NYC Broadway Week returns September 8 through 21, which is technically more than a week, but we’re not complaining. The annual event offers theatergoers 2-for-1 tickets to dozens of shows, including long-running favorites, Tony-winning hits, and new arrivals.
Consider heading to New York City for the weekend and grabbing a deal (hotel pricing also typically drops after Labor Day). To help narrow your options, we’ve selected some of our favorite musicals and plays currently running on Broadway:
Death Becomes Her
If you’re looking for Broadway with a capital “B,” look no further than the over-the-top screen-to-stage adaptation of Death Becomes Her. Huge voices, a towering staircase for that famous tumble, and hundreds of costumes add plenty of pizzazz to director-choreographer Christopher Gatelli’s fast-paced production. A witty book by Marco Pennette preserves some of our favorite lines from the film. At the same time, Julia Mattison and Noel Carey’s score offers plenty of vocal gymnastics for the musical’s leading ladies.
There’s no Tony for chemistry, but it can make or break a show
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Oh, Mary!
A finalist for the Pulitzer Prize for Drama, Oh, Mary! flips the presidential office on its head, thanks to a biting and brilliant script by Cole Escola, who originated the title role as first lady Mary Todd Lincoln. A new cast recently stepped into the production, led by Jinkx Monsoon, who’s got all the camp and physical comedy to keep the play in peak performance.
Buena Vista Social Club
The best choreography of the season (at least according to the Tony Awards) belongs to Buena Vista Social Club, the musical origin story behind the famed Cuban band. Choreographers Patricia Delgado and Justin Peck lift the narrative to new heights when Marco Ramirez’s book becomes a bit too on the nose. But at a tight two hours, including intermission, Buena Vista Social Club offers a thrilling celebration of Cuban music and movement.
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Operation Mincemeat
Five actors play multiple roles to tell the story of Operation Mincemeat, Great Britain’s counter-intelligence operation to distract from the 1943 Allied invasion of Sicily. Based on actual events (including James Bond author Ian Fleming‘s involvement), the bigger-than-life story gets a Broadway treatment, including a Tony-winning performance by Jak Malone.
It wants better content.
Punch
If a gripping drama is your idea of a thrilling night at the theater, Manhattan Theatre Club kicks off its season with Punch. Based on Jacob Dunne’s compelling memoir about a teenage brawl and a fateful act that changed his life forever, the play’s success continues to accelerate, with a limited West End run this fall in addition to its Broadway premiere.
For a complete listing of all the productions participating in NYC Broadway week, visit nyctourism.com/broadway-week/
