8 Great Shows Coming to Broadway and Beyond This Fall
New York City is one of the best places in the world to see live theater. Whether you’re looking for splashy new musicals, star-studded dramas, revivals of revered classics, or edgier fare, you’ll find it under Broadway’s bright lights and at intimate theaters throughout town.
There are plenty of Broadway shows that opened last season worth checking out, like the Tony Award-winning musical The Outsiders, the transportive three-hour rock drama Stereophonic, and Cole Escola’s uber-queer hit Oh, Mary!. But if you want to keep up with NYC’s theater connoisseurs, now’s the time to snag tickets to new shows that have yet to hit the stage. Here are some of the buzziest productions debuting this autumn, plus a guide to scoring tickets and attending performances like the most culture-savvy New Yorker.
New Broadway Musicals to Look Forward to This Fall
1. Sunset Boulevard St James Theater Previews begin September 28; opens October 20
Former Pussycat Doll Nicole Scherzinger gets ready for her close-up as Norma Desmond, the washed-up silent-film star desperate for a comeback, in this stripped-down, celluloid-infused revival from London. The psychological thriller, based on the classic 1950 film noir, features a score by Andrew Lloyd Weber and book and lyrics by Don Black and Christopher Hampton. Don’t expect a stuffy museum piece: director Jamie Lloyd’s dramatically reimagined production was a smash hit across the pond, earning seven Olivier Awards in 2024, including Best Musical Revival and Best Actress.
2. Gypsy Majestic Theater Previews begin November 21; opens December 19
It’s “curtain up!” for six-time Tony winner Audra McDonald, who’s stepping into the shoes of musical theater’s most infamous stage mom in this highly anticipated revival. The original production, which opened in 1959, features a book by Arthur Laurents, music by Jule Styne, and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim. Inspired by burlesque legend Gypsy Rose Lee’s memoir, it chronicles her contentious childhood and rise to stripper stardom under the wing of her overbearing mother, Rose. McDonald’s interpretation will undoubtedly earn its place in the pantheon of Gypsy legends.
3. Death Becomes Her Lunt-Fontanne Theater Previews begin October 23; opens November 21
The campy 1992 film starring Meryl Streep and Goldie Hawn as vicious frenemies seeking eternal youth is getting the theatrical treatment. Gifted singer-comediennes Megan Hilty (TV’s Smash) and Jennifer Simard (two-time Tony nominee) take over as the dueling divas in this slapstick musical with a book by Marco Pennette (a showrunner for TV comedy Ugly Betty) and a score by newcomers Julia Mattison and Noel Carey. The cast also features Christopher Sieber as the object of Hilty and Simard’s affection, along with Destiny Child’s Michelle Williams as a potion-hocking temptress.
New Broadway Dramas to Look Forward to This Fall
4. The Roommate Booth Theater Previews begin August 29; opens September 12
Venerated stars and real-life friends Mia Farrow (of famous films including Rosemary’s Baby) and Patti LuPone (three-time Tony Award winner) shack up in this one-act two-hander about an odd couple navigating the complexities of reinvention as AARP-eligible roommates. Jen Silverman provides the text, and three-time Tony Award winner Jack O’Brien directs.
5. Our Town Barrymore Theater Previews begin September 17; opens October 10
Playwright Thornton Wilder’s 1938 Pulitzer Prize-winning portrait of small-town America and the wonders of existence makes its way back to Broadway in a new production by director Kenny Leon. Jim Parsons (The Big Bang Theory) narrates as the Stage Manager, alongside Katie Holmes (Dawson’s Creek) and a bunch of Broadway vets, including Julie Halston and Tony nominee Ephraim Sykes.
6. Eureka Day Samuel J. Friedman Theater Previews begin November 25; opens December 16
In this thoughtful and timely play, a debate over mandatory mumps vaccinations injects drama (and comedy) into a meeting between educators and parents at a private elementary school in California. Playwright Jonathan Spector’s tale, directed by Anna D. Shapiro, arrives in NYC just in time for flu-shot season. The stacked ensemble includes Tony winner Bill Irwin and stage vets Jessica Hecht and Amber Gray.
Off-Broadway Productions to Look Forward to This Fall
Broadway isn’t the only place to experience top-tier theater. Some of New York’s most innovative productions happen at smaller and farther-afield houses throughout the city, which act as creative incubators for new and established talent. Here are a few upcoming productions worth checking out.
7. The Big Gay Jamboree Orpheum Theater Previews begin September 14; opens October 1
Marla Mindelle (co-creator of Titanique, the camp-tastic Off-Broadway Titanic spoof) is the brains behind what’s bound to be a queer-as-hell, tongue-in-cheek ode to musical theater. Mindelle stars as Stacey, trapped inside a Golden Age musical she’s trying to escape.
8. King Lear The Griffin Theater at The Shed Previews begin October 26; opens November 14
British actor and filmmaker Kenneth Branagh takes over Hudson Yards’ Shed as Shakespeare’s power-obsessed despot searching for ultimate devotion and control—a chilling commentary on contemporary times as voters cast ballots for the US presidential election.
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