It’s been another busy season on Broadway! And for the first time in years, all 41 theatres are booked (and blessed) at the same time. If you’re visiting New York and want to see a Broadway show, you’ve got a ton of options. Of course, there are the classics like Wicked and The Lion King, and the new classics like Hadestown and The Outsiders. They’re all great, but what if I told you there were dozens of shows this past year that are incredible but you’ve likely never heard of?
Interested? Good. Today, we’re talking about the musicals and plays of the 2024 – 2025 Broadway season. We’ve gotten a diverse lineup of shows, so let’s dive right into what you should see on your next trip to Manhattan’s theatre district!
Important disclaimer: This post only covers the shows I’ve seen so far. There are a few more on my list, but I’m a busy gal balancing a full-time job, grad school, and a restless theatre addiction!
2024 – 2025 Broadway Musicals
Death Becomes Her
Imagine a show with a 90s-level production value and humor for a contemporary audience. That’s Death Becomes Her in a nutshell.
Based on the 1992 cult classic film, Death Becomes Her is perhaps one of the few movie adaptations that plays better on stage than on screen. The staging has no restraint, opening with two back-to-back showstoppers.
I’ve seen the show twice so far, and it’s one of the rare shows I enjoyed significantly more the second time. Even knowing what comes next, I found myself appreciating so many of the little details in set changes and score arrangements that I missed the first time. To be fully transparent, it’s my new favorite musical, and the single show I’d recommend to anyone who wants to have a distinctly Broadway experience, or just a plain old fun night out.
Death Becomes Her is currently playing at the Lunt-Fontanne Theatre on 46th Street, between Broadway and 8th Avenue.
Dead Outlaw
How would I best describe Dead Outlaw? Bizarre. Informative. Morbid. Weird. Life-affirming. Fun. Can’t-miss.
Dead Outlaw is the true story of infamous outlaw Elmer McCurdy, who became more famous in death than in life. For those unfamiliar with McCurdy’s story, you couldn’t guess what happened next if you tried. The music is catchy and memorable; I can’t tell you how often I’ve hummed the title song since seeing the show once. This is one of those rare shows that will delight avid theatregoers, as well as the hesitant dads and partners who are just getting dragged along. For a show about a mummy, this production has so much soul and heart that it reaffirms what the musical theatre genre could be.
Dead Outlaw is currently playing at the Longacre Theatre on 48th Street, between Broadway and 8th Avenue.
SMASH
If you regularly watch sitcoms and reality TV, SMASH is pretty much the stage equivalent. While based on the TV show of the same name, SMASH on Broadway takes on a new life and plot. Many of the character names appear, and it’s all based on the production of Bombshell, but the characters’ personalities and general storyline are very different from how they appear on screen. I still deep-belly-laughed for about two and a half hours straight and left quoting a listicle of the best lines from Nigel, the director of Bombshell within the show.
SMASH is currently playing at the Imperial Theatre on 45th Street, between 7th and 8th Avenues.
Boop!
Broadway has limited options for younger theatregoers, especially if you don’t want to see a Disney show. Boop! is your new best choice. The subject matter feels a little more mature than Aladdin or The Lion King, yet there’s no scary, evil villain, making it a much lighter plot. Plus, it’s perfect for a first visit to New York; much of the show is set in Manhattan and even makes jokes about classic tourist attractions, like seeing the Radio City Rockettes. There are some jokes in there for the adults, and I don’t think a single person in the audience could help but audibly awwww every time Pugdy took the stage.
Boop! is currently playing at the Broadhurst Theatre on 44th Street, between 7th and 8th Avenues.
Operation Mincemeat
Another musical about a little-known historical event involving a corpse and misinformation? Yes! But this one’s British, and nowhere near as dark as some of its peers this season.
Operation Mincemeat originally opened on London’s West End to rave reviews and several extensions, telling the story of the real-life deception operation during World War II. An ensemble cast of 5 plays more than 50 characters throughout this fast-paced, two-act musical. The humor is very British, but still enjoyable to an American audience. I felt like Operation Mincemeat shared traits with Hamilton, Six, Spamalot, The Play that Goes Wrong, Gutenberg!, and Come From Away, but still carved out a distinct spot in the season lineup. The show is best embodied in the last 15 minutes or so- zany, delightful antics paired with a sentimental, moving message.
Operation Mincemeat is currently playing at the Golden Theatre on 45th Street, between 7th and 8th Avenues.
2024 – 2025 Season Plays
Oh, Mary!
Oh, Mary! can best be described as a theatrical manifestation of historical fanfiction, and it is one of the most surprisingly delightful plays I have ever seen. You might imagine a play about Mary Todd Lincoln’s private life during the height of the Civil War as a drag, but this production is more closely related to a drag show in the best way possible. The humor is raunchy, the plot twists are jaw-dropping, and the medleys are madcap. Cole Escola, the show’s creator and original Mary, created the show for their “drunk gay friends” based on the notion, “What if Abe Lincoln’s death wasn’t so bad for Mary?”
I’ve never seen a play more than twice, but I’ve now seen this play three times. (twice with the original cast and once with Tituss Burgess taking on the title role). Each time, I’m delighted with a new take on delivery. As zany as the concept is, the book’s structure is pretty genius. And I am once again begging for a pocket copy of the script I can reference for comebacks.
Oh, Mary! is currently playing at the Lyceum Theatre on 45th Street, between 6th and 7th Avenues.
John Proctor is the Villain
I have never felt so represented in a show as I have with John Proctor is the Villain. The show delves into some pretty heavy topics, focusing on the nuances of feminism and the Me Too Movement through the lens of high schoolers studying the Crucible in 2018 and living nearly parallel situations. Despite being so dark, I found myself laughing often. Not ironically, like you might think, but genuinely relatable, funny laughs. The characters are remarkably believable, and their relationship dynamics are so realistic that I saw many people from my own life in them. The plot twist was not entirely surprising, but still presented in a compelling way that made you invested in every moment (full disclosure: I was the same age at the same time as the characters when the show was set, and also attended a very small suburban public school. So, some of the breadcrumbs left throughout the build-up were full-blown flags from my perspective).
I found myself reflecting on the difficult questions the characters grappled with during the show, but still walked back to the train feeling hopeful. It is truly the first time I’ve seen young adult intellectualism, female rage, and the complicated nature of the Gen Z experience accurately portrayed in media, let alone on stage.
John Proctor is the Villain is currently playing at the Booth Theatre on 45th Street, between 7th and 8th Avenues.
Stranger Things: The First Shadow
Ok, I’ll admit this is a bonus addition. I haven’t seen Stranger Things: The First Shadow yet, but I felt it had a rightful place on this list. This play is the best introduction to Broadway for fans of the Stranger Things franchise, but it doesn’t exclude frequent theatregoers since it is set as a prequel to the TV series. I’ve seen so many audience members regard the show as more cutting-edge in technology than Harry Potter and the Cursed Child was when it came out, so despite not being a Stranger Things fan, I am excited to see how they brought such a tech-heavy franchise to the stage. There is also a behind-the-scenes documentary on Netflix about the making of the show and its special effects! I plan on watching it after I see the play since I love being surprised by staging (and trying to figure out how it happened after the fact).
Stranger Things: The First Shadow is currently playing at the Marquis Theatre, located inside the Marriott Marquis Times Square on the second floor. The entrance is located in a pedestrian underpass between 45th and 46th Streets, between Broadway and 8th Avenue.
With so many new Broadway shows, you’re sure to find something you’ll love on stage. If you’re a theatre district regular like me, I’d love to know what you thought the best Broadway shows this season were! Let me know in the comments or on social media.
