Canceled Productions That Eventually Happened?

The discussion over whether My Son’s a Queer would/could eventually happen on Broadway got me wondering if there was any precedent for a production that was canceled ever actually being successfully mounted on Broadway? I’m referring specifically to productions like MSAQ, Room, or Nerds, in which the marquee was up, rehearsals were happening, and tickets were being sold when the plug was pulled, not “Broadway bound” shows out of town or in development that never came to pass.

... things produced by Michael Cohl ... "The Producers" producing.

Still waiting for Encores LOVE LIFE. Opera North is doing it next year, and it will FINALLY be recorded with the cooperation of the KWF. Will an Encores production soon follow?

Plaza Suite.

After two years, SJP and Matthew Broderick could have just moved onto other things, but they brought it back out of love for the project.

The 2005 Broadway revival of SWEET CHARITY with Christina Applegate cancelled its planned Broadway run during the revival’s last out-of-town tour stop: Boston. Applegate had fractured her foot during the previous tour stop so Charlotte d’Amboise was brought in to play the entire Boston stop (she was currently playing Roxie in Broadway’s CHICAGO). At the last hour Applegate pleaded with the producers to retract the cancellation and she invested in the show to allow it to open on Broadway as intended. This move endeared her to the Broadway community for saving countless jobs. She went on to earn a Tony Award nomination. NOTE: d’Amboise did double-duty during SWEET CHARITY’s run - she played Roxie in CHICAGO and was the Charity standby as well.

^^I got mine via phone (so old school as well). I saw the matinee the day before the Tonys. Lea Salonga was still doing the Saturday matinees then with the alternate in the evenings. (At some point, they switched.) So I saw her final performance before winning the Tony. It was definitely a memorable experience!

chrishuyen said: "also slightly different because of Covid, but Sing Street seemed to be kicked around for a while?"

But this didn't make it to Broadway, which I believe is what Kad was asking.

It was remounted in Boston (Huntington Theater) and, at the time, the plan WAS to still bring it to Bway, but (obv) that didn't happen.

Jay Lerner-Z said: "Plaza Suite.

After two years, SJP and Matthew Broderick could have just moved onto other things, but they brought it back out of love for the project."

Plaza Suite was never "cancelled" though. They always intended to come back after the shutdown, and were consistently speculated to be one of the bigger money-makers whenever Broadway returned.

I would, however, personally include Hangmen in this discussion. Marquee was up at the Golden, tickets were sold, and even previews had happened when the plug was pulled. Ended up coming back to the same theatre, after another production at that theatre. As some others have alluded to, covid was an extenuating circumstance, but still. I count it.

I honestly had forgotten COVID-affected productions like The Minutes, Hangman, Sing Street, etc. I kind of file those under “Unprecedented Times” in my mind.

JoeW4 said: "Not counting COVID-related ones (I agree with Kad's remark above) -- a recent one that comes to mind is Annie Baker's "Infinite Life" which was canceled at Signature before Atlantic picked it up a couple years lated. Granted, the press release did mention the "ongoing health and safety concerns" with COVID as a reason for the cancellation, but I've always assumed there was more to the story, given the fact that virtually every other theatre was back open. And in retrospect, the fact that Signature didn't reschedule it.”

Kind of similar. The Outsiders had initially announced a tryout at the Goodman in Chicago for the summer of 2020(obviously that didn’t happen). The show was still in the Goodmans “return” season for 2021/2022. By the time January 2022 rolled around it was announced they were “postponing” The Outsiders and scheduled Life After in its place. Obviously, The Outsiders never actually made it back to The Goodman and I guess La Jolla picked it up.

"Forbidden Broadway" just cancelled their run at The Helen Hayes Theatre. Will it reopen? Who knows.

If there is a path for it, it would be through off-Bway or a smaller market. If.

Well… Add the Broadway transfer Forbidden Broadway to the list.