(The Best Man) ‘Tis the season for political drama–and thus for a revival of Gore Vidal’s 1960 stage classic about a ruthless presidential race (and yes, Vidal happens to be distantly related to one of this year’s candidates). On Broadway, the politicos will be played by Charles Durning, Chris Noth and Spaulding Gray. Vidal’s having a big season, as his latest acid-etched historical novel, “The Golden Age”–a look at America mid-century through the eyes of a female Washington newspaper publisher–will hit stores about the same time. (Sept.)
(Baryshnikov, Bill T. Jones, Mark Morris) Each of these guys is crisscrossing the country with his company this fall: the madcap Morris’s tour includes his new staging of the perpetually avant-garde “Four Saints in Three Acts”; Jones is taking his new dance “You Walk?” on the road, with a score based on everything from John Cage to Portuguese fado, and Baryshnikov’s White Oak Dance Project will tour new pieces and old favorites from an A list of choreographers, such as David Gordon and Deborah Hay, with Mischa stepping out in most of them. (Sept., Oct.)
(Fidelio) Ben Heppner, the heroic tenor who floored Wagner fans with his Tristan last season at the Metropolitan Opera, is back. This time, the towering Canadian superstar is singing Florestan in the Met’s new production of Beethoven’s only opera. (Oct.)
(The Rocky Horror Show) Most people have probably forgotten that the biggest cult movie ever ($150 million from mostly midnight showings) started life as a stage musical. Now revamped, the camp classic celebrating cross-dressing and other walks on the wild side is coming to Broadway, with rocker Joan Jett, Lea DeLaria and Dick Cavett. (Nov.)
(Sydney Dance Company) If you haven’t had your fill of hard bodies Down Under after the Olympics, you’ll want to catch Australia’s premier dance company on its nine-city U.S. tour. Under the direction of legendary choreographer Graeme Murphy, the company will present Murphy’s richly sensual “Salome” and “Air and other invisible forces.” (Oct.)
(Seussical) Lynn Ahrens and Stephen Flaherty, the duo behind the words and music for “Ragtime,” have created this musical based on the stories of Dr. Seuss. The Cat in the Hat, Horton the Elephant and Gertrude McFuzz are among the characters making their Broadway debuts. (Nov.)
(Mamma Mia!) Who knew you could take all of ABBA’s greatest hits and knit them into a coherent musical? This import–which has been a smash hit in London–is about a girl on the brink of marriage trying to discover which of three different men is her real father. Somehow the performers manage to work in “Dancing Queen.” The U.S. tour launches in San Francisco and moves to Los Angeles and Chicago. (Nov.)
(Jane Eyre) Charlotte Bronte’s orphaned governess takes up residence on Broadway after a sold-out run at the La Jolla Playhouse in California last season. Jane, the brooding Rochester and Mrs. Fairfax break into song in this musical version, with a book by John Caird and music and lyrics by Paul Gordon. (Dec.)
