Broadway is hitting a high note. The 2024–2025 season was the highest-grossing season ever, thanks to A-list celebrities, fresh takes on revivals and standout new works. And this season is shaping up to keep the momentum going, with Broadway royalty like Kristin Chenoweth and Lea Michele, Hollywood stars such as Keanu Reeves and James Corden and beloved revivals arriving on the Great White Way. Here’s our rundown of all the fall debuts—make your plans, sit back and watch the curtain rise.
Courtesy, Boneau/Bryan-Brown
Mamma Mia!
Previews begin August 2, opens August 14, through February 1, 2026
We can never let it go! The toe-tapping, lip-synching Abba favorite is back for a six-month run. This is Broadway at its best: a strong ensemble and a feel-good love story that's as sweet as champagne and wedding cake—minus the hangover.
For fans of: Swedish synth-pop, multigenerational musicals, weddings
Jeff Ross: Take a Banana for the Ride. Photo: Robyn Von Swank
Jeff Ross: Take a Banana for the Ride
Previews begin August 5, opens August 18, through September 28
When the Roastmaster General takes the stage, everyone pays attention (and a few celebrities might be quaking in their boots). Emmy-nominated comedian Jeff Ross brings his signature style and off-the-cuff zingers to the Nederlander Theatre. Ross is backed by a strong creative team, including Seth Barrish, who directed Mike Birbiglia: The Old Man and the Pool. Bring your Broadway-skeptical friends because this one’s built for laughs, not jazz hands, and at 90 minutes, there’s plenty of time for drinks and dinner afterward.
For fans of: sharp wit, star-studded audiences, existentialism
Courtesy, AKA NYC
Art
Previews begin August 28, opens September 16, through December 21
Yasmina Reza’s tightly written Tony-winning play, translated by master adapter and playwright Christopher Hampton (Les Liaisons Dangereuses), turns a blank canvas into a full-on friendship crisis. What starts as a debate over modern art spirals into sharp, funny and sometimes brutal questions about who we are and what we really value. Expect crackling chemistry as TV standouts Neil Patrick Harris, James Corden and Bobby Cannavale share the stage in the three-hander’s first Broadway revival since the original run ended in 1999.
For fans of: TV royalty, MoMA, elevated boys’ nights
Courtesy, Manhattan Theatre Club
Punch
Previews begin September 9, opens September 29
Drugs, alcohol and bad choices lead Jacob to throw a punch that takes another person’s life, but an unexpected friendship with the parents of the man he killed opens a narrow path to redemption. This West End import stars Gen Z screen favorite Will Harrison (Daisy Jones and the Six) in his Broadway debut, unpacking consequence, guilt and the fragile possibility of forgiveness.
For fans of: The Inheritance, The Ferryman, emotionally charged British dramas
Courtesy, AKA NYC
Waiting for Godot
Previews begin September 13, opens September 28, through January 4, 2026
Bill and Ted, aka Alex Winter and Keanu Reeves, are now Vladimir and Estragon in the absurdist adventure that is Waiting for Godot. Samuel Beckett’s work has shaped pop culture for decades (looking at you, Seinfeld) and feels just as relevant in today’s anything-can-meme world. Broadway and West End wunderkind Jamie Lloyd, famous for his stripped-down and amped-up takes on modern classics (Sunset Boulevard, Evita), directs this electrifying production.
For fans of: AP English, screen-to-stage crossovers, black turtlenecks
Courtesy, Lincoln Center Theater
Ragtime
Previews begin September 25, opens October 16, through January 4, 2026
At Lincoln Center for a 14-week run, this sweeping adaptation of E. L. Doctorow’s masterpiece weaves together three disparate plotlines to tell the story of America at the start of the 20th century. Directed by Lear deBessonet, Tony nominated for her 2022 revival of Into the Woods, and starring a trio of Broadway favorites—Caissie Levy (Frozen), Joshua Henry (Into the Woods) and Brandon Uranowitz (Leopoldstadt)—this revival has Ragtime meeting the 21st century.
For fans of: US history, inventive revivals, lush and large scenery
Courtesy, Arthouse
Little Bear Bridge Road
Previews begin October 7, opens October 30
Written by Samuel D. Hunter (The Whale), this play was crafted specifically for director Joe Mantello and actress Laurie Metcalf, who wanted a piece to match their collaborative style. Set a few years ago, when removing a face mask felt like an act of intimacy, it follows an older woman who invites her estranged nephew into her home while he’s in the process of selling his father’s house. It’s a story of yearning, imperfect friendship and the simple act of trying.
For fans of: plays that linger with you, electrifying performances, character-driven drama
Courtesy, The Queen of Versailles
The Queen of Versailles
Previews begin October 8, opens November 9
Let’s start with who: Broadway icon Kristin Chenoweth, best known for originating the role of Glinda in Wicked, and Academy Award winner F. Murray Abraham (Amadeus) costar; and Stephen Schwartz (Wicked, Godspell, Pippin and a laundry list of others) did the score. Now what: the weird but true story of Jackie and David Siegel, who build a Versailles-inspired mansion right as the 2008 housing bubble pops. Based on the infamous documentary, the musical got positive reviews in its Broadway tryout in Boston last year.
For fans of: tabloid snark, Broadway royalty, belting out songs alone in your car
Beetlejuice. Photo: Matthew Murphy
Beetlejuice
Previews begin October 8, through January 3, 2026
Beloved but beleaguered by pandemic shutdowns, Beetlejuice is back on Broadway for a third time, capping off a North American tour. You know the plot from the 1988 blockbuster: a recently deceased couple teams up with a chaotic, crude bio-exorcist to reclaim their home from the living. If you like over-the-top stagecraft, dark humor and fandoms known for cosplay and quoting every line, this threepeat proves that Beetlejuice continues to be fun, fun, fun for the whole family.
For fans of: Tim Burton, dark comedy, musical mischief, cosplay culture
Chess. Photo: Richard Phibbs
Chess
Previews begin October 15, opens November 16
You know the songs—“One Night in Bangkok,” “I Know Him So Well”—though perhaps not where they’re from. Now get the full story in the first Broadway revival of Chess, the Cold War–era musical with a score by Abba’s Benny Andersson and Björn Ulvaeus and lyrics by Tim Rice. Chess follows a high-stakes tournament between Soviet and American grandmasters tangled in a politically charged love triangle. Lea Michele brings her signature powerhouse vocals to a score you may not realize you already know, with Aaron Tveit (Moulin Rouge) and Nicholas Christopher (Sweeney Todd) rounding out the cast.
For fans of: 1980s excess, Cold War intrigue, Abba deep cuts, big belters and bigger ballads
Courtesy, AKA NYC
Oedipus
Previews begin October 30, opens November 13, through February 8, 2026
The guy who kills his father and sleeps with his mother is back, and you’ve never seen him like this before. Visionary director Robert Icke, known for his bold, modern interpretations of classics, brings this Oedipus to Broadway straight from a celebrated West End run. This razor-sharp political tragedy strips down the myth to its rawest human emotions while ramping up the contemporary resonance. Starring Mark Strong and Lesley Manville, Oedipus is a story of fate, power and the danger of knowing too much.
For fans of: political thrillers, stripped-down classics, millennial powerhouse directors
Two Strangers (Carry a Cake Across New York)
Previews November 1, opens November 20
Sometimes the sweetest love stories don’t happen at the altar but around it. In this charming two-hander, which comes off an acclaimed run in London, Dougal, the groom’s estranged son, and Robin, the bride’s sister, set out on a wedding errand with, yes, a cake. The meet-cute extends itself for a whirlwind journey through New York City, packed with witty banter, rom-com tropes and just the right amount of cheese.
For fans of: Hugh Grant rom-coms, Nicholas Sparks, stories that make you smile, catchy soundtracks
Courtesy, Second Stage Theater
Marjorie Prime
Previews begin November 20, opens December 8
A finalist for the Pulitzer Prize a decade ago, this Jordan Harrison play inspired a 2017 film and now is being revived for Broadway at a very pertinent time. It asks: What if AI could give us back our loved ones and memories, richer, brighter and even more vivid than reality? And if our avatars lived on after us, how would that reshape our identity?
For fans of: long ChatGPT conversations, art meets AI, existential questions
NYC Broadway Week runs September 8–21 and offers 2-for-1 tickets available for purchase starting August 19. Check to see if any of the above shows are participating, and book your seats.
