Last night, the PBS-TV series Great Performances presented “Reopening: The Broadway Revival,” the 16th episode of its 49th season, which pulled back the curtain on some of Broadway’s most popular shows, revealing how the New York theater industry undertook the monumental process of turning the lights back on after its longest hiatus in history due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The film offers exclusive behind-the-scenes access to shows including Wicked, Aladdin, Tina, Jagged Little Pill, The Phantom of the Opera, Waitress, and others, following each production’s journey as their casts and crews reunite, rehearse, and restage for their long-anticipated reopening nights. You can watch the entire episode below.
Hosted by NY1 journalist Frank DiLella, this music-filled, intimate production features the Broadway verterans who’ve been achieving the entertainment industry’s largest comeback, such as Tony winners Laura Benanti, Kristin Chenoweth, Chita Rivera, David Rockwell, Lea Salonga, Aaron Tveit, Adrienne Warren, and Andrew Lloyd Webber, as well as Tony nominees Sara Bareilles, Norm Lewis, Andrew Rannells, and Elizabeth Stanley, with Michael James Scott (Aladdin), Alexandra Billings (Wicked), Sharon D. Clarke (Caroline or Change), Jawan M. Jackson (Ain’t Too Proud), Jeanna de Waal (Diana), and Rachel Tucker (Come from Away).