The 2016-2017 Broadway season has a robust array of theatrical offerings in store, many of which present their stories in unique and boundary-pushing ways, while others boast star-packed casts that are sure to be sought after tickets.
Here’s our roundup of unique and exciting shows that should be on your must-see list this fall. Think ahead when planning your theatre-going calendar, and don’t miss out on these tickets!
THE ENCOUNTER
Playwright, actor and director Simon McBurney’s stunning one-man show dazzled audiences at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, before transferring to a celebrated and sold-out London run last year. The New York Times raved, calling it “a play you see with you ears.” Audiences wear headphones as they are enveloped within the mind-bending journey of National Geographic photographer Loren McIntyre’s 1969 expedition into the depths of the Amazon—one that tests the limits of human consciousness. Thanks to ground-breaking sound design, aural effects are transmitted through the headphones over the course of the play as we descend further and further into the story and further away from reality and our own perceptions of time and consciousness. Previews begin September 20 at the Golden Theatre. Get tickets here.
THE FRONT PAGE
Casting for the revival of Charles MacArthur’s 1928 play about the newspaper business is a who’s who of acting heavy-hitters, including Nathan Lane, John Slattery, John Goodman, Jefferson Mays, Rosemary Harris, Sherie Rene Scott, Holland Taylor, Robert Morse and Dylan Baker. The fast-paced comedy about a newspaper reporter and editor who end up hiding an escaped prisoner inspired the film His Girl Friday. The limited 20-week engagement begins September 20 at The Broadhurst Theatre. Get tickets here.
NATASHA, PIERRE & THE GREAT COMET OF 1812
One of the most unique and theatrically immersive experiences in recent Off-Broadway history returns for its amped-up Broadway debut this fall. Grammy nominee Josh Groban and Denée Benton star in Dave Malloy’s romantic electro pop musical adaptation of passage from War and Peace. Directed by Rachel Chavkin, the entire Imperial Theatre will be transformed into a Russian supper club (thanks to the genius of Mimi Lien), with banquettes and cabaret tables that allow theatregoers to be surrounded by the action. The Great Comet is haunting, thrilling and vitally “of the moment.” Performances begin October 18 at the Imperial Theatre. Get tickets here.
IN TRANSIT
First seen Off-Broadway in 2010, the musical boasts Frozen Oscar winner Kristen Anderson-Lopez among its collaborators (James-Allen Ford, Russ Kaplan, Sara Wordsworth and Deke Sharon are also on board.) Three-time Tony winner Kathleen Marshall directs the musical inspired by the vibrant, gritty and diverse rhythms of the New York City subway as the lives of 11 New Yorkers intertwine. Oh and did we mention there’s no orchestra? This is Broadway’s first completely a cappella musical. Previews begin November 10 at Broadway’s Circle in the Square. Get tickets here.
The second Broadway outing from Tony-nominated Christmas Story and Dogfight songwriters Benj Pasek and Justin Paul stars Pitch Perfect actor Ben Platt as an anxious and awkward high school outsider who ensnares himself in a lie that takes on a life of its own. The pop-driven musical, featuring a book by Steven Levenson, casts light on the power and pitfalls of social media. It’s an emotional rollercoaster whose peak is an unforgettable (and sure to be award-winning) performance by Platt, who originates a role for the first time on Broadway. Seen earlier this year at Second Stage, Dear Evan Hansen begins previews November 14 at the Belasco Theatre. Get tickets here.
Oscar winner Cate Blanchett makes a starry affair out of Anton Chekhov’s lost first play, which has been re-titled and re-adapted by Andrew Upton (Blanchett’s husband) as The Present. Reset post-Perestroika Russia in the mid-1990s, the play was acclaimed. Blanchett’s last New York run in The Maids for Lincoln Center Festival was a must-see affair (selling-out its entire run), and she makes her Broadway debut in the anticipated work that begins performances December 17 at the Barrymore Theatre. Get tickets here.
