There are those that will travel the globe to catch a spectacularly dazzling performance of some of the greatest shows to ever take the stage … and there’s no place quite like it than on Broadway!
If you’re pondering which tickets to purchase for your next (or new) visit to the iconic theater district in New York City, here is a multitude of the best Broadway shows to see right now!
As the birthplace of actors, creatives and some of the biggest stars of the entertainment industry, Broadway has been the home of playwrights since the 18th Century, and the original theatrical district in Manhattan is a landmark in its own right.
Flash forward to the 1930s and the official Broadway League formed in NYC (its members comprising theater owners, operators and producers).
Only official members of the League have productions officiated by Broadway and categorized as such. Among these are legendary theatrical plays, musicals and performances, from The Lion King to Chicago to more recent showstoppers like Hamilton.
Regularly updated, check out this list of the 38 best shows and musicals to see on Broadway currently showcasing in theaters. Whether you’re a musical fan or lover of a classic play, there’s a stage for all.
Reader’s tip: For a further in-depth look at the Broadway industry, check out our list of Broadway theaters.
1 – Wicked
Calling all you witches of the wicked west and far south … Prepare for a night of swooping broomsticks, spellbinding songs and dazzling special effects during the outstanding Broadway production of Wicked.
Taking inspiration from the book, Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West (written by author Gregory Maguire in 1995), the long-running show was headed up in 2003 by composer Stephen Schwartz, making its Broadway debut.
Similarly to Maguire’s version, Wicked tells the tale of a time long before Dorothy and the gang when the “Wicked Witch of the West” and the “Good Witch” of the south first met in the Land of Oz, became friends, and the events that unraveled thereafter when pinned against one another.
It’s the classic tale of good versus evil.
Having won too many awards to mention — including Tonys and a Grammy — the cast is revered for their impeccable acting and beautiful singing voices … it is a musical after all!
Witty, lighthearted and exciting, Wicked is ideal for the entire family.
2 – Hamilton
Taking not just the Broadway world, but the rest of the theater industry by storm; when Hamilton hit the stage in 2015, there was truly none like it before. What began as an idea for a hip-hop album transformed into one of the highest-grossing musicals of all time.
The storyline revolves around America’s Founding Father, Alexander Hamilton — but with a twist. The entire tale is acted out, rapped and sung with hip-hop, R&B and soul stealing the show’s limelight as its main music genres.
Ditching the usual Broadway ballads and concert-y tunes, Hamilton is so refreshing! It’s no surprise it immediately began racking in accolades and recognition from day one, moving from off-Broadway (where it premiered) to official theaters in no time!
It’s the brainchild of multiple award-winning composer, songwriter, actor, and playwright, Lin-Manuel Miranda. Just one year of opening, it received the Grammy Award for Best Musical Theater Album in 2016.
As put by Miranda himself, the production aims to showcase “America then, as told by America now.”
From its stellar cast, script and songs, this is one of the hottest hits of the century!
3 – The Lion King
Since 1997 (and with no plans for ending on Broadway any time soon), The Lion King continues to steal the hearts of both young and old audiences, from its emotionally charged soundtrack to its soul-touching story of Simba.
The original Academy Award (and Golden Globe) winning Disney film was an instant smash hit when it was released in 1994, and just three years later, the theatrical version came to life on stage.
Directed by Julie Taymor, the Broadway adaption enacts the same storyline, tracking Simba’s journey after he is banished from the Pride Lands by his uncle, Scar until he returns to claim his rightful throne as King.
During the 2.5-hour performance, expect to hear all of your original favorites … ‘Circle of Life,’ ‘I Just Can’t Wait to Be King,’ ‘Hakuna Matata’ and ‘Can You Feel the Love Tonight’ are just a few to give you the goosies for now.
With spoken word and songs sung in six different African languages, including Zulu, Xhosa, Swahili, Sotho, Tswana and Congolese, the six-time Tony Award®-winning musical’s tracks are written and compiled by Elton John, Tom Rice, Lebo M., Hans Zimmer, Mark Mancina, Jay Rifkin and Taymor.
From Minneapolis to New York to tours around the world, the set at the Minskoff Theatre will blow your socks, with both actors dressed in costume as well as breathtaking puppetry work.
4 – The Book of Mormon
Are you in the mood for a good ol’ fashion Broadway musical, with all the elements of love, laughter, wit, tears, comedy, song and dance — and of course, a soundtrack you can’t get out of your head afterward?!
Winner of a whopping nine Tonys and a Grammy for Best Musical Theater Album, The Book of Mormon is a unique tale from the usual Broadway-favored narratives, yet retains all the classic features that make a musical a winner.
Following two Latter Day Saint missionaries, as they travel to Uganda to spread the teachings of the Mormon faith, you’ll witness their personal story as they struggle to gain interest from the locals, who are dealing with their own social, political, cultural and economic problems.
Satire at its finest, the musical was written and produced by South Park creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone, and songwriter, Robert Lopez (who wrote the musical Avenue Q).
Conceptualization for the production began in 2003, and in 2011, the show officially opened at the Eugene O’Neill Theatre where it has had an open run ever since.
Racking in earnings that have beaten most shows on Broadway, the production is the 13th longest-running Broadway show.
5 – Chicago The Musical
From theaters to the big screen, the global phenomenon that is Chicago has torn up the stages and screens since its first performance in 1975 — and continues to woo audiences with its jazz numbers, raunchy lyrics and tap-dancing moves.
While it stands as the second longest-running musical on Broadway to ever take the stage, it’s officially the longest-run of an American-original musical on Broadway.
Throughout its revivals it has seen some of theater’s and entertainment’s hottest stars take on lead roles, from Mel B to Michael C.Hall to Bebe Neuwirth to Todrick Hall. Its current cast stars Tony-nominee Charlotte d’Amboise as Roxy, Lana Gordon as Velma and Ryan Silverman as Billy Flynn.
Audiences are in for a burlesque, jazz-inspired treat with the timeline set in the roaring 20s in Chicago.
If you’re new to the theater world (or have been living under a rock for the last few decades), the story centers on two ‘rival vaudevillian murderesses’ locked up behind bars at the Cook County Jail, with plans to make a hot return to showbiz — and with a bang!
Taking home the award for Best Revival of Musical in 1997, among five other Tony Awards® the same year, legend Bob Fosse was the show’s original choreographer and director, and much of his vision is still honored in the current production (directed by Walter Bobbie).
Interesting theater fact: The original play of Chicago was actually written in 1926 by Maurine Dallas Watkins as an assignment for Yale Drama School.
In the same year, it premiered on Broadway. Her original script was called ‘Brave Little Woman’ before settling on ‘Chicago’ and was later recalled ‘Play Ball’ when it chose to showcase again to avoid legalities and all that jazz.
6 – Aladdin
Another one of Disney’s 90s animated blockbuster movies converted into an award-winning theatrical spectacle, the curtains first raised for the stage of Aladdin back in 2011.
After its initial success and popularity, it was given the space to showcase on Broadway in 2014 at the New Amsterdam Theatre — remaining its permanent home ever since.
Based on the original narrative of a boy named Aladdin who falls in love with Princess Jasmine, finds a magic lamp and encounters a mystical Genie along the way, the theater has been the perfect space for the musical’s art deco set design and lavish stage.
Suitable for ages young and old, fall in love with its immersive features with help of crazy special effects from a flying carpet to the 360-degree stage.
So spectacular that it deserves its own standing ovation the costumes are dazzling. Constructed using 8,644 Swarovski® crystals per costume and fabrics imported from Turkey, Morocco, India and others, the performers shimmer on stage.
From ‘A Whole New World’ to ‘Friend Like Me,’ the show boasts all of the 1992 Disney soundtrack classics, as well as a few new songs written specifically for the Broadway musical.
Choreographed and directed by Casey Nicholaw, Aladdin is in the top 10 of the highest-grossing Broadway shows.
7 – Moulin Rouge! The Musical
Renowned for its tear-jerking performances and iconic lyrics to great love ballads, witnessing Moulin Rouge! on stage is quite special, to say the least.
For those that watched the movie, and were left to reimagine life in Paris in the 1900s, or have traveled since to the iconic Moulin Rouge itself to catch a glimpse of the reimagined cabaret show house in reality, your dreams have been brought to life!
Flashback to a world of bohemian nights, artists and love during the Broadway show that closely follows the primary plot written for the big screen by Baz Luhrmann and Craig Pearce …
Based on the love story between a writer, Christian and a cabaret actress named Satine who meet at the Moulin Rouge in the Montmartre Quarter of Paris in 1900, it’s fitting that the Broadway production has been reimagined for the actual stage.
Opening on Broadway in 2019, it quite literally swooped in the awards in its first year winning across categories from best costume design to best performances to best lighting design, and and and!
A “Spectacular Spectacular” 2.5-hour extravaganza, this Broadway musical adaptation features all of the original smash hits but also has a few more iconic ballad mashups added to its lineup by artists like Adele and Beyonce.
8 – Back to the Future: The Musical
Imagine waking up one day and you’re suddenly 30 years back in the past. Well, if your name happens to be Marty McFly, you might discover yourself in this exact predicament … Except, in this case, the course of history as you know it has now altered too …
Go on a comedic journey with the cast of Back to the Future: The Musical, following the adventures of high schooler Marty and bizarre scientist Doc Brown (played by Roger Bart) as the two try to wangle their way back to the present day.
Based on the 1985 sci-fi blockbuster with the same name, the multiple award-winning musical made its theatrical debut on the West End in 2021, swooping up an Olivier and a WhatsOnStage Award a year later.
The movie’s original creators reimagined the storyline for the stage, with both Bob Gale and Robert Zemeckis still as co-creators and producers, and this production is directed by John Rando.
Bop your head along to an original score by Glen Ballard and Alan Silvestri (both multi-Grammy Award winners) and be prepared for the journey of a lifetime.
9 – Hadestown
Stepping onto the scene at a perfect time for society — at the turn of a somewhat spiritual shift — prepare to fall down the spooky rabbit hole, in this case, the underworld, during an ever-captivating performance of Hadestown.
For its pure musical genius alone, the musical has experienced an overwhelming amount of success. Premiering back in 2006 (in Vermont, USA), the soundtrack was initially transmuted into an album, before the decision was made to showcase the play on Broadway in 2019.
(It showed off-Broadway in 2016.)
Borrowing characters from ancient Greek mythology, the production hinges on a story between two young lovers, Eurydice and Orpheus, whilst the subplot simultaneously enacts the tale coupling King Hades and his chosen wife Persephone, daughter of Zeus.
From the narrative to the song lyrics, the entire production was imagined and brought to life by Anaïs Mitchell and is directed by Rachel Chavkin.
Renowned for its ambient stage setting, excellent lighting design and talented cast that seem to have voices fit for the gods, the Greek tragedy is as bone-chilling as it is enthralling.
Naturally, it’s rather “dark” theme centered around the land of the dead isn’t suitable for young children.
10 – MJ The Musical
Calling all Michael Jackson die-hards! Whilst the King of Pop and one of the greatest performers to ever live may no longer be with us, his legacy lives on and MJ The Musical is a beautiful tribute to the legend.
Using MJ’s 1992 Dangerous World Tour as inspiration, the multiple-Tony Award®-winning concerted production reenacts the making of this iconic tour while providing a seamless taste of the icon’s signature dance moves and chart-topping hits.
This includes “behind-the-scenes” scripts and allows the audience to glimpse into the Mind (Is The Magic) of Michael Jackson.
Its cast and creative team are brimming with awardees and talent … Firstly, the show was conceptualized and created by Tony winner, director and choreographer Christopher Wheeldon and twice Pulitzer Prize winner, Lynn Nottage.
Playing MJ and opening the show, Tony Award® winner Myles Frost takes center stage.
Watching Frost transform into Jackson, almost carrying his spirit as he smoothly slides and glides across the floor, is truly mesmerizing.
Walking home with three Tonys for Best Choreography, Best Sound Design and Best Lighting Design, its original cast album was also nominated for a Grammy.
11 – Harry Potter and the Cursed Child
At least when the Harry Potter anthology novels ended, there were the movies to look forward to. When the last installment of the films, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, was released in 2011, Potter fans were devastated.
But when a cinematic experience is this great, you’ve got a 50% chance it could end up on Broadway, and much to the delight (and relief) of fans worldwide, the production made its way to the grand, live stage.
First cueing things off in London in 2016, and then two years later arriving in NYC, this adventure takes place 19 years after Harry, Ron and Hermoine’s last rendezvous, when they’re all grown up, married with kids and are working wizards, respectively.
It particularly centers around the relationship between Harry and his son, Albus Potter.
The play was written by Jack Thorne, who used one of J.K. Rowling’s unpublished stories (created with the intention of showcasing in theaters), and the story was co-written by Jack Thorne and theater director, John Tiffany.
The entire Lyric Theatre was transformed for the award-winning production, and you CAN expect to find magic around every corner — including the stage.
12 – An Enemy of the People
How far will you go to fight for what’s right, and ultimately let the truth prevail? Following on from a recent mega success on the West End, Henrik Ibsen’s An Enemy of the People transfers to the Broadway stage.
First adapted in the 1950s by American playwright Arthur Miller, the US rendition is by Amy Herzog (4000 Miles, Mary Jane) and directed by Sam Gold (Fun Home, Uncle Vanya).
A new spa is certain to bring a world of wealth and business to this small town, but after inspection, a doctor Thomas Stockholm (Jeremy Strong from Succession) realizes that the water is contaminated. His brother is the mayor, his daughter’s suitor runs the paper. Surely, just surely he has all the balls in his court.
But what happens when the townsfolk, ahem, influential players, turn against him? It all comes pouring down during a storm of a town meeting!
The message is political, encircling democracy, ethics, morality and environmental awareness at the end of it all.
Starring alongside Strong is Emmy-award-winning actor Michael Imperioli (The Sopranos) as brother Peter Stockholm, Victoria Pedretti (The Haunting of Hill House) as daughter Petra Stockholm and Caleb Eberhardt (Choir Boy) as newspaper editor Hovstad.
13 – SIX
An amalgamation of pop tunes and said to be one of the best musicals of the decades, SIX is taking the theatrical world by storm with its plot of history reimagined!
Stepping back in time to when King Henry VIII ruled over England, the musical recalls his six wives (Catherine of Aragon, Anne Boleyn, Jane Seymour, Anna of Cleves, Katherine Howard and Catherine Parr) — but with a mega-twist!
Not only are all six wives around at the same time, but each queen is part of the same sensational pop girl group, competing against one another to take the role as leader of the group.
Learn a little bit about each woman’s life through the 80-minute show, with the retelling captured in its song and dance.
Written by Toby Marlow and Lucy Moss (who were only in college when they wrote the script for SIX for a class project), when the smash hit opened curtain on Broadway it was an instant, INSANE success.
During the 2021/2022 award season, it won an incredible 23 awards, including Best Musical.
14 – Cabaret at the Kit Kat Club
Can Can kicks, gliding dance moves, sultry vocals and an electrifying synopsis, it’s all going down at the Kit Kat Club, circa Berlin 1931!
A production that needs no introduction, Cabaret is one of those musicals that keeps coming back to the Broadway stage, the original Broadway production entering the scene in 1966. Since then, it’s been revived for Broadway multiple times: 1987, 1998, 2014 and now again in 2024!
The August Wilson Theatre is transformed into the exotic Kit Kat Club, and performers and artists hang around the dimly lit corners.
Outside, Germany may be on the brink of WWII, but inside the underground playground, nothing else matters for these creatives and misfits except for the music and dance!
Insanely talented and Academy, BAFTA and Golden Globe-winning actor Eddie Redmayne reprises his role as Emcee (winning the Olivier Award for Best Actor for the same role on the West End stage in 2023).
Joining him is Gayle Rankin (House of the Dragon) as none other than Sally Bowles, as well as Bebe Neuwirth (as Fraulein Schneider), Ato Blankson-Wood (as Clifford Bradshaw) and Steven Skybell (as Herr Schultz).
The score features all the iconic Jazz Age numbers, like “Willkommen,” “Don’t Tell Mama,” “Money” and “Maybe This Time.”
15 – & Juliet
Have you ever wondered what would have happened to Juliet if she didn’t wake up, realize Romeo had downed that poison, and then followed a similar fate after daggering herself?
Well, the creators behind the musical sensation, & Juliet have done it for us, rewriting her future based on Shakespeare’s famous tragedy.
But this time, there ain’t no such thing as a sad ending for Juliet, and instead, she packs up her things and heads for Paris with her best gal pals to rediscover herself and love at the same time.
The modernized jukebox musical is written by David West Read (writer of the Emmy-award-winning Schitt’s Creek television series) with music by five-time Grammy achiever, Max Martin. With these two names alone behind the scenes, it’s a no-brainer that this rendition is world-class.
A guaranteed laugh a minute, the production borrows some of the biggest pop songs to date for its musical lineup, from Baby One More Time to Roar.
16 – The Notebook
Stealing hearts back in 2004 with one of the greatest love stories of our generation, Allie and Noah are back — this time in theater form.
Based on the bestselling novel by Nicholas Sparks; follow two sweethearts on their journey navigating life, love and the trials and tribulations that come with young love circa the 1930s.
Allie hails from a wealthy background, while Noah is a salt of the earth kinda guy, growing up in a completely different environment. The teens meet when Allie is holidaying with her family, the two falling deeply and utterly in love.
Families get involved, the pair are separated and life moves on until years later. Reunited, they share that famous kiss in the rain — as goosebump-inducing on stage as on the screen.
Never before adapted for the stage, this brand-new musical is directed by Michael Greif and Schele Williams. Ingrid Michaelson heads up music and lyrics, with the book by Bekah Brunstetter.
The Notebook previews on Broadway at the Gerald Schoenfeld Theatre beginning of February.
17 – Lempicka
Whenever you research the style ‘Art Deco,’ one of the first names that pops up is Tamara de Lempicka. It’s safe to say she influenced the art world, and the revival of the art’s movement in the 1960s is largely owed to Lempicka.
Inspired by Cubism, Neoclassicism, Mannerism and a whole new world when pop culture was just becoming a thing, her Art Deco nudes, still lifes and stylized portraits of wealthy aristocrats are treasured and revered in art classes, galleries and museums still to this day.
Such an icon deserves Broadway recognition, decided Carson Kreitzer, who is behind the book, lyrics and the original concept for this musical. Set over multiple decades of the 20th century (from her early life to latter years), the costumes match the eras, but the pop-centric score is composed to suit the 21st century.
Lempicka chronicles different stages of the artist’s life, who lived through wars, fled Russia, moved to the USA, and eventually ended up in Mexico. It’s a whirlwind of magic, color, life, glamor, love and fun!
With modern twists of its own, we have our suspicions that the role of her Parisian muse, Rafaela, is a cheeky spin-off from the second man the artist married, Baron Raoul Kuffner. It’s no secret that Lempicka was bisexual, and (we think) this is cleverly woven into the play.
Eden Espinosa (Wicked, Rent) stars as Tamara de Lempicka, Amber Iman (Nina Simone) plays Rafaela and Andrew Samonsky (South Pacific) is the artist’s first husband, Tadeusz Lempicki.
18 – The Great Gatsby
Step back in time to when flapper girls were all the rage, bobs were in fashion and the Jazz Age was in full swing. Personifying the roaring 1920s in all its glitz and glamor — and then tackling the darker side of fortune — The Great Gatsby is a F. Scott Fitzgerald magnum opus.
The masterpiece has been read across classrooms, converted into a blockbuster starring Leonardo DiCaprio (albeit not the first) and housed on the stage numerous times since published in 1925, but this is only its second musical return.
Set in the Roaring Twenties, new millionaire on the block Jay Gatsby (played by Jeremy Jordan) and Daisy Buchanan (Eva Noblezada) are both characters Fitzgerald created based on his own experiences of young love.
Gatsby and Daisy already know one another from a time before, except the socialite is married to Tom Buchanan. We meet her second cousin, Nick Carraway, who all resides in a resort town on Long Island. One day, Jay mysteriously moves into the property across the bay, and through elaborate parties and intimate encounters, lust and allure unfolds.
Given a modern spin, the score by Jason Howland and Nathan Tysen is a combo of jazz and pop inspired tunes, with choreography from So You Think You Can Dance’s Dominique Kelley. The book is by Kait Kerrigan, and the musical is directed by Marc Bruni.
19 – The Heart of Rock and Roll
“When they play that music, ohh that modern music, they like it with a lot of style. But it’s still that same old back beat rhythm that really, really drives ’em wild.”
We love a good jukebox musical, and if you’re a new wave, pop rock fan, The Heart of Rock and Roll WILL drive you wild! Inspired by 80s rock band Huey Lewis and The News, the year is 1987, mullets are in and MTV has just arrived.
Weaving in the band’s megahits throughout the show, it has nothing to do with the OG six-member ensemble but rather uses their songs to set the tone and as a catalyst for the storyline.
Speaking of, The Heart of Rock and Roll is about a couple and their friends about to hit their 30s. Former musician Bobby (Cory Cott) is now attempting to climb the corporate ladder, his new boss a female powerhouse named Cassandre (McKenzie Kurtz).
But what is one to do when handed the opportunity of a lifetime, and is it worth giving everything up when you’re on the cusp of a successful corporate career? Luckily, they’ve got a solid group of buddies backing them, personifying what friends are for.
Directed by Gordon Greenberg (Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?), the book is by Jonathan A.Abrams, the story by A.Abrams and Tyler Mitchell, with music by Huey Lewis and The News.
20 – Hell’s Kitchen
Before you go thinking anything, this has nothing to do with Gordon Ramsay’s hit television series and everything to do with the 16-time Grammy-award-winning songbird Alicia Keys!
There’s a reason why her collab on ‘Empire State of Mind’ rings so true with the singer (a song by rapper Jay-Z, Keys wrote part of the lyrics). Born, bred and raised in New York’s Hell’s Kitchen, this is where her big dreams began, enraptured by the soulfulness and freedom of The Big Apple.
Born with musical bones (and classically trained in piano), Hell’s Kitchen is her story; her tale of love, her career and as a 17-year-old aspiring musician waiting for her big break.
We meet Ali, living in a tiny New York apartment off Times Square. She’s got an overprotective mom who only wants what’s best for her daughter; Ali falls head over heels for a young drummer and the sounds of a neighborhood piano could just change fate.
Renowned for her power ballads (and that beautiful soulful voice), the music and lyrics for this production are all by Alicia Keys, working closely with Kristoffer Diaz on the book. Michael Greif is director, with Camille A. Brown in charge of choreography.
Maleah Joi Moon stars as the lead (Ali), and Alicia Keys is super hands-on with guiding the cast and creatives for this one!
21 – Appropriate
A befitting title if ever we did see one, Appropriate leaves you with much commentary and plenty of contemplations. As an audience member, you find yourself asking (and deciphering) the parts of this intense family drama in many fragments.
Is the Lafayette siblings’ current behavior appropriate? Was their father’s? Are the consequences of their family’s actions appropriate karma coming back? And are the ghouls and ghosts of the past acting appropriately?
Making his Broadway debut with this dark family-feuding plot, Branden Jacobs-Jenkins sets the storyline in an Arkansas estate where decades of secrets, slavery and sour grapes are lifted to the surface upon the passing of senior Lafayette.
Leading the dramedy is a star-studded cast! Sarah Paulson (The Glass Menagerie, American Horror Story, The People v. O. J. Simpson: American Crime Story, Ratched) plays the role of the eldest child, Toni.
Bo (Corey Stoll) and Franz (Michael Esper) are her two brothers, and Elle Fanning is cast as River (Franz’s fiancee).
Fighting, ahem, working through the family estate poses more challenges than they’d ever imagined, and it’s Paulson’s chilling performance that shakes your bones.
22 – Kimberly Akimbo
Here’s a prediction: This hilarious tale of a smart, witty and funny teenager from Jersey, NYC — who looks like a 72-year-old lady instead of her real age — dealing with everyday life problems, family crises and multiple personalities around her, Kimberly Akimbo could easily be a smash hit television series too.
Written by Pulitzer Prize winner, David Lindsay-Abaire, the production first debuted on the scene back in 2001 as a play, however, its latest adaption is a full-blown musical.
A few years after it made its first appearance in California, Lindsay-Abaire and Tony Award®-winning composer Jeanine Tesori (Fun Home, Shrek the Musical) decided on a collab after working together on a prior show, and adapted the playwright’s original book into a musical.
Premiering off-Broadway in 2021 and soaring to fame and popularity, the Broadway showcasing sees the original, full off-Broadway cast in the 2022 performance at the Booth Theatre starring Tony-Award® winner Victoria Clark as Kim, with direction by Jessica Stone.
23 – Days of Wine and Roses
Flashbacking to an era when board games were a nightly ritual, wealth was on the rise and Barbie made her worldwide debut, Days of Wine and Roses is set in 1950s America, and is rather a tragic love story.
Following the lives of a newlywed couple, Kirsten Arnesen (played by Kelli O’Hara) and Joe Clay (Brian d’Arcy James) fall in love during the Golden Era.
Seemingly leading a glamorous life in New York, their marriage begins to crumble after odd nightcaps turn into a full-time activity. They’re trying to start a family, Joe convinces Kirsten to join him in drinking and once both can’t live without one, it all goes awry from there.
This new musical is making its first appearance on Broadway! Craig Lucas adapted the book from JP Miller’s 1959 teleplay of the same title. (This was also made into a film a few years later in 1962.)
Now showcasing at Studio 54, if you’re searching for a good old-fashioned gripping (somewhat heart-breaking) classic, this could be right up your alley.
Directing is Michael Grief (Rent, Dear Evan Hansen, Warpaint) with music and lyrics by Adam Guettel.
24 – Merrily We Roll Along
With music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim and a star-studded cast of ridiculously talented actors both on and off the stage and screen (Daniel Radcliffe, Jonathan Groff and Lindsay Mendez), Merrily We Roll Along’s 2023 revival is anything but boring and is everything you dream of from a world-class play — the kind that reminds you so much why you simply love the theater!
(Plus, it’s ultimately the chance to relive a potent celebration of some of Sondheim’s greatest works — he is, after all, considered a father of 20th-century musical theater, composing his last until his final days in 2021.)
When the play first debuted in 1934, it was considered “ahead of the times” with no storylines like Momento, (500) Days of Summer or Betrayal for inspiration. It wasn’t until 1981 that Sondheim and George Furth (who compiled the book) converted it into a hit musical.
Based on the original play by George S. Kaufman and Moss Hart, this version is directed by Maria Friedman.
Acted out and explored in reverse chronological time frames, follow three childhood friends over the course of 20 years of friendship, except it starts when they’re adults — and one is a big-shot Hollywood producer — and ends with them as youngsters again.
One of the reasons why audiences have loved this play for the longest of times is because of its relatability.
25 – A Beautiful Noise: The Neil Diamond Musical
“The music is key. It has the power to transport you. I go from being a slightly insecure, shy kind of a person offstage, to this super-confident, motivated, entity onstage. I don’t know who he is.” – Neil Diamond in a 2001 interview with the LA Times.
If you grew up listening to Neil Diamond, or you grew up listening to your parents listening to the legend, A Beautiful Noise: The Neil Diamond Musical is going to pull on all those heart (guitar) strings — leaving you with all the nostalgic feels!
Recounting the American singer-songwriter’s insanely successful global career and who shot to fame in the mid-1960s, the Broadway musical also takes an introspective look into the life of the famed musician and icon.
Not only inaugurated into the Rock and Roll and Songwriters Halls of Fame, Diamond has won multiple Grammys, including a Lifetime Achievement Grammy.
Already a fan movie based on the singer for which he appeared, he joked about one day making a musical about his career.
The Broadway production opened in December after a successful off-Broadway run in Boston a few months earlier, and stars Will Swenson as Neil Diamond. It’s written by Anthony McCarten, choreographed by Steven Hoggett and with Michael Mayer as director.
And don’t worry, all the favorites are in there like ‘Sweet Caroline,’ ‘America’ and ‘Cracklin’ Rosie.’
26 – Suffs
Ever heard of the word “suffragists?” We’d be more concerned if it was the early 1900s and you hadn’t heard the phrase, but more than 100 years later, it’s a term we should all add to our knowledge dictionaries!
Referring to the women’s movement group (founded as the Women’s Social and Political Union (WSPU) in 1903), the stir for women’s rights to vote began in the mid-19th century. After nearly half a decade of fighting for equality, the Women’s Suffrage Movement took off, gentlemen finally paying attention.
The new musical, Suffs, is set ten years after WSPU’s inception. It’s 1913 and the women’s movement is making more waves than ever. Battling for another seven, women finally won the right to vote in 1920 in the USA. This is their story!
Shaina Taub delivers a trifecta for this one, with the book, music and lyrics all by the singer, composer and musician. Working alongside Elton John for the musical adaption of The Devil Wears Prada and starring in theatrical productions herself, this is Taub’s first original piece showcasing on Broadway.
27 – Mary Jane
Rachel McAdams is the type of actress who puts her whole heart and soul into a character, and whatever you’re watching her in — be it on the big screen or stage — the Academy Award-nominee pulls you into the world of whatever character she’s playing.
With her amazing acting range, McAdams is a well-rounded actress, but it’s her dramatical pieces that set our souls ablaze, and Mary Jane is the perfect example.
This original play was written by Pulitzer Prize finalist Amy Herzog as a two-act play, with its first premier to audiences in 2017. Flash forward to 2024 and the drama is here on Broadway!
So, what’s it all about? A topic that mothers can relate to, but not every family experiences, Mary Jane is a single mom raising her chronically ill son, Alex. Hurdles come their way, but MJ gets by with a little help from her friends.
This is about sisterhood, motherhood and community, and is a little lesson for us all; when you feel like the world is stacked against you, it’s funny how we can get through things when we reach out for help. But ultimately showcases the strength of a mother!
Mary Jane is directed by Anne Kauffman.
28 – Water for Elephants
You may remember this next title from the 2011 movie starring Robert Pattinson, Reese Witherspoon and Christoph Waltz, gripping hearts of animal lovers along with romantics.
A story told from the first-person narrative, this new musical by Rick Elice (Jersey Boys, Peter and the Starcatcher) is based on the 2006 novel by Sara Guen with the same title — as was the blockbuster flick.
Mr. Jankowski (Gregg Edelman) is no longer the young man he once was; a lad who jumps a moving train and then finds a new family in a traveling circus. Reflecting back on his younger years, this is brought to life by the scenes and characters unfolding on stage.
One of his most life changing moments? When an infamous circus disaster occurs, one remembered in history books as absolutely tragic, and he was there for it all!
Jacob Jankowski’s younger self is played by Grant Gustin, alongside Isabelle McCalla as Marlena and Paul Alexander Nolan as August. Tony Award nominee Jessica Stone (Kimberly Akimbo) is in charge of direction, and with a score by PigPen Theatre Co.
29 – Spamalot
What’s the first thing that pops into your mind when you hear the word “spam?” Is it inundated emails? Online trolls? Advertisers? Or canned meat?
For long-time die-hard Monty Python fans, though, the first and only thing you’re thinking, ahem, we mean, singing, is: “We eat ham and jam and spam a lot. We’re Knights of the Round Table.” from the cult-classic Monty Python and the Holy Grail.
Hitting stages for the first time circa 2004, the bizarre parody musical is a rip-off of the 1975 fantasy movie (circling the times of King Arthur), which is totally ironic… One parody mimicking another, but absolutely fitting for a Monty Python-centric extravaganza.
Ridiculous and utterly hilarious, expect armories of laughter from the Tony Award®-winning musical — quintessential Monty Python style! Sticking to its original score by John Du Prez and Eric Idle, Josh Rhodes leads as director.
The cast themselves are full of funny bones. Travel back in time with James Monroe Iglehart (King Arthur), Christopher Fitzgerald (Patsy), Taran Killam (Lancelot), Leslie Rodriguez Kritzer (Lady of the Lake), Ethan Slater (The Historian and Prince Herbert), Jimmy Smagula (Sir Bedevere), Michael Urie (Sir Robin) and Nik Walker (Sir Galahad).
30 – Stereophonic
Music is remedy, but there’s a whole lot that goes into creating musical masterpieces and chart-topping numbers!
Through the eyes of an up-and-coming band in the 70s, Stereophonic is all about the process behind making music, seen from an in-studio point of view!
It’s the year 1976, the band is on their rise to fame, and this is their make or break moment, feeling the extra pressure on shoulders. As they record their new album, will tensions get the best of them, or does the band have what it takes to prevail with a best-seller?
The original score is by Will Butler, former member of rock band Arcade Fire. Daniel Aukin is director, and the play is written by David Adjmi. The cast is composed of Will Brill, Andrew R. Butler, Juliana Canfield, Eli Gelb, Tom Pecinka, Sarah Pidgeon and Chris Stack.
Interesting trivia: the name fits well, referring to the 3D sound generated through stereos in recording music, radio, TV, computer audio, even cinema speakers.
31 – The Who’s Tommy
When The Who’s 1969 album ‘Tommy’ entered the music scene, nothing like it had been done before! Coining, and going as far to say as introducing, what we know as “rock opera” to the world, it was the first time a band had attempted such an album.
Basically, through a musical orchestra, the album tells and unfolds as a story, each track carefully composed and selected to follow on from the next, like the next chapter.
Completely fictional, The Who’s Tommy is a musical inspired by the album’s storyline, with music and lyrics by leadman Peter Townshend of The Who! The book is also by Townshend, along with two-time Tony Award-winning director Des Mcanuff.
An adolescent Tommy Walker doesn’t know what to do with his life, except he’s got one (rather random) trick up his sleeve: he’s king of the pinball machine! When this changes his fate, he goes from nobody to celebrity savior.
Expect a score with classics from The Who, from “Pinball Wizard” to “I’m Free,” “See Me, Feel Me” and “Sensation.”
Winning the Jeff Award for ‘Performer in a Leading Role’ for his reprisal of Tommy in pre-Broadway showings in 2023, Ali Louis Bourzgui is back for the 2024 Broadway spectacle!
32 – Uncle Vanya
Taking a break in his later years from the typical funny man-roles Steve Carell is usually associated with, the actor shines in this Anton Chekhov classic, bringing perfect theatrical timing and his multifaceted talents to audiences.
Sonya and her Uncle Vanya have spent most part of their adult lives caretaking the isolated family farm. Until one day when her father and her stepmother arrive in town.
Sonya is in love with the doctor, who, in turn, only has eyes for Sonya’s stepmother (but continues to lead Sonya on, if on purpose, only the doc knows).
Her Uncle Vanya too, is in love with the stepmother, soon realizing that his life has been meaningless up until now. He’s unmarried and dedicated his days to looking after another man’s home (and it doesn’t help he’s helped to build a fat bank account for the man either).
Now, Sonya’s wealthy professor of a father wants to sell the land, whatever will they all do? Relationships are tested; the past comes creeping back into the present… It’s all the makings of a delicious drama unfolding!
Working closely together, the 2024 Checkov rendition is directed by Lila Neugebauer, with Heidi Schreck as playwright. Joining Carell (Uncle Vanya) on stage are Jonathan Hadary (Waffles), William Jackson Harper (Doctor Astrov), Alison Pill (Sonya), Anika Noni Rose (Yelena) and Alfred Molina (Alexander).
33 – Doubt
What would you do if your morals were tested and everything you believed and stood for was shaken to the core? You’re about to find out in this season’s Broadway reboot of Doubt: A Parable.
Based on the original John Patrick Shanley play (appearing on Broadway for the first time in 2005 and later converted into the 2008 multiple Oscar-nominated film starring Meryl Streep and Philip Seymour Hoffman), it’s one of those pieces that’s been staged across global nations.
It’s 1964 and most of the drama unfolds within the fictional St. Nicholas Church School in the Bronx, New York.
The school’s principal, Sister Aloysius, is posed with a serious situation when it comes to her attention that one of the students might be in trouble when the church’s priest, Father Flynn is accused of inappropriate conduct.
A perfect revival of Shanley’s drama, nearly 20 years later and the script and plot are kept intact — for any theater nerds. This time, however, the stage play is directed by Scott Ellis.
Six-time Emmy winner Tyne Daly (Cagney and Lacey, Judging Amy, Gypsy, The Seagull) leads as Sister Aloysius and Liev Schreiber (Ray Donovan, Spotlight, Othello, Macbeth) plays the role of Father Flynn.
34 – The Outsiders
At some point in our lives, we’ve all felt like an “outsider,” whether it be when arriving in a totally new country, changing schools or socializing with a culture you’re not familiar with.
The Outsiders cleverly uses a subject we can all relate to as the basis for this plot. The Curtis brothers have lost their parents, and the eldest is now in charge. Raised by a family of mechanics, the “Greasers” don’t fit in with the rich kids, specifically the Socs gang.
Similarly to movies like Grease, this brand-spanking-new musical centers on issues such as peer-pressure, school gangs and just trying to fit in.
Based on the original novel of the same name by S.E Hinton, it’s interesting hearing that the female author penned this piece when she was just in high school, the novel published by the time she was 18 years old.
But you can feel the authenticity in the words; when Hinton’s novel was converted into a film in 1983, it swooped in awards and started a whole new era of similar-style movies, coining the term “Brat Pack.”
The Outsiders starts in Tulsa, Oklahoma, 1967. The protagonist (Ponyboy Curtis) is played by Brody Grant, with Sky Lakota-Lynch starring as best friend Johnny Cade.
Directed by Danya Taymor, the book is by Adam Rapp with Justine Levine (also working on the lyrics and music with Jamestown Revival).
35 – Sweeney Todd
A long-time classic is set to make its return to the Broadway stage once more. Ladies and gentlemen, get ready for Sweeney Todd — a crowd-favorite thriller based on the original 1973 play; Sweeney Todd, the Demon Barber of Fleet Street.
With a few revivals of the show over the years, including a movie, this latest rendition of the infamous manic barber seeking revenge stars Grammy-award winner Josh Groban as Benjamin Barker and Tony-Award® winner, Annaleigh Ashford as Mrs. Lovett.
Whilst the first play to ever feature the character Sweeney Todd (released in 1846 and titled ‘The String of Pearls’) was considered a penny dreadful, the 2023 Broadway has been imagined as the opposite in terms of production.
Don’t worry, it’s still as horror-filled and gory as ever!
Directed by Thomas Kail and with choreography by Steven Hoggett, a 26-piece orchestra is part of this grand production, providing those perfect moments of melodrama and melancholy that Sweeney Todd is so well-known (and revered) for.
36 – The Wiz
Not to be confused with ‘Wicked,’ The Wiz is a retelling of the classic L. Frank Baum tale (whereas Wicked is about the two witches before Dorothy’s time), but with a soulful spin!
Making waves when The Wiz first hit the theater world back in the 1970s, it was the first time an all-African-American cast held all roles for the iconic musical, but then again, this rendition by William F. Brown, with music and lyrics by Charlie Smalls, was the first time the Wizard of Oz was portrayed through the eyes of contemporary African-American culture.
Appearing for the first time on Broadway in 1975, it won a whopping seven Tonys and was revived again in 1984. Adapted for 21st-century viewers in a time when society continues to (hopefully) evolve, this is the wonderful world of Oz like you’ve never known it before!
Nichelle Lewis (Hairspray, Little Shop of Horrors) is Dorothy, joined by Kyle Ramar Freeman for the role of Lion, Phillip Johnson Richardson is Tinman and Avery Wilson plays the Scarecrow.
The Wiz is none other than Wayne Brady, Deborah Cox is Glinda with Melody A. Betts as Aunt Em, Evillene.
37 – Mother Play
The 60s were a pivotal time in society, specifically for Americans. Fashion trends and pop culture aside, it was a rather turbulent period with the fight for women’s rights and racial equality in the background of Kennedy’s run.
Mother Play is set in 1962, just outside of DC, where mother of two, Phyllis, is moving into a new apartment with her teens, Carl and Martha.
A belter of a cast has been selected for the show, starring Jessica Lange (American Horror Story) as Phyllis, Jim Parsons as teen son Carl and Celia Keenan-Bolger (The Gilded Age) as daughter, Martha.
We kind of love the fact that two adults are cast as teenagers, and with Parsons’ humor (with his famously hysterical character of Sheldon in the Big Bang Theory), expect big things!
It takes a look at what a family had to do to survive in 1960s America, but the underlying message is really about investigating (and reflecting on) the hold that family has over one another.
There’s nothing like a parent’s guilt… Written by Pulitzer Prize winner Paula Vogel (How I Learned to Drive) and directed by American playwright and theater director, Tina Landau, the two are a powerforce!
38 – Patriots
With historically political masterpieces under his award-swooping belt, from Frost/Nixon to The Queen to The Deal to The Crown, all you have to say is “Peter Morgan,” and we are sold!
Trust the master of real-time events to tackle a play such as Patriots, and it couldn’t come at more befitting time in the 21st century. You do watch the news, right?
Dying to know what it’s all about … ? RUSSIA! Set in 1991, it’s just after the fall of the Soviet Union, and the country is now controlled by billionaires. They say Boris Berezovsky is the most powerful of them all.
President Boris Yeltsin is still around (for now), but talks of his replacement have already begun. That’s right about when Berezovsky meets up with the current deputy mayor of St. Petersburg, Vladimir Putin — dun, dun, dunnn.
Hitting theatrical stages for the first time off-West End in 2022, it swiftly transferred to the West End a year later, and is showcasing on the Broadway scene for the first time, ever!
Michael Stuhlbarg (A Serious Man, Boardwalk Empire) stars as Boris Berezovsky, with Will Keen (His Dark Materials) playing Vladimir Putin. The playwright is, of course, Peter Morgan, and is directed by Rupert Goold.
Final thoughts
From musicals to melodramas, a night out on Broadway never disappoints, and leaves audience members enthralled in the story, or captured in some sort of way — it just depends on your personal show preferences.
Witness some of your favorite Broadway stars on stage, as well as familiar celeb faces making their debut.
Don’t forget to regularly check out this list for an updated review of the best Broadway shows to see right now!
Made your choice? Book your Broadway tickets, sit back, relax and enjoy an evening of magic!