Future Musicals I Would Like to See

I know this post isn’t holiday themed as part of my holiday blog series, but it seems like the biggest musicals always premiere during the holiday season, whether it be as a theatrical film adaptation like Wicked or a touring production like Hamilton. That is why I thought it would be appropriate to share future Broadway productions I would like to see either in New York or in my hometown. A few months ago, the lineup for the 2025 season of Broadway in Hawaii was also announced with three productions coming that include, Tina: The Tina Turner Musical, Six, and Chicago. Prior to that, I survey was put out asking people which productions would they like to come in the future. That is also another reason why I put out this list (and because none of my choices made it into next year’s lineup). To make this more interesting, I am leaving out shows that I have already seen that I would want to see again like Wicked, Hamilton, and The Lion King.

1.   Frozen on Broadway

When I first saw Frozen in theaters over ten years ago, I agree with everyone else that this was a hit Disney movie. Not because of the catchy songs, but the story, characters, and depiction of the setting are what made Frozen a successful franchise for Disney. It didn’t matter how tired people got of the hit song “Let It Go” being sung hundreds of times by millions of people. Ever since seeing the movie, I always thought that it would make a great Broadway musical. And I was right when it came to Broadway a few years later, and overall, it is still a successful franchise everywhere. It even builds on the original film but adds a couple of original songs all done by the talented duo of Kristen Anderson-Lopez and Bobby Lopez. Sadly, the production was forced to shut down due to the pandemic, however it was recently announced that the production would be cogvming to Disney Plus next year. I am excited to see this long-awaited Broadway version, but I still hope to see it if a touring production comes to my home-state.

2.   The Greatest Showman on Broadway

Just like how the Broadway production of Frozen streaming on Disney Plus was announced on this year’s D23 presentation, it was also announced that The Greatest Showman was also becoming a Broadway production. Now when I first heard of the film, I had no interest it in it. However, the popularity of the songs grew on me when I saw my Japanese host family’s daughter perform one of the songs (and eventually we sang some of the film’s songs during a karaoke session). That made me want to watch the movie, and I ended up watching it somewhere on my computer while I was still in Japan (literally the day after my Thanksgiving was ruined there). Now that Disney owns the rights to 20th Century Fox which produced The Greatest Showman, I have full confidence that they are going to pull this off on Broadway. I hope they expand more on the supporting characters from the original film, and even add some original songs. Hopefully Hugh Jackman can also get involved in this production since he was the lead actor for the film (hint: there is a slight reference to this in Deadpool and Wolverine).

3.   Moulin Rouge

I remember seeing the original film back in high school with no expectations. However, when I started to hear the musical numbers, I was completely hooked. I didn’t think this would actually become a Broadway musical due to its grand production scale in the film, but I was totally wrong. I recall hearing some of the soundtrack from the Broadway production, and they even added some current pop songs to make the musical have a bit of modern touch. Don’t worry they still kept a lot of the classic hits from the film like “Lady Marmalade.” In addition to the many cover songs, the story itself is also very emotional and humorous at times. I wish this musical got more attention as it should be as big as the original film. If I ever end up seeing the musical through a tour or on Broadway, I will definitely rewatch the film.

4.   Pixar's Coco

There hasn’t been any news about this musical being in development, but this Pixar film would be a great adaptation for the Broadway stage. First, the music numbers are hits thanks to the same duo that did the music for Frozen which is also a musical. Then you got a great story that would be beautifully depicted on stage as it revolves around family values, and celebrating death. There is also the setting of the film which was beautifully depicted in animation, and I have high confidence it can be pulled off on Broadway. There is also the costume aspect which is going to be a challenge considering half of the ensemble will be skeletons. Finally, the choreography for this would be spectacular as this movie is inspired by Mexican and Hispanic cultures. You can definitely put some traditional Latin dances in the Broadway version, and you would get a memorable show. Pixar films are known to make people emotional, and I am sure a Broadway version would do the same (as long as it is done right).

For my honorable mentions, I have listed these musicals as well. They may not be at the top of my list, but if a touring production of the show comes near me then I will try to see it. Hopefully it will raise my expectations, and remind me why it is considered a classic Broadway hit:

  Phantom of the Opera

     Spongebob Squarepants: The Broadway Musical

                             West Side Story

                             The Sound of Music

                              Come From Away

                              Broadway production ofThe Barbie Movie

Those are my list of musicals I would like to see in the future, and I guess it works like its own bucket list. Hopefully these productions come to a city near me, or I finally end up going to New York and see them on Broadway. For the ones that aren’t musical productions yet, I hope someone comes across this blog and gets inspired to adapt the film to Broadway. If there are any other musicals that I should see in the future, please let me know by following this blog on IG @pressure.shock. Until then, go out and see a Broadway musical and support the actors, crew members, and everyone involved with the production!