Broadway Across America, one of the largest producers and presenters of the touring Broadway productions, sent a new, post-Tony Awards survey, and I break it down here!
I often get asked: what are your predictions for shows coming to (fill in the blank)? Although figuring out the exact lineup can be a difficult for someone on the outside of routing each show, there are several factors that come into play, including: (1) which shows did you get this season, (2) which new shows missed your market in the current season, (3) which new shows are coming out next season, (4) which current shows are playing next season, etc.
Granted, if you live in a major market (e.g. Chicago, Los Angeles, Denver), you’re almost guaranteed to have a vast majority of new shows coming your way. But, for those markets that still garner a large draw of new shows, the new shows will most likely play in your area over a two-three season span.
One way you can influence which shows come to your local area is to fill out the surveys that presenters, such as Broadway Across America (BAA), send via email. (Believe it or not, but programmers take these surveys seriously, and the results can sway whether or not a show comes to your area.) BAA’s most recent survey is a post-Tony Awards questionnaire asking for your opinion about which new musicals, new plays, and revivals you want to see in the next season (in this case the 2020/2021 season). The recent survey does not include each market they represent (no Fresno, Portland, or Albuquerque). If you don’t see your market listed, I suggest maybe picking one that might be within traveling distance. Let’s dive into things here!
The Cities
Broadway Across America presents touring Broadway shows in 28 markets. However, not all of these are represented in this particular survey. Here’s the list:
Appleton, Austin, Atlanta, Baltimore, Boston, Cincinnati, Columbus, Dallas, Fort Lauderdale, Houston, Indianapolis, Louisville, Miami, Milwaukee, Minneapolis, New Orleans, Omaha, Orlando, Pittsburgh, San Antonio, and Seattle
The Shows
There are three main categories for show selection in this survey: New Musicals, New Plays, and Revivals.
NEW MUSICALS
In general, this section is broken into two subcategories of shows that are currently on tour, and shows that are currently not touring, but either have announced a tour or anticipate to tour in the future. This latter subcategory is found in each market’s survey, and the shows involved are:
| Ain’t Too Proud – The Life and Times of the Temptations |
| Be More Chill |
| Beetlejuice |
| Groundhog Day |
| Hadestown |
| Head Over Heels |
| Jagged Little Pill |
| King Kong |
| Moulin Rouge! |
| Pretty Woman |
| The Cher Show |
| The Prom |
| Tina – The Tina Turner Musical |
| Tootsie |
| Unmasked: The Music and Stories of Andrew Lloyd Webber |
The other subcategory involves shows that are currently touring, but were not presented at these venues in the 19/20 season, and are under consideration for the 20/21 season:
Anastasia: Miami
Bandstand: Appleton, Atlanta, Austin, Baltimore, Boston, Cincinnati, Columbus, Houston, Indianapolis, Louisville, Miami, Milwaukee, Minneapolis, New Orleans, Omaha, Orlando, Pittsburgh, San Antonio, Seattle
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory: Appleton, Austin, Columbus, Fort Lauderdale, Indianapolis, Louisville, Milwaukee, Orlando
Come From Away: Columbus
Dear Evan Hansen: Indianapolis, Miami
Escape to Margaritaville: Atlanta, Austin, Baltimore, Boston, Columbus, Indianapolis, Louisville, Miami, Milwaukee, Minneapolis, Omaha, San Antonio, Seattle
Frozen: Appleton, Atlanta, Austin, Baltimore, Boston, Cincinnati, Columbus, Fort Lauderdale, Houston, Indianapolis, Louisville, Miami, Milwaukee, New Orleans, Omaha, Orlando, Pittsburgh, San Antonio, Seattle
Mean Girls: Appleton, Atlanta, Austin, Baltimore, Dallas, Houston, Indianapolis, Louisville, Miami, Milwaukee, Omaha, San Antonio, Seattle
Summer: Appleton, Austin, Cincinnati, Columbus, Dallas, Fort Lauderdale, Houston, Indianapolis, Louisville, Milwaukee, New Orleans, Omaha, Orlando, San Antonio, Seattle
The Band’s Visit: Austin, Cincinnati, Columbus, Fort Lauderdale, Indianapolis, Miami, New Orleans, Omaha, Orlando, San Antonio, Seattle
The SpongeBob Musical: Appleton, Atlanta, Austin, Baltimore, Cincinnati, Columbus, Fort Lauderdale, Houston, Indianapolis, Louisville, Miami, Milwaukee, Minneapolis, New Orleans, Omaha, Orlando
NEW PLAYS
Each of the markets involved in this survey have the same four new plays up for consideration. They are: Clue, The Ferryman, To Kill A Mockingbird, and What the Constitution Means to Me.
REVIVALS
As with the New Musicals section, the Revivals section can be broken into two subcategories. Of the revivals that are not currently touring, here is the list:
| 1776 |
| Aida |
| Avenue Q |
| Company |
| Dreamgirls |
| Hairspray |
| Kiss Me, Kate |
| Oklahoma! |
| South Pacific |
| The Wiz |
| West Side Story |
And, here is the listing of shows currently on tour that are under consideration for the 20/21 season:
Cats: Appleton, Columbus, Fort Lauderdale, Louisville, Miami, Milwaukee, Minneapolis, New Orleans, Omaha, Orlando
Fiddler on the Roof: Atlanta, Columbus, Louisville, Omaha
Jesus Christ Superstar: Appleton, Atlanta, Boston, Columbus, Fort Lauderdale, Houston, Indianapolis, Milwaukee, New Orleans, Orlando, San Antonio, Seattle
My Fair Lady: Appleton, Atlanta, Baltimore, Boston, Cincinnati, Dallas, Fort Lauderdale, Houston, Indianapolis, Louisville, Miami, New Orleans, Omaha, Pittsburgh, San Antonio, Seattle
Rent: Appleton, Atlanta, Austin, Baltimore, Cincinnati, Columbus, Dallas, Fort Lauderdale, Houston, Indianapolis, Louisville, Miami, Milwaukee, Minneapolis, New Orleans, Omaha, Orlando, Pittsburgh, San Antonio, Seattle
To see a spreadsheet of each venue, check it out by clicking here. If you receive emails from your local BAA venue, be sure to watch your inboxes for your survey. You can also click here to access the survey: BAA survey. By completing the survey, you can enter for a chance to win a weekend for two in New York City from November 21-24, 2019. The winner will receive roundtrip airfare to New York City, two tickets to see three Broadway shows, a walking/theatre tour experience, and more.