David Byrne’s ‘American Utopia’ is returning to Broadway

David Byrne‘s ‘American Utopia’ has been confirmed for a re-run on Broadway in 2021 after an initial 17-week return schedule was postponed last year due to the coronavirus crisis.

The stage show, which is based on Byrne’s 2018 album of the same name, will this time see a longer, six-month run in New York City’s theatre district, moving from The Hudson to the larger St. James Theatre on 44th street.

The Talking Heads frontman and solo artist is joined by an 11-piece mobile ensemble playing songs from ‘American Utopia’ as well as other tracks from his solo catalog and Talking Heads material.

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Byrne said in a statement [via Consequence Of Sound]: “It is with great pleasure that finally, after a year+ like no other, I can announce that our show is coming back to Broadway. You who kept the faith, who held on to your tickets, well, you knew this would happen eventually! September 17 — remount previews begin. We’re moving to the St. James Theatre — just down 44th Street from the Hudson, where we were before. The stage is a little wider and the capacity is a little bigger — I guess we did alright!

“Seriously, New York is back, and given all we’ve witnessed, felt and experienced, it is obvious to me that no one wants to go back to a world with EVERYTHING the way it was — we have an opportunity for a new world here. See you there.”

David Byrne’s American Utopia. Credit: Matthew Murphy

Ticketholders of dates from the original, cancelled run will be emailed with details about how to proceed. Elsewhere, fans can buy tickets from the show’s official website.

Byrne announced last February that ‘American Utopia’ would begin a new 17-week run that September after a 121-performance run at the Hudson Theatre between October 2019 and February 2020. However, all shows were postponed due to the coronavirus pandemic.

In March 2020, Byrne brought ‘American Utopia’ to Saturday Night Live, marking his first appearance on the show in 31 years.

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Also last year, HBO released a Spike Lee-directed film version of the Broadway show, which was scripted by Byrne. Read NME‘s five-star review here.