“Schmigadoon!,” a hit musical nominated for 12 Tony awards, will launch a national touring production from Baltimore in September of 2027. Producers announced this week that the tour will start at Baltimore’s Hippodrome Theatre before traveling across the U. S. and Canada. Stops will i nclude Chicago, Los Angeles and Washington, D. C. “Schmigadoon” will be the ninth touring production in the last several years to launch at the Hippodrome, part of the France-Merrick Performing Arts Center at 12 N. Eutaw St. It will be part of the 2027-2028 season. The Hippodrome was the starting point for “The Wiz” in September of 2023; “ Juliet” in September of 2024, and “Life of Pi” in December of 2024. During the 2025-2026 season, it was the starting point for “Water for Elephants” (Sept. 27 to Oct. 4, 2025), “The Phantom of the Opera” (November 7 to 15, 2025) and “The Great Gatsby” (Jan. 31 to Feb. 7, 2026.) Productions of “SIX the Musical” and “Heathers the Musical,” announced as part of the Hippodrome’s 2026-2027 season, also are eligible for the tax credit program. “Schmigadoon!” opened on April 20, 2026, at the Nederlander Theatre starring Alex Brightman and Sara Chase and is scheduled to run there through Jan. 3, 2027.   It’s the story of two people who accidentally wander into Schmigadoon, a magical town where every day is a musical and everybody has a song for everything. The visitors soon discover that the only way to escape is by finding true love – which may or may not be with each other. The Broadway production (schmigadoonbroadway.com) has been nominated for 12 Tony Awards, including “Best Musical.” That’s more nominations that any other production this season. The show has been awarded “Outstanding New Musical” by the Outer Critics Circle Awards and Drama Desk Awards, and it received the Chita Rivera awards for “Best Choreography” and “Outstanding Ensemble in a Broadway Show.” Tony winners for 2026 will be announced on June 7 in a ceremony at Radio City Music Hall. In addition to announcing the national tour, producers said that Theatrical Rights Worldwide (TRW), a premier Broadway licensing house, has acquired the stage licensing rights to “Schmigadoon!” Under the agreement with TRW, “Schmigadoon!” will initially be positioned for productions in more than 50 countries worldwide, with projected audiences expected to surpass 4 million people globally. North American licensing is expected to include professional, regional, amateur, community and school productions. Baltimore was well known as a “tryout town” for Broadway shows after the Morris A. Mechanic Theatre opened downtown in 1967, but it lost that reputation after that theater closed in 2004. The Hippodrome became the starting point for national touring productions after the Maryland General Assembly in 2022 approved a Theatrical Production Tax Credit program that provides incentives for producers to launch their shows in Maryland. Ron Legler, president of the France Merrick Performing Arts Center, pushed for creation of the tax credit program as a way to help the Hippodrome and other Maryland theaters compete with venues in other states that offer tax incentives. The program was renewed this year by the Maryland General Assembly. The state gets an economic boost when touring productions originate in Maryland because the casts and crews spend time ahead of the performance dates for rehearsals, set and costume design and other activities, and they spend money for lodging, meals and other purchases while they’re in town. “Ron Legler saw a tremendous opportunity to attract more union work and creative talent to Maryland,” said State Sen. Guy Guzzone, sponsor of the legislation that created the tax credit, after his bill passed. “Historically, Baltimore was known as a major tryout city for shows trying to get to Broadway. We hope this new incentive will reenergize Broadway producers and their creative teams to choose Maryland for their pre-Broadway activities.” The cast and additional cities for the touring production of “Schmigadoon!” will be announced at a later date. ...read more read less