Broadway may draw the crowds, but Off-Broadway is where you’ll find the gems. The theaters are smaller, the tickets a little friendlier on the wallet and the shows span everything from sharp comedies to daring new plays to cult classics that keep theater-lovers coming back. Browse through the below collection of new, upcoming or enduring Off-Broadway shows: the intimate, the surprising and the very NYC.
Note: All the shows below are in Manhattan, though Off-Broadway extends into other boroughs, particularly Brooklyn.
Can’t-Go-Wrong Crowd-Pleasers
These shows are fun and worth seeing more than once, especially to bring that one person in the group who swears they’ve already seen it all.
Drunk Shakespeare. Photo: Travis Emery
Drunk Shakespeare
Ruby Theatre, 35 W. 39th St., Midtown
Ongoing
Take one of Shakespeare’s 38 plays, add five actors and five shots (of alcohol, that is), plus an audience in various stages of inebriation, and you’ve got a formula that’s been working since 2014. The premise: four actors stay sober while one actor consumes five shots. An audience member does one too, to prove the alcohol is real. Then the five actors take the stage, and hilarity ensues as the intoxicated actor tries to stay on script. Note: the show is for guests 21 and older.
The Gazillion Bubble Show. Photo: Nathan Johnson
The Gazillion Bubble Show
New World Stages, 340 W. 50th St., Midtown West
Ongoing
The Gazillion Bubble Show has held a place in the hearts of many young theater-goers for more than two decades. The title gives away the premise: a whole lot of bubbles. There are large bubbles, small bubbles, artistic bubbles, bubbles that encapsulate audience members. Lights and sounds elevate the one-hour show, and laughs, gasps, and audience feedback are encouraged. It’s ideal for ages 2 and up.
Perfect Crime. Photo: Russ Rowland
Perfect Crime
The Anne L. Bernstein Theater, 210 W. 50th St., Midtown West
Ongoing
Originally opening toward the end of the Reagan administration, this is New York’s longest-running play. The writing is razor-sharp, especially important for a whodunit about a psychiatrist who may or may not have killed her husband. If you’re a returning fan, you might recognize the lead actress, Catherine Russell, as the person who took your ticket or ushered you into the theater. Russell has been in the show since its inception and embodies the kind of behind-the-scenes dedication that makes New York theater unlike anything else.
Don’t-Miss-It-This-Time Revivals
Didn’t catch these shows the first time they were on the Great White Way? Now they’re back, reimagined in innovative ways with the added bonus of having an easier chance of spotting a star at the stage door.
Courtesy, The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee
The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee
New World Stages, 340 W. 50th St., Midtown West
November 7 to February 15
It’s F-U-N-N-Y! The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, a regional theater favorite, is back in New York City two decades after its Broadway debut. The show traditionally brings a few audience volunteers onstage alongside the cast of awkward middle schoolers, and the intimate setting helps everyone feel like part of the bee. Expect sharp wit, catchy songs and plenty of laugh-out-loud moments as these quirky kids battle it out for the trophy.
The Baker’s Wife
Lynn F. Angelson Theater, 136 E. 13th St., East Village
October 23 to December 14
This jewel of a musical, with music and lyrics by Stephen Schwartz (Wicked, Pippin, The Queen of Versailles), is set in the French countryside and stars Ariana DeBose and Scott Bakula in its first major New York revival. Come for the soaring rendition of “Meadowlark,” a cabaret staple and a heart-stopping anthem for anyone longing for something more.
Little Shop of Horrors. Photo: Emilio Madrid
Little Shop of Horrors
Westside Theatre Upstairs, 407 W. 43rd St., Hell’s Kitchen
Ongoing
This 1980s classic has found a new home Off-Broadway, where it is now in its sixth year. The plot: meek flower shop employee Seymour discovers his plant, Audrey II, thrives on human blood. There’s also a love story in the mix, plus some irresistibly catchy songs with music by Alan Menken and lyrics by Howard Ashman—the duo behind The Little Mermaid. And don’t forget the casting: while it changes regularly, this show is known for drawing big- and small-screen celebs looking to take a turn on the stage.
See It Before It Hits Broadway
There are some shows you just know: they have it. Maybe it’s the creative team, the positive press or just the jam-packed theater. Either way, get your tickets ASAP so you can say you saw it when.
Courtesy, Romy and Michele: The Musical
Romy and Michele: The Musical
Stage 42, 422 W. 42nd St., Hell’s Kitchen
October 14 to March 1
We don’t all peak in high school! This time, Romy and Michele’s story has been reinvented as a musical, with a score that channels the best ’80s and ’90s mixtape vibes. The plot stays true to the movie, with “cute tops” as an unofficial supporting cast member, and two friends setting out to wow their 10-year high school reunion by coming back bigger, smarter and way more “business-y.” Written by the film’s original screenwriter, Robin Schiff, it’s the businesswoman’s special, now Off-Broadway.
Courtesy, The Seat of Our Pants
The Seat of Our Pants
Newman Theater at The Public Theater, 425 Lafayette St., East Village
October 24 to November 30
Based on the Thornton Wilder classic The Skin of Our Teeth, this musicalized version focuses on the Antrobus family, who are blessed (or is it cursed?) to live forever, no matter what catastrophes befall them. Despite this eternal assurance, they still fall into the same existential crises we all do. The musical is brought to the Public by Obie-winning playwright and songwriter Ethan Lipton and Tony-nominated director Leigh Silverman, with a cast of Broadway favorites, including Ruthie Ann Miles and Micaela Diamond.
This World of Tomorrow
The Shed, 545 W. 30th St., Hudson Yards
October 30 to December 21
This World of Tomorrow is a brand-new play co-written by and starring Tom Hanks (yes, that one) and Kelli O’Hara, based on his own short stories. Hanks is Bert Allenberry, a scientist from the future who lands at the 1939 World’s Fair in Queens, looking for love. One thing’s for sure: there’s no time-traveling back for tickets, so snag them while you can.
Talk About It After the Show
Sometimes an Off-Broadway night remains long after the curtain falls. These plays do just that, giving your brain something to chew on while pulling you away from the endless scroll.
44 The Obama Musical
The Daryl Roth Theatre, 101 E. 15th St., East Village
October 14 to December 7
This satirical musical rewinds to 2008, when “hope and change” was a rallying cry and Netflix came in the mail. Told from the POV of Joe Biden and set to an R&B score, this unauthorized, sharp and very funny show about the rise of the 44th president is a reminder that, yes, that era really did exist.
The Burning Cauldron of Fiery Fire
Vineyard Theatre, 108 E. 15th St., Union Square
October 23 to November 30
Written by Off-Broadway staple playwright Anne Washburn, this play focuses on a community in Northern California, intentionally living off the land and beyond the grid. But when someone dies, everything changes. It’s one of those plays that keeps you engrossed, keeps you thinking and might make you look at the community you’ve built a little differently.
The Least Problematic Woman in the World
Lucille Lortel Theatre, 121 Christopher St., West Village
September 27 to October 19
You think you know her. But if you’ve only seen Dylan Mulvaney on your phone, it’s time to see her on stage. Already a familiar face long before the headlines, Mulvaney takes back the mic after a high-profile partnership pushed her further into the spotlight. Onstage, she tells her story in her own terms: honest, authentic and with no TikTok time limit.
For more theater and performing arts in NYC, check out our complete guide.
