'Death of a Salesman,' 'Cats,' 'Schmigadoon,' 13 more Broadway shows this spring

What do Adrien Brody, Mark Consuelos, Don Cheadle, Ayo Edebiri and Taraji P. Henson, all have in common? All are making their highly anticipated Broadway debuts in what is shaping up to be one of the starriest springs the Great White Way has seen in a long time.

Beside those newcomers, a number of famous names are returning to Broadway in roles that are sure to be noticed come Tony time. Among them are Daniel Radcliffe in the solo show "Every Brilliant Thing," Nathan Lane in what is now the seventh Broadway incarnation of Willy Loman in "Death of a Salesman"; best actress Oscar front-runner Rose Byrne in Noël Coward's "Fallen Angels"; and John Lithgow as writer Roald Dahl in "Giant," which deals with the backlash he faces over some antisemitic comments.

"Being a part of 'Giant' from its inception has been the most challenging and exciting stage experience of my career," Lithgow told Newsday in a statement. "I play the central character of Roald Dahl, a man of dizzying complexity, on a day of crisis in his life. The story takes place 40 years ago, but it resonates powerfully with events of our present day."

In all, 16 productions will open on Broadway this spring. Here's a brief look at all of them.

Every Brilliant Thing

(Hudson Theatre, 141 W. 44th St., in previews, runs March 12-May 24) Tony winner Radcliffe returns to Broadway in this life-affirming one-man show about a child who makes a list of every brilliant thing in the world to cheer up his hospitalized mom. Expect equal doses of laughter and tears.

Giant

(Music Box Theatre, 239 W. 45th St., previews begin March 11, runs March 23-June 28)

Don't let the title fool you into thinking this is a stage version of the 1956 James Dean movie. This transplant from London's West End is set in 1983 and stars Lithgow as the famed author of "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory" whose career is on the downside after making antisemitic remarks in a book review. Both Lithgow and the play won Olivier Awards, Britain's equivalent of the Tony, last year.

Dog Day Afternoon

(August Wilson Theatre, 245 W. 52nd St., previews begin March 10, runs March 30-July 12) Stephen Adly Guirgis' play follows the plot of Sidney Lumet's 1975 movie about a nice little bank that should be robbed so that the mastermind behind the plan can pay for his lover's gender-affirming surgery. You can bet your bottom dollar everything goes wrong.

Becky Shaw

(Hayes Theatre, 240 W. 44th St., previews begin March 18, runs April 6-June 14) A pair of newlyweds try their hand at matchmaking and, no spoilers here, everyone gets burned in Gina Gionfriddo's comedy starring three-time Tony nominee Linda Emond.

Cats: The Jellicle Ball

(Broadhurst Theatre, 235 W. 44th St., previews begin March 18, opens April 7) Andrew Lloyd Webber's love it or hate it musical is back, sort of. In this re-imagined version, the action shifts from a junkyard setting to a makeshift ballroom with the LBGTQ felines showing off their dance moves, and even voguing. The "Cats" meow is sure to be André De Shields as Old Deuteronomy.

Death of a Salesman

(Winter Garden Theatre, 1634 Broadway, in previews, runs April 9-Aug. 9)

Despite what the title says, Arthur Miller's tragic hero Willy Loman seems to have more lives than the aforementioned cats, judging by how often this show gets revived. In addition to Lane, the show stars Tony winner Laurie Metcalf as his long-suffering wife, Linda. 

Titanique

(St. James Theatre, 246 W. 44th St., previews begin March 26, runs April 12-July 12)

London audiences went overboard for this musical parody of "Titanic" narrated by "My Heart Will Go On" chanteuse Celine Dion (Marla Mindelle, who's also one of the show's trio of writers). Also in the cast are newcomer Melissa Barrera as Rose, Jim Parsons as her mom, Deborah Cox as the Unsinkable Molly Brown and Layton Williams as The Iceberg.

The Fear of 13

(James Earl Jones Theatre, 138 W. 48th St., previews begin March 19, runs April 15-July 12) Brody may be ready to add a Tony to put beside his two Oscars with his star turn in this drama about Nick Yarris, who spent more than 20 years on death row for a murder he insisted he did not commit.

Proof

(Booth Theatre, 222 W. 45th St., previews begin March 31, runs April 16-July 19) David Auburn's Tony- and Pulitzer Prize-winning play about a deceased mathematician's formula and his family gets its first Broadway revival with a powerhouse cast that not only includes Cheadle and Edebiri, but Samira Wiley ("The Handmaid's Tale") who is also appearing on Broadway for the first time.

Fallen Angels

(Todd Haimes Theatre, 227 W. 42nd St., previews begin March 27, runs April 19-June 7) Byrne and Tony winner Kelli O'Hara star in a revival of Noël Coward's comedy of mores about two sophisticated ladies who get stinking drunk as they await the arrival of a French lover (Consuelos) they both dallied with. With its frank — and flippant — talk of infidelity and premarital sex, the show was considered scandalous when it premiered just over a century ago.

Schmigadoon!

(Nederlander Theatre, 208 W. 41st St., previews begin April 4, runs April 20-Sept. 6) The popular streamer about a couple whose backpacking trip takes a weird turn when they land in a town populated by folks who turn every moment into a musical number makes the leap from Apple TV to the Big Apple. 

The Balusters

](Samuel J. Friedman Theatre, 261 W. 47th St., previews begin March 31, runs April 21-May 24) There goes the neighborhood when one of the locals attending the meeting of a civic association suggests putting up a stop sign on the prettiest block in town. Among the townsfolk populating David Lindsay-Abaire's comedy are Richard Thomas, Anika Noni Rose, Ricardo Chavira and Baldwin's Margaret Colin.

Beaches: A New Musical

(Majestic Theatre, 245 W. 44th St., previews begin March 27, runs April 22-Sept. 6) The 1988 Bette Midler-Barbara Hershey movie tearjerker about two women who endure a long and sometimes turbulent friendship washes up on Broadway. Have some Kleenex handy for the "Wind Beneath My Wings" number.

The Rocky Horror Show

(Studio 54, 254 W. 54th St., previews begin March 26, runs April 23-June 21) Let's do the "Time Warp" again in this new version of the cult classic. Joining Luke Evans, who'll get to don the black fishnets as Dr. Frank-N-Furter, are Stephanie Hsu as Janet, Andrew Durand as Brad, Juliette Lewis as Magenta and Rachel Dratch as the Narrator.

Joe Turner's Come and Gone

(Ethel Barrymore Theatre, 243 W. 47th St., previews begin March 30, runs April 25-July 12) Debbie Allen directs this revival of August Wilson's drama set in 1911 about the Black residents at a Pittsburgh boarding house during the Great Migration. Heading the top-flight cast are Cedric the Entertainer as Seth Holly, who runs the boarding house, and Henson (in her Broadway debut) as his wife.

The Lost Boys

(Palace Theatre, 1564 Broadway, previews begin March 27, opens April 26)

If you're a sucker for the 1987 movie then sink your teeth into this musical version. It's about two brothers who move to a California neighborhood that looks beachy keen except for the gang of teenage rebel vampires who live there.