Whether you’re in the mood for comedy or drama, classical or contemporary, musical or play, on Broadway or off, this roundup of some of the coolest shows in New York City this spring will help you find something right up your alley.
Last Chance
Arin Arbus directs a “grisly”, “giddy” and “moving” production of one of Shakespeare’s less appreciated works, a mystical tragicomedy set in the royal courts of Bohemia and Sicily, at Brooklyn’s award-winning Theatre for New Audiences. The show runs until April 15, and catch a matinee on the 7th or the 14th to enjoy a special post-show talk with actors and scholars!
You have until April 22 to see this “poignant new comedy” from playwright Lindsey Ferrentino, in which three siblings, one of whom suffers from Down Syndrome, take a fateful road trip and explore their painful history in the aftermath of their father’s death. The play is also a major step forward for representation on Broadway with Jamie Brewer, who shares her character’s affliction, in the lead as Amy, and also stars Tony winner Debra Monk and Obie winner Mark Blum.
3. Pygmalion
Also closing up shop this April 22 is the edgy Bedlam Theatre Company’s take on George Bernard Shaw classic Pygmalion, which eventually inspired the better-known musical version My Fair Lady. The 1913 hit is revamped for modern audiences with the Indian Vaishnavi Sharma cast as leading lady Eliza and a “gritty” interpretation from director Eric Tucker that focuses on how “power is negotiated through sexual politics”.
4. Lobby Hero
The explorations of identity at work in the moral dilemmas that arise for Lobby Hero’s characters in the in the aftermath of a murder charge make it an unforgettable evening. Starring Chris Evans of Captain America and Michael Cera of Arrested Development, this play by Oscar and BAFTA-winning screenwriter Kenneth Lonergan opened in late March for its first revival since 2001 will be running until May 13.
New In Town
5. Harry Potter And The Cursed Child, Parts 1 and 2
No need for a Patronus charm today! Keep the dementors away by paying a visit to the magical world so many of us grew up with in its new life onstage, featuring a good chunk of the original British cast along with some enticing new additions. Previews began on Mar 16 with an official opening to come April 22 for this 2-part sequel to the original groundbreaking septology that picks up 19 years later, when Albus Potter, son of the titular boy wizard, follows in his father’s footsteps and seeks out some trouble of his own. While seats to this hot ticket are going to prove hard to get your hands on, you can always try your luck with a weekly release of select discounted “Friday Forty” tickets through the Todaytix app!
6. Yerma
Based on a 1934 poem by Federico García Lorca, Simon Stone’s Yerma, a transfer of the award-winning British production, chronicles the slow unraveling of a woman who finds herself unable to conceive a child. Billie Piper, best known to American audiences as Doctor Who’s Rose, gives an astonishing performance in the lead role of “Her”, and is joined by the equally adept Maureen Beattie, Brendan Cowell, John MacMillan, Charlotte Randle, and Thalissa Teixeira.
If you’re anything like us, you probably know the classic coming of age comedy this new musical is based on like the back of your hand. But now you can enjoy Mean Girls in an incarnation that’s rumored to be even more fun-filled and hilarious than the original! The show boasts an all-star cast of Broadway vets like Kerry Butler (Hairspray, Xanadu), Taylor Louderman (Bring it On, Peter Pan), and Barret Wilbert Weed (Heathers) as well as a script by Tina Fey herself! The first preview took place Mar 12, and an official opening night is set for April 8.
This dark masterpiece by Eugene O’Neill has cometh back to the Broadway stage as of a first preview on March 22, with an official opening to follow on April 26. The show’s complex, challenging script dedicates itself to exploring the grimmest psychological crevices of its characters’ lacking lives, and will surely be expertly illuminated with the legendary Denzel Washington in the lead role of Theodore "Hickey" Hickman and stars like Tammy Blanchard, David Morse, and Colm Meaney rounding out the cast.
9. My Fair Lady
So you took our advice and saw Pygmalion. Now see how composers Lerner and Loewe adapted it into one of the greatest American musicals of all time! You’ll want to come out to the Lincoln Center for Lauren Ambrose and Harry Hadden-Patton as leading pair Eliza and Higgins and supporting players like Tony Award winners Norbert Leo Butz and Diana Rigg and to timeless tunes like “I Could Have Danced All Night”, “The Rain in Spain” and “I’ve Grown Accustomed To Her Face”. Previews began on Mar 15 with an official opening to come on April 19th.
Starring former Miss Deaf America Lauren Ridloff as headstrong deaf student Sarah and TV’s Joshua Jackson (Fringe, The Affair) as teacher James Leeds, this “riveting” and “joyous” play explores the two’s professional and eventual romantic relationship. Extra props also go to the creative team for going the extra mile to make the show accessible with supertitles on stage, closed captioning devices available, and select performances aided by an ASL interpreter. Now in previews, the show will officially open on April 11.
11. Saint Joan
And one last chance to get your George Bernard Shaw fix in this season. See Condola Rashad, a three-time Tony Award nominee most recently seen in last season’s A Doll’s House Part 2, take on the lead role of Joan of Arc in this sweeping historical drama, which pits its doomed heroine against “overwhelming political and religious forces". Previews start on April 3, with opening night to follow on the 25th.
If you haven’t gotten your fill, some of the picks from our first guide of the year are still playing as well. Now good luck snagging those front row seats!