2009 in theatre

The year 2009 in theatre includes the following significant events.

Top Grossing

Top Grossing Broadway Shows

  • As of March 15, 2009

Rank

Title

Theatre

Attendance

Gross

1

Wicked

George Gershwin Theatre

98.2% Capacity

$1,305,496

2

West Side Story

Palace Theatre

91.8% Capacity

$1,048,705

3

Billy Elliot the MusicAL

Imperial Theatre

88.0% Capacity

$1,039,706

4

The Lion King

Minskoff Theatre

85.0% Capacity

$962,183

5

Jersey Boys

August Wilson Theatre

93.7% Capacity

$945,113

6

You're Welcome America

Cort Theatre

96.5% Capacity

$880,470

7

Mamma Mia!

Winter Garden Theatre

95.2% Capacity

$814,152

8

South Pacific

Vivian Beaumont Theatre

88.7% Capacity

$813,402

9

In the Heights

Richard Rodgers Theatre

94.6% Capacity

$776,269

10

The Phantom Of the Opera

Majestic Theatre

92.6% Capacity

$720,955

{{-}}

Events (including scheduled)

Date

Event

January 26

American Theatre Hall of Fame ceremony: Inductees for this year's American Theatre Hall of Fame are: Nathan Lane, Richard Easton, Alan Ayckbourn, Emanuel Azenberg, Patricia Birch, Marvin Hamlisch, Jonathan Tunick and, posthumously, Roscoe Lee Browne.

March 8

Laurence Olivier Awards ceremony was held. The National Theatre of Scotland's production of Black Watch won four awards, as did The Donmar Warehouse. La Cage aux Folles won awards for Best Musical Revival and for Douglas Hodge, Best Actor in a Musical.

May 11

Outer Critics Circle Awards announced. The awards dinner is held on May 21 at the Eugenia Room of Sardi's Restaurant. Nominees announced on April 20.

May 17

Drama Desk Awards ceremony to be held. Nominations to be announced on April 27.

May 18

Obie Awards ceremony to be held at Webster Hall, New York City.

June 7

The 63rd Tony Awards ceremony to be held, will be televised live on CBS.

Awards

Tony Awards

Play
Best Play: God of Carnage
Best Revival of a Play: The Norman Conquests
Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Play: Geoffrey Rush, Exit the King
Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Play: Marcia Gay Harden, God of Carnage
Best Performance by a Featured Actor in a Play: Roger Robinson, Joe Turner's Come and Gone
Best Performance by a Featured Actress in a Play: Angela Lansbury, Blithe Spirit
Musical
Best Musical: Billy Elliot, The Musical
Best Revival of a Musical: Hair
Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Musical: David Alvarez, Trent Kowalik, and Kiril Kulish ‚ Billy Elliot, The Musical
Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Musical: Alice Ripley, Next to Normal
Best Performance by a Featured Actor in a Musical: Gregory Jbara, Billy Elliot, The Musical
Best Performance by a Featured Actress in a Musical: Karen Olivo, West Side Story

Drama Desk Award

Plays
Outstanding New Play: TBA
Outstanding Revival of a Play: TBA
Outstanding Director of a Play: TBA
Outstanding Actor in a Play: TBA
Outstanding Actress in a Play: TBA
Musicals
Outstanding Musical: TBA
Outstanding Revival of a Musical: TBA
Outstanding Director of a Musical: TBA
Outstanding Actor in a Musical: TBA
Outstanding Actress in a Musical: TBA

New York Drama Critics' Circle Award

Best Play: TBA
Best Musical: TBA

Pulitzer Prize for Drama

TBA

Openings (including scheduled)

Broadway and West End shows that are scheduled to open in 2009.

A show's previews, or try-out performances, can start a couple of days or several weeks before the show officially opens. The preview dates are not mentioned in this table. (Ticket prices for previews are rarely reduced.)

*Pre-opening information is subject to change.

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<font-size=100%> Opening

<font-size=100%> Title

<font-size=100%> Type

<font-size=100%> Where

<font-size=100%> Cast & Crew

<font-size=100%> Notes |- JANUARY

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<font-size=100%> 8

Mandy Patinkin: In Concert

musical cabaret

West End

Mandy Patinkin, with Paul Ford on piano.

<font-size=100%> 13

Hit Me! The Life & Rhymes of Ian Dury

play

West End

Dir. & Book, Jeff Merrifield

*closed February 15, 2009

<font-size=100%> 14

Oliver!

musical

West End

Dir., Rupert Goold, Matthew Bourne; M. & L. & Book, Lionel Bart; Chor., Matthew Bourne; Cast, Jodie Prenger, Rowan Atkinson, Harry Stott, Burn Gorman, Julian Bleach, Julian Glover, Louise Gold, Sarah Lark

<font-size=100%> 15

Soul of Shaolin

special

Broadway

33 Chinese nationals, highly skilled in the martial art Shaolin Kung Fu

*Limited engagement, closed January 31, 2009
a production from the People's Republic of China

<font-size=100%> 16

Every Good Boy Deserves Favour

play

West End

Dir., Felix Barrett, Tom Morris; M., Andre Previn; Book, Tom Stoppard, Andre Previn; Chor., Maxine Doyle; Cast, Bronagh Gallagher, Dan Stevens, Toby Jones, Joseph Millson

*closed February 25, 2009

<font-size=100%> 19

Complicit

play

West End

Dir., Kevin Spacey; Book, Joe Sutton; Cast, Richard Dreyfuss, David Suchet, Elizabeth McGovern

*closed February 21, 2009

<font-size=100%> 20

A Midsummer Night's Dream

play

West End

Dir., Gregory Doran; Book, William Shakespeare; Cast, Edward Bennett, Peter de Jersey, Kathryn Drysdale, Mariah Gale, Mark Hadfield

*closed February 7, 2009

<font-size=100%> 21

Thriller – Live

musical

West End

Dir., Gary Lloyd; Book, Adrian Grant; M. & L., songs of Michael Jackson & The Jackson 5 ; Chor., Gary Lloyd, LaVelle Smith Jnr, Kerys Nathan ; Cast, Denise Pearson, Layton Williams

<font-size=100%> 22

The American Plan

play

Broadway

Dir., David Grindley; Book, Richard Greenberg; Cast, Lily Rabe, Mercedes Ruehl

Limited engagement
*closed March 22, 2009

<font-size=100%> 25

Hedda Gabler

play

Broadway revival

Dir., Ian Rickson; Book, Henrik Ibsen, Christopher Shinn; Cast, Michael Cerveris, Mary-Louise Parker, Peter Stormare

Limited engagement, closing March 28, 2009

<font-size=100%> 26

Be Near Me

play

West End

Dir., John Tiffany; Book, Andrew O’Hagan, Ian McDiarmid; Cast, Ian McDiarmid, Blythe Duff, Jimmy Yuill

closing March 14, 2009

<font-size=100%> 27

Mrs Affleck

play

West End

Dir., Marianne Elliott; Book, Samuel Adamson; Cast, Claire Skinner

*closing April 29, 2009
*inspired by Henrik Ibsen’s Little Eyolf

The Pitmen Painters

play

West End

Dir., Max Roberts; Book, Lee Hall; Cast, Ian Kelly

*closing April 14, 2009
inspired by a book by William Feaver

<font-size=100%> 30

Entertaining Mr Sloane

play

West End

Dir., Nick Bagnall; Book, Joe Orton; Cast, Imelda Staunton, Mathew Horne

|- FEBRUARY

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<font-size=100%> 1

You're Welcome America
A Final Night with George W. Bush

special one-man show

Broadway

Dir., Adam McKay; Cast, Will Ferrell

<font-size=100%> 2

Enjoy

play

West End

Dir., Christopher Luscombe; Book, Alan Bennett; Cast, Alison Steadman, David Troughton

Shades

play

West End

Dir., Nina Raine; Book, Alia Bano

*closing February 21, 2009

<font-size=100%> 4

Touched...
For The Very First Time

play

West End

Dir., Douglas Rintoul; Book, Zoe Lewis; Cast, Sadie Frost

*closing March 14, 2009

King Lear

play

West End

Dir., Rupert Goold; Book, William Shakespeare; Cast, Pete Postlethwaite

*closing March 28, 2009

<font-size=100%> 5

A View From The Bridge

play

West End

Dir., Lindsay Posner; Book, Arthur Miller; Cast, Ken Stott, Hayley Atwell

<font-size=100%> 6

Defending the Caveman

play

West End

Dir., Cath Farr; Book, Rob Becker; Cast, Mark Little

*closed March 15, 2009

Woman in Mind

play

West End

Dir. & Book, Alan Ayckbourn; Cast, Janie Dee, Joanna David

<font-size=100%> 7

The Indian Wants the Bronx

play

West End

Dir., Daljinder Singh; Book, Israel Horovitz

*closing February 14, 2009

<font-size=100%> 9

The Stone

play

West End

Dir., Ramin Gray; Book, Marius von Mayenburg; Cast, Linda Bassett, Loo Brealey, Jonathan Cullen, Amanda Drew

*closed February 28, 2009
*translated by Maja Zade

<font-size=100%> 10

Three Days of Rain

play

West End

<font-size=100%> 11

England People Very Nice

play

West End

<font-size=100%> 12

On the Waterfront

play

West End

<font-size=100%> 17

The Taming of the Shrew

play

West End

<font-size=100%> 19

The Story of My Life

musical

Broadway

Dir., Richard Maltby, Jr.; Book, Brian Hill; M. & L., Neil Bartram; Cast, Will Chase, Malcolm Gets

closed February 22, 2009

<font-size=100%> 23

Plague Over England

play

West End

|- MARCH

M
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<font-size=100%> 1

Guys and Dolls
A Musical Fable of Broadway

musical

Broadway revival

Dir., Des McAnuff; Book, Abe Burrows, Jo Swerling, Damon Runyon; M. & L., Frank Loesser; Chor., Sergio Trujillo; Cast, Craig Bierko, Lauren Graham, Oliver Platt, Adam LeFevre, Mary Testa

<font-size=100%> 9

33 Variations

play

Broadway

Dir. & Book, Moisés Kaufman; Cast, Jane Fonda

Limited engagement, closing May 24, 2009

<font-size=100%> 12

Impressionism

play

Broadway

Dir., Jack O'Brien; Book, Michael Jacobs; Cast, Jeremy Irons, Joan Allen, Aaron Lazar, Margarita Levieva, Marsha Mason, Michael T. Weiss

Limited engagement, closing July 5, 2009

<font-size=100%> 15

Blithe Spirit

play

Broadway revival

Dir., Michael Blakemore; Book, Noël Coward; Cast, Angela Lansbury, Rupert Everett, Jayne Atkinson, Christine Ebersole, Simon Jones, Deborah Rush

<font-size=100%> 19

West Side Story

musical

Broadway revival

Dir. & Book, Arthur Laurents; M., Leonard Bernstein; L., Stephen Sondheim ;Chor., Jerome Robbins, Joey McKneely; Cast, Matt Cavenaugh, Curtis Holbrook, Danielle Polanco

<font-size=100%> 22

God of Carnage

play

Broadway

Dir. Matthew Warchus; B. Yasmina Reza; Cast Jeff Daniels, Marcia Gay Harden, James Gandolfini

Limited engagement, closing July 19, 2009

<font-size=100%> 26

Exit the King

play

Broadway revival

Dir. Neil Armfield; B. Eugene Ionesco; Cast Geoffrey Rush, Susan Sarandon

Limited engagement, closing June 14, 2009

<font-size=100%> 29

Irena's Vow

play

Broadway

Dir., Michael Parva; Book, Dan Gordon; M., Quentin Chiappetta; Cast, Tovah Feldshuh, Peter Reznikoff

<font-size=100%> 31

Hair
The American Tribal Love Rock Musical

musical

Broadway revival

Dir., Diane Paulus; Book & L., Gerome Ragni, James Rado; M., Galt MacDermot; Chor., Karole Armitage; Cast, Gavin Creel

|- APRIL

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<font-size=100%> 2

reasons to be pretty

play

Broadway

Dir., Terry Kinney; Book, Neil LaBute; Cast, Steven Pasquale

<font-size=100%> 7

Rock of Ages

musical

Broadway

Dir., Kristin Hanggi; Book, Chris D'Arienzo; M., famous glam metal bands; Chor, Kelly Devine

<font-size=100%> 19

Mary Stuart

play

Broadway revival

Dir., Phyllida Lloyd; Book, Friedrich Schiller, Peter Oswald; Cast, Janet McTeer, Harriet Walter, John Benjamin Hickey, Brian Murray, Nicholas Woodeson

Limited engagement, closing August 16, 2009

<font-size=100%> 23

The Norman Conquests

play

Broadway revival

Dir., Matthew Warchus; Book, Alan Ayckbourn; Cast, Stephen Mangan (Old Vic Theatre production)

Limited engagement, closing July 25, 2009

<font-size=100%> 26

The Philanthropist

play

Broadway

Dir., David Grindley; Book, Christopher Hampton; Cast, Matthew Broderick

Limited engagement, closing July 5, 2009

<font-size=100%> 29

Accent on Youth

play

Broadway revival

Dir., Daniel Sullivan; Book, Samson Raphaelson; Cast, David Hyde Pierce, Charles Kimbrough, Lisa Banes

Limited engagement, closing June 28, 2009

<font-size=100%> 30

9 to 5

musical

Broadway

Dir., Joe Mantello; Book, Patricia Resnick; M. & L., Dolly Parton; Chor., Andy Blankenbuehler; Cast, Stephanie J. Block, Megan Hilty, Allison Janney, Marc Kudisch, Ann Harada, Lisa Howard, Andy Karl

Waiting for Godot

play

Broadway revival

Dir., Anthony Page; Book, Samuel Beckett; Cast, Nathan Lane, Bill Irwin, John Goodman, David Strathairn

Limited engagement, closing June 14, 2009 |- MAY

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<font-size=100%> -

Unscheduled 2009 openings

The following shows do not have a specific release date set in 2009.

Show

Type

Where

Cast & Crew

Notes

Nice Work If You Can Get It

musical

Broadway

Cast, Harry Connick, Jr

*postponed

Catch Me If You Can

musical

Broadway

Continuing run

Broadway shows that opened in a previous year and are running in 2009 (As of February 8, 2009)

Show

Date opened

The Phantom of the Opera (musical)

January 26, 1988

Chicago (musical)

November 14, 1996

The Lion King (musical)

November 13, 1997

Mamma Mia! (musical)

October 18, 2001

Avenue Q (musical)

July 31, 2003

Wicked (musical)

October 30, 2003

Jersey Boys (musical)

November 6, 2005

Mary Poppins (musical)

November 16, 2006

August: Osage County (play)

December 4, 2007

The Little Mermaid (musical)

January 10, 2008

The 39 Steps (play)

January 15, 2008

In the Heights (musical)

March 9, 2008

South Pacific (musical)

April 3, 2008

Billy Elliot the Musical (musical)

November 13, 2008

Shrek the Musical (musical)

December 14, 2008

Closed in 2009, opened in a previous year

As of March 6, 2009

Show

Location

Date opened

Date closed

Hairspray

Broadway

August 15, 2002

January 4, 2009

Grease

Broadway

August 19, 2007

January 4, 2009

Boeing-Boeing

Broadway

May 4, 2008

January 4, 2009

13

Broadway

October 5, 2008

January 4, 2009

Young Frankenstein

Broadway

November 8, 2008

January 4, 2009

Dividing the Estate

Broadway

November 20, 2008

January 4, 2009

White Christmas

Broadway

November 23, 2008

January 4, 2009

Liza's At the Palace...!

Broadway

December 3, 2008

January 4, 2009

Slava's Snowshow

Broadway

December 7, 2008

January 4, 2009

Spamalot

Broadway

March 17, 2005

January 11, 2009

West End

October 16, 2006

January 3, 2009

Gypsy: A Musical Fable

Broadway

March 27, 2008

January 11, 2009

All My Sons

Broadway

October 16, 2008

January 11, 2009

Edward Scissorhands

West End

December 9, 2008

January 18, 2009

Spring Awakening

Broadway

December 10, 2006

January 18, 2009

Equus

Broadway

September 25, 2008

February 8, 2009

Speed-the-Plow

Broadway

October 23, 2008

February 22, 2009

Pal Joey

Broadway

December 18, 2008

March 1, 2009

Notable Deaths

Date

Name

Age

Country

January

3

Pat Hingle

84

11

Tom O'Horgan

84

14

Ricardo Montalban

88

16

John Mortimer

85

February

6

James Whitmore

87

7

Blossom Dearie

82

9

Robert Woodruff Anderson

91

March

3

Sydney Chaplin

82

4

Horton Foote

92

April

1

Elaine Cancilla Orbach

69

References

fr:2009 au théâtre ro:2009 în teatru ru:2009 год в театре sv:Teateråret 2009