By Spencer Tracy, Staff writer

Coming to the stage live for the first time since March 2020, Broadway is back in New York and in other cities all across America. 

The shows have already begun opening in NYC, starting with famous Broadway show Waitress. If you missed the action this week, there are 10 more shows premiering once again from now through October. There are more shows scheduled for the rest of the year, though theater officials are keeping their eyes on COVID-19 numbers closely.

Fan favorite Broadway shows such as Hamilton, Chicago and Aladdin are also returning to the New York stage in 2021. 

It’s been a long, laborious process to get back on stage, as Broadway officials have been trying to make a comeback since last October but failing due to COVID-19 spikes. Theaters and tours were originally hoped to only shut down until April 12, 2020, but that was quickly pushed back to June 7 and then Sept. 6 of last year. 

Theater vanished not only in the U.S. but also London’s West End, which was shut down completely until May 2021, when it announced a plan to reopen its doors to the public.

Heightened vaccine distribution and diminishing COVID-19 spikes around the world gave Broadway the green light for a soft reopening this fall. 

As of Sept. 14, tickets are on sale for 13 Broadway shows, including Waitress, Stomp, Wicked and Hadestown. According to Broadway League, a handful of shows will premiere throughout September and continue over the winter, while more will debut or reemerge over the summer. 

Local performances are set to occur at both Broadway in Cincinnati and the Aronoff Center for the Arts.