Jimmy Fallon brought back his live studio audience this week. In September, Broadway will follow suit. When those lights fire back up for shows, New York City will officially be back from the coronavirus pandemic, something the “Tonight Show” host and “Hamilton” creator Lin-Manuel Miranda celebrated on Tuesday.
(Eventually) Joining them in the musical number — appropriately (and simply) titled “Broadway’s Back!” — were Olga Merediz, Phylicia Rashad, Kristin Chenoweth, Christopher Jackson, Laura Benanti and Jimmy Smits. They’ve all spent some time on that theater-lined street in midtown Manattan.
Yes, the partially pre-taped, partially live (to the studio audience, at least) performance had a full house — both on stage at 30 Rock and in out in the (fully masked, fully vaccinated) crowd.
Watch the video above, find the lyrics below.
They featured a solid “Masked Singer”/”Phantom of the Opera” joke by Fallon, and a lighthearted (we imagine) shot at streaming services by Miranda.
Remember, his “Hamilton” went to Disney+ for a pretty penny, and “In the Heights” was just turned into a huge movie that is heading to both theaters and HBO Max on Thursday. So it’d better be lighthearted!
Broadway! Oh broadway!
You’re finally coming back
I miss drinking wine out of sippy cups
And a $20 snack.
A night at the theater
My favorite kind of date
I even miss the people
Who always show up late!
I miss Henry’s wives in SIX
Think of all that alimony!
I miss that brooding PHANTOM
The only Masked Singer with a Tony!
I miss the ladies of Chicago
Can these legs kick even higher?
I miss that anxious Evan Hansen!
Yes I’m cute, but I’m a liar.
I miss going down to HADESTOWN
For true love I’ll go far!
I want to yell “Don’t turn around!”
To the guy with the guitar.
On the west side, there’s a story
About the JETS and SHARKS
Where fighting is just dancing!
And the lions hit their marks!
It’s been a year of quarantine
It’s time for COMPANY
Come From Away taught me all about hospitality
I miss Mormons telling me “Hello!”
Founding fathers dueling- WOAH!
And dancers can-can-canning through Paris
I miss trying out for chorus line
A whole new world could be divine
And feeling like I’m defying gravity!
But most of all I miss the crowds
The theaters packed, They’re cheering so loud
I just hope that we make it through!
JIMMY: But Lin we have an audience now.
LIN: We do?
JIMMY: Yeah man, we do!
You say It’s been a full year since you’ve seen a live show or a play
You cry In the terrible sourdough starter you made to get by
We’ve gone mad remember
we’ve been in containment for hundreds of days
But it’s not all bad
In September, for your entertainment, Broadway’s back
And you’ll be back, soon you’ll see!
You’ll remember what it’s like to be
in Times Square, for a show waving “hi!” to every drunk Elmo!
Take a break, from your Zoom,
your pet plants are safe inside their rooms
Won’t you please, come with us!
There is life beyond your friends at Netflix, Hulu, Peacock, Disney+!
Da da da dat da, dat da da da da ya da
Da da dat dat da ya da!