Off-Broadway is where real magic is brewing—just look at last year’s Oh, Mary! and Job, which made the leap to Broadway; the musical juggernaut Hamilton got its start on the smaller stage too. Heavyweights return even after Theatre District success, drawn to Off-Broadway’s bold ideas, razor-sharp playwrights and electric energy that thrives in intimate venues.
Whether you’re chasing a laugh, a cry or just a reason to venture out, there’s a seat waiting for you.
For deep thinkers
Courtesy, Playwrights Horizons
The Antiquities
Through February 23
Playwrights Horizons, 416 W. 42nd St., Hell’s Kitchen, Manhattan
Pulitzer Prize finalist and playwright Jordan Harrison, known for his work on Orange Is the New Black, offers a fresh perspective on the postapocalyptic genre. Instead of dwelling on the immediate chaos of end times, Harrison leaps far into a future in which museum curators examine humanity as a species. Their task: uncover who humans were, what mattered most to them and which artifacts best represent the entirety of their existence. The result is a thought-provoking exploration of identity, value and legacy, leaving you with big questions that will fuel your after-theater drinks conversation and perhaps have you pondering how you curate your own life.
A Knock on the Roof
Through February 16
New York Theatre Workshop, 79 E. 4th St., East Village, Manhattan
Written and directed by Khawla Ibraheem, a Syrian-Palestinian actor and playwright, this one-person, 70-minute show tells the story of Mariam, a mother in Gaza juggling the needs of her small child, her elderly mother and her own resolve as she faces the unthinkable. Her ongoing monologue centers on what she will do when she hears the ominous “knock” of the first bomb hitting her roof—a sound that Gazans have come to recognize as an unofficial warning to flee before more destruction. Where can she run and how? Praised at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival last summer, the show offers a deeply powerful point of view, spotlighting one family caught in the crosshairs of geopolitical chaos.
For musical enthusiasts with an edge
Courtesy, Drag: The Musical
Drag
Through April 27
New World Stages, 340 W. 50th St., Midtown West, Manhattan
With Liza Minnelli among the many producers, Drag sets its sights on fabulous—and delivers. Tomas Costanza, Ashley Gordon and Justin Andrew Honard, aka RuPaul’s Drag Race winner Alaska Thunderf—k, cocreated this musical, which follows two rival drag houses locked in a fierce battle for supremacy while grappling with financial woes. The cast is packed with Drag Race alums and features Broadway favorite Adam Pascal, known for his performance as Roger in the original cast of Rent.
Drunk Shakespeare. Photo: Travis Emery
Drunk Shakespeare
Ongoing
Ruby Theatre, 35 W. 39th St., Midtown, Manhattan
Take one of Shakespeare’s 38 plays, add five actors and five shots (of alchohol, 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 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 Play That Goes Wrong. Photo: Jeremy Daniel
The Play That Goes Wrong
Ongoing
New World Stages, 340 W. 50th St., Midtown West, Manhattan
Ever since the classic Noises Off set the gold standard for theatrical farce, playwrights have been racing to match its brilliance. Enter The Play That Goes Wrong, a masterpiece of the genre that had a successful Broadway run and now calls Off-Broadway home. The plot is delightfully chaotic; a hapless drama troupe bites off more than it can chew while attempting to stage a whodunit, with disastrous and hilarious results. Expect plenty of slapstick, physical comedy and moments when you’ll laugh so hard you might just miss the next gag.
Titanique. Photo: Emilio Madrid
Titaníque
Ongoing
Daryl Roth Theatre, 101 E. 15th St., Union Square, Manhattan
An Off-Broadway sensation, this musical earned accolades, including a Lucille Lortel Award, when it premiered in 2023. The show melds the movie Titanic with Celine Dion’s iconic catalog. In this retelling, Dion herself is a passenger aboard the ill-fated 1912 ocean liner, irritated that others are stealing the spotlight. Naturally, she takes center stage, frequently interrupting the action to share her unique perspective. The result? Camp at its finest: absurd, hilarious and undeniably feel-good.
For people who want to be part of the action
Courtesy, ArtHouse
Dungeons & Dragons: The 20-Sided Tavern
Ongoing
Stage 42, 422 W. 42nd St., Hell’s Kitchen, Manhattan
At most theaters you hear a familiar caution: “Please put your phone away.” But not here. In The 20-Sided Tavern, your phone is integral to the adventure. Using an app, audiences help steer the story—deciding where the players go, who they battle and how the plot unfolds. Pair that with live dice rolls and clever improv and you’ve got a fantasy quest that’s part theater, part game night.
Courtesy, Mindplay
Mindplay
Through April 20
Greenwich House Theater, 27 Barrow St., West Village, Manhattan
After captivating sold-out audiences in Los Angeles and Washington, DC, Drama Desk Award nominee Vinny DePonto (Charlatan) returns to the stage with an interactive mentalist experience that dives deep into memories, stories and the shared connections that bind us. No two performances are alike, and audience participation isn’t just encouraged—it’s the heart of the show. This isn’t your typical mind-reading act; it’s a true theatrical journey that’s equal parts “Wow” and “I needed that.”
Courtesy, Speakeasy Magick
Speakeasy Magick
Ongoing
Overlook Bar, 25 W. 24th St., Flatiron District, Manhattan
Running since 2021, Speakeasy Magick combines a cool cocktail lounge with jaw-dropping magic tricks. Ten magicians rotate among 10 intimate tables for a night packed with sleight of hand and parlor illusions that will have you questioning reality. But the real magic is the ambiance of this hard to find and dimly lit space; evoking an air of intrigue and mystery, the Overlook’s Speakeasy Magick is a transportive experience. Note: The show is for guests 21 and older.
Some shows above, plus many others, are taking part in NYC Off-Broadway Week, which runs February 17–March 9 and offers two-for-one tickets available for purchase starting February 4.
