If you’re looking for something fresh to see on Broadway, spring is your season! There are 18 new shows due on stage before the lusty month of May—splashy musicals, political dramas, Shakespearean tragedies…two different productions that started as TV shows. Hard choices await, but knowledge is power. Before the decision paralysis sets in, learn everything you need to know about this year’s spring offerings.
PURPOSE
DRAMA
In previews / Opens March 17 / Hayes Theater
Written by Branden Jacobs-Jenkins, directed by Phylicia Rashad
Starring LaTanya Richardson Jackson, Harry Lennix, Jon Michael Hill, Glenn Davis, Alana Arenas and Kara Young
For decades, the influential Jasper family has been a pillar of Black American politics: civil rights leaders, pastors and congressmen. But like all families, there are cracks and secrets just under the surface. When the youngest son Nazareth returns home to Illinois with an uninvited friend in tow, the family is forced into a reckoning with itself, its faith and the legacies of Black radicalism. Spirited, hilarious and filled with intrigue, Purpose is an epic family drama from one of the country’s most celebrated voices.
BUENA VISTA SOCIAL CLUB
MUSICAL
In previews / Opens March 19 / Schoenfeld Theatre
Book by Marco Ramirez, music by Buena Vista Social Club, directed by Saheem Ali
Starring Natalie Venetia Belcon, Julio Monge, Mel Semé, Jainardo Batista Sterling, Isa Antonetti, Da’von T. Moody, Wesley Wray, Leonardo Reyna, Renesito Avich, Ashley De La Rosa and Justin Cunningham
Step into the heart of Cuba, beyond the glitz of the Tropicana, to a place where blazing trumpets and sizzling guitars set the dance floor on fire. Here, the sound of Havana is born—and one woman discovers the music that will change her life forever. Inspired by true events, the new Broadway musical Buena Vista Social Club brings the Grammy Award-winning album to thrilling life—and tells the story of the legends who lived it. A world-class band joins a sensational cast of musicians, actors and dancers from around the globe for an authentic experience unlike any you’ve seen or heard before. Don’t miss this captivating tale of big dreams, second chances and the unbreakable bonds of making music together.
OPERATION MINCEMEAT
MUSICAL
In previews / Opens March 20 / John Golden Theatre
Written and composed by SpitLip, directed by Robert Hastie
Starring David Cumming, Felix Hagan, Natasha Hodgson, Zoë Roberts, Claire-Marie Hall and Jak Malone
It’s 1943, and the Allied Forces are on the ropes. Luckily, they’ve got a trick up their sleeve. Well, not up their sleeve, per se, but rather inside the pocket of a stolen corpse. Equal parts farce, thriller, and Ian Fleming-style spy caper (with an assist from Mr. Fleming himself), Operation Mincemeat: A New Musical tells the wildly improbable and hilarious true story of the covert operation that turned the tide of WWII.
(Photo: Julieta Cervantes)
OTHELLO
DRAMA
In previews / Opens March 23 / Ethel Barrymore Theatre
Written by William Shakespeare, directed by Kenny Leon
Starring Denzel Washington, Jake Gyllenhaal, Molly Osborne, Andrew Burnap, Kimber Elayne Sprawl, Anthony Michael Lopez and Daniel Pearce
Tony and Academy Award winner Denzel Washington stars as Othello, the noble Moor of Venice and commanding warrior-general. Opposite him, Tony and Academy Award nominee Jake Gyllenhaal portrays Iago, the ambitious lieutenant and masterful manipulator. Spurned for promotion, Iago’s relentless quest for vengeance against Othello and his wife, Desdemona (portrayed by Molly Osborne), plunges them into a shocking web of deception and betrayal.
(Photo: Marc Brenner)
THE PICTURE OF DORIAN GRAY
DRAMA
Previews March 10 / Opens March 27 / Music Box Theatre
Adapted and directed by Kip Williams from the Oscar Wilde novel
Starring Sarah Snook
Emmy winner Sarah Snook, star of the smash-hit Succession, reprises her Olivier Award-winning performance in The Picture of Dorian Gray on Broadway. In an acting coup for the ages, Snook takes on all 26 roles in this gripping, witty and vibrantly contemporary production that breathes new life into Oscar Wilde’s classic tale. This ground-breaking production—adapted and directed by multi award-winning Kip Williams during his tenure as artistic director at the acclaimed Sydney Theatre Company—delivers an explosive interplay of live performance and video in an astonishing collision of form.
GLENGARRY GLEN ROSS
DRAMA
Previews March 10 / Opens March 31/ Palace Theatre
Written by David Mamet, directed by Patrick Marber
Starring Kieran Culkin, Bob Odenkirk, Bill Burr, Michael McKean, Donald Webber Jr., Howard W. Overshown and John Pirruccello
David Mamet’s Pulitzer Prize-winning drama Glengarry Glen Ross is set in a cutthroat Chicago real estate office where four salespeople compete to sell mostly worthless properties to unwitting customers. Whoever sells the most wins a car; whoever sells the least is out of a job—a ruthless environment where each character will do anything to come out on top.
GOOD NIGHT, AND GOOD LUCK
DRAMA
Previews March 12 / Opens April 3 / Winter Garden Theatre
Written by George Clooney and Grant Heslov, directed by David Cromer
Starring George Clooney, Glenn Fleshler, Ilana Glazer, Paul Gross, Georgia Heers, Fran Kranz, Andrew Polk, Christopher Denham, Will Dagger, Mac Brandt, Aaron Roman Weiner, Carter Hudson, Michael Nathanson, Jennifer Morris and Clark Gregg
Tune in to the golden age of broadcast journalism and Edward R. Murrow’s (George Clooney) legendary, history-altering, on-air showdown with Senator Joseph McCarthy. As McCarthyism casts a shadow over America, Murrow and his news team choose to confront the growing tide of paranoia and propaganda, even if it means turning the federal government and a worried nation against them.
BOOP!
MUSICAL
Previews March 11/ Opens April 5 / Broadhurst Theatre
Music by David Foster, lyrics by Susan Birkenhead, book by Bob Martin, direction and choreography by Jerry Mitchell
Starring Jasmine Amy Rogers, Faith Prince, Ainsley Melham, Erich Bergen, Stephen DeRosa, Angelica Hale, Anastacia McCleskey and Aubie Merrylees
(Photo: Mark Seliger)
For almost a century, Betty Boop has won hearts and inspired fans around the world with her trademark looks, voice and style. Now, in BOOP!, Betty’s dream of an ordinary day off from the super-celebrity in her black-and-white world leads to an extraordinary adventure of color, music and love in New York City—one that reminds her and the world, “You are capable of amazing things.” Boop-oop-a-doop!
THE LAST FIVE YEARS
MUSICAL
Previews March 18 / Opens April 6 / Hudson Theatre
Book, music and lyrics by Jason Robert Brown, directed by Whitney White
Starring Nick Jonas and Adrienne Warren
The Last Five Years follows two New Yorkers, rising author Jamie and aspiring actress Cathy, as they fall in and out of love over the course of five years. With a well-loved score by Jason Robert Brown, the musical explores whether a couple, once united by their dreams, can remain connected as their paths diverge.
STEPHEN SONDHEIM’S OLD FRIENDS
MUSICAL
Previews March 25 / Opens April 8 / Samuel J. Friedman Theatre
Music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim, devised by Cameron Mackintosh, musical staging and direction by Matthew Bourne
Starring Bernadette Peters, Lea Salonga, Jasmine Forsberg, Kate Jennings Grant, Kevin Earley, Bonnie Langford, Beth Leavel, Gavin Lee, Kyle Selig, Jacob Dickey, Jason Pennycooke, Joanna Riding, Jeremy Secomb, Maria Wirries and Daniel Yearwood
Celebrate one of Broadway’s true icons with this legendary theatrical event. Stephen Sondheim’s Old Friends is an irresistible celebration of the master himself, with a company headlined by none other than Tony winners Bernadette Peters and Lea Salonga. Stephen Sondheim’s Old Friends comes to Broadway from London’s West End, where it earned a bevy of raves and called “unmissable.”
(Photo: Matthew Murphy)
SMASH
MUSICAL
Previews March 11 / Opens April 10 / Imperial Theatre
Music and lyrics by Marc Shaiman and Scott Wittman, book by Rick Elice and Bob Martin, directed by Susan Stroman
Starring Robyn Hurder, Brooks Ashmanskas, Krysta Rodriguez, John Behlmann, Kristine Nielsen, Caroline Bowman, Jacqueline B. Arnold, Bella Coppola and Casey Garvin.
(Photo: Matthew Murphy)
Smash, inspired by the hit TV show, is finally coming to Broadway. A hilarious behind-the-scenes rollercoaster ride about the making of a Marilyn Monroe musical called Bombshell, it’s got all the iconic songs, kick-ass choreography and backstage pandemonium that make Broadway the beloved institution it is today.
JOHN PROCTOR IS THE VILLAIN
DRAMA
Previews March 20 / Opens April 14 / Booth Theatre
Written by Kimberly Belflower, directed by Danya Taymor
Starring Sadie Sink, Nihar Duvvuri, Gabriel Ebert, Molly Griggs, Maggie Kuntz, Hagan Oliveras, Morgan Scott, Fina Strazza and Amalia Yoo
At a high school in a rural town in Georgia, an English class is studying Arthur Miller’s The Crucible, but the students are more preoccupied with navigating young love, sex ed and a few school scandals. As they delve into the American classic, the students begin to question the play’s perspective and the validity of naming John Proctor the show’s hero. With deep wells of passion and biting humor, John Proctor is the Villain is a new comedy from a major new American voice, capturing a generation in mid-transformation, running on pop music, optimism and fury, and discovering that their future is not bound by the past.
FLOYD COLLINS
MUSICAL
Previews March 27 / Opens April 21 / Vivian Beaumont Theater
Music and lyrics by Adam Guettel, book and direction by Tina Landau
Starring Jeremy Jordan, Jason Gotay, Sean Allan Krill, Marc Kudisch, Lizzy McAlpine, Wade McCollum, Jessica Molaskey, Taylor Trensch and Cole Vaughan
Floyd Collins is a gripping musical based on the true story of a cave explorer in Kentucky, 1925. While chasing a dream of fame and fortune by turning Sand Cave into a tourist attraction, Floyd Collins himself becomes the attraction when he gets trapped 200 feet underground. Alone but for sporadic contact with the outside world, including his brother Homer, Floyd fights for his sanity—and, ultimately, his life—as the rescue effort above explodes into the first genuine media circus. Reporters and gawkers from across the country descend on the property, fueling the hysteria and manipulating the nation into holding its collective breath.
(Photo: Manuel Harlan)
STRANGER THINGS: THE FIRST SHADOW
DRAMA
Previews March 28 / Opens April 22 / Marquis Theatre
Written by Kate Trefry, directed by Stephen Daldry
Starring Louis McCartney, Rosie Benton, Alex Breaux, Nicky Eldridge, Andrew Hovelson, Alison Jaye, T.R. Knight, Gabrielle Nevaeh and Burke Swanson
Before the world turned upside down. Hawkins, 1959: a regular town with regular worries. Young Jim Hopper’s car won’t start, Bob Newby’s sister won’t take his radio show seriously and Joyce Maldonado just wants to graduate and get the hell out of town. When new student Henry Creel arrives, his family finds that a fresh start isn’t so easy…and the shadows of the past have a very long reach. With stunning special effects, extraordinary performances and a storyline that will keep you on the edge of your seat, this gripping, stand-alone adventure will take you right back to the beginnings of the Stranger Things story.
(Photo c/o Polk & Co.)
JUST IN TIME
MUSICAL
Previews March 28 / Opens April 23 / Circle in the Square Theatre
Developed and directed by Alex Timbers, book by Warren Leight and Isaac Oliver
Starring Jonathan Groff, Erika Henningsen, Gracie Lawrence, Emily Bergl, Joe Barbara, Michele Pawk, Lance Roberts, Caesar Samayoa and Khori Michelle Petinaud
Look out, Jonathan’s back! Tony winner Jonathan Groff returns to Broadway as Bobby Darin, the legendary singer whose short but remarkable life took him from teen idol to global sensation. Just In Time is an exhilarating new musical that immerses audiences in an intimate, swinging nightclub complete with a live band, a stellar ensemble cast and iconic Bobby Darin hits including “Beyond the Sea,” “Mack the Knife,” “Splish Splash” and “Dream Lover.” Discover the man behind the music—a once-in-a-lifetime talent who knew his time was limited and was determined to make a splash before it was too late.
PIRATES! THE PENZANCE MUSICAL
MUSICAL
Previews April 4 / Opens April 24 / Todd Haimes Theatre
Music and lyrics by Arthur Sullivan, book by W.S. Gilbert, adapted by Rupert Holmes, directed by Scott Ellis
Starring Ramin Karimloo, David Hyde Pierce, Jinkx Monsoon, Nicholas Barasch, Preston Truman Boyd and Samantha Williams
Gilbert & Sullivan’s pirate ship docks in New Orleans in this jazzy-bluesy vision of the crowd-pleasing classic, in an outrageously clever romp sizzling with Caribbean rhythms and French Quarter flair. With the tongue-twisting Major-General, the rabble-rousing Pirate King, newly imagined young lovers, daring daughters, footloose pirates and fleet-footed police, there’s a shipload of musical comedy delights on board to dazzle first-timers and G&S aficionados alike.
(Photo: Matthew Murphy)
DEAD OUTLAW
MUSICAL
Previews April 12 / Opens April 27 / Longacre Theatre
Music and lyrics by David Yazbek and Erik Della Penna, book by Itamar Moses, directed by David Cromer
Starring Andrew Durand, Jeb Brown, Eddie Cooper, Dashiell Eaves, Julia Knitel, Ken Marks, Trent Saunders and Thom Sesma
Elmer McCurdy was an ambitious, turn-of-the-20th-century outlaw whose death at the hands of a Western posse ended a life of failed crime and alcoholism and began a brilliant career as a mummified side-show attraction that traveled the country for decades. By the time this journey ended, his name had been forgotten and his desiccated body was hanging in a house-of-horrors ride at an amusement park in Southern California, spray-painted a day-glo orange. Then one day, a grip for the Six-Million Dollar Man TV show jostled what he thought was “just a dummy” and an arm fell off, revealing a human bone and beginning a hunt for the origins of this enigma.
(Photo: Michaelah Reynolds)
REAL WOMEN HAVE CURVES
MUSICAL
Previews April 1 / Opens April 27 / James Earl Jones Theatre
Music and lyrics by Joy Huerta and Benjamin Velez, book by Lisa Loomer, directed and choreographed by Sergio Trujillo
Starring Tatianna Córdoba, Justina Machado, Florencia Cuenca, Shelby Acosta, Carla Jimenez, Aline Mayagoitia, Mason Reeves, Jennifer Sánchez, Sandra Valls and Mauricio Mendoza
Real Women Have Curves: The Musical is a funny, joyous, and empowering new show coming to Broadway this April. It’s the summer of 1987 and Ana Garcia dreams of flying away from East Los Angeles. But when her family’s garment business receives a make-or-break order for 200 dresses, Ana finds herself juggling her own ambitions, her mother’s expectations, and a community of women all trying to make it work against the odds. Based on the play by Josefina López that inspired the beloved film.
