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Shows with the longest “gestation” period before setting foot on a stage

Shows with the longest “gestation” period before setting foot on a stage

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Call_me_jorge
#1Shows with the longest “gestation” period before setting foot on a stage
Posted: 4/15/22 at 12:17pm

What are some of the longest development periods for a Broadway show? Whether that means from first reading to first performance in front of a live audience or getting on Broadway. I know The Visit had a long period of time between its first tryout and the eventual Broadway run. 


My father (AIDS) My sister (AIDS) My uncle and my cousin and her best friend (AIDS, AIDS, AIDS) The gays and the straights And the white and the spades

Theatrefanboy1
#2Shows with the longest “gestation” period before setting foot on a stage
Posted: 4/15/22 at 12:27pm

That Sheryl Crow musical…

I don’t know dates precisely but work on Moulin Rouge if I recall correctly began discussions and talks shortly after the movie came out if it could translate to the stage. 

AEA AGMA SM
#3Shows with the longest “gestation” period before setting foot on a stage
Posted: 4/15/22 at 12:44pm

A Tale of Two Cities

Jill Santoriello began working on that show in the late 80s. There was a concert style production done by invitation only in the mid-90s. It was first optioned by producers for a Broadway production in the late 90s. There was an out of town tryout in Chicago scheduled for sometime in 2005/2006 that was scuttled due to a lack of funding. It then received an out of town tryout in late 2007 at the Asolo Rep in Sarasota. It finally opened on Broadway at the Hirschfeld about a year later in the fall of 2008.

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soulmistin
#4Shows with the longest “gestation” period before setting foot on a stage
Posted: 4/15/22 at 6:00pm

I think Hadestown probably fits here, with what I think was about a 15 year incubation period and wow does it show. It made a huge transformation from its older iterations

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ErmengardeStopSniveling
#5Shows with the longest “gestation” period before setting foot on a stage
Posted: 4/15/22 at 6:50pm

SATURDAY NIGHT feels like the obvious answer. That was never produced prior to 2nd Stage right? And even then, it’s more of an interesting artifact than a great work of art. 

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GiantsInTheSky2
#6Shows with the longest “gestation” period before setting foot on a stage
Posted: 4/15/22 at 6:57pm

Harmony can definitely be added to the list. 


I am big. It’s the REVIVALS that got small.

sassylash3s
#7Shows with the longest “gestation” period before setting foot on a stage
Posted: 4/15/22 at 7:06pm

I believe the musical which would ultimately become GRAND HOTEL got as far as an out-of-town tryout in the 50’s but ultimately didn’t make it to Broadway until the late 80’s.


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