Spring is finally here! This new season brings with it new and exciting shows for all to see on Broadway and in NYC! But what shows should you see?
Thanks to Playbill Partner Hotels Booking Engine, you can easily plan your next trip to Manhattan. And there will be plenty of shows for you to choose from. From a spy caper to dancing pirates, corpse on parade and Operas-galore, here are five shows Playbill recommends coming to see this spring.
Dead Outlaw
Longacre Theatre (220 W. 48th St., New York, NY)
The most critically acclaimed new musical of 2024, Dead Outlaw begins previews on Broadway April 12. Following its smash-hit world premiere engagement at Audible’s Minetta Lane Theatre, Dead Outlaw is the darkly hilarious and wildly inventive musical about the bizarre true story of outlaw-turned-corpse-turned-celebrity Elmer McCurdy. As Elmer’s body finds even more outlandish adventures in death than it could have ever hoped for in life, the show explores fame, failure, and the meaning— or utter meaninglessness—of legacy. Dying is no reason to stop living life to its fullest! Dead Outlaw dominated the 2024 awards season, taking home the prize for ‘Best Musical’ at the Drama Desk Awards, New York Drama Critics’ Circle Awards, Outer Critics Circle Awards, and Off-Broadway Alliance Awards. Now you get to see what everyone’s talking about!
Click here for tickets and information.
The Metropolitan Opera
30 Lincoln Center Plaza, New York, NY
Curveball! We added The Met into this list because the season is so, so exciting. Playbill’s recently posted this great article, 7 Operas You Should See If You’re A Musical Theatre Fan. It's a love letter for musical fans who want to explore the opera but don't know where to start—and we cannot agree more with these options! From Salome to The Barber of Seville, The Marriage of Figaro and more, you do not want to miss some of the most exceptional operatic performances in one of the greatest opera houses in the world!
Click here for tickets and information.
Operation Mincemeat
John Golden Theatre, 252 W. 45th St., New York, NY
This show is SO, SO Funny. Operation Mincemeat is the 2024 Olivier Award-winning Best New Musical and it's currently playing to sold-out crowds on Broadway. It's a stunning true story of a scheme every bit as dicey, daring, and ridiculous as opening a new musical on Broadway! It’s 1943, and the Allied Forces are on the ropes. Luckily, they’ve got a trick up their sleeve. Well, not up their sleeve, per se, but rather inside the pocket of a stolen corpse. Equal parts farce, thriller, and Ian Fleming-style spy caper (with an assist from Mr. Fleming himself), Operation Mincemeat tells the wildly improbable and hilarious true story of the covert operation that turned the tide of WWII.
Click here for tickets and information.
Pirates! The Penzance Musical
Todd Haimes Theatre, 227 West 42nd Street, New York, NY
Talk about Broadway star power! Ramin Karimloo, Jinkx Monsoon, and David Hyde Pierce lead the crew of Pirates! The Penzance Musical, a must-see reimagining of Gilbert and Sullivan's The Pirates of Penzance. Unfamiliar with it the story? There's a tongue-twisting Major-General, a rabble-rousing Pirate King, some young lovers, daring daughters, footloose pirates, and fleet-footed police—it's a shipload's worth of musical comedy delights. And this reimagined production is set in New Orleans. Scott Ellis directs, and Warren Carlyle choreographs with an adapted script by Rupert Holmes.
Click here for tickets and information.
Stranger Things: The First Shadow
Marquis Theatre, 1535 Broadway, New York, NY
If you're a fan of Netflix's Stranger Things (and are bummed that the show is coming to an end), then the new Broadway play Stranger Things: The First Shadow should not be missed. Winner of two Olivier Awards including Best Entertainment, this prequel story to the hit television series is brought to life by an award-winning creative team, stunning special effects, extraordinary performances, and a storyline that will keep you on the edge of your seat!
Click here for tickets and information.
There are many additional shows we recommend, hotels to stay at, and incredible attractions to “spring” into! Keep checking back monthly as we continue sharing things to do in NYC (and London)!
Interested in a trip to New York City or London? Using Playbill's Booking Engine to find the right hotel for your stay. Powered by Travelwits, the booking engine allows you to discover the best hotels in both cities, with added benefits like hotel credits, free breakfasts, rewards points, and more. Check out the fantastic hotels available to book and make your experience that much more enjoyable!
