Evan Agostini / AP Photo
Spring won't only bring blessed relief to the winter weather, but also, theater fans hope, a renewed interest in Broadway after the industry was hit by a spate of January closings. Jane Fonda, who has been absent from Broadway for 45 years, will star as a Beethoven expert in 33 Variations beginning in early March, while Yasmina Reza's God of Carnage opens with Sopranos boss James Gandolfini and Jeff Daniels on March 22. Country sweetheart Dolly Parton adapted her film into 9 to 5: The Musical, and the office revenge piece will star Allison Janney in Lily Tomlin's role. Struggling theaters are banking on limited engagement runs with glossy headlining stars and revivals (West Side Story will also dance across the stage for the first time in three decades) to bring Broadway back from life support.