Winter is the perfect season to indulge your theater cravings, and this year’s lineup is serving star power on a silver platter. Broadway legends like Audra McDonald, Bernadette Peters and Idina Menzel are back in action, while screen darlings such as Denzel Washington and Sadie Sink are making waves on stage. Add in a parade of buzzworthy West End transfers with rave reviews and sold-out runs (see them now before they sweep the Tonys) and the Great White Way will brighten the dreariest of days.
From family-friendly favorites to date-night gems and theater lover must-sees, this season has it all—plus plenty to impress even the savviest Playbill collector.
Elf
Through January 4
Buddy the Elf is spreading Christmas cheer and causing chaos across Midtown. The modern-day classic tale based on the beloved 2003 film brings its holiday magic to the stage with a showstopping score packed with humor and heart. Whether you’re a fan of Buddy’s quirky charm or just need a little extra “razzle-dazzle ringalingle,” this musical is sure to make your spirits bright.
Best for fans of: spaghetti with syrup, unapologetic Christmas joy, department store Santas
Cult of Love. Photo: Joan Marcus
Cult of Love
Opens December 12, through February 2
Starring on-screen powerhouses Shailene Woodley and Zachary Quinto, this sharp, thought-provoking play by Emmy-nominated writer Leslye Headland (Russian Doll) unfolds during a Christmas family gathering as childhood squabbles escalate into full-blown adult clashes. It’s the perfect seasonal reminder of Tolstoy’s timeless observation: “Every unhappy family is unhappy in its own way.” Equal parts cutting and cathartic, the play assures us that issues truly are what bind us. Bring your own crew, then spend the post-show dinner debating its meaning (and maybe airing a few grievances of your own).
Best for fans of: family group chats, the Holistic Psychologist, telling your theater partner “That character is so you!”
Eureka Day
Opens December 16, through January 19
Playwright Jonathan Spector makes his Broadway debut after this show’s acclaimed London run. Focused on a California private school with a well-meaning board of directors, a liberal vaccine policy and a mumps outbreak, this comedy asks what happens to good-intentioned people when they bump against a stubborn virus—and even more stubborn “friends.”
Best for fans of: social media drama, Big Little Lies, timely social commentary, Appropriate, Fat Pig
Gypsy. Photo: Julieta Cervantes
Gypsy
Opens December 19, through June 29
The legendary six-time Tony winner Audra McDonald gets her turn as Mama Rose. Directed by Tony winner George C. Wolfe (Bring in 'Da Noise, Bring in 'Da Funk), this musical is known as the King Lear of Broadway for the complexity, nuance and intensity of its main character. Lyric soprano McDonald tackles the brassy belting required for “Everything’s Coming Up Roses” in a can’t-miss tour de force.
Best for fans of: the Great American Songbook, powerful female characters, classic Broadway
Courtesy, SpotCo
All In
Previews begin December 11, opens December 22, through February 16
This exclusive 10-week engagement brings together a Broadway-meets-SNL dream team: Andrew Rannells, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Aidy Bryant, Renée Elise Goldsberry, Fred Armisen, John Mulaney and more. Each night a rotating cast of four performs short love stories that are both heartfelt and hilarious. The result? A 90-minute roller coaster of emotion guaranteed to make you think, laugh and give a little extra love to the plus-one who brought you.
Best for fans of: Tinder dating disasters, SNL sketches, The New Yorker, Modern Love
English
Previews begin January 3, opens January 23, through March 2
Winner of the Pulitzer Prize, this poignant play by Sanaz Toossi delves into the intricate, often fraught relationship we have with language as a means to both empower and limit. The story, set in an Iranian classroom where adult students prepare for an English proficiency exam, explores how language can be a bridge—and sometimes a barrier—to connection and understanding. In an age dominated by the discussion of artificial intelligence and global communication, this play masterfully reflects on language as a key to unlocking ourselves.
Best for fans of: poetry, philosophical conversations over coffee
Courtesy, Redwood
Redwood
Previews begin January 24, opens February 13
Starring Broadway icon Idina Menzel (Wicked, Elsa in the original animated Frozen), this buzzworthy new musical by Tina Landau (SpongeBob SquarePants) arrives from an acclaimed run at the La Jolla Playhouse in San Diego. Redwood plunges into the tangled, poignant chaos of midlife, weaving a tale of self-discovery, healing and the unexpected detours that lead us back to ourselves. With soaring anthems, heartfelt ballads and the lush backdrop of Northern California’s redwood forests, it is full of catharsis, humor and reminders that sometimes deciding to let it go is just half the journey.
Best for fans of: introspection, Brené Brown, forest bathing, Cheryl Strayed
Courtesy, Atlantic Theater Company
Buena Vista Social Club
Previews begin February 21, opens March 19
The spirit of Havana takes center stage in this vibrant new production inspired by the blockbuster 1996 album and the history of how music transformed, influenced and survived the Cuban Revolution. Its soulful rhythms and melodies capture the heart of Cuban music and culture. With Tony-winning composer David Yazbek (The Band’s Visit) as music producer, expect an unforgettable fusion of story and sound that transports you straight to a dance floor in Havana.
Best for fans of: mojitos, Cuban music, timeless vibes
Operation Mincemeat
Previews begin February 15, opens March 20
What happens when you mix a World War II tale with a corpse and a daring spy operation and make it into a musical? A smash hit, if the sold-out West End performances and glowing reviews are anything to go by. Based on the real-life mission that inspired multiple books, films and even a 2021 Colin Firth movie, this story is captivating and, yes, a little weird. Still, Operation Mincemeat delivers with sharp wit and surprising heart, making history as entertaining as it is unbelievable.
Best for fans of: BritBox, The Producers, Monty Python
Courtesy, AKA NYC
Othello
Previews begin February 24, opens March 23, through June 8
Betrayal, ambition and the devastating power of doubt—Othello proves that some stories never age. Shakespeare’s tragedy captures the timelessness of human emotion and demonstrates how easily trust can be shattered by manipulation. Denzel Washington commands the stage as Othello, opposite Jake Gyllenhaal as the calculating Iago. Under the visionary direction of Kenny Leon, the play explores identity, power and insecurity as urgently today as it did 400 years ago.
Best for fans of: Succession, psychological thrillers, star power, bards of the TikTok era
Purpose
Previews begin February 25, opening date TBA
Branden Jacobs-Jenkins, fresh off his 2024 Tony win for Appropriate, masterfully turns kitchen table drama into high art that keeps audiences riveted. Directed by Phylicia Rashad, with cast announcements pending, Purpose delves into the fallout among a Black family in Chicago built on a fragile legacy.
Best for fans of: post-show conversations that last for hours, moral ambiguity, masterful storytelling
Boop! The Musical. Photo: Matthew Murphy and Evan Zimmerman
Boop! The Musical
Previews begin March 11, opens April 5
Betty Boop is back to introduce a new generation to her iconic wide eyes, even bigger personality and the magic behind “boop-oop-a-doop!” Directed by Broadway powerhouse Jerry Mitchell (Hairspray, La Cage aux Folles), this family-friendly spectacle gives the cartoon legend a stage all her own.
Best for fans of: showstopper musicals, flea markets, mascara
Courtesy, The Last Five Years
The Last Five Years
Previews begin March 18, opens April 6
Staged Off-Broadway in 2002 and adapted into a movie in 2014, this stunning musical finally makes its Broadway debut. It unpacks the trajectory of a relationship, told partially in reverse, from breakup back to the beginning. Jason Robert Brown’s sophisticated score captures heartbreak in all its human beauty. This version stars Nick Jonas and Adrienne Warren as they go from strangers to estranged—and vice versa—and everything in between.
Best for fans of: the Timehop app, following your ex on Instagram, Merrily We Roll Along
Old Friends. Photo: Danny Kaan
Old Friends
Previews begin March 25, opens April 8
Starring Broadway icons Bernadette Peters and Lea Salonga alongside an ensemble of seasoned Broadway talent, Old Friends is a Sondheim revue that debuted in London to enthusiastic ovations. Think of it as a love letter, not just to Sondheim’s work but to the way he rethought musical theater—creating intricate lyrics, haunting melodies and those breathtaking moments when everything hinges on a single note. You’ll leave the theater humming and maybe a little teary-eyed.
Best for fans of: Sondheim deep cuts, generational theater kids, original cast albums
Courtesy, SpotCo
John Proctor Is the Villain
Previews begin March 20, opens April 14
A new play starring Zennial favorite Sadie Sink, this thought-provoking production reexamines the classic literature we read in school—specifically whether The Crucible’s John Proctor was really the hero we were taught he was. The story parallels the pressures, expectations and moral dilemmas faced by girls in a rural Georgia high school with those endured by the Salem teens and tweens. With themes of morality, purity culture and finding your voice, this play asks tough questions while making you rethink everything you thought you knew about the good guys.
Best for fans of: high school drama (literal and figurative), reels that start “So I just realized,” English teachers
Floyd Collins
Previews begin March 27, opens April 21
Stay with us: a musical based on the true story of a man trapped in a cave might sound like it’s stuck in a tight spot, but Floyd Collins is anything but. This haunting piece explores ambition, the spectacle of fame and the fragile human spirit. With its stunning score by Adam Guettel (The Light in the Piazza), a book by Tina Landau and powerhouse cast including Jeremy Jordan and Lizzy McAlpine, prepare for a journey that’s as emotionally expansive as its setting is confined.
Best for fans of: Bravo, TikTok, the emotional punch of Hadestown
Courtesy, AKA NYC
Stranger Things: The First Shadow
Previews begin March 28, opens April 22
Yes, that Stranger Things—but don’t expect a word-for-word retelling of the Netflix hit. Directed by multi-Tony winner Stephen Daldry and winner of two Olivier Awards after its successful West End run, this original play is a prequel to the show’s timeline, diving into the eerie roots of Hawkins, Indiana. The story begins in 1959 as new student Henry Creel and his family move to town in search of a fresh start. But as they soon learn, the past—and the darkness—has a way of catching up.
Best for fans of: Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, The Twilight Zone, normal small towns where nothing ever happens
Just in Time. Photo: Andrew Eccles
Just in Time
Previews begin March 28, opens April 23
Starring Tony winner and Broadway favorite Jonathan Groff, this bio-musical delves into the life of Bobby Darin, the legendary Mack the Knife crooner who left an indelible mark on playlists before his untimely death at just 37. The show transforms the intimate Circle in the Square Theatre into a sleek midcentury nightclub, complete with a live band and a vibrant ensemble. It’s a retro-cool experience that bridges decades, captivating longtime Darin fans and exposing a new audience to his timeless charm—proving that some legends should not be relegated to the oldies bin.
Best for fans of: sitting in the splash zone at a Groff performance, Swinging Sixties vibes, Broadway date nights
Courtesy, Roundabout Theatre Company
Pirates! The Penzance Musical
Opens April 24, through June 22
“I know the croaking chorus from the Frogs of Aristophanes!” If you’ve ever delighted in rapid-fire patter songs and zany Victorian antics, this is the Pirates for you. Setting sail from 19th-century England to the lively streets of New Orleans, Tony-winning director Scott Ellis reimagines the Gilbert & Sullivan tale with a jazz-infused vibe. Broadway heartthrob Ramin Karimloo and TV legend David Hyde Pierce star in a production promising swashbuckling humor, toe-tapping tunes and a major general with some major flair.
Best for fans of: “Dress Like a Pirate” day, Broadway spoofs, beignets with a side of rum
Check out our Broadway page for more show listings and theater stories; note too that some of the shows above will take part in NYC Broadway Week Winter 2025, which offers 2-for-1 tickets.
