
• New Musical Hit Show – About Real-Life Kidnapping of Frank Sinatra, Jr. – Sets World Premiere
• World Tour of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Starlight Express Will Launch in 2027

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PREVIEWS AND OPENINGS

Here is a list of the new musicals and revivals either opening or beginning previews during the upcoming week, specifically on Broadway and Off-Broadway. It contains, as well, select new musicals beginning performances regionally, and select new musicals and revivals beginning performances in New York City. Each title is clickable for more information.

Monday, May 18
• Concert: Man of La Mancha

Tuesday, May 19
• Opening: Animal Wisdom

Wednesday, May 20

Thursday, May 21

Friday, May 22
• Regional: Freak The Mighty

Saturday, May 23

Sunday, May 24

Publicity photo for The Lunchbox by HanJie Chow.