Best Plays in New York City
Written by The Shrtlst Team
Let’s admit it, choosing the best shows to watch in the Broadway capital of the world can be a challenge. With so many musicals, plays, and performances opening and closing - it’s not surprising that many find themselves overwhelmed with the various choices. Not to worry, we’re here to help you find the perfect theatre experience in NYC that will leave you truly changed for the better.
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This one is hot off the press and one of the most highly anticipated shows of the year. Return to the glamourous 1920s with this new musical adaptation of F. Scott Fitzgerald’s classic novel of wealth, class, and the American Dream. Starring Jeremy Jordan (Newsies) as the mysterious and charming millionaire Jay Gatsby and Eva Noblezada (Hadestown) as the wealthy and beautiful Daisy Buchanan, The Great Gatsby sheds light on the complexities of social class and the consequences of obsession. Winner of the Tony Award for Best Costume Design and choreographed by Dominique Kelley (So You Think You Can Dance), this musical brings back Big Broadway from the Golden Age. Trust us, you won’t want to miss this party.
Show Information:
Playing at Broadway Theatre
Type: Musical
Running Time: 2 Hours and 30 Minutes (Including Intermission)
Closes: TBD
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You’re going to have to see this play to believe it and even then, you might be pondering over how they did it all for hours. Joel Meyers plays Albus Potter, the head-strong and determined son of Harry Potter (Steve Haggard) who befriends the son of his Father’s fiercest rival, Draco Malfoy (Aaron Bartz/Ben Horne), and catapults everyone into a brand new, unbelievable journey. One that may just have the potential to change the past and future forever. This is one of the top shows in NYC and one of the longest-running in the past decade… And for good reason! Prepare for epic battles, amazing spells live on stage, and the return of many more beloved characters from the novels as they race through time!
Show Information:
Playing at Lyric Theatre
Type: Play
Running Time: 3 Hours and 30 Minutes (Including Intermission)
Closes TBD
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Stay gold, Ponyboy. This new musical has broken records and it is not slowing down anytime soon. Adapted from S.E. Hinton's famous novel and Francis Ford Coppola's iconic film, The Outsiders tells the story of Ponyboy Curtis (Brody Grant), Johnny Cade (Sky Lakota-Lynch), and their chosen family of "outsiders" as they navigate a quest for purpose and who they want to become in a world that may never accept them. This is a play by a teenager about teenagers for teenagers. It is a tale of bonds, friendships, and the family ties we create in an attempt to protect what's ours and fight for what could be... Be you a fan of the novel, movie, music, or otherwise, everyone will relate in some way.
Playing at Bernard B. Jacobs Theatre
Type: Musical
Running Time: 2 Hours and 25 Minutes (Including Intermission)
Closes TBD
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Enter a world of glitz, glamour, glory, and romance! Where everyone can delight in electrifying excitement - no matter if you’re a bohemian, aristocrat, or otherwise! Moulin Rouge! The Musical is absolutely one of the best musicals on Broadway right now. Since 2019, it has seen 14 Tony Awards and more than its fair share of iconic cast members perform in its starring roles. With choreography by Tony Award winner Sonya Tayeh (So You Think You Can Dance), and direction by Tony Award winner Alex Timbers, you will be mystified by this theatrical celebration of Truth, Beauty, Freedom, and — above all — Love. As if this play couldn’t get any better, beginning July 23, you will even witness some of the original opening cast and a very familiar face in Aaron Tveit (Les Misérables) returning as Christian and Joanna “JoJo” Levesque (Singer of “Leave (Get Out)”) starring as Satine for a 12-week limited engagement!
Show Information:
Playing at Al Hirschfeld Theatre
Type: Musical
Running Time: 2 Hours and 35 Minutes (Including Intermission)
Closes October 13, 2024
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We’re clueing you in on a play you definitely do not want to miss that is opening on Broadway in July. Following its sold-out engagements in downtown NYC, this psychological thriller by Max Wolf Friedlich follows Jane, a regular worker at a big tech company, and Loyd, a crisis therapist who is trying to help her find meaning in life. After Jane is placed on leave following a viral video gone wrong, this story begins to examine the differences in generations, what it means to be a citizen, and how it is crucial to help the people who need it most. Starring Peter Friedman (Succession) and Sydney Lemmon (Tár), this play is surely one you will not want to miss. Especially since it is only running for 10 weeks on Broadway!
Show Information:
Playing at Hayes Theater
Type: Play
Running Time: 80 Minutes (No Intermission)
Closes November 29th, 2024
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Mythology, American Folk, and New Orleans Jazz are combined beautifully in this one-of-a-kind musical. Winner of 8 Tony Awards in its opening year of 2019, Hadestown blew the world away with its tale of an old song and how it can change your fate. It takes two mythological couples– Orpheus & Eurydice and Hades & Persephone– and pulls the audience into their unforgettable journey into the Underworld and (perhaps) back again. As emotional of a ride as it is, this is one of the best Broadway musicals running right now and one of our personal favorites. Whether you’re a student looking for unique pathways into mythology or an adult looking for a new version of an old song, you will surely find it here. The music and lyrics are by acclaimed singer/songwriter Anaïs Mitchell and the director at the helm is Tony Award Winning Rachel Chavkin, but if that does not sell you, Jordan Fisher (Grease Live!) has also joined the cast in the main role of Orpheus. With such a vibrant cast of talented actors, singers, and dancers, this show invites you to imagine how the world could be– instead of how it is.
Show Information:
Playing at Walter Kerr Theatre
Type: Musical
Running Time: 2 Hours and 40 Minutes (Including Intermission)
Closes TBD
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This musical is not only one of the top shows and revivals running in NYC right now, but it’s an experience from the very moment that you enter the theatre. In an instant, you are transported to Berlin in 1931 and more specifically, the Kit Kat Klub, a nightclub where artists and performers, misfits, and outsiders rule the night. You too, the audience, can also enjoy a complimentary shot before the show begins (as long as you are over the age of 21) just as the characters would like you to. However, no amount of booze, music, and dancing can slow the ominous march of a changing Germany as it draws ever closer. Currently starring Eddie Redmayne (Les Misérables) as the Emcee, you will be both entranced by his performance and changed by the end of the show. However, in there, life is beautiful.
Show Information:
Playing at August Wilson Theatre
Type: Musical
Running Time: 2 Hours and 45 Minutes (Including Intermission)
Closes TBD
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This play is brimming with potential and intrigue as it heads into its first previews in the coming months. Truth be told, this one could be one of the best plays on Broadway this year. If you’re anywhere near its theatre in September, you will not want to miss it. Starring Academy Award-winner Robert Downey Jr. (Oppenheimer) as he makes his Broadway debut, McNeal takes a dive into the controversies of AI and its ethical properties in writing original literature. Follow Jacob McNeal one of the greatest writers of our generation and an enduring candidate for the Nobel Prize in Literature. However, Jacob also has a son who’s more like a stranger, a brand new novel to work on, and an unhealthy obsession with Artificial Intelligence. This will be a study of the humanity (and inhumanity) of the stories we write and the impact they have on every new generation. As they say, Good writers borrow, great writers steal.
Show Information:
Playing at Vivian Beaumont Theater
Type: Play
Running Time: TBD
Closes TBD
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