What to See
And suddenly, Broadway is packed again. After an autumn that wasn’t exactly overwhelmed with openings, spring is looking absolutely jammed, with 19 productions currently set to open between now and the deadline for Tony Awards eligibility in late April. But right now we’re in a quieter part of the season, which for audiences means deals are afoot — including the two-for-one offers that are part of Broadway Week, underway through Feb. 4.
Last Chance
Gutenberg! The Musical!
Silliness runs amok in this musical comedy duet starring Josh Gad and Andrew Rannells (Tony nominees for “The Book of Mormon”) as Bud and Doug, a pair of theater-loving goofballs with big Broadway dreams for their show about Johannes Gutenberg, the 15th-century inventor of the printing press — so they’re giving a performance, playing all the roles themselves, to persuade an audience of producers. Written by Scott Brown and Anthony King (“Beetlejuice”), the show is directed by Alex Timbers, a Tony winner for “Moulin Rouge!,” who staged an endearingly zany Off Broadway production of “Gutenberg!” in 2006. (Through Jan. 28 at the James Earl Jones Theater.)
Harmony
Barry Manilow and Bruce Sussman retell the true story of the Comedian Harmonists — a Weimar-era vocal sextet of Jewish and gentile Berliners — in this long-gestating musical. With a cast that includes Chip Zien, Sierra Boggess and Julie Benko, the show is directed and choreographed by the Tony winner Warren Carlyle. Notably, this is not a jukebox show; the music, written and arranged by Manilow, is original. (Through Feb. 4 at the Ethel Barrymore Theater.)
Purlie Victorious
Ossie Davis wrote this sharp-witted satire, a 1961 Broadway hit that starred Davis in the title role of a charismatic Southern preacher opposite his wife, Ruby Dee, as Purlie’s disciple and love interest, Lutiebelle. In Kenny Leon’s powerfully funny revival, Leslie Odom Jr. plays Purlie — his first Broadway outing since his Tony-winning triumph as Aaron Burr in “Hamilton” — with the reliably outstanding Kara Young (“Clyde’s”) as Lutiebelle, scheming with Purlie to outwit a cruel plantation owner (Jay O. Sanders). This is not, by the way, the musical “Purlie”; it’s the play that inspired it. (Through Feb. 4 at the Music Box Theater.)
Musicals to Leave You Humming
A Beautiful Noise, the Neil Diamond Musical
The Brooklyn-born singer-songwriter who gave the world “Sweet Caroline” gets the biomusical treatment in this show, starring Nick Fradiani (“American Idol”) in the title role. Directed by Michael Mayer, it has a book by Anthony McCarten, choreography by Steven Hoggett and a well-stocked catalog of hits to draw on. Expect “Cracklin’ Rosie,” “Holly Holy” and more. (Onstage at the Broadhurst Theater.)
Cabaret
Eddie Redmayne was a sensation as the Emcee when Rebecca Frecknall’s darkly seductive take on the Kander and Ebb classic made it a nearly impossible ticket in London’s West End. Now he reprises the role for Broadway, where Tom Scutt’s design for the immersive production turns the ordinarily staid August Wilson Theater into the Weimar-era Kit Kat Club. With Gayle Rankin as Sally Bowles, the cast also includes Bebe Neuwirth as Fraulein Schneider, Ato Blankson-Wood as Clifford Bradshaw and Steven Skybell as Herr Schultz. (Starts previews April 1 at the August Wilson Theater; opens April 21.)
Days of Wine and Roses
Kelli O’Hara and Brian d’Arcy James star as glamorous 1950s New Yorkers who fall hard for each other, and at least as hard for alcohol, in Craig Lucas and Adam Guettel’s new musical adaptation of JP Miller’s classic film and teleplay. A downtown hit in its world premiere at the Atlantic Theater Company last year, the show follows its sozzled lovers into the fog of addiction as they make a family, then come close to destroying it. Michael Greif directs. (In previews at Studio 54; opens Jan. 28. Limited run ends April 28.)
The Heart of Rock and Roll
Huey Lewis and the News have been a presence on Broadway lately, ever since a couple of the band’s infectious ’80s singles emerged as highlights of the musical “Back to the Future.” Now comes a jukebox musical comedy of their own. Long in the making, and built around hits like “Do You Believe in Love,” “Hip to Be Square” and “If This Is It,” it’s the story of two 20-something co-workers in 1987, at least one of whom has rock ’n’ roll dreams. (Starts previews March 29 at the James Earl Jones Theater; opens April 22.)
Hell’s Kitchen
Alicia Keys’s own coming-of-age is the inspiration for this jukebox musical stocked with her songs, which played to packed houses during its world-premiere production last fall at the Public Theater. Studded with musical numbers including “Girl on Fire,” “If I Ain’t Got You” and “Empire State of Mind,” it’s the story of a 17-year-old girl in the Hell’s Kitchen neighborhood of Manhattan, growing into an artist. Directed by Michael Greif, the show has a book by Kristoffer Diaz and choreography by Camille A. Brown. (Starts previews March 28 at the Shubert Theater; opens April 20.)
How to Dance in Ohio
Seven autistic actors make their Broadway debuts playing autistic young adults, getting ready for a counseling center’s spring formal and gaining vital social skills along the way, in this feel-good new musical. Based on Alexandra Shiva’s 2015 documentary of the same name, and originally developed by the producer Hal Prince, it has a book and lyrics by Rebekah Greer Melocik, music by Jacob Yandura and choreography by Mayte Natalio. Sammi Cannold directs. (Onstage at the Belasco Theater.)
Kimberly Akimbo
In the dose of pure joy that is David Lindsay-Abaire and Jeanine Tesori’s 2023 Tony Award winner for best musical, Victoria Clark gives a Tony-winning performance as the teenage Kimberly, who has an aging illness that makes her look like she’s 70-something. She also has a sweet crush (Justin Cooley), disappointing parents (Steven Boyer and Alli Mauzey) and a delightfully ne’er-do-well aunt (Bonnie Milligan, whose Tony is one of five for the show). Adapted, beautifully, from Lindsay-Abaire’s play of the same name, it’s directed by Jessica Stone. (Through April 28 at the Booth Theater.)
Silver Screen Favorites, Refashioned
Back to the Future: The Musical
The DeLorean is the star attraction in this Olivier Award-winning adaptation of the 1985 comedy about a teenager who time-travels to the 1950s and meets his parents when they were his age. With the Tony winner Roger Bart as the eccentric inventor Doc Brown — a.k.a. the Christopher Lloyd role — and Casey Likes (“Almost Famous”) in the Michael J. Fox role of Marty McFly, John Rando’s production boasts scenic design by Tim Hatley, one of the Tony-winning wow-factor wizards responsible for the recent Broadway show “Life of Pi.” (Onstage at the Winter Garden Theater.)
The Outsiders
Rival gangs in a musical who aren’t the Sharks and the Jets? Here they’re the Greasers and the Socs, driven by class enmity just as they were in S.E. Hinton’s 1967 young adult novel and Francis Ford Coppola’s 1983 film. Set in a version of Tulsa, Okla., where guys have names like Ponyboy and Sodapop, this new adaptation has a book by Adam Rapp with Justin Levine, and music and lyrics by Jamestown Revival (Jonathan Clay and Zach Chance) and Levine. Danya Taymor directs. (Starts previews March 16 at the Bernard B. Jacobs Theater; opens April 11.)
Spamalot
Clip-clop, Python faithful — your revival awaits. Based on the screenplay for the 1975 “Camelot” spoof “Monty Python and the Holy Grail,” Eric Idle and John Du Prez’s musical is willfully giddy, and the cast is full of comic virtuosos, including Alex Brightman as Sir Lancelot, James Monroe Iglehart as King Arthur, Leslie Rodriguez Kritzer as the Lady of the Lake and Ethan Slater as the Historian. A hit in the original 2005 Broadway production, the show is directed this time around by Josh Rhodes, who also choreographs. (Onstage at the St. James Theater.)
How to Get Tickets
If you’re looking for a deal on a hot-ticket show, you will search in vain. The shows offering discounts may be in previews (which means critics haven’t yet weighed in) or, having been around a while, are running low on fuel. Still, some excellent productions might be in the mix.
Box Office or Show Site
To guard against the heartbreak of counterfeit tickets, the safest bet is to buy through the show’s website or at the box office. The box office in particular has its advantages — including that you don’t have to pay hefty service fees. And if you have a discount code, like the ones sometimes offered on theatermania.com or broadwaybox.com, it should work in person, too. But do check on the box office hours before heading out.
TodayTix App
The TodayTix app is a trustworthy source for often-discounted Broadway tickets, which users buy online. For some shows, you can choose your exact seats; for others, you pick the general section where you want to sit, and TodayTix assigns your seats. Whether you get barcoded electronic tickets delivered to your device or physical tickets that you pick up at the theater box office depends on the show. The app can also be used for entering some shows’ digital lotteries, which offer the chance to buy cheap tickets if you win, or for finding digital same-day rush tickets.
TKTS
TKTS, that discount-ticket mainstay of Times Square, sells same-day matinee and evening tickets, as well as next-day matinee tickets, at up to 50 percent off. The satellite booth at Lincoln Center is back open now, too. On the TKTS app, or online, you can see in real time which shows are on sale at which location, and what tickets cost. But that doesn’t mean there will be any seats left for the show you want by the time you get up to the window, and you have to buy them in person. (For a few Off Broadway shows, sales are cash only.) Options are most plentiful right after the booths open, but new tickets are released all day, even as curtain time nears, so going later can be lucky, too.
Rush Tickets and More
Many shows, though not the monster hits, offer same-day rush tickets — either at the box office or online — for much less than full price. Some also sell standing-room tickets if a show is sold out. Don’t count on lucking into these, because availability varies — but it’s worth a shot. Conveniently, Playbill keeps a running online tab of individual shows’ policies on digital lotteries, rush tickets (sometimes just for students, often for everyone), standing room and other discounts.
Refunds and Exchanges
Don’t bet on them. In the early stages of its reopening, Broadway was eager to reassure ticket buyers with flexible policies on exchanges and cancellations. That is not the case anymore. Buyer beware.
A Note on Bad Weather
Is it cascading from the heavens? That may be your chance to snap up some suddenly available seats at the box office, though be prepared to pay face value. Your odds of winning a ticket lottery are better on days like that, too.
