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Many of the biggest winners at the 2024 Tony Awards are still available to see in person during your next trip to the Big Apple.
“Stereophonic,” a show that examines the tension between art and commerce, triumphed at this year’s awards show, capturing prizes for best play and best musical revival. “The Outsiders,” a kinetic adaptation of S.E. Hinton’s coming-of-age novel, was named best musical. Both productions are still running on Broadway, and have tickets available through the rest of the year.
Some of this year’s big winners, like the Daniel Radcliffe-led “Merrily We Roll Along” and “Appropriate,” a piercing and darkly funny tale of family dysfunction, are unfortunately no longer on Broadway, nor is “Enemy of the People,” which earned star Jeremy Strong his first Tony Award.
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However, there are still tickets available for dozens of Tony-winning shows, and newer productions that are sure to be nominated at next year’s awards shows. Below, find the best way to snag affordable tickets to this year’s current productions” from buzzy titles like Cole Escola’s “Oh, Mary,” to long-running classics such as “Wicked” and “The Great Gatsby.”
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‘Oh, Mary!’
SYNOPSIS: In the 80-minute show, Cole Escola star as First Lady Mary Todd Lincoln, who turns to booze and acting lessons while she’s cooped up in the White House. Conrad Ricamora plays Abraham Lincoln, who is dealing with the stress of the Civil War in some very un-Honest Abe ways (and a secret male lover or two).
WHERE: Lyceum Theatre
VARIETY REVIEW: “’Oh, Mary!’ is at once campy and complex, a manic bit of extended sketch comedy, but also an unequivocally queer play in which the female characters are played by a trans woman and a nonbinary actor, and the iterations of masculinity are rather gay.”
‘Stereophonic’
SYNOPSIS: Set in 1976, “Stereophonic” centers on an up-and-coming rock band on the verge of stardom recording their new album. The songs the bands write for this album could make or break them.
WHERE: John Golden Theatre
VARIETY REVIEW: “In a way, director Daniel Aukin is much like Grover: the expert craftsman and invisible hand at the controls, making the slightest adjustments in tempo and tuning to Adjmi’s composition and the performances to make it all come together into a breathtaking whole. The result: A classic.”
‘JOB’
SYNOPSIS: Peter Friedman plays Loyd, a hippie therapist, and Sydney Lemmon is Jane, a content moderator at a tech company, who’s tasked with scrolling through all that’s hateful and sordid online (a basket of deplorables that includes everything from bestiality and pedophilia to torture porn). Jane has been put on leave after a video of her having a breakdown went viral. She’s also desperate to return, if only Loyd will write a note giving her the all clear.
WHERE: Helen Hayes Theatre
VARIETY REVIEW: “This single-set, two-actor exploration of the new, shocking reality of “the internet, where we live” is likely to power up on many more stages to come. But those expecting a suspenseful office showdown or a techno-debate should buckle their seatbelts and brace themselves for a ride into cyber hell.”
‘Hell’s Kitchen’
SYNOPSIS: In Kristoffer Diaz’s latest musical, “Hell’s Kitchen,” featuring songs by Alicia Keys, the story unfolds around a dinner table. Each night, 17-year-old Ali (Maleah Joi Moon) shares a meal with her mother, Jersey (Shoshana Bean), in their Hell’s Kitchen apartment. This nightly ritual, insisted upon by Jersey, is meant to shield Ali from the dangers of 1990s New York City. But despite the protective dinners and warnings, Ali yearns to break free and experience the world, love, art and more. The show features several Keys chart-toppers including “Fallin,” “If I Ain’t Got You,” “No One,” “Girl on Fire” and three new songs.
WHERE: The Public Theater
VARIETY REVIEW: “The minimalism of the stage and Ali’s earnest narration make the viewers feel a part of the production rather than just spectators. In addition to Moon and Bean’s sensational vocal range, ‘Hell’s Kitchen’ illustrates how tender mother/daughter relationships can be.”
‘The Notebook’
SYNOPSIS: After being delayed by the pandemic in 2022 after a buzzy Chicago run at the Shakespeare Theater, the musical adaptation of the Nicholas Sparks romance novel and iconic 2004 romance film starring Ryan Gosling and Rachel McAdams is finally coming to Broadway. The new version of this much-loved tale jumps through time to tell the story of the enduring love between the characters Allie and Noah. In the live show, different actors play the various versions of Allie and Noah through time and this adaptation takes place not during the 1940s but in the 1970s. Singer-songwriter Ingrid Michaelson penned the music and lyrics and the book is by Bekah Brunstetter from TV series “This Is Us.” But most importantly, yes, they make it rain on stage.
WHERE: Gerald Schoenfeld Theatre
VARIETY REVIEW: “The huge fanbase of the romance novel and the 2004 hit film might initially boost the box office, but it will take more than recreating that iconic rainstorm to win over other theatergoers looking for more than clichés, tropes and triggers.”
‘Water For Elephants’
SYNOPSIS: Another book to movie to Broadway production. Based on the historical novel by Sara Gruen that was later turned into a Hollywood feature starring Reese Witherspoon and Robert Pattison, the musical stars Grant Gustin (“The Flash”) and Isabelle McCalla (“Aladdin” and “The Prom”). Set during the Great Depression, the story follows veterinary student Jacob Jankowski (Gustin) who winds up as an animal caretaker at a traveling circus. There he falls for the circus performer Marlena (McCalla), who is sadly married to a cruel man.
WHERE: Imperial Theater
VARIETY REVIEW: “This underdog circus troupe may promote its entertainment as ‘Benzini Brothers’ Most Spectacular Show on Earth,’ but for this rube’s nickels, “Water for Elephants” could be the greatest show on Broadway.”
‘The Outsiders’
SYNOPSIS: The musical adaptation of S.E. Hinton’s 1967 novel and Francis Ford Coppola’s 1983 movie stars Brody Grant (Ponyboy Curtis), Brent Comer (Darrel Curtis), Jason Schmidt (Sodapop Curtis), Sky Lakota-Lynch (Johnny Cade) and Joshua Boone (Dallas Winston). Set in Tulsa, Oklahoma in 1965 the story follows the lives of a group of “greaser” boys as they navigate their battle with the “Socs” a rival gang of privileged youths.
WHERE: Jacobs Theatre
VARIETY REVIEW: “The production only intermittently rises to the challenge of transforming such familiar material into theater that feels both original and necessary. It packs plenty of heart and soul, but lacks a strong pulse.”
‘Back to the Future’
SYNOPSIS: The Broadway arrival of the West End hit “Back to the Future” continues the march of Hollywood brand extensions to the musical stage. The production, based on the 1985 film hit that spun off two sequels, mirrors the film’s plot and stars Casey Likes as the time-traveling teen Marty McFly and and Roger Bart as mad scientist Doc Brown.
WHERE: Winter Garden Theatre
VARIETY REVIEW: “In a story that hearkens back to 1955, you could wish this musical’s creators had considered what made musical theater so great in that golden era. Perhaps they might have crafted something more fresh and tuneful, with goosebump moments that come not from hydraulics but from theatrical know-how.”
‘THE WIZ’
SYNOPSIS: The new revival of William F. Brown and Charlie Smalls’ 1974 musical has a fresh new vibe thanks to comedian and host Amber Ruffin (previously nominated for a Tony for her work adapting “Some Like It Hot”). The “Wizard of Oz” inspired tale follows Dorothy (Nichelle Lewis ) the Scarecrow (Avery Wilson), the Lion (Kyle Ramar Freeman) and the Tinman (Phillip Johnson Richardson) as they “ease on down the road” to find The Wiz (Wayne Brady).
WHERE: Marquis Theatre
VARIETY REVIEW: “The maximalist revival … diminishes some of the show’s reliable pleasures with unmitigated, candy-colored exuberance. This family-friendly approach — bright, broad, unironic — aligns with the musical’s legacy as a VHS favorite, but even kids could use help knowing where to look. Dizzying visuals and overamplification too often swallow both actors and storytelling in a swirling sensory overload. ”
‘Suffs’
SYNOPSIS: Following a sold-out extended run at The Public Theater, “Suffs” finally hits Broadway this Spring. Shain Taub’s epic musical explores the victories and failures of a struggle for gender equality — a struggle that, as the show highlights, is far from over.
WHERE: Music Box Theatre
VARIETY REVIEW: “Over the course of this almost three-hour show (which could be even longer to better accommodate the stuffed-and-rushed second act), Taub manages to dramatize the complex origins and contentious development of the women’s rights movement by filtering it through the political coming-of-age narrative of Alice Paul, one of its seminal leaders.”
‘The Great Gatsby’
SYNOPSIS: The musical adaptation of the F. Scott Fitzgerald novel stars Broadway’s beloved Jeremy Jordan (“Newsies,” “Smash”) and Eva Noblezada (“Hadestown,” “Les Misérables”) as Gatsby and Daisy respectively. Set in the roaring 1920s, the production released an early look (above) of the song “For Her / My Green Light.”
WHERE: The Broadway Theater
VARIETY REVIEW: “For any fan of ‘The Great Gatsby’ it’s likely you’ll have moments of wanting more, of missing out on all the subtext, grit, and suffering beneath the sequins.”
‘Illinoise’
SYNOPSIS: Based on Sufjan Stevens’ 2005 indie rock album of the same name, “Illinoise” is a coming-of-age story that deals with the joys and grief of living in the Midwest. The production is one-part musical and one-part hipster ballet.
WHERE: St. James Theatre
VARIETY REVIEW: “‘Illinoise’ is, among many other things, a remarkable concert of Stevens’s music. The original album features an impressively eclectic orchestration — including not just piano, guitar, and drums, but also flute, accordion, trumpet, violin, banjo, organ, vibraphone, and more.”
‘& Juliet’
SYNOPSIS: Created by the Emmy-winning writer of “Schitt’s Creek,” this acclaimed musical-comedy imagines what would happen if Shakespeare’s Juliet didn’t “end it all over Romeo.”
WHERE: Stephen Sondheim Theatre
VARIETY REVIEW: “’& Juliet’ is exactly the show Broadway needs right now: fun, exuberant, supremely joyful, hilarious, and excellently performed by a talented and diverse cast. The amount of confetti may be gratuitous (they seem to be trying to outdo “Moulin Rouge!”), but honestly, why not?”
‘MJ’
SYNOPSIS: A new musical inspired by the life of Michael Jackson will have its world premiere when it begins preview performances later this year.
WHERE: Neil Simon Theater
VARIETY REVIEW: “Packed with nearly 40 hits from Michael Jackson’s irresistible catalogue, the Broadway production from director and choreographer Christopher Wheeldon is not so much a biomusical as a high-shine and surface-skimming rehabilitation tour for its late subject, flattening rather than reckoning with his complex legacy.”
‘Six: The Musical’
SYNOPSIS: After earning a million dollars during its first week of previews at the Brooks Atkinson Theatre, “Six” was hours away from officially opening before the COVID-19 shutdown went into effect on March 12. This wildly original stage production is like watching a pop concert starring the six ex-wives of Henry VIII.
WHERE: Brooks Atkinson Theatre
VARIETY REVIEW: “Audience interest in this competitive concert concept could easily wear out its welcome but the musical variety, bite-sized storytelling and unstoppable performances keep the entertainment level high as the musical subversively builds in emotional depth.”
‘Wicked’
SYNOPSIS: A prequel of sorts to “The Wizard of Oz,” “Wicked” recounts the happenings in Oz before Dorothy sauntered down the yellow brick road and tells the story of how a green-skinned woman named Elphaba becomes the Wicked Witch of the West. With classic songs like “Defying Gravity” and “Popular,” it’s one of the most beloved shows on Broadway.
WHERE: Gershwin Theatre
VARIETY REVIEW: “‘Wicked’ is stridently earnest one minute, self-mocking the next; a fantastical allegory about the perils of fascism in one scene, a Nickelodeon special about the importance of inner beauty in another.”
‘Moulin Rouge! The Musical’
SYNOPSIS: Baz Luhrman’s legendary film comes to life in this enchanting and glitzy musical, following the same 19th century forbidden love story from the 2001 movie.
WHERE: Al Hirschfield Theater
VARIETY REVIEW: “It’s the same old story that poets and songwriters are still writing about today, in songs like “Nature Boy” and “One More Night” and “Only Girl in the World” and all the other tunes that Logan and Timbers have woven into this traditional — but kind of special — jukebox musical.”
‘Hadestown’
SYNOPSIS: The Tony-winning musical, written by celebrated singer-songwriter Anais Mitchell. The acclaimed show is a love story at its heart, following the mythical tales of two intertwining couples, Orpheus and Eurydice, and King Hades and his wife Persephone.
WHERE: Walter Kerr Theater
VARIETY REVIEW: “The storytelling is spare, but the visuals say it all, helped along by the melodious voice and slip-sliding dance moves of the indomitable André De Shields as the swift-footed god Hermes, as well as by the three gorgeous, golden-throated Fates played by Jewelle Blackman, Yvette Gonzalez-Nacer and Kay Trinidad.”
‘Aladdin’
SYNOPSIS: The musical based on the 1992 Disney animated film at Broadway’s New Amsterdam Theatre
WHERE: New Amsterdam Theatre
‘Chicago’
SYNOPSIS: The longest-running American musical in Broadway history has returned with the razzle dazzle. The Tony-winning revival tells the story of two women in Chicago who will use absolutely anything at their disposal to stay on the front page of the local newspaper, from behind prison bars.
WHERE: Ambassador Theatre
‘Cabaret’
SYNOPSIS: London’s hottest ticket arrives on Broadway this Spring with Oscar and Tony Award winner Eddie Redmayne reprising his Olivier Award-winning performance as the Emcee, and introducing Gayle Rankin as the Toast of Mayfair, Sally Bowles.
WHERE: August Wilson Theatre
VARIETY REVIEW: “The triumph – that’s not too strong a word – of director Rebecca Frecknall’s stunner of a production is that, despite piercing performances from Jessie Buckley and Eddie Redmayne, her supremely intelligent, emotionally draining vision of the show turns it, enthrallingly, into ‘All About Berlin.'”
‘Hamilton’
SYNOPSIS: Lin Manuel Miranda’s hip-hop musical tribute to one of our illustrious Founding Fathers was an immediate sensation upon its 2015 debut, and it’s still going strong on Broadway with a new cast. If you can’t make it in person, Disney+ has a live recording of the production with the original cast, including Miranda.
WHERE: Richard Rodgers Theatre
VARIETY REVIEW: “Like any true landmark, ‘Hamilton’ stands up to repeated viewings. After six months, the show’s initial impact hasn’t dulled a bit; in fact, the qualities that made it so extraordinary the first time around are all the more striking.”
‘Harry Potter and the Cursed Child’
SYNOPSIS: Based on an original story written by J.K Rowling, this adapted play takes place 19 years after the events of “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hollows.”
WHERE: Lyric Theatre
VARIETY REVIEW: “Best of all, there’s a set of bookcases in the Hogwarts library that keep swallowing and spitting out unwary readers. But for all its inventive stagecraft devices, the show has a plot that really works as an extension of the Potter saga.”
‘The Lion King’
SYNOPSIS: King Mufasa, Simba, Scar and the rest of the animals from the Pride Lands of Africa.
WHERE: Minskoff Theatre
‘A Wonderful World‘
SYNOPSIS: Starring Tony-Winner James Monroe Iglehart (“Aladdin), this new musical “A Wonderful World,” looks back at the life of Jazz musician and trumpeter Louis Armstrong through the lens of his four wives. The show has been previously staged in Chicago, New Orleans and Miami before its New York debut.
CURTAIN UP: Previews begin October 16, 2024, and opening night is November 11, 2024
THEATER: Studio 54
‘The Book of Mormon’
SYNOPSIS: This hilarious, Tony-winning musical follows two Latter-day Saints missionaries as they attempt to preach the teachings of their religion to a the inhabitants of a remote Ugandan village.
WHERE: Eugene O’Neill Theatre
VARIETY REVIEW: “The cast shows no evidence of being second tier, and production values are as lavish and performance style as crisp as at the show’s nativity. As long as you don’t go expecting the Second Coming, you’re unlikely to be let down by this breathlessly funny, solidly crafted musical satire.”
