Broadway is Back!

photo: playbill.com

Broadway is returning again after the bleak Winter 2021-2022 Omicron Surge. The twinkling lights of The Great White Way are shining brighter than ever with plays and musicals both new and classic. As one Broadway blog put it, “It’s not surprising that theatre lovers are busy plotting their Broadway and Off-Broadway adventures. Even the most jaded theatre-goer can’t help but be impressed by the elevated star stats rocking New York’s theatre scene right now.” From the return of Beetlejuice, to the star-studded revival of The Music Man, to the much-anticipated new musical Paradise Square, there is certainly cause to support this thriving theater scene. Here’s a breakdown of some of the must-see shows of the Spring season.

American Buffalo at Circle in the Square Theatre

photo: Matthew Murphy

This star-studded cast includes Laurence Fishburne, Sam Rockwell, and Darren Criss. The trio plays small-time hustlers who are vying for a bigger cut of the American Dream. This production is a rival of David Mamet’s classic from 1975 that originally starred William H. Macy as Bobby. 

Birthday Candles at American Airlines Theatre

photo: Sara Krulwich

Playwright Noah Haidle makes his Broadway debut with this Debra Messing vehicle. The Will & Grace star portrays Ernestine Ashworth – a woman contemplating her significance in the universe through an ongoing series of birthdays. 

Funny Girl at August Wilson Theatre 

photo: Matthew Murphy

Say “hello, gorgeous” to the über talented Beanie Feldstein who stars as Fanny Brice in the first-ever Broadway revival of this classic musical comedy. 

The Scottish Play (Shhhh… we are superstitious!) at Longacre Theatre

photo: Sara Krulwich

Daniel Craig and Ruth Negga star in the Broadway revival of this Shakespearean classic. The production, directed by Tony Award winner Sam Gold, is a fresh take on the familiar tale of power and marriage. 

Paradise Square at Ethel Barrymore Theatre 

photo: Kevin Berne/Handout

Set in New York in the middle of the Civil War, the musical chronicles free Black Americans and Irish immigrants who live in the notorious Five Points neighborhood. The colorful cast of characters explores conflicting notions of what it means to be an American during one of the Nation’s most tumultuous historical eras.  

Plaza Suite at Hudson Theatre 

photo: Joan Marcus

Real-life husband and wife duo, Sarah Jessica Parker and Matthew Broderick, take on this classic comedy by Neil Simon. The pair plays three hilarious couples navigating the tempestuous seas of love and marriage. 

Take Me Out at Helen Hayes Theater

photo: 2nd Stage

Patrick J. Adams, Jesse Tyler Ferguson, and Jesse Williams star in Richard Greenberg’s 2003 Tony-winning piece. The play follows Darren Lemming, star center fielder for the Empires, who reveals he is gay and faces a barrage of long-held unspoken prejudices with the backdrop of America’s favorite pastime. 

The Music Man at Winter Garden Theatre 

photo: Jenny Anderson

Hugh Jackson and Sutton Foster return to Broadway as the classic characters Professor Harold Hill and Marian Paroo. The revival set a box office record for a reopened Broadway with 3.5 million in ticket sales. This is more than any other show since the pandemic began. That’s enough for us to want to blow 76 trombones in celebration!