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The 2024 season on Broadway follows a year of varied musicals and plays. And many have headliners making return appearances to the stage and some crossover stars and shows from film and television.
While numerous productions are hurrying to open on Broadway in New York City by April 25 for Tony Award® consideration, there are others that will be closing soon. You’ll want to research and book as soon as you can, so you don’t miss out on the best.
If you’ve ever wanted to get up close and personal with Harry Potter, of movie fame, here’s your chance. Daniel Radcliffe tears up the stage in Stephen Sondheim’s Merrily We Roll Along. Transferring from its off-Broadway home at the Public Theater to Broadway is Alicia Keys’ autobiographical musical, Hell’s Kitchen.
Another Broadway transplant is the stage version of Days of Wine and Roses, moving from Off-Broadway’s Atlantic Theater with Kelli O’Hara and Brian d’Arcy James.
This is also the year to remember the recently deceased Broadway legend Stephen Sondheim. Mr. Sondheim is represented on Broadway with new productions of two of his most esteemed musicals, Merrily We Roll Along and Sweeney Todd. A third, Sondheim’s unfinished Here We Are, is finishing its run in January at the Shed in Hudson Yards.
All this is just a teaser. 2024 promises an active theater schedule. Here is the latest roundup of ongoing and new shows. Some are still in previews with openings planned in the next months as indicated.
Mark your calendar for the 77th Annual Tony Awards taking place on June 16 at The David H. Koch Theatre at Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts. Buy tickets online or watch them live on CBS, Pluto and Paramount+.
Broadway Shows 411
To keep abreast of theater news and special deals, sites like The Broadway League, The Broadway Collection, Telecharge, Broadway Box, Playbill and Today Tix are updated regularly.
Download the TKTS app for real-time availabilities at the Theater Development Fund’s discount, day-of ticket booths at Father Duffy Square just north of Times Square, or at their Lincoln Center location.
For a deep dive into everything Broadway, the Museum of Broadway, just steps from Times Square, is an interactive celebration of Broadway’s history, behind-the-scenes views and theatrical game changers. On display are hundreds of rare costumes, props and artifacts dating from 1732 to today. Current exhibits highlight Broadway set design.
Here is the latest roundup of ongoing, new or soon-to-open shows.
Musicals and Plays Currently Showing
& Juliet
Created by the writer of “Schitt’s Creek,” the jukebox musical-comedy & Juliet asks the question, what would Juliet do if she reinvented her life without Romeo? Is Romeo totally out of the picture? You’ll have to see this musical to find out.
Pop hit after hit (28 in total) will keep you smiling and rooting for Juliet with anthems like “Since U Been Gone,” “Baby One More Time,” “It’s My Life” and “Roar.” Lorna Courtney is fabulous as the rambunctious Juliet accompanied by opera singer Paolo Szot in a fun, unusual pop turn.
Stephen Sondheim Theatre, www.andjulietbroadway.com
Aladdin
One of two Disney blockbusters now on Broadway, Aladdin is celebrating its eleventh year. A great introduction to live theater for audiences of all ages, the musical is a magic-carpet tour of adventure mixed with song. You’ll recognize larger-than-life Genie’s “You’ve Never Had a Friend Like Me” and Aladdin’s “I Can Show You the World.”
New Amsterdam Theatre, www.aladdinthemusical.com
Appropriate
A darkly comic tale about a family reuniting to settle the estate of their deceased father, Appropriate brings to light issues that surface during the process. Each family member has a different agenda. Closing March 3.
Hayes Theatre, https://2st.com/shows/appropriate
Back to the Future: The Musical
Playing concurrently in London (where it won an Olivier Award), Back to the Future: The Musical is the stage version of the 1985 Michael J. Fox film. In cahoots with his friend Doc Brown played by the fabulous Roger Bart, teenager Marty McFly travels back to 1955 in a DeLorean that has been turned into a time machine.
To return to the present (or the future as it were), Marty must make his teenaged parents fall in love or he won’t exist. The car makes its over-the-top Broadway debut.
Winter Garden Theatre, https://www.backtothefuturemusical.com/new-york/
A Beautiful Noise, the Neil Diamond Musical
A fun jukebox musical for fans of Neil Diamond, A Beautiful Noise follows the singer-songwriter over 50 years from his earliest days in Brooklyn to his astronomical rise as a musical superstar. Through the lens of conversations with his therapist, the artist’s trials and successes are illustrated through the Neil Diamond songbook with favorites like “Sweet Caroline,” “America” and “Cracklin’ Rosie.” Can you guess what the 11 o’clock number will be?
Broadhurst Theatre, www.abeautifulnoisethemusical.com
The Book of Mormon
Do you love South Park? Then this play-cum-musical is a must for you. A little offensive and a lot crazy, the show irreverently tells the tale of two Mormon missionaries who have been given their first “conversion” assignments far far away from their hometowns. It’s hard to believe that the show opened more than a decade ago – The Book of Mormon won 11 Tony Awards® in 2011.
Eugene O’Neill Theatre, www.bookofmormonbroadway.com
Chicago
1997 Tony Award® winner for Best Musical Revival, Kander and Ebb’s utterly contemporary-feeling musical has been running for nearly 30 years. No matter how many times you see Roxie Hart, Velma Kelly and their murderous cohorts sing about what landed them in jail, the show is as fresh and sexy as ever.
If you can, try to imagine Joel Grey, the original “Mr. Cellophane,” when you watch the razzle dazzle. The choreography by Bob Fosse is legendary. You’ll be singing “All That Jazz” when you leave the theater.
Ambassador Theatre, www.chicagothemusical.com
Days of Wine and Roses
Making the transition from movie to stage and from off-Broadway to Broadway, Days of Wine and Roses starts off as a tale about a happy meeting of a man and woman on a cruise ship. Dragging each other further and further into depths of self-destructive unhappiness, the couple played by Kelli O’Hara and Brian d’Arcy James confront demons that tear their family apart.
Studio 54, www.daysofwineandrosesbroadway.com
Gutenberg! The Musical
It’s a happy reunion of the two original stars of The Book of Mormon, Andrew Rannells and Josh Gad, in this spoof of musicals. The duo attempts to write a new musical about Johannes Gutenberg, the inventor of the printing press. In the process they play every role and sing every song at an audition for the musical. It’s a light-hearted romp that will keep you laughing. Closing January 28.
James Earl Jones Theatre, www.gutenbergthemusical.com
Hadestown
You might want to brush up on your Greek mythology before seeing Hadestown. Winner of the 2019 Tony Award® for Best Musical, the unusual, haunting musical by Anaïs Mitchell tells the story of two couples with disparate love themes.
Hades rules the underworld from which Persephone escapes each spring to bring forth flowers above. Orpheus, a songwriter in search of the perfect tune, meets Eurydice, a soul lost in other ways. On-stage musicians present a rollicking New Orleans-type score perfect for narrator Hermes, played by Tony Award® winner Lillias White.
Walter Kerr Theatre, www.hadestown.com
Hamilton
The show that shattered all records and changed theatrical history is as glorious as ever. Rap, hip hop, ballads, deceit and ambition all mix in Lin-Manuel Miranda’s genre-breaking musical about the life of Alexander Hamilton.
If you didn’t know much about Hamilton and his relationship with Aaron Burr before this play arrived on Broadway or streamed on the Disney Channel, you certainly will by the end of this show. Creative staging, stunning costumes and rapid-fire lyrics add to the show’s brilliance.
Hamilton won the 2016 Tony Award® for Best Musical, a Grammy, and an Olivier award and has been playing to packed houses ever since its transfer from Off-Broadway’s Public Theater.
Richard Rodgers Theatre, www.hamiltononbroadway.com
Harmony
The love child of singer-songwriter Barry Manilow and lyricist Bruce Sussman, Harmony tells the tale of six entertainers during the 20s and 30s in Germany. Mixing tragic history with musical stardom, the true story follows the Comedian Harmonists from their individual auditions through their successful blend of harmonies and hilarity and their ultimate disappearance.
Ethel Barrymore Theatre, www.harmonyanewmusical.com
Harry Potter and the Cursed Child
The wizardry is back, now in one extended performance, filled with special effects you might have thought possible only in film. In this latest chapter of E. K. Rowland’s Harry Potter series, your favorite characters have grown up with their own children to worry about. The rest of the Hogwarts entourage is there, too, along with some new characters.
See it twice – once from an orchestra seat and once from the mezzanine where you’ll be gifted with a different view of the spectacular set changes and magic. The play won the 2018 Tony Award® for Best Play and continues to delight children of all ages into its sixth year.
Lyric Theatre, www.harrypotteronstage.com/us.com
How to Dance in Ohio
A groundbreaking musical featuring an autistic cast, How to Dance in Ohio depicts the trials and successes of seven autistic young adults at a group counseling center as they get ready for a spring formal dance. Familiar to those who have seen the documentary How to Dance in Ohio, the musical is a heartwarming tale of fortitude and challenge.
Belasco Theatre, www.howtodanceinohiomusical.com
Kimberly Akimbo
A touching, bittersweet story about a teenager with a rare ailment, Kimberly Akimbo depicts teen angst mixed with an unusual premise: Kimberly ages at an accelerated pace and has a limited time to live. Played by Victoria Clark who appears as an “elderly” teenager through brilliant acting and vocals, Kimberly encounters a bevy of issues from making friends to family relations.
The rest of the cast is hilarious – from her quirky pregnant mother to the very “Jersey” aunt fixated on committing mischief which sometimes lands her in jail. Despite all, happiness prevails. Kimberly Akimbo won the 2023 Tony Award® for Best Musical.
Booth Theatre, www.kimberlyakimbothemusical.com
The Lion King
The second of Disney’s gargantuan Broadway hits currently running, The Lion King is a visually striking depiction of the story of the animals living in Pride Land. The characters – Simba, Nala, Timon and Pumba — are familiar from the animated movie of the same name.
The show’s standout “Circle of Life” song and procession will stay with you long after you’ve left the theatre. Entering its 27th year, The Lion King is a musical you should see more than once. The Lion King opened in 1997 and was the winner of the Tony Award® for Best Musical in 1998.
Minskoff Theatre, www.lionking.com
MJ The Musical
Popular among Michael Jackson fans worldwide, MJ follows the career of the “King of Pop” while focusing on the making of Jackson’s “Dangerous World” tour. The dancing is spectacular and the songs from the Jackson Five and Michael Jackson’s solo days will have you rocking in your seat.
Neil Simon Theatre, www.MJTheMusical.com
Merrily We Roll Along
One of two Sondheim musicals on Broadway, this revival of Stephen Sondheim’s 1981 cultish work stars Daniel Radcliffe, Jonathan Groff and Lindsay Mendez. The story moves back and forth in time, tracing the interactions of three college friends who are now ensconced in the theater and literary world.
If you’re a Sondheim fan, you’ll recognize Sondheim’s musical signature with notable songs like “Not a Day Goes By” and “Old Friends.”
Hudson Theatre, www.merrilyonbroadway.com
Moulin Rouge! The Musical
An over-the-top, musical interpretation of Baz Luhrmann’s film about decadent literary and nightclub life in Paris, Moulin Rouge showcases the Bohemian lives of its characters. Replete with more than seventy songs that will test your knowledge of pop music, the show rocks with dance, outré costumes, and superb staging. There’s a reason Moulin Rouge won the Tony Award® for Best Musical in 2020. See it again and again.
Al Hirschfeld Theatre, www.moulinrougemusical.com
Prayer for the French Republic
Returning after an extended, celebrated run at Manhattan Theatre Club in 2022, Prayer for the French Republic fluctuates between vignettes about a contemporary Jewish family facing antisemitism in France and their ancestors living in 1944 times. Closing February 4.
Samuel J. Friedman Theatre, www.manhattantheatreclub.com
Purlie Victorious: A Non-Confederate Romp Through the Cotton Patch
The Broadway revival of Ossie Davis’s comedy, Purlie Victorious features Leslie Odom Jr. as Preacher Victorious Judson who returns to his Georgia hometown. Closing February 4.
Music Box Theatre, www.purlievictorious.com
Shucked
Is it Hee Haw? Is it a Broadway musical? It’s both. Shucked is a hilarious and audacious farm-to-fable musical about the one thing Americans everywhere can’t get enough of: corn. Rapid-fire, raunchy dialogue, puns and songs keep this musical on its corny mission. Alex Newell, well-known as Unique on Glee, is a standout as Lulu, the diva who doesn’t kowtow to anyone. Closing January 14.
Nederlander Theatre, www.shuckedmusical.com
SIX
SIX rocks the theater with a musical concert play that sings the stories of the six wives of Henry VIII. Which glitter-studded wife deserved to be the king’s favorite? You’ll have to judge yourself.
The pop musical is the 2022 winner of the Tony® for Best Original Score Written for the Theatre. The transplant from the West End will have you repeating the show’s “divorced, beheaded, died, divorced, beheaded, survived” chorus.
Brooks Atkinson Theatre, www.SIXonBroadway.com
SPAMALOT
Do you remember the 2005 original musical based on the 1975 film Monty Python and the Holy Grail? If you do, it’s hard not to anticipate the catchy skits and tunes in this glorious revival like “I am not dead yet” or “Whatever happened to my part?”
From the beginning when King Arthur and his trusty sidekick Patsy trot onstage while clacking coconuts, the laughs never let up. You can’t help but “Look on the Bright Side of Life” as the French taunter, killer rabbit, and lady of the lake come at you in living color.
St. James Theatre, www.spamalotthemusical.com
Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street
The second musical by Stephen Sondheim on Broadway, the newest version of Sweeney Todd tells the tale of the “demon barber of Fleet Street” and his pie-maker foil Mrs. Lovett. A superb set is the perfect playground for the talented cast who sing Sondheim’s dark songs with flair. Aaron Tveit and Sutton Foster assume the lead roles from Josh Groban and Annaleigh Ashford beginning in February.
Lunt-Fontanne Theatre, https://sweeneytoddbroadway.com
Wicked
Who doesn’t love the Wizard of Oz? Now celebrating 25 years on Broadway, Wicked takes another look at the Man Behind the Curtain story in a prequel about two school chums who grow up to be Glinda the Good Witch and gloriously green Elphaba, the Wicked Witch of the West. It’s a good time to see the show again and refresh your memory – another retelling of the original story; The Wiz is scheduled for the yellow brick road this year.
Gershwin Theatre, www.wickedthemusical.com
Musicals and Plays Coming Soon
The Notebook
A stage adaptation of the popular book and film becomes a musical about the enduring power of love between Allie and Noah. February.
Schoenfeld Theatre, www.notebookmusical.com
Doubt: A Parable
The revival of the Tony®-winning play highlights the issues faced by a principal of an all-boys Catholic school when she suspects the existence of a relationship between a priest and a student. The play stars Liv Schreiber and Tyne Daly. February.
Roundabout Theatre, www.roundabouttheatre.org/get-tickets/2023-2024-season/doubt-a-parable/
An Enemy of the People
Another transplant from the West End, the drama features Jeremy Strong (Succession) and Michael Imperioli (White Lotus) in a surprising, destructive tale about life in a small town. March.
Circle in the Square Theatre, www.anenemyofthepeopleplay.com
The Who’s Tommy
The Pinball Wizard is back on Broadway. With the soundtrack of The Who’s 1969 album “Tommy” at its heart, the rock musical Tommy returns after 31 years to answer the question, “Tommy, can you hear me? Tommy, can you see me?” March.
Nederlander Theatre, www.tommythemusical.com
Hell’s Kitchen
Moving to Broadway from a sold-out run at the Public Theater, Alicia Keys’ biographical musical reveals her challenges living in Hell’s Kitchen in the 90s with her divorced and overbearing mother. Ali shows her spirit and develops her musical prowess through a relationship with a surprising mentor and an older beau. The music and lyrics are by Alicia Keys. March.
Shubert Theatre, www.hellskitchen.com/
The Wiz
The highly anticipated return of the popular 1975 Broadway musical, The Wiz brings back breakout songs like “Ease on Down the Road” along with brilliant choreography and an all-Black cast. March.
Marquis Theatre, www.wizmusical.com
The Outsiders
A musical adaptation of the 1983 movie about hard living in 1967 Oklahoma, The Outsiders pits Greasers Ponyboy Curtis, Johnny Cade and their “outsiders” against the Socs and the girl who tries to cross the line. Heroism ensues. April.
Bernard B. Jacobs Theatre, www.outsidersmusical.com
The Heart of Rock and Roll
Inspired by the songs of Huey Lewis and the News, the new romantic comedy is a musical about 30-somethings and their experiences with love. Huey Lewis’s song list is the backdrop. April.
James Earl Jones Theatre, www.theheartofrockandrollmusical.com
Cabaret at The Kit Kat Club
The Kit Kat Club is coming to Broadway from the West End. The immersive Cabaret at The Kit Kat Club is a new take on club life in Berlin during Nazi Germany. Academy® and Tony Award® winner Eddie Redmayne reprises his Olivier Award-winning performance as the Emcee. April.
August Wilson Theatre, https://kitkat.club/cabaret-broadway
Where to Stay When Visiting New York
- WestHouse Hotel New York
- The Pierre, A Taj Hotel, New York
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Author Bio: Traveling has given Meryl Pearlstein a chance to “live” all over the world, something she’s always longed to do. A member of the Society of American Travel Writers (SATW), Meryl is the author of Fodor’s Family: New York City with Kids and a contributor to Splash Magazines, Gayot, TravelAwaits and Real Food Traveler. Meryl’s blog, Travel and Food Notes, www.travelandfoodnotes.com, is a lively companion to her column on www.AllNY.com. Follow her on social media @merylpearlstein.
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