New year, new theater.
Winter is typically a slower time when it comes to new shows in New York City (spring is a bigger kickoff), but there are still plenty of openings to be excited about, from big, splashy productions of classic works to totally original new stories.
Here are 10 productions we’re particularly excited about.
If you...
...want to see a reimagined classic: West Side Story
One of the most brilliant musicals of all time is being reimagined in this new production, which, for the first time in the U.S., features brand-new choreography by the acclaimed Anne Teresa de Keersmaeker. Something's coming; something good, etc. Opening: Feb. 6
...love a pop concert: Six
This super-fun musical about the six wives of Henry VIII is basically an Ariana Grande concert. A hit in London and Chicago, it’s finally making its way to Broadway and is perfect for your girl group/bachelorette party/boozy friend night out. It's light on plot, with amazing energy and absolutely incredible songs you won't be able to get out of your head. Opening: Mar. 12
...think Laura Linney is brilliant: My Name is Lucy Barton
Based on the novel by Pulitzer Prize-winner Elizabeth Stout, the solo show revolves around a woman who awakes from an operation to find her mother, whom she hasn’t spoken to in several years, in her room. “During their days-long visit, Lucy tries to understand her past, works to come to terms with her family, and begins to find herself as a writer,” per a release from the show. I’ll probably cry. Opening: Jan. 15
...miss watching Claire Foy and Matt Smith on The Crown: Lungs
Straight from London, the two former stars of The Crown play opposite each other once again in the play Lungs, a story about a couple deciding whether to bring a child into the world in the time of climate change. Dark!! I’ll definitely cry. Opening: Mar. 25
...want to feel feelings: Company
The hit Sondheim musical about looking for love in your thirties in NYC gets a gender-swapped twist: Now Bobbie (Katrina Lenk) is a woman, which of course will add new insight and problems as time ticks on. Bonus: Patti LuPone sings the classic "The Ladies Who Lunch." I’m going to sob. Opening: Mar. 2
...are on way too many group texts: Emojiland
Emojiland sounds deeply silly, but it garnered some raves when it premiered at the New York Musical Festival last July. I'll let a press release explain: "Emojiland is about a diverse community of archetypes who take one another at face value: a smiling face dealing with depression; a princess who doesn’t want a prince; a skull dying for deletion; a nerd face too smart for his own good... When a software update threatens to destroy life as they know it, Emojiland faces the most fundamental questions a society — and a heart — can face: Who are we? And who matters?"
I probably won't cry, but the cast — including Lucas Steele and Max Crumm — has me excited and intrigued. Or should I say, 🤪. Opening: Jan. 9
...treasure a tragedy: Medea
In this contemporary(!) adaptation of the classic Greek tragedy, real-life couple Bobby Cannavale and Rose Byrne take on the epic tale of a woman who takes bloody revenge on her husband after he leaves her for another woman. Playing at BAM, this version, by Simon Stone, was referred to as "funny, clever, and harrowing" when it played in the UK earlier this year. Opening: Jan. 12
...will see a play only if Armie Hammer is in it: The Minutes
You’re in luck, Hammer-heads(?)! Hammer will be part of the ensemble cast in a new play by Tracy Letts exploring "small-town politics and real-world power" in a comedy taking place at a city council meeting. The play — which premiered in Chicago — was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize and also stars Broadway faves such as Jesse Mueller, Blair Brown, and Letts. "The play is not about Trump or Trumpism — I don’t find him a particularly complicated figure — but it is about this contentious moment we’re having in American politics in the last few years,” Letts recently told the New York Times. "It addresses, I hope, how we got here, and what might be some of the underlying problems and original sins." Opening: Mar. 15
...love Bob Dylan: Girl From the North Country
This musical — featuring 19 Bob Dylan songs including "Like a Rolling Stone" and "Make You Feel My Love" — follows a group of boarders in Duluth, Michigan, in 1934, exploring, through the music, how these individuals interact with each other during hard times. Opening: Mar. 5
…are a royals fan: Diana
OK, so this could go in a lot of different directions 😬, but if you want to prep for Season 4 of The Crown, this is a musical about the People’s Princess (starring Jeanna De Waal), covering her whole life. Out-of-town reviews were decidedly mixed, but I’m hopeful this production can thread the needle between the tragedy of her end and her overall impact without being too exploitative and maudlin. We’ll see! Opening: Mar. 31
Topics Music
