UPDATE: The complete creative team as well as the venue for Broadway‘s upcoming Galileo musical have been set, with the production beginning previews November 10 at the previously unannounced Shubert Theatre.
Inspired by the life of Galileo Galilei, the musical will star Raúl Esparza in the title role, with a book by Danny Strong and an original score by Zoe Sarnak and Michael Weiner. Michael Mayer directs and David Neumann choreographs.
Additional creative team announced today are Brian Usifer (Music Supervision & Orchestrations), Rachel Hauck (Set Design), Susan Hilferty (Costume Design), Kevin Adams (Lighting Design), John Shivers (Sound Design), and Ethan Tobman (Video & Projection Design).
Following the starts of previews on Tuesday, November 10, the opening night is set for Sunday evening, December 6.
Director Mayer said, “It is a tremendous privilege to put together this extraordinary creative team in bringing Galileo to Broadway, some of whom are exciting new voices, and many of these artists are longtime collaborators whose ingenuity, theatricality, and emotional storytelling I have admired for years, and whose work continually challenges and inspires me. As we build a production that explores the collision of science, humanity, and discovery, reuniting with so many of these brilliant creatives feels especially meaningful.”
Also in the cast will be Jeremy Kushnier (Head Over Heels, Jersey Boys) and Joy Woods (Gypsy, The Notebook). Additional information, including complete casting, will be announced shortly.
PREVIOUS, February 10: Galileo, the new musical inspired by the life of Galileo Galilei and starring Raúl Esparza, will begin Broadway preview performances on November 10 at the Shubert Theatre ahead of an opening night on Sunday, December 6.
Producers Amanda Lipitz, Henry Tisch and Jordan Roth made the announcement today.
Featuring a book by Danny Strong and an original score by Zoe Sarnak and Michael Weiner, Galileo will be directed by Tony Award winner Michael Mayer and choreographed by Tony Award nominee David Neumann. Four-time Tony Award nominee Esparza will star in the title role, marking his first Broadway appearance in more than 13 years.
Esparza was last on Broadway in 2012’s Leap of Faith and 2011’s Arcadia. He appeared as Fagin in the 2023 Encores! production of Oliver! Off Broadway, and is best known to TV audiences for his long-running role on NBC’s Law & Order: Special Victims Unit.
The synopsis: “Galileo is the electrifying and emotional new musical about maverick scientist Galileo Galilei. When he makes astronomical discoveries that revolutionize humanity’s understanding of the universe, he must defend his findings before the most powerful religious institution in the world.”
In a statement, the producers said, “The moment Galileo lifts his telescope to the sky and reshapes our understanding of the universe is one of history’s great turning points. Bringing that moment to the stage feels both thrilling and urgent. Though this story unfolds more than 400 years ago, its themes resonate with striking clarity today. We’re telling a story that captures the enduring tension between truth and power – and the courage required to stand by what you know is right, even when doing so comes at great cost. That kind of courage is the essential force on which human progress relies, and it is why Galileo – and those like him – are the ones who change the course of history.”
Galileo had its world premiere at Berkeley Repertory Theatre, where it was developed prior to Broadway.
