Bernadette Peters in Hello, Dolly!, a Big Milestone for Phantom & More Staff Picks for January

Happy New Year, Broadway fans! The ball has only just dropped, and 2018 is already looking pretty epic. It's a month full of fantastic cast changes: Stage legend Bernadette Peters will make her Broadway return in Hello, Dolly! alongside Victor Garber and Charlie Stemp, Sara Bareilles is heading back to the diner in Waitress, Jake Shears is stepping into Kinky Boots, and Peter Jöback taking on the iconic role as The Phantom for The Phantom of the Opera’s 30th anniversary. Take a look at these picks and more to start your year off right!

January 7 - The Golden Globes
Many Broadway folks made this year’s Golden Globes nominations list, and we cannot wait to watch them on the big night. Noms to keep an eye on during the broadcast are Tony winner Hugh Jackman for his performance in The Greatest Showman (which also nabbed a Best Musical Comedy, Musical nod and a Best Song nomination for Benj Pasek and Justin Paul’s “This Is Me”), Tony winner Laurie Metcalf for her performance in Lady Bird and more. 

Social Media Manager Caitlyn Gallip
“I fell in love with Laurie Metcalf and Allison Janney’s Broadway performances this year. I would love to the entire Best Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture category take Broadway bows in the future.”

January 9 - 54 Below Sings Jason Mraz
Two-time Grammy winner Jason Mraz is making his Great White Way debut in Waitress as Dr. Pomatter, and theater fans are thrilled to have him on the boards. So much so that there is going to be a night dedicated to covering his most beloved tunes. Broadway.com Content Producer Matt Rodin, A Bronx Tale’s Adam Kaplan and more will lend their pipes to songs like “A Beautiful Mess,” “1000 Things” and more.

Content Producer Matt Rodin
“It's no secret that Jason Mraz has had a huge impact on my life. I'm so excited to be hosting a night that celebrates his work. From the radio hits to the unreleased deep cuts, there will be something for everyone.”

January 16 - Sara Bareilles Steps Back into Waitress
Fans are eager for seconds of this incredible performance! Waitress’ Tony-nominated composer and lyricist Sara Bareilles returns center stage to the role of Jenna, the, expert pie-maker craving a better life. This time, she’s sharing the spotlight with her singer-songwriter pal Jason Mraz. Bareilles made her Broadway debut in the role from March through June and returns to the Brooks Atkinson Theatre through February 25.

Site Producer Joanne Villani
“Theater fans, Sara Bareilles fans and those of us that are proudly in both categories were eager to see her take the Broadway stage the minute her involvement in Waitress was announced. So stoked she's back!”

January 20 - Bernadette Peters & More Step into Hello, Dolly!
Hello, Dolly! nabbed the 2017 Tony Award for Best Revival, and it’s still one of the buzziest re-creations on the Great White Way with this replacement roster. Stage icon Bernadette Peters will step into the titular role this month. Stage-and-screen star Victor Garber replaces David Hyde Pierce’s hilarious Horace Vandergelder while Olivier nominee Charlie Stemp makes his Broadway debut as Barnaby. Holy cabooses!

News Editor Andy Lefkowitz
“Bernadette Peters' luminous voice is a perfect fit for this iconic score. And the chance to see her perform alongside Victor Garber and talented newcomer Charlie Stemp makes Hello, Dolly! a 2018 must-see.”

January 23 - Orfeh & Andy Karl: Legally Bound at 54 Below
Tony-nominated power pair Orfeh and Andy Karl return to Feinstein’s/54 Below with their amazing show. As Broadway fans know, the couple met while performing in Broadway production of Saturday Night Fever, and they went on to appear together in Legally Blonde. Get ready for an eclectic mix of blues, show tunes and more from their golden pipes. 

Managing Editor Beth Stevens
“The ultimate theater couple, Orfeh and Andy Karl have jaw-dropping voices, and (obviously!) their amazing onstage chemistry is the real deal. Their album is fabulous, but live and in person is truly the best.”

January 24 - Alexis Michelle at 54 Below
Alexis Michelle is a Broadway baby, and we’re so excited that the RuPaul’s Drag Race alum is going to werk it in her latest cabaret. Alexis, I Am will take the audience through the past year of her life as she rose to reality TV stardom. Expect covers of tunes from divas like Madonna, Lady Gaga and Liza Minnelli—you know, the ladies who loom as large as show-stopper Michelle does with a mic in her manicured hand.

Editorial Assistant Eric King
“This diva once said ‘No one can do Alexis Michelle like Alexis Michelle.' Damn right. Of course, I once played a game of Disney strip name-that-tune hosted by Michelle, after which she sang Godspell, so I’m biased."

January 26 - The Phantom of the Opera’s 30th Anniversary
Andrew Lloyd Webber’s long-running musical about a masked man and the young singer he's obsessed with continues to enchant audiences at the Majestic Theatre with international stage star and recording artist Peter Jöback in the lead role. While January 26, 2018 is the official anniversary date, the show's 30th anniversary will be celebrated two days earlier, on January 24. Plans for the big event will be announced in the coming weeks.

Content Producer Lindsey Sullivan
"The Phantom of the Opera is a Broadway bucket list-topper. Peter Jöback and Ali Ewoldt's voices soaring through Andrew Lloyd Webber's iconic score, the masquerade, the chandelier—so epic!"

January 28 - The Grammy Awards
Music’s biggest night has got us all ears—after all, Cher, Donna Summer and The Temptations are among the Grammy winners inspiring Broadway-bound musicals. Who knows which of this year’s nominees could tell their story on the Great White Way someday? In addition, Broadway’s own Come From Away, Hello, Dolly! and Dear Evan Hansen are up for Best Musical Theater Album. To make things more sparkly, James Corden is hosting the ceremony.

National Editor Ryan Gilbert
“I’m a sucker for any awards season and the Grammy Awards ceremony is consistently entertaining, even if they don’t always get the actual awards right. James Corden will be the perfect emcee.”

Other events to mark on your calendar this month:

January 8 - Norm Lewis and Tamyra Gray join Once On This Island & Jake Shears and J. Harrison Ghee step into Kinky Boots
January 11 - John Lithgow: Stories by Heart opens
January 15 - Peter Jöback steps into The Phantom of the Opera & Kandi Burruss joins Chicago
January 16 - Michael Urie-led Hamlet begins in DC
January 22 - 54 Below Sings Green Day
January 25 - Jackie Hoffman in Lincoln Center’s American Songbook Series